Ensoniq ASR-10/88 (1992–1996)
The ASR-10/88 is the 88-key weighted version of Ensoniq's ASR-10 sampler and workstation. The standard ASR-10 had 61 unweighted keys. The /88 swapped in a full 88-key weighted action, which made it the flagship of the line for keyboard players who wanted the ASR-10's sound and effects in a piano-style instrument. Production ran from 1992 to 1996, and the /88 listed at $2,995 at launch.
The ASR-10 family was built on the technology Ensoniq developed for the EPS-16 Plus, but with a 24-bit DSP chip at its core. That was a genuine step forward, not an incremental update. It samples at up to 44.1 kHz with 16-bit resolution, offers 30-voice polyphony, and is 8-part multitimbral. EQ Magazine (December 1997, p.92) described the keyboard as a sampler based around 20-bit A/Ds and 18-bit D/As, with 2 MB of internal memory providing 20.5 seconds of sample time. The effects section became a signature feature. Three processors offer digital delay, chorus, flanger, phaser, vocoder, various reverbs, and Ensoniq's famous "TransFX" algorithms. Sound On Sound noted that the ASR-10's warm sound and powerful effects had earned it a dedicated following, particularly among hip-hop and R&B producers who kept the machine in use well after its discontinuation.
Memory came standard at 2 MB, expandable to 16 MB via SIMMs. The sequencer ran 32 tracks. The rear panel had stereo main outputs plus four assignable outputs, with optional digital I/O via expansion card. Three expansion slots allowed for SCSI and effects upgrades, and an internal SCSI hard drive could be added. The ASR-10 also got a budget revamp in 1995, which dropped the floppy drive in favor of flash ROM and cut the price to £999 in the UK.
The ASR-10/88 has its frustrations. The file system is clunky, the filters are merely so-so, and sample time at the highest rates is limited. The synthesis engine is hard to program, and the interface is tedious. The sound is the payoff, with that warm, gritty converter character. As of 2011 it continued to hold its value on the second-hand market.
Known Specs
- 88 weighted keys (ASR-10/88)
- 16-bit sampling, variable rate 29.4 kHz–44.1 kHz
- 30-voice polyphony, 8-part multitimbral
- 24-bit DSP internal processing
- 2 MB RAM, expandable to 16 MB
- 3 effects processors (delay, chorus, flanger, phaser, vocoder, reverb, TransFX)
- 32-track sequencer
- Stereo main outputs + 4 assignable outputs
- Optional digital I/O, SCSI via expansion slots
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