Ensoniq EPS 16+ (1990)
The Ensoniq EPS 16+ arrived in 1990 as the company's 16-bit sampler and the direct successor to the original EPS. It sits between that instrument and the later ASR-10. In Ensoniq's own lineage, it's the bridge model that carried the EPS concept into the 16-bit era.
The sampling engine offers selectable sample rates of 29.4 kHz, 32 kHz, and 42 kHz, with 32-voice polyphony. It shipped with a built-in 3.5" floppy drive and 8 outputs, plus an 8-track sequencer and MIDI. The effects section used 24-bit DSP, and the signal-to-noise ratio was rated at better than 90 dB. Memory is expandable to 16 MB. The base configuration is murky, though. Sources variously list 1 MB of sample RAM or 8 MB of system RAM, and it's likely these refer to different memory types rather than a true conflict.
The period press noticed the drop in sampling prices that Ensoniq helped drive. Audio-Collection (April 1991, p.65) ran a retrospective headline, "Price Of Sampling Plummets!", in reference to Ensoniq's low-cost Mirage. By the time of the EPS 16+, the company was advertising it as "the first sampler with digital effects." A 1991 EQ ad (June 1991, p.83) stressed that the EPS 16+ was more than a digital recorder, highlighting the PolyKey pressure keyboard and the ability to load new sounds while playing.
Today the EPS 16+ is regarded for its sound quality, and the Reverb price guide puts typical used values at $270 (Good), $340 (Very Good), and $400 (Excellent). The archival record is thin beyond that. No original list price, dimensions, or detailed service information are documented here.
**Known specs:**
- 16-bit sampler
- Sample rates: 29.4 kHz, 32 kHz, 42 kHz
- 32-voice polyphony
- 8-track sequencer
- 24-bit DSP effects
- S/N ratio: >90 dB
- 8 outputs
- Built-in 3.5" floppy drive
- MIDI
- Memory expandable to 16 MB
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