Ensoniq MR

The Ensoniq MR is a curious entry in the company's mid-1990s lineup, and the documentation that survives is genuinely muddled. The official manual describes it both as a "76-key weighted action keyboard" (attributed to the MR76) and as a "61-note velocity and pressure sensitive keyboard" — suggesting Ensoniq produced two variants, the MR76 and a 61-key MR61, though the relationship between them is not clearly documented. The MR76 name is confirmed as an alternate designation in the manual.

What is consistent across sources: the MR uses Ensoniq's WS (WaveSample) synthesis, offers 32-voice polyphony, and packs a 16-track, 8000-note sequencer. Effects are handled by a 24-bit DSP engine capable of six simultaneous effects plus a 3-band EQ per output. The sound ROM is 2 MB, expandable to 6 MB via a 4 MB expansion board. It also includes 41 built-in drum kits and a 64 x 128 pixel backlit LCD.

The physical specs are where things get strange. One source lists the weight at 111 lbs with dimensions of 4 ft by 4.5 ft — figures that seem implausible for any keyboard, let alone a 61-note one, and are likely errors in the original listing. The manual itself gives dimensions of 15" H x 44.5" W x 28" D and a weight of 100 lbs, which is heavy but at least believable for a weighted-action 76-key instrument. Given the conflict, I'd treat the manual's figures as the more reliable ones, but the 100 lb weight still suggests this was a substantial piece of gear.

A period review in Sound on Sound (Sound on Sound, April 1996, p.108) noted that the MR Rack — a module version — could get itself into a state requiring re-initialisation on more than one occasion, hinting at some firmware instability. The same publication (Sound on Sound, November 1996, p.218) remarked on the unusual decision to release the module before the keyboard version, noting that Ensoniq had clearly thought hard about what a "performance" keyboard should be.

No production years, original pricing with clear model attribution, or market positioning information has surfaced. The $1,795 figure floating around appears on a page describing the 61-note model, so it may apply to the MR61 rather than the MR76 — but that attribution is uncertain. If you own one and can shed light on which variant you have, or how it compares to the contemporaneous ASR-X (which borrowed the MR's synth engine), the archive would welcome the details.