Okay, forget about everything that’s been happening in the keyboard world for the past few years. Get ready for FIZMO! No, this is not - I repeat not! - just another virtual-analog-physical-modeling-retro synth. FIZMO ($1495 list) is a state of the art, realtime interactive performance Ensoniq synthesizer. FIZMO will take you for a ride you just won’t believe. Pick a preset, turn some knobs, experiment. FIZMO is loaded with features that will add a new dimension to your performance.

True, FIZMO looks cool, but as we all know, beauty is more than skin deep. It’s the new 4 MB ROM under the hood where the real action starts! The powerful 48-voice synth engine produces classic as well as modern, previously unheard sounds. Exclusive Ensoniq Transwaves (imported directly from Transylvania . . . sorry, couldn’t resist that one) form the foundation of FIZMO’s sound. And what a sound it is!

Each Transwave is a wavetable of sound data with a number of loops, rather than just one. (Ensoniq calls them frames.) Each frame has a slightly different harmonic structure, and they're arranged sequentially so that the timbres progress naturally from one end to the other. FIZMO’s voice architecture lets you control which frame is playing. The Ensoniq sound development team programmed the patches so that the sound modulates over time, or with velocity or wheel or pressure, or via any of a number of other controllers. The result? Sounds that actually evolve rather than lay there and go buzzzzz endlessly. You know the ones I’m talking about.
But Ensoniq’s second-generation digital resynthesis takes the science even further. They've used the latest computer technology to dissect and reconstruct a wide variety of timbres, morphing bell tones, analog favorites and resonance sweeps, as well as physically modeled sounds that never existed - at least until now.

Here’s another thing you’ll like: FIZMO has lots of knobs. “See Me, Feel Me, Touch Me, Tweak Me.” Sure, FIZMO is packed with very exciting presets that will instantly add a new dimension to your sound. But that’s only the beginning. A friendly, familiar real-time control interface is coupled to FIZMO’s advanced synthesis engine, creating an entirely new playing experience. Every programming function has its own dedicated knob or button, inviting you to explore.

What’s more, FIZMO is always live. Five "F-I-Z-M-O" tweak knobs provide realtime performance modulation to FIZMO sounds. Each knob controls all current sounds on the keyboard simultaneously and may address several controllers, allowing you to make dramatic changes to a preset instantly. Grab one and give it a twist. You’re in control, adding motion and excitement to your music in realtime. All controls may be recorded in real time to an external sequencer.

Play live? No stage fright here! Splits and Layers are second nature to FIZMO. Working with the default split points allows instant access to up to four sounds at a time spread out over the keyboard. Pop them in and out as you need them. Creating your own custom splits is no problem. You can even assign a zone to only play another MIDI instrument or sampler (like the ASR-X Pro!).

Did I already mention the legendary Ensoniq 24-bit effects? These effects are world-renowned for their quality and versatility. FIZMO’s on-board effects are provided by the company’s exclusive ESP-2, the very same chip used by their finest processors and their PARIS hard disk recording system. A Global Reverb is always available with 8 models for Plates, Halls, Rooms, and Huge Places. Each preset can contain one of 41 exciting insert effects including Chorus, Flanger, DDL, Distortion, Tunable Speaker, Chatter Box, Vocal Morph, Auto-Wah, and a new Vocoder algorithm (more on that in a second). There’s even a live mix knob for the effects, allowing you to dial in just the right amount for the situation.

Did I mention Vocoder? Hey, why spend big bucks on an old box that’ll end up in the shop soon? Plug a microphone into FIZMO’s audio input and turn on the internal Vocoder. Yup, the elusive sounds of some of the most coveted vintage Vocoders are yours at no extra charge! And the fun continues with the “Intelligent” Arpeggiator. What’s intelligent about it? Well, Ensoniq’s engineers carefully crafted the software and presets so that complex, musically useful patterns are available to you instantly. Choose one of the preset musical patterns and start jamming. Latch a pattern and play along with it. You can even change the patterns while you play, - remember this is a realtime synth. Sync your arpeggios to your sequencer with MIDI Clock and cruise.

Don’t let FIZMO’s low price fool you. Crank it up and hear the rich clarity of 44.1kHz sounds pumped through the 20-bit converters. And, with a 97db signal-to-noise ratio, FIZMO is ready for any recording situation. So don’t wait. Call your Sales Engineer for additional information and your super low pricing on FIZMO.