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FAQBelow is a modified updated version of the Transhacker FAQ with added problems and solutions from the Yahoo VFX/SD Group. This page is just intended as a quick reference and I make no claims of any of this to be accurate. Unless you know what you are doing, I wouldn't suggest opening up your VFX and start pulling chips and wires out. If you have problems, I would suggest joining the Yahoo VFX/SD group and ask or find the answer to your questions there or let a professional fix it.
Frequently Asked Questions about the VFX family
What is so special about the VFX/SD-1?
What's the most current OS version for my synth?
How to reset the VFX when all else fails
What are the differences among the different members of the VFX
family?
Why does my VFX keep failing its keyboard recalibration?
What `secret' key combinations can I use on my synth?
Where can I find Cartridges and disks?
What if the internal battery dies?
Who still services VFX/SD's?
What happened to Ensoniq?
What bands used the VFX?
How much is my VFX/SD worth?
Can I add a sequencer memory uprgade and where can I get them?
Can I format a disc in my PC for later use in my VFXSD, SD1 or SD1 32?
Can I load my SD1 sequences into my TS10?
Can I load standard Midi files into my VFXSD, SD1 and or SD1 32?
I have an older ROM version in my VFX, should I update my VFX software ROMS?
The VFX/SD series is one of the most important synth series ever created. The VFX combined "ahead of its time"-sounds and technology and the performance aspect of the VFX's was (is, almost!) second-to-none. With addition of a very intuitive Performance/Sequencer-mode with the SD models, arguably, they are one of the finest hardware sequencers ever produced in a synth.
At the time, the market was flooded with cheaper $2000-and-under synthesizers. The Ensoniq Corporation, an American company created by computer programers and chip designers wanted to put out a keyboard with all the bells and whistles with no expense spared.
The VFX is a true synthesizer, not just a reprogrammed keyboard that plays sampled sounds or a simple workstation, and with the addition of the sequencable SD models made them the very first true marketed Music Production Synthesizers.
The VFX was the first synth ever to offer oscillators with which the actual waveform can be modulated making the sound sequence more alive, ever changing with complexities of natural sound and dynamic synthesized soundscapes.
So how does it work and what's so speciel about it???
In 1980, Wolfgang Palm introduced a new concept, dubbed "wavetable" synthesis. These digital synthesizers expanded upon the capabilities of Palm's earlier synthesizers by expanding the sound creation tools with limited samples, which were compiled together in lists called wavetables. The first PPG synthesizer to implement this algorithm was the Wavecomputer 360, released in 1980 in two versions - the 360A, with 4 oscillators, and the 360B, with 8. However, the synthesizer sounded relatively thin, a consequence of having only one oscillator per voice and the typical limited polyphony of most synthesizers of its era.
PPG soon found success with the release of the Wave 2, which debuted in 1981, priced at around US$10,000. It contained analog envelopes, LFO and filters, with digital oscillators. Where traditional analog synthesizer were only capable of 5 or 6 waveforms per oscillator, the PPG Wave 2 offered 64 waveforms in 30 "wavetables". One selected a wavetable and then one of the 64 waveforms it contained - a total of 1,920 waveforms per oscillator available for use. In total, around 1,000 Waves were manufactured between 1981 and 1987 with two different updates to the model (the PPG Wave 2.2, which added more waveforms and samples, and the 2.3, which added multitimbrality and MIDI), making it the most successful product PPG manufactured. The PPG wave also found a place onstage with artists such as David Bowie, Electronic Dream Planet, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Depeche Mode, Jean Michel Jarre, Rush, Gary Numan, Missing Persons, Robert Palmer, Talk Talk, Ultravox, Steve Winwood, Stevie Wonder, and many others.
In 1986, Wolfgang Palm, designed and began work on a prototype for his most ambitious project yet - the Realizer, an all-in-one studio machine which combined production, recording, sequencing, and mixing tools into one machine in addition to a sophisticated sampling and synthesis system. It also had the ability to load emulations of other popular synthesizers, such as a Minimoog. The system proved to be too far ahead of its time, and was so expensive to create that its projected retail price was almost $60,000. US. As such, it was never sold, or even got beyond the prototype phase.
The VFX was first secretly shown at the 1989 Winter NAMM show and in select music stores by that late spring, making the first users really beta testers at the beginning...this being said, the keyboard had an unjust reputation for being unreliable for the people that didn't bother getting the free fixes and updates in the early 90's.
Ensoniq compared the VFX to the old PPG synthesizers, because the method used to generate them is similar to that used in those German wonders, but with more dynamic waveshaping reminiscent of some of the exotic waveshaping available in certain modular synthesizers.
The VFX series is a wavetable synthesizer that uses "transwaves," which are sampled waveforms (square, Saw, ect, organ, ect) that can be modulated by any modulator in the instrument. It is much like having many synthesizers in one keyboard. Think of each voice at it's own synthesizer. The actual root sound of the voice is created from one of many choices of waveforms that you can modulate and control with a LFO and 3 EVO modulators .
Ensoniq has also added some unusual modulation features in this instrument which are unique to any other digital synths. While there is only one LFO per voice, the 3 envelopes can be made to act as complex LFO's by setting them to loops.
These wave forms or "Voices" can also be set up to have a key zone, a separate volume and many other different presets. These 6 voices are combined into a single "program" that can also be modified with 4 different patch combinations controlled by the patch select buttons. These "programs" can then be combined with 2 other programs in a "preset" that can also be modified with different setting such as keyzones, aftertouch, volume, effects and so on, making this synthesizer a very programmable and powerful instrument.
Amazing sound - The chips used in the sound processing of the VFX are still to this day on par with anything out there, if not better and are still used on many of the rides at the Disney theme parks.
Polyphonic aftertouch - The VFX uses something very few keyboards ever used, a Polyphonic sensative aftertouch. Meaning, you could hold down notes and modulate a single key for a solo giving the keyboard an amazing expressive feel to it. Ensoniq in my opinion has the best poly aftertouch setup on a keyboard ever made. Because it cost so much to produce and few traditional organists and piano players learned to take advantage of it, Ensoniq didn't offer it in their later models and few companies offered it with poor response and quality.
Great Action - The VFD/SD-1 series vastly improved the action over the previous Ensoniq series that had key click. The feel and action of the keyboard for solos made it amazing.
Awesome Sequencer - The fact that the VFXSD and SD-1 models had a 24 track sequencer is amazing, but even more amazing is the ability for the sequencer to record the polyphonic after touch information into sequences to make them feel more "alive".
Preset ability for live performance - The Ensoniq VFX/SD series is able to create custom presets of sounds, keyzones and pretty much anything else you can think of with the ability to store that information on disk or cartridges. This feature is useful when playing out in a live situation, making it extremely easy with the touch of a foot switch to change presets within a song to change different instruments keyzones, effects and other user programed preferences in different presets.
Amazing Midi control - The ensoniq VFX/SD-1 worked as an amazing midi controller, with the ability to control many different types of instruments. Many gear heads still use the VFX as their mainstay Midi controller because of the extreme power and control of the keyboard.
Sources: PPG Wiki TrRansoniq Hacker #45
