SECTION 7 Appendices

205 206. Appendix 1 MIDI Program Numbers on the SQ-80. Appendix 2 SQ-80 MIDI Implementation Specification. Appendix 3 SQ-80 Parameter Number List.. Appendix 4 SQ-80 MIDI Implementation Chart. Appendix 5 Program Control Block Structure. Blank Track Sheet.. Blank Program Sheet. SQ-80 Specifications
2.. A Word About the SQ-80 2..A Word About the Manual 3.. Getting Started 3..Power 3..AC Line Conditioning 3..Amplification 4.. Rear Panel Connections 6..Communicating With the SQ-80 7.. Selecting Sounds 7..Master Banks 7. Internal Memory 7..Cartridge Memory 7..Bank Select Buttons 8. Selecting a Program Internal 9. Selecting a Program Cartridge 9. Cartridge Insertion and Removal 9.. ESQ Compatability - Sounds and Sequences 9.. Pressure (After-touch) 10. Dynamic Voice Assignment Revealed 10. The Disk Drive 11. Battery Maintenance 11. Available Options 11. Why You Should Fill Out and Mail Your Warranty Card 12. PROGRAMMING THE SQ-80 12. Parametric programming 12.. Pages 12. "Soft" Buttons 13..Changing a Parameter 14. *C* Change/Compare 14. Edit Buffer 15. Bailing Out 15.Active and Inactive Buttons 16. Re-initializing the SQ-80
Section 1 First Things First
SQ-80 Musician's Manual A Word About the ENSONIQ SQ-80 Welcome to the ENSONIQ SQ-80, the first studio synthesizer designed 'for live performance. In a world of synthesizers, sequencers, MIDI controllers and MIDI disk drives, the SQ-80 is something different. It is all of those things and more, in one easy-to-use device. Here's what you get: An eight-voice, polyphonic, poly-timbral synthesizer, capable of playing eight different sounds at once, with dynamic stereo panning for each voice. Voice section employing state-of-the-art CrossWave TM synthesis techniques; combine different attack and sustain segments to create a rich variety of complex, dynamic sounds. 256k bytes of synthetic, sampled and multi-sampled wavedata in ROM 75 different Waves. Dynamic Voice assignment each Track/MIDI Channel has access to all eight voices. An integrated eight-track MIDI sequencer with 20.000 note capacity and features you would expect to find on stand-alone or computer-based Sequencers. A full-featured MIDI controller keyboard capable of sending eight MIDI Program and Volume changes at once. Key (Poly) Pressure keyboard Polyphonic Pressure (or After-touch) affects only the note or notes you press down on, allowing a whole new level of expressiveness. Of course, for sending to instruments which only recognize Mono (or "Channel") Pressure, the SQ-80 can send that too. A 3.5" disk drive for fast and reliable storage of up to 600 Sequences and up to 1,728 Programs on a single disk. Disk storage for all your MIDI devices the ability to receive and save to disk any System Exclusive message of up to 64k bytes from any device. An eighty-character fluorescent Display and user-friendly "Page-driven" programming scheme to help you keep track of it all. Stereo Headphone jack for private listening at home or in the studio. Program and Sequence formats which are upwardly compatible with the ENSONIQ ESQ-1, so sounds and sequences created for the ESQ-1 can be played on the SQ-80. By combining all of this in a single integrated unit, the ENSONIQ SQ-80 makes the perfect nerve center for any MIDI rig. You'll find that you can take most of your other MIDI Instruments, run MIDI cables to them and then stow them away in a closet somewhere most of the time, you won't need to touch them. You can control everything right from the SQ-80's front panel. Whether you plan to use the SQ-80 by itself or as the master controller in your MIDI set-up. for composing pop tunes or performing as a one-person orchestra. we suspect that you'll soon wonder what you ever did without it. A Word About the Manual We realize that many people don't particularly care for reading manuals. You bought the SQ-80 for its ability to make music, not for a graduate course in applied computer technology. Still, the fact remains that you have in your possession an extremely sophisticated computer device (disguised as a keyboard instrument) which is capable of performing an enormous number of tasks. It may be necessary. when all else fails, to look in the book to find out how to do something. But because of the SQ-80's friendly user interface and intuitive operation, you'll probably only have to look once. The odds are that whatever you need to know to get the most out of your SQ-80 is right here in the Musician's Manual. Every effort has been made to present the material in a way that is neither too technical nor too pedestrian. Take some time to look through it. and you'll find lots of hints and operational advice that will enhance both your enjoyment and your productivity. But enough of this serious stuff. Fire up your new SQ-80 and have some fun.

AUDIO OUTPUTS: 1) Right/Mono To operate the SQ-80 in Mono, use this jack only. To operate the SQ-80 in Stereo.
connect this Output to a channel of your Mixer and pan that channel Right. If nothing is connected to this jack, both channels of the SQ-80's output will be sent in stereo to the Left/ Phones Output for use with headphones.
Specs: In Left&Right mode: 680 Ohm output impedance. DC coupled. In Mono (summed) mode: 340 Ohm output impedance. DC coupled. Line level output into 10 KOhms or higher (one voice=1 Vp-p typical; all voices= 15 Vp-p)
Left/Phones When operating the SQ-80 in Stereo, connect this Output to a channel of your Mixer and pan that channel Left. To listen to the SQ-80 in stereo through headphones, plug the phones into this jack (make sure nothing is plugged into the Right/Mono jack, or the headphone output will not work properly). When nothing is connected to this jack, both channels of the SQ80's output will be summed together and sent in mono to the Right/Mono Output.
Specs: In Left&Right mode: 51 Ohm output impedance. DC coupled. In Headphones mode: 51 Ohm output impedance. each side. DC coupled. Line level output into 10 KOhms or higher (one voice=1 Vp-p typical; all voices= 15 Vp-p)

Pedal/CV

This jack is for connecting an optional ENSONIQ Model CVP-1 Control Voltage Foot Pedal, which is assignable as a Modulator in the Program Section of the SQ-80. The Pedal gives you a handy alternative Modulation source when, for example, you would want to use the Mod Wheel but both hands are busy. The CV Pedal can also be assigned to act as a Volume Pedal (see Master Page. p. 20).
Specs: 3-conductor (Tip=control voltage input, Ring=2KOhm resistor to +12 Volts, Sleeve= ground). 500 Kohm input impedance. DC coupled. Input voltage range=0 to 10 volts DC. Scan rate=5mS (maximum recommended modulation input= 25 Hz). For use with an external control voltage, use a 2-conductor cable with the voltage on the tip and the sleeve grounded.

Tape In

This jack can be connected to the output of an audio tape recorder and used for one of three purposes: > To Load and Verify Program or Sequencer Data which has been saved to Tape, > To read an incoming Clock Signal (or sync track) which has been recorded to tape. for the purpose

What is Reinitialization? The great power and flexibility of the SQ-80 lies in the fact that it is really a computer a computer disguised as a keyboard instrument, but a computer nonetheless. The software that operates the SQ-80 is very sophisticated. In fact, there is a 64k computer program that runs inside the SQ-80 (the Operating System code). That's more than many personal computers. If you have ever used a computer, you should be familiar with the need to occasionally re-boot your system when you get an error message, etc. Well, reinitializing the SQ-80 is the equivalent of re-booting your computer. Why Reinitialize? There are a number of things that can happen to the SQ-80 (or any computer system) which might scramble the system software voltage surges. power failures, static electricity. etc. And as with any computer, very infrequently some unforeseeable event or combination of events can cause the software to become confused, with strange and unpredictable results. Some units which appear to be broken have no hardware problem, just corrupted data in the internal RAM. In these cases, all that is needed is to reinitialize the unit. When to Reinitialize If your SQ-80 begins to behave in peculiar ways: if the Display shows words or lines that shouldn't be there; if you start getting unexplained System Error messages; if the Sequencer control and Edit functions start doing unpredictable things; try reinitializing the SQ-80 before you seek factory service.
Warning: When you reinitialize your SQ-80 all your current sounds and sequences will be lost (though the original 40 Factory sounds are automatically loaded back into the Internal memory after reinitializing). Therefore good backup habits should be an important part of your routine. Save any important data to disk or cartridge before reinitializing the SQ-80. Also, you should always tune the filters in your SQ-80 after you reinitialize to reset the proper filter values.
To Reinitialize the SQ-80: 1. While holding down the Record button in the sequencer keypad, press the "Soft" button in the top left corner above the fluorescent display. 2. The following message will appear: "ERASE ALL MEMORY AND REINITIALIZE" 3. Select *YES* (Or press *NO* to cancel the procedure for any reason.). After selecting *YES* the wake-up screen appears, and initialization is complete. After you re-initialize the SQ-80 the 40 Factory Internal Programs are automatically placed in the Internal Memory. Press any button to continue. After reinitializing, you should tune the filters. To Tune the Filters: 1. While holding down the Record button in the Sequencer keypad, press the Filter button in the voice section. 2. The following message will appear: "Filters Tuning". Filter tuning can take several seconds. The Filter Tuning is complete when values for all eight filters are displayed. Press any button to continue.

80. 6. MODE Select MIDI Mode The MIDI Mode determines how MIDI information will be received by the SQ-80 and its
Sequencer. The MIDI Mode has no effect on what is sent The "Straight Synth " Section and eight Tracks of the Sequencer will always send on their selected MIDI channels. There are four MIDI Modes that can be selected here: ---> OMNI In OMNI Mode the "Straight Synth" section of the SQ-80 will receive on all of the sixteen MIDI channels, when no Track is selected. If one of the eight Tracks of a Sequence is selected, then the Track will receive any enabled MIDI data on any channel. ---> POLY In POLY Mode the "Straight Synth" section of the SQ-80 will receive only on the Base MIDI channel (see #1 above). MIDI information on all other channels will be ignored. If any of the eight Tracks of a Sequence is selected, then the Track will receive incoming MIDI data. only on the Base channel.
> MULTI MULTI Mode is an ENSONIQ innovation which was specially designed to make optimal use of the multi-timbral capabilities of its instruments. In MULTI Mode the "Straight Synth" section and each of the Sequencer's eight Tracks can each receive MIDI information
independently on a different MIDI Channel. The "Straight Synth" will send and receive on the Base Channel selected on this Page (#1 above). Each Track of a Sequence will send and receive on its selected Channel (selected on the MixMIDI Page in the Sequencer Section).
Different MIDI Channels should be selected for each Track! If the same MIDI Channel is
selected twice, priority is given first to the "Straight Synth" and then to the lowest numbered Track that shares the Channel. For example: If MIDI Channel 1 is selected on this Page for the "Straight Synth " , and Channel 1 is also selected for Tracks 1 and 3, the "Straight Synth" will receive on Channel 1. and Tracks 1 and 3 will receive nothing. Or: If MIDI Channel 6 is selected for Tracks 2, 4, and 7. then Track 2 will receive on Channel 6, and Tracks 4 and 7 will receive nothing. And so on.
MULTI Mode might be best thought of as "Multiple POLY" Mode. In MULTI Mode, each Track
behaves as a "virtual synthesizer", receiving independently on its own MIDI Channel. but with access to all eight voices.
MONO Before MULTI Mode was developed. MONO Mode was about the only way to have a poly-timbral synthesizer. It is particularly well suited for driving the SQ-80 from a Guitar Controller, or any other application where having up to eight independent, monophonic, Channels is desirable. When MONO Mode is selected:
The "Straight Synth" section becomes Monophonic only one note will play at a time. Unlike the usual Mono Mode of the SQ-80, in this state there is no Note Memory releasing one note does not retrigger another note which is being held. The "Straight Synth" Section does not receive any MIDI information at all. The Base MIDI Channel selected on this Page (#1 above) will be received by Track 1 of the Sequencer. Track 2 will receive on the next Channel, Track 3 on the next, and so on. Each Track receives monophonically (one note at a a time.) The Base Channel cannot have a value greater than nine. If you select the MixMIDI Page, you will see the MIDI Channel assigned each Track displayed properly, but you can't adjust them from there in MONO Mode. You can only adjust the Base Channel. Though MIDI Channels are automatically assigned to the Tracks of the current Sequence while you are in MONO Mode, the SQ-80 remembers which MIDI channel was previously assigned to each Track of each sequence, and when you select any of the other three MIDI Modes, those channel assignments will be restored.

MOD # 2 DEPTH

Sets the depth, or amount, by which Modulator #2 will affect the pitch of the Oscillator. The Modulation amount can be positive or negative. Range: -63 To + 63.
[DCA1] OSCILLATOR VOLUME PAGE [DCA2] [DCA3]
Controls The Volume of Oscillators 1 through 3.
( Inactive Buttons appear i n 'White) The format of the Oscillator Volume Page is the same for [DCA1], [DCA2] and [DCA3], although each of these Pages is entirely independent. Each of these three DCA's (Digitally Controlled Amplifiers) controls the Volume (or amplitude) of the samenumbered Oscillator (OSC). From the three DCA Pages you can adjust the relative balance of the three Oscillators. By setting the Manual Level to LEVEL=00, and assigning an Envelope as the modulator on the appropriate DCA Pages, you can Fade in the volume of the Sustain Wave(s) in a sound, or perform additive synthesis by bringing in different Oscillators over time. Use these pages to: 1) 2) 3) Set the Manual Output levels of the three Oscillators; Modulate those levels using any of the 15 available Modulation Sources: and Turn each Oscillator ON or OFF.
ACTIVE CONTROLS: 1. LEVEL Determines the Manual, or base, volume (amplitude) of the Oscillator. This Level can be thought of as a 'Volume floor' the effect of any Modulator(s) is added to the Level set by this parameter. So even if LEVEL=00, the Oscillator will still have some amplitude if there is a Modulator (an Envelope for instance) selected and assigned a Depth greater than Zero. Negative modulation depths bring the volume lower than the LEVEL setting. Large amounts of negative Modulation can silence the Oscillator, regardless of the setting of this control.
SQ-80 Musician's Manual If you want the volume of a particular Oscillator to be controlled entirely by an Envelope or other modulator, be sure to set this parameter to LEVEL=00.
DCA's 1, 2, and 3 have been set up so that it is possible to get full volume from just one Oscillator. This means, however, that it is possible to clip (overload) the output stage when all three Oscillators are at full level. Different Waveforms contain different amounts of fundamental energy, so the effect will vary. A conservative rule of thumb for Oscillator Volume is as follows: With 1 Oscillator playing set that Oscillator to 63. With 2 Oscillators playing set both Oscillators to 56. With 3 Oscillators playing set all three Oscillators to 52. These are only guidelines, of course. In some cases, the clipping caused by all three Oscillators playing wide open can be a desirable part of the sound. As always, let your ears be your guide. 5. OUTPUT Oscillator Mute
Turns the Output of the Oscillator ON or OFF. independent of any other settings. This control is very helpful when setting up complex Programs, as it allows you to silence any Oscillator, and listen to the others, without disturbing your settings.

Selecting a Track

Any of the eight Tracks is selected by pressing the "Soft" Button corresponding to that Track. When you select a Track that was previously UNUSED, two things happen: 1) The word "UNUSED" is replaced by the name of the Current Program, and 2) The Track is now underlined, telling you that it is selected. Take the above illustration. which shows the Tracks Select Page for a newly created Sequence. Say the current Program in the Synthesizer section is called DRUMS. If you select Track 1. the Page now looks like the illustration on the next page:
Now select Track 2, and the Page looks like this:
The Program from Track 1 was "carried over- and assigned to Track 2 when it was selected. Selecting
an UNUSED Track automatically assigns that Track the Program, and all the MixMIDI Data, from the previously selected Track (or the "Straight Synth" Program and MIDI Channel. if no Track was selected).
Whenever a Track is selected: 1) 2) 3) 4) Its Program becomes the Current Program, the one that plays on the Keyboard; Its MIDI Channel (MixMIDI Page) will be transmitted on; That Track (and only that Track) is the one that will be Recorded when Record is entered: That Track is the one that will be Edited when any of the Track EDIT functions is selected from the EDIT Page.
Changing the Program on a Track
The procedure for choosing a Program for a Track is similar to that for choosing a WRITE location. or a LAYER Program. While you are on the Track Select Page. the Program Master Bank and Bank Select Buttons act as momentary switches they only work as long as they are held down. Let them go and the Display springs back to the Tracks Select Page. The procedure for selecting a Local Program for a Track is as follows: ____ > Select Tracks Select Page. > Select one of the eight Tracks. Press INTERNAL, CART A or CART B to select a Master Bank. > Press Bank Select Button(s) # 1, 2, 3 or 4 to find the Program you want. While holding the Bank Select Button down, press the "Soft" Button above or below the Program. > Release the Bank Select Button. You will be returned to the Tracks Select Page, with the new Program Name showing in the selected Track's location.
"UNSELECTING" a Track Straight Synth Mode

Now you're ready to play. The picture above shows the optimal settings for both the SQ-80 and the guitar synth. You will notice that Tracks 7 and 8 won't be used in this set-up. They would, however, respond to any MIDI information on MIDI Channel 7 or 8 if any were to come in. A few things to bear in mind: Notes played on each string will play only the corresponding Track. Each String/Track combination is totally independent. You can change the Program for each Track manually from the SQ-80's front panel or by sending Program Changes from the controller via MIDI. Each Track will accept Program Changes independently. In many cases you will want to have the guitar controller send the same-numbered Program Change on all six channels so that all six strings play the same sound. You can, however. send the SQ-80 a different Program Change for each Track. You could use this effect to have, for example. a bass sound play on the bottom two strings and a piano sound on the top four. Or if you are feeling experimental you could play a different sound on each string. The Base Channel doesn't have to be set to Channel 1. It can be set to any channel from 1 to 9, and the channels for the Tracks will be adjusted accordingly (see p. 25). In most cases, though, setting things up as shown above will provide the most straight-forward and intuitive arrangement. The automatic channel assignments for Sequencer Tracks 1-8 in MONO Mode are only in effect as long as the SQ-80 is in MONO Mode they don't alter channels that might have assigned to the Tracks while in any other Mode. If you exit MONO Mode and go to MULTI Mode each Track will still have the same MIDI Channel it did before you entered MONO Mode. If you change the Base Channel, however, that change remains in effect for all MIDI Modes. Still, it's a good idea to set up one Sequence say, Sequence #60 which you always use in conjunction with the guitar synth. That way you won't accidentally change the Programs in the Tracks of an existing Sequence. If your Guitar synth can send certain MIDI Controllers on their own MIDI Channels, have it send any controllers you want to affect all the Tracks (such as the "whammy bar") on the Base-Channel-minus1. When the Base Channel is I, as is the case in our example, Global controllers should be sent on Channel 16. Remember that the SQ-80 Sequencer can only record one Track at a time. If you want to Record Tracks from the guitar Controller, you will have to record all six strings onto one Track (POLY Mode) or else put the SQ-80 in MONO Mode as described above and record the piece one Track (one string) at a time.

Playing the SQ-80 from an External Sequencer
Having used its built-in Sequencer, you already know that the SQ-80 can play lots of different sounds at once. If you already have a computer-based or stand-alone sequencer that you like, you'll find that you can access the SQ-80's Multi-timbral capabilities in much the same way via MIDI. The SQ-80's ability to "listen to" nine MIDI Channels at once (when in MULTI Mode) means that it can take the place of several synthesizers in your rig. If you haven't already done so, you should read the description of MULTI Mode on p. 25 for a fuller understanding of how the Tracks can act as independent MIDI receivers.

Connections

The illustration to the right shows a typical setup involving the SQ-80 and an external Sequencer. Of course the SQ-80 doesn't have to be first in the chain after the sequencer you can chain MIDI instruments in any order, with one exception. If any of the units doesn't have a MIDI Thru jack, you must place that unit last in the chain. (Or you could get a MIDI Thru Box, available from a number of manufacturers, which will split up the MIDI signal and send it to several devices at once.)
The SQ-80 as One Synthesizer
We'll start with the most basic sequencing situation, in which you will use the SQ-80 as if it were an ordinary synth, capable of playing only one sound at a time. This is how it will act in POLY mode. In POLY Mode the SQ-80 will respond only to information received on the Base MIDI Channel, and will play only the sound which is on the current Track. On the MIDI Page, set the MIDI Mode parameter to MODE=POLY. > Also on the MIDI Page, set the MIDI Channel (CHAN= ) to whichever of the 16 MIDI Channels you want the SQ-80 to receive on. The SQ-80 will respond only to data received on this MIDI Channel. If no Sequencer Track is selected, the "Straight Synth" will receive on the Base Channel. If you select a Track of a Sequence, that Track will receive on the Base Channel.
SQ-80 Musician's Manual In the example on the previous page we have a sequencer connected to an SQ-80, a Mirage Digital Multisampler and an ESQ-M Digital Wave Synthesizer module. With the SQ-80 in POLY Mode and the Base Channel set to CHAN=1, it will play information received on MIDI Channel 1. The ESQ-M will respond to information on MIDI Channel 2, the Mirage to information on MIDI Channel 3. With this set-up you can send Keys, Controllers and Program Changes independently to each unit by sending on the proper MIDI Channel. The SQ-80 as Nine Synthesizers As we have discussed earlier, when you select MULTI Mode on the MIDI Page the SQ-80 becomes nine "virtual synthesizers," each receiving on its own MIDI Channel, but all sharing the same eight voices" The "Straight Synth" receives on the Base Channel and each of the eight Tracks of the Current Sequence can receive on its own Channel. > On the MIDI Page, set the MIDI Mode parameter to MODE=MULTI. > Also on the MIDI Page, set the Base MIDI Channel to whichever Channel you want the "Straight Synth" to receive on. For this example, set it to CHAN=01, ---> Create a new Sequence. > On the Tracks Select Page, select Track 1. The word "UNUSED" is replaced by the name of the current Program. Select the MixMIDI Page, and go to the MIDI CHAN sub-Page (by pressing "MORE"). Press the Up Arrow Button to set Track 1 ' s MIDI Channel to 2. ___ -> Select Track 2. Press the Up Arrow Button to set Track 2's MIDI Channel to 3. > Select Track 3. Press the Up Arrow Button to set Track 3's MIDI Channel to 4. Do the same for the remaining Tracks, selecting each Track in turn and assigning it the next higher MIDI Channel. ___ > Press the SEQ Button to go to the Sequence Select Page, and select the same Sequence again (press the "Soft" button above or below the Sequence Location that's already underlined). The Display will ask "SAVE CHANGES TO OLD SEQUENCE. " Answer YES. This saves the Track assignments you made. > You don't need to Record anything on this Sequence just leave it as a template for receiving on nine different MIDI Channels. Whenever you want the SQ-80 to act as a multi-channel MIDI receiver, just select this same Sequence. The illustration below shows a typical configuration with the SQ-80 receiving on nine MIDI Channels in MULTI Mode:

SQ-80 Musician's Manual 40 such banks per disk (that's 1600 Programs). Plus 128 Single Programs 128 Individual Programs can be stored on disk. This is useful for mixing, and matching Programs between different Banks. Each formatted Disk has space allocated for all of the above. These are fixed partitions you cannot save more than ten Sequencer/Sys-Ex Blocks on a disk. or more than 40 Program Banks, or more than 128 individual Programs, no matter what else is on the disk. The illustration below shows the capacity of each disk:
156 Section 6 Data Storage
Disk Functions The SQ-80's disk functions are all handled from the Storage Page. Press the Storage (Disk) button to get to this Page, then press the "Soft" button beneath DISK. When you select DISK from the Storage
Page, the Display shows the Disk Storage Menu. From here you select which of the 5 disk functions you want: > DELETE Allows you to delete (or remove) any file from the disk. > SAVE Lets you save to disk 1) a single Sequence, 2) the entire Sequencer Memory, 3) a single Program , 4) a bank of 40 Programs, or 5) System Exclusive data from a remote MIDI device or devices. There are two ways to save data SAVE NEW FILE, which creates a new file on the disk, and UPDATE OLD FILE, which will save the selected data "over top of" an existing file. > LOAD Lets you load from disk 1) a single Sequence, 2) the entire Sequencer Memory, 3) a single Program , 4) a bank of 40 Programs, or 5) System Exclusive data for transmission to a remote MIDI device or devices. ____ > COPY Allows you to make a backup copy of a disk. FORMAT Formats a blank disk for use with the SQ-80. Since you have to do this before you can perform almost any other disk function, we'll cover disk formatting first.
FORMAT Formatting a Blank Disk
Before it can be used by the SQ-80 to store data, a disk must be formatted. Formatting puts information on the disk which the SQ-80 needs to read and write files. In addition to formatting a blank disk, the Format procedure can be used to reformat a disk which has been used with some other device, such as a personal computer. Note that any data (of whatever type) on a disk will be lost when the disk is formatted by the SQ-80.

To Format a Blank Disk:

> Insert a blank, Double-Sided Double-Density 3.5" micro-floppy disk into the Disk Drive, with the label-side facing up, and the metal shutter facing away from you. Make sure the plastic Write-Protect tab is in the closed position (no light showing through the window). ____ > Press the Storage button to go to the Storage Page. > Press DISK. The Disk Storage menu appears (as shown earlier). ____ > Press FORMAT. ____ > The Display asks "FORMAT DISK INSERTED IN DRIVE." It also reminds you that "ALL DISK FILES WILL BE LOST." > Press *YES* to proceed. (Pressing *NO* will return you to the Storage Page with no harm done.) > While the SQ-80 is formatting the Disk the Display reads "FORMATTING DISK.,," The formatting process takes about 2 minutes. When the Formatting is done, the Display reads "DISK FORMATTED SUCCESSFULLY", and then you are returned to the Storage Page. The disk is ready to accept Program, Sequencer or System Exclusive data. You should label the disk, and keep an up-to-date record of all data you subsequently save on it.

SQ-80 Musician's Manual Files which contain no data (and are thus available for saving data to) will show "EMPTY FILE" as the File Name, and TYPE=XXX as the File type. You can't load an Empty File. Find the Sequence File you want to load. Again, its File Type must be ONE. If there are no files of this type on the disk, press *NO* to exit to the Storage Page. Once the file you want is showing on the Display. ____ > Press *YES*. The Display reads "ACCESSING DISK DRIVE." while the data is being Loaded. When you Load One Sequence, it is placed in the highest-numbered empty Sequence Location. For example. if Sequence #60 is empty, the new Sequence will be put there. if Sequence #60 has already been defined, the new Sequence will be put in Sequence Location #59. And so on. Or Press *NO* to cancel the procedure for any reason.
Note: When you Load single Sequences from disk, it is possible to get the
SQ-80's memory so full that it has is no room left for performing routine Recording and Editing procedures. If after Loading ONE SEQ, the Create/Erase Page shows the available memory as FREE=00000, you are right at the limit and you won't be able to do much with the Sequences (other than play them). You should probably avoid this condition if possible.
LOAD ONE SEQ Error Messages: ____ > NOT ENOUGH FREE MEMORY TO LOAD SEQUENCE there is not enough free
Sequencer memory in the before proceeding.
to Load the Sequence in question. Erase one or more Sequences
NO EMPTY SEQUENCE LOCATIONS all 60 available Sequence Locations have been
defined. You have to erase a Sequence before Loading one from disk.
To Load the Entire Sequencer Memory from disk: -> Insert the disk containing the Sequence data into the Disk Drive. -> Press the Storage button to go to the Storage Page. -> Press DISK. The Disk Storage menu appears. -> Press LOAD. The disk drive light goes on briefly and the Display says "READING DIRECTORY FROM DISK." Then the Disk Load Menu appears as shown above. -> Press ALL The following Display appears: -> Use the Data Entry Slider and the Up and Down Arrow buttons to scroll through the ten Sequencer/Sys-Ex Blocks on the disk. For each of these files you see, along the bottom row of the Display: FILE NUMBER (shown as FILE= ), the number of the file, 01 through FILE NAME. the ten-character name which was given to the file when it was saved, and FILE TYPE, which tells you which of the three possible types of Sequencer/Sys-Ex files it is ONE (a single Sequence), ALL (the entire Sequencer Memory) or SYS (a System Exclusive message from a remote MIDI Instrument). When you Load a file, its File Type must match the type that you selected in the previous step in this case, the type must be ALL.

To Delete a ONE SEQUENCE File from the disk:
Insert the disk containing the Sequence data into the Disk Drive. > Press the Storage button to go to the Storage Page. > Press DISK. The Disk Storage menu appears. Press DELETE. The disk drive light goes on briefly and the Display says "READNG DIRECTORY FROM DISK." Then the Disk Delete Menu appears as shown above. > Press ONE. The following Display appears: > Use the Data Entry Slider and the Up and Down Arrow buttons to scroll through the ten Sequencer/Sys-Ex Blocks on the disk. For each of these files is shown, along the bottom row of the Display, the FILE NUMBER (shown as FILE=), the FILE NAME (underlined) and the FILE TYPE (ONE, ALL or SYS). When you Delete a file, its File Type must match the type that you selected in the previous step in this case, the type must be ONE. Files which contain no data will show "EMPTY FILE" as the File Name, and TYPE=XXX as the File type. You can't Delete an Empty File. Section 6 Data Storage
SQ-80 Musician's Manual -> Find the Sequence File you want to Delete. Again, its File Type must be ONE. If there are no files of this type on the disk, press *NO* to exit to the Storage Page. Once the file you want is showing on the Display. -> Press *YES*. The Display briefly reads "ACCESSING DISK DRIVE." and returns to the Storage Page. The file is Deleted and the Sequencer/Sys-Ex Block it occupied on the disk is now available. Or Press *NO* to cancel the procedure for any reason.
To Delete an ALL SEQUENCE File from the disk:
-> Insert the disk containing the Sequence data into the Disk Drive. -> Press the Storage button to go to the Storage Page. -> Press DISK. The Disk Storage menu appears. -> Press DELETE. The disk drive light goes on briefly and the Display says "READING DIRECTORY FROM DISK." Then the Disk Delete Menu appears as shown above. -> Press ALL. The following Display appears: -> Use the Data Entry Slider and the Up and Down Arrow buttons to scroll through the ten Sequencer/Sys-Ex Blocks on the disk. For each of these files is shown, along the bottom row of the Display, the FILE NUMBER (shown as FILE=), the FILE NAME (underlined) and the FILE TYPE (ONE, ALL or SYS). When you Delete a file, its File Type must match the type that you selected in the previous step in this case. the type must be ALL. -> Find the Sequence File you want to Delete. Once the file you want is showing on the Display. > Press *YES*. The Display briefly reads "ACCESSING DISK DRIVE." and then returns to the Storage Page. The file is Deleted and the Sequencer/Sys-Ex Block it occupied on the disk is now available. Or Press *NO* to cancel the procedure for any reason. To Delete a Program Bank File from the disk: -> Insert the disk containing the Program data into the Disk Drive, -> Press the Storage button to go to the Storage Page. -> Press DISK. The Disk Storage menu appears. -> Press DELETE. The disk drive light goes on briefly and the Display says "READING DIRECTORY FROM DISK." Then the Disk Load Menu appears as shown above. -> Press BANK. The following Display appears: -> Use the Data Entry Slider and the Up and Down Arrow buttons to scroll through the 40 Program Bank Files on the disk. > Find the Program Bank File you want to Delete. > P ress * Y ES*. Th e Di sp l ay briefly reads "ACCESSING 168 Section 6 Data Storage

2.8 ESQ-1 Sequence Messages Received These ESQ-1 Sequencer Messages are received and understood by the SQ-80 but not transmitted. 2.8.1 ESQ-1 All Sequence Dump Alert This message is transmitted by the sending ESQ-1 to inform the receiving unit that it wishes to dump the entire sequencer memory. xxxxxxxx 00000011 0000LLLL 0000LLLL 0000hhhh 0000hhhh 11110111 ESQ/SQ-80 System Exclusive Header ESQ-1 All Sequence Dump Alert code Low byte (in nybbles) of sequence size High byte (in nybbles) of sequence size End of exclusive
2.8.2 ESQ-1 All Sequence Dump Packet This packet contains the sequence data. The data block consists of 132H bytes of track and pointer information, followed by the number of bytes of sequence data, as determined by the sequence size specified in the All Sequence Dump Alert packet. (see 2.8.1).
196 SQ-80 MIDI Implementation Specification
xxxxxxxx 00000110 0000LLLL 0000hhhh ESQ/SQ-80 System Exclusive Header ESQ-1 Sequence Dump code Data. variable number of bytes of sequence data L = low nybble, h = high nybble End of exclusive
SQ-80 Parameter Number List
The numbers below are the numbers that are sent in the Parameter Select controllers (MIDI Controller #'s 98 and 99). Note that the SQ-80 will recognize MIDI Parameter Selects only if System Exclusive messages are enabled (ENABLE=KEYS+CT+PC+SS+SX on the MIDI Page.)
SQ-80 MIDI Parameter Numbers
Page Param # dec hex Parameter

LFO47 LFO55 LF63 OSC71

1E 1F 26 27
ENV4 ENV4 ENV4 ENV4 ENV4 ENV4 ENV4 ENV4 ENV4 ENV4
L1 parameter L2 parameter L3 parameter LV parameter T1V parameter T1 parameter T2 parameter T3 parameter T4 parameter TK parameter

2A 2B 2C 2D 2E 2F

LFO1 LFO1 LFO1 LFO1 LFO1 LFO1 LFO1 LFO1
frequency parameter reset parameter humanize switch parameter modulation waveform parameter L1 parameter Delay parameter L2 parameter modulation source parameter
LFO2 LFO2 LFO2 LFO2 LFO2 LFO2 LFO2 LFO2
frequency parameter reset parameter humanize switch parameter modulation waveform parameter L1 parameter delay parameter L2 parameter modulation source parameter

3A 3B 3C 3D 3E 3F

LFO3 LFO3 LFO3 LFO3 LFO3 LFO3 LFO3 LFO3
OSC1 octave parameter OSC1 semitone parameter OSC1 finetune parameter OSC1 waveform parameter OSC1 modulation source 1 parameter OSC1 modulation amount 1 parameter OSC1 modulation source 2 parameter OSC1 modulation amount 2 parameter
198 SQ-80 MIDI Parameter Numbers

Param # dec hex

Parameter
OSC87 DCA93 DCA99 DCA105 DCA109

4A 4B 4C 4D 4E 4F

OSC2 OSC2 OSC2 OSC2 OSC2 OSC2 OSC2 OSC2

880K double-sided 3.5" micro-floppy Each disk stores: 10 Seq/Sys-Ex files + 40 Bank files + 128 single programs Save to disk MIDI System Exclusive dumps of up to 64k from any MIDI device INPUTS/OUTPUTS Left and Right/Mono audio outputs allow programmable stereo mix Headphone jack Pedal/Control Voltage Input (allows modulation of voices from an external source or pedal control of volume) Sustain Pedal, Sequencer Footswitch, Tape In/Out for sync and storage MIDI In, MIDI Out, MIDI Thru STANDARD ACCESSORIES Standard accessories include: Musician's Manual, detachable power cord. Sustain Pedal/footswitch - for voice sustain or sequence triggering. Voice/Data Disk #1 OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES Ensoniq E2PROM Cartridge - for storing up to 80 player-created programs Additional Voice/Data Disks CV Pedal - for voice modulation Footswitch DIMENSIONS 38 3/4" (98CM) wide X 3 1/2" (9cm) high X 13 1/2" (34cm) deep Weight: 29.2 pounds (13.2 kilograms) WARRANTY One year, parts and labor
"INSTRUCTIONS PERTAINING TO A RISK OF FIRE, ELECTRIC SHOCK, OR INJURY TO PERSONS" IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS
WARNINGWhen using electric products, basic precautions should always be followed, including the following: 1. Read all the instructions before using the product. 2. Do not use this product near water - for example, near a bathtub, washbowl, kitchen sink, in a wet basement, or near a swimming pool, or the like. 3. This product should be used only with a cart or stand that is recommended by the manufacturer. 4. This product, either alone or in combination with an amplifier and headphones or speakers. may be capable of producing sound levels that could cause permanent hearing loss. Do not operate for a long period of time at a high volume level or at a level that is uncomfortable. If you experience any hearing loss or ringing in the ears, you should consult an audiologist. 5. The product should be located so that its location or position does not interfere with its proper ventilation. 6. The product should be located away from heat sources such as radiators, heat registers, or other products that produce heat. 7. The product should be connected to a power supply only of the type described in the operating instructions or as marked on the product. 8. This product may be equipped with a polarized line plug (one blade wider than the other). This is a safety feature" If you are unable to insert the plug into the outlet, contact an electrician to replace your obsolete outlet. Do not defeat the safety purpose of the plug. 9. The power supply cord of the product should be unplugged from the outlet when left unused for a long period of time. 10. Care should be taken so that objects do not fall and liquids are not spilled into the enclosure through openings. 11. The product should be serviced by qualified service personnel when: a. b. c. d. e. The power supply cord or the plug has been damaged; or Objects have fallen, or liquid has been spilled into the product; or The product has been exposed to rain: or The product does not appear to operate normally or exhibits a marked change in performance: or The product has been dropped, or the enclosure damaged.

Ensoniq Floppy Diskette Formats by Gary Giebler After purchasing my first Ensoniq keyboard, I remember grabbing the disk out of the SQ-80 and running to the nearest IBM-PC computer only to be disappointed when I couldn't list the disk contents on the computer. I made the same trip to my PC when I bought my VFX-SD only to be disappointed once again. Faced with the thought of spending hours glaring at fluorescent displays pushing buttons to scroll through files, I refused to surrender. Instead, I spent hours digging through track dumps and BIOS code to determine the formats used on the disks. My efforts paid off and I now view entire directories of SQ-80, EPS, and VFX-SD disks on my PC's monitor. More importantly, I can format disks and copy files to my PC's hard disk for storage or examination - which has allowed me to discover Ensoniq's format for sequences. I have already written programs to convert SQ-80 sequences to Standard Midi Files, convert SQ-80 sequences to VFX-SD sequences, convert VFX-SD sequences to Standard Midi Files, and convert Standard Midi Files to VFX-SD sequences. By the time this article is published, I will have completed a program to convert EPS-16 sequences back and forth to Standard Midi Files. If there is any interest, I could offer a program to convert EPS-16 sequences back and forth to VFX-SD Sequences. Most commercially available music publishing software can read Standard Midi Files enabling direct transfer of sequences from the Ensoniq keyboards. (This will enable music publishers to publish sheet music direct from an Ensoniq diskette.) Also, there are literally thousands of sequences available on computer bulletin boards stored in Standard Midi Files. You can download the sequences to your computer and convert them to VFX-SD or EPS sequences. In fact, several third party vendors are already offering demo sequences and sounds on the following computer bulletin boards: Midium (818) 764-4538 Sound Source Unlimited (818) 879-9125
This article reveals the disk formats used for each of Ensoniq's keyboards and includes information on the file directories for several of the formats. This information can be used to write software to read the files on the disks, to copy files, or even to format disks on the PC. I want to thank the engineers at Ensoniq, Alan Smith, John Senior, and Joe Friel for taking the time to verify the accuracy of the MIRAGE, EPS and VFX-SD information and for filling in the 'blanks' when necessary. However, the SQ-80 information HAS NOT been confirmed by Ensoniq so be careful when trying this at home. The software package described in this article is available for those who would rather spend their time making music instead of programming.
EPS, VFX-SD, SD-1, EPS-16 Disk Format The EPS, VFX-SD, SD-1, and the EPS-16 PLUS share the same disk format although the directory information is slightly different. The disk contains data on both sides with 80 tracks numbered 0 - 79 on each side. Each track has ten 512 byte secSeite: 1
tors numbered consecutively from zero to nine. I will refer to the two sides of the disk by referring to the disk drive head used to read each side. The heads are numbered 0 and 1. Data is stored on both sides of each track before moving to the next track. The following examples should clarify this. BLKS 00-09 0-9 10-19 0-9 20-29 0-9 -1 0-9 this process continues until. the last track - Track 79, Head 1, Sectors 0-0 0-9 data is then stored on Track 1, Head 0, Sectors 0-9 data is next stored on Track 0, Head 1, Sectors TK HD SC 0-9

data is first stored on Track 0, Head 0, Sectors
Each sector is referred to as a block of data. The blocks on the EPS, EPS-16, SD-1, and VFX-SD disks are numbered from 0 - 1599. The following formula calculates the block number from the track, head, and sector number: Block = (((Track x NH) + Head) x NS) + Sector where NH = Number of Heads, NS = Number of Sectors per Track Since we know that NH = 2 and NS = 10, the formula can be written: Block = ((Track x 2) + Head) x 10) + Sector The track, head, and sector number can be calculated block number as follows: Track = Integer(Block/20) Head = Integer((Block - (Track x 20))/10) Sector = Block - (Track x 20) - (Head x 10) "Integer" refers to the appropriate integer function for the programming language used. Sample Turbo Pascal routines are included to show how to convert back and forth between blocks, tracks, heads, and sectors. from the
*************************************************************** TURBO PASCAL LISTINGS Function Block (Trk, Hed, Sct : Word) : Word ; begin Block := (((Trk SHL 1) + Hed) * 10) + Sct ; end ; Procedure GetTrkHedSct var Temp : Word ; begin Sct := Block MOD 10 Temp := Block DIV 10 Hed := Block MOD 2 Trk := Temp DIV 2 end ; (Block : Word; var Trk, Hed, Sct : Byte) ; ; ; ; ;

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Sample Calls: FirstDirectoryBlock := Block(0,0,3) ; GetTrkHedSct(FirstDirectoryBlock,Track,Head,Sector) ; ***************************************************************
Since IBM-PC disks are formatted with nine sectors per track (numbered from 1 - 9), the standard DOS functions can't be used to read the Ensoniq disks. However, by setting up the proper parameter table and making calls directly to the BIOS, you can use the BIOS to read the disks. If you don't know what the BIOS is, there are several good books on the subject. You can probably pick one up at your local book store. I don't intend to go into the details of calling the BIOS - such a discussion belongs in a computer magazine. However, it is important for you to understand that it takes special programming to read these disks, and you probably should not attempt this unless you really know what you are doing. A software program for IBM-PC compatible computers is available from Giebler Enterprises. This program will read, copy, format, and display EPS, EPS-16 Plus, SD-1, and VFX-SD diskettes on the PC. Individual files or entire diskettes can be copied to a hard disk drive for storage or examination. (Great for sending your latest "sure hit" to friends over modems.) The disk copy feature formats the disk while copying and can be used to make multiple copies of Ensoniq diskettes which could be quite useful for third party sound or sequence developers. Just select the correct disk file on the hard disk and make as many copies as you need. The program will also display SQ-80 directories although the program can't format SQ-80 diskettes at this time. Disk labels including directory listings can be printed for the diskettes. As a special introductory offer, anyone who purchases Version 1.0.2 of the software will be granted unlimited software upgrades for a reasonable ($5.00) handling charge. Version 1.0.2 will also use free space on your hard disk drive to copy diskettes (EPS, VFX-SD, SD-1, EPS-16 PLUS) without the repetitive and tedious disk-swapping normally required with the Ensoniq keyboards. An IBM-PC or compatible with a 3 1/2" diskette drive is required. During the introductory offer, the software is available for only $18.00 (free shipping in the U.S.) New York residents - add appropriate sales tax. Contact: Giebler Enterprises, 8038 Morgan Road, Liverpool, New York, 13090-2009.

EPS & EPS-16 PLUS Sector Information BLK TK HD SC Sector Information Unused - Repeating 2 byte pattern of 6D B6 (hex) Device ID Block (similar to VFX-SD) Operating System Block Main Directory (1st sector) Seite: 3

1 15.1599

Main Directory (2nd sector) File Allocation Block File Allocation Block File Allocation Block File Allocation Block File Allocation Block File Allocation Block File Allocation Block File Allocation Block File Allocation Block File Allocation Block Unused - Repeating 2 byte pattern of 6D B6 (hex) SD-1 & VFX-SD Sector Information

BLK TK HD SC 1 - 23.2 3

Block Information Unused - Repeating 2 byte pattern of 6D B6 (hex) Device ID Block (similar to EPS) Operating System Block Main Directory (1st sector) Points to Sub-Directories Main Directory (2nd sector) File Allocation Block File Allocation Block File Allocation Block File Allocation Block File Allocation Block File Allocation Block File Allocation Block File Allocation Block File Allocation Block File Allocation Block Sub-Directory 1 (1st sector) Sub-Directory 1 (2nd sector) Sub-Directory 2 (1st sector) Sub-Directory 2 (2nd sector) Sub-Directory 3 (1st sector) Sub-Directory 3 (2nd sector) Sub-Directory 4 (1st sector) Sub-Directory 4 (2nd sector) Unused - Repeating 2 byte pattern of 6D B6 (hex)
DEVICE ID BLOCK (Block 1) The Device ID Block contains the following 40 byte pattern (repeated to fill the entire block on a newly formatted disk). The keyboards only read the first occurrence of the pattern. In fact, they overwrite the rest of the block with unused data when storing files. Except for changing the disk label on the EPS-16, you shouldn't need to write to this block. 00 0A 1E 44 (All values in Hexadecimal) The EPS-16 PLUS has a disk name stored in the first occurrence of the above pattern. For the disk name 'DISK000', the first pattern would appear as follows: Seite: 4
00 0A 1E 00 FF 53 4B 44 ( D I S K 0 ) Byte 5-6 7-8 9-10 11-14 15-20 21-30 31-38 39-40 Description Peripheral Device Type Removable Media Device Type Various Standards Version # Reserved for SCSI Number of Sectors per Track (10 Sectors) Number of Read/Write Heads (2 Heads) Number of Cylinders (80 Tracks) Number of Bytes per Block (512 Bytes) Number of Blocks on Diskette (1600 Blocks) SCSI Medium Type SCSI Density Code Reserved for later use EPS-16 Disk Label (preceded by FF) Device ID Signature = "ID"
SD-1 & VFX-SD OPERATING SYSTEM BLOCK (Block 2) The Operating System Block for the VFX-SD contains the following 30 byte pattern repeated to fill the entire block: 4F 53 (All values in Hexadecimal) The first four bytes represent the number of free blocks remaining on the diskette and changes as files are stored. Bytes 9 and 10 are used to indicate that the diskette is for the VFX-SD family instead of the EPS. The last two bytes are the ASCII characters "OS". The remainder of the block after the first occurrence of the pattern fills with unused data when files are stored on the diskette. EPS & EPS-16 OPERATING SYSTEM BLOCK (Block 2) The System Information Block for the EPS contains the following 30 byte pattern repeated to fill the entire block. MA, MI, RM, and RI are 00 except for the first occurrence of the pattern: MA MI RM RI 4F 53 (All values in Hexadecimal) The first four bytes represent the number of free blocks remaining on the diskette and changes as files are stored. If the operating system is not stored on the disk, MA, MI, RM, and RI are all 00. If the operating system is stored on the disk, MA is the major revision level, MI is the minor revision level, and RM & RI are the minimum internal ROM Revision level for the operating system stored on the disk. For the EPS rev. 2.40, MA = 02, MI = 28, RM = 01, and RI = 00 (hex). Bytes 9 and 10 are 00 for the EPS and EPS-16. The last two bytes are the ASCII characters "OS".

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Once again, the keyboards appear to read only the first occurrence of each pattern. These patterns are for formatted disks without any files stored. Once files are stored, the information beyond the first occurrence of the patterns may change.
Ensoniq EPS & EPS-16 Directory Entries The EPS and EPS-16 use the main directory to store file directory entries and sub-directory entries. When a sub-directory (File type 2) is created, the first entry in the sub-directory is set to File type 8 to point back to the parent directory. Each directory and sub-directory can hold 39 entries and there is no limit to the number of sub-directories that can be created. However, in most practical applications you would run out of disk space long before filling the directory. Ensoniq VFX-SD & SD-1 Directory Entries The VFX-SD & SD-1 use the Main Directory only to store the location of the four sub-directories. The directory entries and file information are always written into the sub-directories. Each sub-directory can hold 39 entries for a total of 156 files per disk (numbered 0 - 155). If the Sequencer Operating System is on the disk, it is stored starting at Track 1, Head 0, Sector 3 (Block 23). The directory entry for the Sequencer Operating System is stored in the last location of Sub-Directory 4 (directory entry # 155). Each directory entry contains 26 bytes of data as described below:
Directory Entry Format (EPS, VFX-SD, SD-1, EPS-16) Byte 03-14 15-16 17-18 19-EPS) 24-26 (Multi File Index on EPS-16) File Size (24 bit Byte Count) (VFX-SD), (reserved on EPS) Information Type-dependant Information (reserved on EPS) File Type - see list of types File Name (EPS 12 bytes) (VFX-SD 11 Bytes followed by 00) File Size (in blocks) Number of Contiguous Blocks Pointer to First Block Location File Number 0 - 59 for each VFX-SD file type, (reserved on
The File Number for the VFX-SD determines the bank number and position of the file when displayed on the keyboard. The first byte of a directory entry for some of the VFX-SD and SD-1 file types has the following definitions: File Type 6 Programs 30 Programs Definition & Possible Values Bank # (0-9) 00 = Banks 0-= Banks 5-9 Seite: 6

10 Presets 30 Sequences

60 Sequences
00 = Bank A 01 = Bank B 00 (00 hex) = No Programs Stored Banks 0-(01 hex) = No Programs Stored Banks 5-(10 hex) = 30 Programs Stored Banks 0-(11 hex) = 30 Programs Stored Banks 5-(20 hex) = 60 Programs Stored Banks 0-(21 hex) = 60 Programs Stored Banks 5-9 (Bank Numbers are for Sequences AND Programs) 00 (00 hex) = No Programs Stored 16 (10 hex) = 30 Programs Stored Banks 0-(11 hex) = 30 Programs Stored Banks 5-(20 hex) = 60 Programs Stored (Bank Numbers are for Programs Only) The VFX-SD currently doesn't allow 30 Programs 00 (hex) = VFX-SD Sequencer Operating System File FF (hex) = SD-1 Sequencer Operating System File

Operating Sys

Ensoniq EPS, EPS-16, SD-1 & VFX-SD File Types (00) (01) (02) (03) (04) (05) (06) (07) (08) (09) (0A) (0B) (0C) (0D) (0E) (0F) (10) (11) (12) (13) (14) (15) (16) (17) (18) (19) (1A) (1B) = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Unused (or Blank) Eps Operating System Sub-Directory EPS Individual Instrument File EPS Bank of Sounds EPS Sequence File EPS Song File EPS System Exclusive File Pointer to Parent Directory EPS Macro File SD-1 or VFX-SD 1 Program File SD-1 or VFX-SD 6 Program File SD-1 or VFX-SD 30 Program File SD-1 or VFX-SD 60 Program File SD-1 or VFX-SD 1 Preset File SD-1 or VFX-SD 10 Presets File SD-1 or VFX-SD 20 Presets File SD-1 or VFX-SD 1 Sequence/Song File SD-1 or VFX-SD 30 Sequence/Songs File SD-1 or VFX-SD 60 Sequence/Songs File SD-1 or VFX-SD System Exclusive File SD-1 or VFX-SD System Setup File SD-1 or VFX-SD Sequencer Operating System EPS-16 Plus Bank File EPS-16 Plus Effect File EPS-16 Plus Sequence File EPS-16 Plus Song File EPS-16 Plus Operating System
(Values in parenthesis are in hexadecimal.) EMPTY DIRECTORY BLOCKS The first sector of an empty directory or sub-directory contains all zeros. The second sector contains all zeros except for the last two bytes of the sector. Those two bytes contain: 44h 52h which are the ASCII characters 'D' and 'R' respectively.

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EMPTY FILE ALLOCATION BLOCK An empty file allocation block contains all zeros except for the last two bytes of the sector. Those two bytes contain: 46h 42h which are the ASCII characters 'F' and 'B' respectively. Each File Allocation Block contains 170 three-byte entries. Each block on the disk has a corresponding entry in the file allocation blocks. Each zero entry indicates that the corresponding block is unused. A value of one indicates the end of a file. A value of two indicates a bad block on the diskette. Each nonzero entry points to the next block in a file. The first 15 entries for an EPS or EPS-16 disk and the first 23 entries for a VFX-SD disk are set to one. See the example below for clarification.
READING A FILE USING THE FILE ALLOCATION BLOCKS To read a file from the disk, the system must first read the directory entry for the file to locate the beginning of the file. The directory entry points to the first block of the file. If part of the file is contiguous, the system would start reading the file at the first block and continue until all the contiguous blocks (as specified in the directory entry) have been read. After reading the last contiguous block, the system would read the corresponding entry in the file allocation block and read the block the entry points to. This process would continue until the file allocation entry equals one signifying the end of the file. Refer to Alan Smith's two articles in the Transoniq Hacker for more information on reading Ensoniq Dos files. (Issue #45, page 11; Issue #70, page 9) To write a file to the disk, the system must first check to see if the file name is already being used. If so, the system should prompt the user to see if the existing file should be deleted. If so, the system should delete the file and then determine if there is enough free blocks on the disk to hold the new file. On the VFX-SD, the system must also make sure there is an available file number for that file type. If so, the system should read the file allocation table (FAT) from the disk. If the disk has enough contiguous free blocks to hold the file, the system should store the file as one contiguous file. This speeds up access to the file since the system doesn't have to keep looking at the FAT to locate the next block. However, the FAT is maintained and updated even if the file is contiguous. If there isn't enough contiguous free blocks, the system should locate the first free block and start storing the file. After writing each block, set the FAT entry for that block to point to the next free block. This process would continue until the last block was written to the disk. Set the FAT entry for the last block to 01 to indicate the end of the file. Write the updated FAT back to the disk. Subtract the file size (in blocks) from the number of remaining free blocks and rewrite the system information block on the disk. Finally, write the directory entry to the disk. File Allocation Table Example End File | End File | End File | Next Blk | Empty | Empty The first three entries in the above FAT indicate that the end of Seite: 8

the file has been reached after reading the corresponding block. The next entry indicates the system should read block 23 (hex) after reading the corresponding block. The next two entries indicate that the corresponding blocks are empty and available for use. Again, refer to Alan Smith's articles for more information on the file allocation tables.
SQ-80 Disk Format The SQ-80 has a completely different format than the keyboards mentioned above. The disk contains data on both sides with 80 tracks numbered 0 - 79 on each side. However, each track has five 1024 byte sectors numbered consecutively from zero to four followed by one sector of 512 bytes with a sector ID of five. I will refer to the two sides of the disk by referring to the disk drive head used to read each side. The heads are numbered 0 and 1. Data is stored on both sides of each track before moving to the next track. However, when switching tracks, the system remains on the same head as the previous track. The following examples should clarify this. TK HD SC 0-1 0-1 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-5 data is first stored on Track 0, Head 0, Sectors 0-5 data is next stored on Track 0, Head 1, Sectors 0-5 data is then stored on Track 1, Head 1, Sectors 0-5 data is then stored on Track 1, Head 0, Sectors 0-5 data is then stored on Track 2, Head 0, Sectors 0-5 this process continues until. the last track - Track 79, Head 0, Sectors 0-5 (Track 79, Head 1, Sectors 0-5 were written first) SQ-80 Sector Information Finding your way around an SQ-80 diskette is not an easy task. Some of the files (and the directory) are stored on the smaller sectors, while others are stored on both! All files on the SQ-80 are stored in fixed locations eliminating the need for a file allocation table. The format allows for ten (10) large data files (any combination of one-sequence, all-sequence, or system-exclusive files). Each file occupies 64 contiguous large sectors (sectors 0-4) of the diskette. In addition, each of the ten files occupies one small sector (sector 5) located on the same track and head as the last large sector. (Simply set the sector number to five after reading the last large sector). This small sector is only used to store header information for the all-sequence files. It is not used for the other two types. The format also allows for 40 program bank files. These files occupy four large sectors each starting at Track 64, using the remaining large sectors on the diskette. The diskette directory occupies the first four small sectors of the diskette as shown below. The remaining small sectors are used to store the 128 individual programs (sounds) with each program occupying one sector. However, the program files are not on alternating sides. The first 64 are stored on head 0, and the last 64 are stored on head 1. The ten program locations which conflict with the small sectors occupied by the large data files are stored in the small sectors starting at Track 66, Head 0, Sector 5. (I'm not making this up - this is really the way it works!)

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Directory (First Sector) Directory (Second Sector) Directory (Third Sector) Directory (Last Sector) Program # 1 Program # 2 Program # 3 Program # 4 Program # 6 (Program # 5 stored at 66,0,5) Program # 7 Continues until. Program # 64 Program # 65 Program # 66 Continues until. Program # 128 Large Data File # 1 (First Sector) Large Data File # 1 (Last Sector) Large Data File # 2 (First Sector) Large Data File # 1 (Small Sector) Large Data File # 2 (Last Sector) Large Data File # 3 (First Sector) Large Data File # 2 (Small Sector) Large Data File # 3 (Last Sector) Large Data File # 4 (First Sector) Large Data File # 3 (Small Sector) Large Data File # 4 (Last Sector) Large Data File # 5 (First Sector) Large Data File # 4 (Small Sector) Large Data File # 5 (Last Sector) Large Data File # 5 (Small Sector) Large Data File # 6 (First Sector) Large Data File # 6 (Last Sector) Large Data File # 7 (First Sector) Large Data File # 6 (Small Sector) Large Data File # 7 (Last Sector) Large Data File # 8 (First Sector) Large Data File # 7 (Small Sector) Large Data File # 8 (Last Sector) Large Data File # 9 (First Sector) Large Data File # 8 (Small Sector) Large Data File # 9 (Last Sector) Large Data File #10 (First Sector) Large Data File # 9 (Small Sector) Large Data File #10 (Last Sector) Large Data File #10 (Small Sector) Program Bank # 1 (Sector 1 of 4) Program Bank # 2 (Sector 1 of 4) Program Bank # 3 (Sector 1 of 4) Program Bank # 4 (Sector 1 of 4) Continues until. Program Bank # 40 (Sector 1 of 4)
Ensoniq SQ-80 Directory Sectors Seite: 10
The SQ-80 does NOT use its directory for the 128 individual programs stored on the disk. These files are stored in a fixed location on the disk and must be read directly to obtain the names of the sounds. Banks of sounds and the ten 64K files are listed in the regular directory but the position of the directory entries is fixed. This eliminates the need for a file allocation table since the files are in fixed locations. The first 10 entries are for the ten large data (64K) files for sequences, all sequences, and system exclusive files. The next 40 entries in the directory are for the 40 bank files. Ensoniq SQ-80 Directory Entries Each Entry contains 13 bytes of data. Byte 01 02-13 Information File Type - see list of types File Name (10 Bytes) Type-dependant Information Type-dependant Information

The SQ-80 File Names can contain some unusual characters since the keyboard used some non-ACSII characters. See Joe Slater's article (Issue #70, page 13) to find out the meaning of these characters. In fact, Joe's entire series of articles on the ESQ-1 are valid for the SQ-80 as well. Ensoniq SQ-80 File Types 06 (00) (01) (02) (03) (04) (05) (06) = = = = = = = Unused (Blank) Operating System Program Bank File All Sequence File One Sequence File System Exclusive File Single Program File
Mirage Disk Format The Mirage has a format similar to the SQ-80 keyboard mentioned above. However, the disk only contains data on one side of the disk with 80 tracks numbered 0 - 79. Like the SQ-80, each track has five 1024 byte sectors numbered consecutively from zero to four followed by one sector of 512 bytes with a sector ID of five. The following examples should clarify this. TK SC SIZE 0 0-0-5 512
data is first stored on Track 0, Sectors 0-4 data is next stored on Track 0, Sector 5 data is next stored on Track 1, Sectors 0-4 data is next stored on Track 1, Sector 5 this process continues until. the last track - Track 79, Sector 5
The diskette may contain the Operating System, six sounds configSeite: 11
ured as 3 lower-half keyboard sounds and 3 upper-half keyboard sounds and either eight short sequences or three long sequences. The first 11K of the Operating System is stored on both small and large sectors from Track 0, Sector 0, to Track 1, Sector 5. The remaining 5k of the Operating System is stored only on small sectors (Sector 5) from Track 2 to Track 10. The configuration parameters are stored on Track 11, Sector 5. The directory and the sequences are only stored on the small sectors (Sector 5) and the sound files are only stored on the large sectors (Sectors 0-4). TK 55 SC 5 Sound # 1, Lower Half, Parameters Sound # 1, Lower Half, Data Sound # 1, Upper Half, Parameters Sound # 1, Upper Half, Data Sound # 2, Lower Half, Parameters Sound # 2, Lower Half, Data Sound # 2, Upper Half, Parameters Sound # 2, Upper Half, Data Sound # 3, Lower Half, Parameters Sound # 3, Lower Half, Data Sound # 3, Upper Half, Parameters Sound # 3, Upper Half, Data Short Sequence # 1 (4 Sectors) Short Sequence # 2 (4 Sectors) Short Sequence # 3 (4 Sectors) Short Sequence # 4 (4 Sectors) Short Sequence # 5 (4 Sectors) Short Sequence # 6 (4 Sectors) Short Sequence # 7 (4 Sectors) Short Sequence # 8 (4 Sectors) Long Sequence # 1 (16 Sectors) Long Sequence # 2 (16 Sectors) Long Sequence # 3 (16 Sectors) ( 1 (64 ( 1 (64 ( 1 (64 ( 1 (64 ( 1 (64 ( 1 (64 Sector ) Sectors) Sector ) Sectors) Sector ) Sectors) Sector ) Sectors) Sector ) Sectors) Sector ) Sectors)

Mirage Directory Sectors The directory information for the Mirage is contained in three bytes which are stored in three sectors of the diskette. Each sector contains 512 copies of the directory byte for that sector. This was done because there wasn't any buffer space to read a whole directory sector. Therefore, the Mirage would read (or write) the sector and would use the last byte of the sector as the valid value for the directory byte. Track 32, Sector 5 contains the Sound Directory Byte. Track 33, Sector 5 contains the Short Sequence Directory Byte and Track 34, Sector 5 contains the Long Sequence Directory Byte. The directory bytes are defined as follows: SOUND DIRECTORY BYTE Bit Bit Bit Bit Bit Bit Bit Bit Not Used Sound 1 Lower Sound 1 Upper Sound 2 Lower Sound 2 Upper Sound 3 Lower Sound 3 Upper Not Used SHORT SEQUENCE DIRECTORY BYTE Bit Bit Bit Bit Bit Bit Bit Bit Seq. Seq. Seq. Seq. Seq. Seq. Seq. Seq. LONG SEQUENCE DIRECTORY BYTE Bit Bit Bit Bit Bit Bit Bit Bit Seq. 1 Seq. 2 Seq. 3 Not Used Not Used Not Used Not Used Not Used Seite: 12
If the Sound or Sequence exists, the appropriate bit is set to one (1). If not, the bit is cleared (0). As the various formats suggest, Ensoniq has come a long way since the Mirage single-sided drives. I would like to suggest that they consider the possibility of using the higher density 1.44 megabyte diskette drives in the future. The drives (and diskettes) are not that much more expensive, but they would make a big difference especially with the EPS-16. The lower density diskettes could still be used with the higher density drives giving us the option of which diskettes we want to buy. If new formats are introduced, I will try to include their formats in future issues of the Hacker. If you have questions concerning the formats, please feel free to contact me. I have used the information in this article to restore files on diskettes which had been 'trashed' by some glitch in the keyboards. If you have a disk you thought was forever lost, you may be able to recover the files using this information. In my next article, I will cover the format used for the VFX-SD Sequencer.