Cherry Audio has announced the availability of a virtual synthesizer that emulates the classic 1986 ESQ-1 polyphonic hybrid digital/analog synthesizer in software form. This landmark plugin is now available for just $69 USD to celebrate the 40th anniversary of one of the most beloved and affordable synthesizers ever made.
The Ensoniq ESQ-1 software instrument marks a first-of-its-kind collaboration between Cherry Audio and Creative Technology, the current owner of the Ensoniq intellectual property. Through official licensing, Cherry Audio built the instrument around the original 32 ESQ-1 waveforms, faithfully reproducing the complex, evolving, and richly textured sounds that defined the hardware.
Cherry Audio meticulously modeled the sonic signature of the renowned Curtis CEM3379 analog low-pass filter, along with the four DCAs, four multistage envelopes, three LFOs, amplitude modulation, and oscillator sync. The software also supports drag-and-drop import of patches and banks from original ESQ-1 SysEx files or directly via MIDI from the hardware. It can also export SysEx patch files compatible with the original instrument.
While the 1986 ESQ-1 required users to program much of its functionality through a small display and a data slider, Cherry Audio brings every control to the surface. The interface is organized into five sections — Play, Edit, Modulation, Envelopes, and Sequencer — making the powerful signal path far easier to understand and edit.
Cherry Audio’s modern enhancements extend the instrument well beyond its origins. A highly optimized stereo dual-layer architecture supports up to 32 polyphonic voices per layer, enabling multitimbral split and stacked modes with independent controls. A comprehensive four-slot modulation matrix offers 41 sources and 85 destinations with click-to-assign functionality. Performers gain expanded expression possibilities through channel aftertouch, polyphonic aftertouch, and a flexible new MPE (MIDI Polyphonic Expression) system.
The built-in arpeggiator and the syncable, transposable 16×4 polyphonic step sequencer add a dynamic quality that transcends the hardware itself. These features include options for humanizing patterns, and users can assign steps to either notes or modulations. ESQ-1 also offers three customizable effect chains with 20 studio-quality effects, enabling users to easily arrange, save, and recall their settings. Additionally, it comes with over 400 presets, including the original ESQ-1 factory patches, to inspire instant creativity.
“Partnering with Cherry Audio to revive the original sound of the ESQ-1 has been a truly rewarding collaboration,” said Koh Zi Kai, Head of Licensing at Creative Technology Ltd. “Ensoniq represents a significant chapter in Creative Technology’s history, and we are proud to see the authentic sound of the ESQ-1 preserved and made accessible to a new generation of musicians on the 40th anniversary of its release. Creative Technology stands behind its mission of bringing audio technology and people together, helping them to elevate their audio experience and connect on a deeper level with their music.”
“The ESQ-1 is an important part of synthesizer history, and we aimed to honor that legacy with the depth and accuracy it deserves,” said Dan Goldstein, CTO at Cherry Audio. “From the original waveforms to the precise modeling of the filter, we have carefully crafted every detail to capture what made the hardware iconic, while also providing today’s musicians with the modern tools and expressiveness they expect.”
Released in 1986, the ESQ-1 combined affordable digital oscillators with warm analog filters and a capable onboard MIDI sequencer, all at a price musicians could truly afford. Launched at $1,395 USD, it sold over 50,000 units and became a “first professional synthesizer” for countless players. Its distinctive character attracted artists such as Skinny Puppy, Jean-Michel Jarre, Steve Roach, John Carpenter, Prince, Roxette, and Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft.
Cherry Audio also offers the Soniq Odysseys Preset Pack for the ESQ-1, priced at $9.99 USD. Created by sound designer James Dyson, this pack includes over 100 presets, along with 25 bonus MPE presets. These presets further explore features such as layers and splits, complex modulation, sequencers and arpeggiators, expressive performance, and multiple effects chains.
Ensoniq ESQ-1 by Cherry Audio (VST/VST3, AU and AAX) is available at the Cherry Audio store and from authorized resellers worldwide such as Plugin Boutique and AudioDeluxe.