As I understand the origin on the name "Fizmo" is that Ensoniq had a physical modeling synth on their roadmap. Fizmo - "Phys(ical) Mo(del)". The physical modeling synth was never completed, but the name was so cool they used it on this.
That was the same sales pitch told to me at a music store where I live. The biggest mistake, though, was to not hook up a mic and use the vocoder function. Still one of my favorites even now.
@@artisan002 It was probally more of a talk box but check out what "Pete Drake" and his talking guitar. He has one of those country music steel guitars ruclips.net/video/c_i10rmmUsg/видео.html I mean I think this is awesome. But I would.
@@infesticon Oh, yeah! I love that video. Found a couple others a few years ago; great stuff. But, much as I love it, I'm gonna say talk boxes don't count. But, it's kind of a technicality, in that talk boxes are electric rather than electronic.
Former Ensoniq employee here and correction....the Fizmo came way before Creative bought our group. Worked on it for years before acquisition. Also, we NEVER worked with Emu on team meetings...already had sound cards and chipsets on video cards well before aquisition. And the majority of engineers (both hardware amd software) from my understanding went their own ways once the buyout occurred. Many were self invested in Ensoniq stock.
That's what I thought. My understanding is that Creative bought Ensoniq because they wanted their AudioPCI sound card technology. And subsequently ditched everything else about Ensoniq. I still own an Ensoniq KT-76 (as a controller only, not for the sounds).
My first job out of college! I worked in software engineering as a "tester" where I got paid to test musical instruments, soundcards, videocards etc, help troubleshoot, then create software fixes. Dream first job - seriously - working with literally the inventor of the first hearing aid, commodore 64, 3d audio, and Nasa star wars. :) Great group.
@@TheBryanyingst great that you appreciated it too! Lots of peeps would stare that gifthorse in the mouth ;) AND you've got this not-so-little slab of a reminder floating about out there creating a legend of synth history!
I wish I could have started there 10 years before! A bunch of my friends got to help troubleshoot people like Kenny Loggins, Wutang, and Boyz 2 men when their instruments needed help on tour :)
Cool piece, Zach! I beta-tested for Ensoniq (but the last one I worked on was the MR-Rack/MR-61, pre-Fizmo.) I believe Ensoniq pioneered the Transwave term - you could argue it was PPG (Waldorf 80's) related, but as you astutely pointed out, Transwave had its own unique features. Descended from the TS-10 (Ensoniq too), though you can find hints of it in their SD-1 (VFX) also! Thanks! PS. the working name of the MR-Rack was Gizmo, which could factor into your interesting interpretation of where the term Fizmo came from! PS. Ensoniq was mostly guitar playing engineers, as opposed to keyboard playing engineers.(i was a keyboard resource for them.)
I've owned (and some times sold) many synths over the years. I was lucky enough to find one of these for a VERY reasonable price many years ago (it literally didn't even get sold on eBay back then (which I predicted to the owner) so I got to bargain an even cheaper price). Normally, I use this golden rule that if a piece of gear doesn't get used enough, I have to sell it. I almost never use my Fizmo, yet I can't seem to part with it. I know no other synth that sounds like this. The name Fizmo is really excellent, in the end, because there seems to be a sort of bright "fizziness" in almost every sound it produces. Maybe one of the biggest problems, apart from it's mostly totally unique sound palette (when you're not using it as a VA), is that you're trying to "tame" it most of the time. Every "part" of a patch can already sound really complex, so most patches are simply just way too complex to still be playable. And yes, the fact that parameters jump with every move of a knob (as is the case with most old synths of course) doesn't help much either. You honestly simply have to give into the Fizmo, and try to make the best of it/tame the beast. You'll be scratching your head a lot with this synth, but you'll also be pulled into sonically magnificent soundscapes. Not a synth you will use a lot, but definitely totally unique. Absolutely worth it's legendary status, somehow... :)
Some of the hidden params are for multistage envelopes. Very powerful in that regard. The default voice banks were never intended to be 8 OSC sounds, so you were to choose a patch, and then select one (or combination) of the 4 sound buttons to hear it without the dissonance (some sounds had contrary detuning in the patch of 4 for example). This is a powerful synth and you can limit a sound to the simple VA wav that represents saw/sine etc if needed. Effects can be used via external input, the ARP is arguable the best of it's age and for years had not been replicated. Vocoder is powerful as well. The keybed is fatar. Not a bread a butter rompler, nor a typical VA, this is for experts that want to expand their sonic palette. A comprehensive studio has analog, FM, VA, DA, additive, wavetable and transwave (either via the ASR or this Fizmo). There is no other synth like it, due to the architecture. Yes it can sound awful, but a Ferrari F1 car can be turned into a wall and crash, but is still capable of beautiful drives ... Same with the Fizmo in capable hands. Not for beginners.
That Fizmo has such a unique look. I wish they would bring it back in mini format! I'd like to see you do a bit of Quasimidi as well if you are up for it. Your videos are always very discerning and interesting!
Believe it or not, this synth is very capable of producing "classic" synth sounds. It's got something like 64 different wave forms, but amongst those are square, sawtooth, and sine wave. The vocoder is also tons of fun.
This is absolutely true. I have a Fizmo that was given to me many years ago by my brother (who bought it for $500 on a G.C. sale before it went out of production) and since it was my only synth at the time, I used it to make a lot of "regular" synth sounds - obviously there's better tools to do this (ha, almost any other synths..), but it can make very normal old school synth sounds pretty well too. The reverb is good and it has delays and distortion.... But of course, your not using it for it's unique qualities by making regular synth sounds with it.
I think this thing sounds SO cool in an erratic uncanny valley sort of way. Downright spooky once the effects are dialed in to mush up the harshness. Truly unique chord/drone machine and anyone into their lofi anything could find some use for it. That glitchy thing you get up to at the end of the demo is super interesting, it's a very now kind of sound actually.
the nostalgic intro made me shed a tear 😭 this synth seems like it's easy to push it too far on complexity. It is definitely unique in its sound because to achieve the same results on a PC would require much more work
Well maybe you are not an ensoniq user but from the vfx onwards most had transwaves ,with the asr10 you can make your own , a fizmo is a transwave synth with fixed waves just like a vfx
I had 3 of these over the years and used it extensively on my Rainbow Rider album from 2004-5 that I recently curated here on YT. . The transwave technology was really something special with the variable loop points and multi-timbral. You have to get into programming it. I liked it for the spacious swirling sounds. FIZMO is the acronym for the control knobs.... somehow representing those controls I am trying to get the fizmo sound from the Hydrasynth but so far it is a stretch. Fun to hear a modern take on it. I think it has been surpassed, technically by a number of digial instruments, starting with the Blofeld but it still has a special place in my memory.
@@annother3350 While that makes good sense initially, the FIZMO does not do physical modeling like, say, Roland Analog modeling, it is purely wave based. From Wiki: The F-I-Z-M-O knobs did the following:[1] • F: Effect modulation. • I: Wave modulation. • Z: Filter cutoff. • M: Oscillator detuning. • O: Varies from Preset to Preset. (Sys4 mod) I have not had a FIZMO for 5 yrs but I remember those knobs with the letters above them.
@@Sam_Utah But the knob letters bear no relation to the underlying function -- otherwise F would stand for filter!! Fizmo = Physical Modelling. It models physical things such as analogue filters
What a great blast from the past. I sure hope someone from Music Tribe is lurking and noting all the passionate recollections and comments about such a rare keyboard. I'm sure that their successful work resurrecting so many classic and obscure analogue synths of the past, could be met with an equally successful digital effort. I'd love to have something like a new and improved Fizmo to compete with the Wavestate, Modwave, Hydrasynth, and Argon.
About 10 years ago I traded a Blofeld for a Fizmo -- one of the best decisions I made! It's debatable whether the Fizmo was Ensoniq's last synth -- There's also the Ensoniq Halo, which was a rebranded E/Mu Proteus engine based keyboard. Might be more appropriate to say the Fiz is "the last REAL Ensoniq synth".
also, suggestion for another synth: the Kawai K5000, one of the very few additive synths ever made. Beautiful synth, but be sure to try out enough of the presets you can find online. Like most synths, the ones it came with weren't always the best. I downloaded them maybe 15 years ago from a yahoo group, had to put them on floppy to load them in the synth. But yeah, I believe the group doesn't exist any more.
A friend of mine used to own this and I played it a few times back in the day. Never heard anything quite like it before or since. Have hassled more than a few devs about making a vst version, since it still sounds very different to any other wavetable synth. Having it as a VST is especially feasible nowadays, where you have people working on MAME style emulations of hardware synths, like the recent project that revives the Virus B as a VST . Like the Yamaha FS1, VL1, SY99*, Nord Modular, and Wave, Korg Z1, Karma** and EMU Morpheus, it has become something of a legend to me. All that being said, maybe it was because I watched this video, first thing in the morning, after getting up in a weird depressed mood, I really didn't care for what I heard. Definitely a case of resample the more interesting wavetables and use in another synth. One with a better filter for a start. I'll rewatch this again though, because maybe it was my disposition at the time. Or maybe my taste has changed and what used sound good to me, back in the day, no longer hits that spot. Really hopes it's just a mood thing. A world where I don't like the Fizmo seems weird. * Seriously, why haven't Yamaha followed Roland and Korg's example with these? ** Now that Korg have ported the Triton and the Prophecy, it's only a matter of time for those two. Although with Z1 I heard that the guy who designed it died and nobody really understood it enough to recreate it without his help. Would prefer this info to be incorrect.Also, Steven Kaye tole me that there would never be a VST port of the Karma. That was in 2007 though. Hopefully he's changed his mind since then.
All that being said Diadow and Transistow by Hrast programmer times gets close to the Fizmo at times, or at least the possibly idealised version of it my faulty memory maybe conjured up. Both free too. Although with the Transistow you pay by writing patches for the Diodow. For anyone interested in that sort of vibe, they're not exactly the same but both have a tonality and feel that is somewhat reminiscent of the Fizmo, but with much greater depth in terms of synthesis capabilities. Although be warned, the GUIs on both are hard to get along with. You'll see what I mean when you get em.
Wow. The more i hear about Ensoniq the more i realize how underrated they are. I have an ESQ1 and it's the only vintage synth i own. I'd love to have an SQ80 with its poly aftertouch. And now this thing. It seems really interesting especially for it's time and the fact that it was the company's last gasp.
Look into getting a VFX or TS-10/12 .. they might sound a little meh on paper because of no resonant digital filters, but the transwave features and the easy editing and gritty sound makes them awesome. I even like them better then the ESQ-1. Oh and they can sometimes be had very cheap :D
12:20 sounds wonderfully glitchy, would fit perfectly in a modern sci-fi movie. I don't think I had even heard of the FIzmo before. If I ever saw them in the music shop, I probably passed them by completely. Very interesting sound. Controlling an FS1r from the Fizmo keyboard would have yielded some intriguing layered sounds. Seems like the Fizmo's are in the $4k+ price range now. My fave moment here is going from 26:09 to 26:21 because I think the onboard effects seem to suit what is happening. Seem better integrated with the sound generation.
Where I think I would go with it these days, is to sample it and then either do granular synthesis on interesting parts, play at slow speeds (down the keyboard for slower tape effects), or time-stretch longer portions and filter the heck out of it.
Thanks these are so rare I really appreciate you giving this a great demo. Of course it’s minor tragedy Ensoniq was lost to the synth world but I’m in the camp of those that think the Fizmo doesn’t deserve its “legendary” status ( I think it’s rarity and being last of line thing that gives it an unwarranted mystique ). My impression It’s an interesting idea but not that musically useful. I compare to something like the wavestation, not dissimilar in concept but the wavestation ended up all over music/soundtracks etc in the 90s- fizmo pretty much unknown, outside of the nerd synth world 😏. Embarrassing to admit my favourite aspect is the way it looks☺️.
As an overall synth, def not really that legendary but its so rare to get polys that get this weird so if you're into lofi or experimental this is definitely unique, covetable and historical.
@@troelsknudsen253 I guess what shocks me is where I am when they rarely come up for sale people around pay 4-5k for them! That's "legend" money in my book😉
@@pizzagogo6151 hipstersynth culture and the general frenzy collectors get up to these days (its anything: watches, shoes, speakers) will drive up the price. You definitely need a pretty solid collection or a very specific taste for the fizmo to fit in.
Great overview! I own one and it's my favourite synth ever but I recon it isn't for everyone. Whenever I turn it on to program a specific sound I always end up somewhere else, you can get carried away easily.👽
Just got one about a month ago, after listing for a year or 2... God it's an amazing and unique synth to play and program, it's so responsive that it truely feels like your playing an actual instrument rather than the typical cold disconnection between a human and a computer/keyboard.I really want to get a wind/breath controller to play with it. My 2 main synths now are the Z1 & and the Ensoniq TS-10 (has Transwaves+Samples+Hyperwaves+PolyAftertouch+A built in Ensoniq DP/2 fx engine+the largest transformer I've ever seen in a synth by about at least 5x, there may be larger ones in analog synths but not that ibe seen, and that may be why it has such a uniquely full and lush sound). Any other synths or gear you would recommend? I have great faith in the opinions of any Z1 fan. Also do you believe/ know if the Korg Triton+ the ultra rare Z1 add on, is truly comparable to the Z1? Cause I've heard the reason why they only sold Z1's for 3 years (supposedly produced for only about a year) is that it had some kind of (magik) powerful/ rare chips in them that soon went out of production after making them. Also look how expensive other Phy. Modeling synths where, the Yamaha V-1 was like 5k$, and the others in that series where not to far off, yet all of those+the Korg Prophecy where all only Mono synths, if I'm not mistaken the Z1 is the only Poly Physical Modeling Synth? Do you know of any other Physical Modeling Synths? I thought the Casio VZ series where but then I read something that made me think they weren't or at least not true P.M. synths, also I've heard the Korg WaveDrum's use it, and some roland guitar synth fx module, which makes me think perhaps EHX's "9 Series" may use it as well (EHX: Mel9, Synth9,Keys9,B9).
@@davegraham716 Good to know that there is still love out there for the Z1. My musical partner in crime owns one as well and he was able to get the 18-voice version! (I've only got the 12-voice.) I have never played the Triton with the expansion that supposedly gives it Z1 capability, but from what I've heard, it pales in comparison. I have been playing since high school - we're talking 40 years. I have over 40 instruments and each has their own charm. It really depends on what you're looking for. I will say that I love my Kurzweil K2000RS. It was surpassed by the K2500, K2600, and recently the K2700. However, the V.A.S.T. engine in the original is still as remarkable now as it was when I got it around 25 years ago. The K2500 doubles the polyphony and I think the K2600 includes the KDFX effect processor as a standard rather than an add-on. What's remarkable about these instruments is the sheer sonic potential. And you can use your own samples as the starting point for the creative mayhem. They involve some menu-diving, but efforts are truly rewarded. I am a huge fan of Clavia's Nord Lead series. The one I own is the Nord Lead 3. People argue about the sonic differences between the incarnations, but I think they all sound wonderful. The reason that I love the NL3 is because of the interface. Unlike the others it uses encoders with LED indicators. When you bring up a patch you immediately see where everything is set. Furthermore, they incorporated the Morph function for Keybed, Velocity, Aftertouch, and the Mod Wheel. This allows you to assign changes to all 26 encoder-driven parameters for each of those to allow your patch to radically changed based on those four different control parameters. And, though it's purely for eye candy, I love watching the LEDs change in realtime when you apply aftertouch or use the mod wheel. Seeing those changes in realtime is like a small magical light show! Another favorite of mine is the E-MU Morpheus. If you don't know about this (or it's bigger brother the UltraProteus), you should read up. There's more under the hood of the UltraProteus, but I love the waveforms in the Morpheus. I have always loved vector synthesis. I could never afford a Sequential Circuits Prophet VS back in the day, but I pined for a Wavestation. I ended up with a Yamaha TG33 in the '90s (which I still have and love). I eventually got a Wavestation S/R to accompany the TG33. Each offers a different take on vector synthesis and the Wavestation provides wave sequencing as well. I've always enjoyed incorporating huge moving pads and these are awesome for that. If you want a modern take on this, Korg's Wavestate is a marvel. I haven't taken that plunge, but the latest firmware appears to have provided some options that make its depth a little more manageable. And if you're interested in something more modern, I highly recommend the ASM Hydrasynth and the Waldorf Iridium. These are both creative playgrounds for sound. I got the Hydrasynth keyboard (which has polyphonic aftertouch) and the Iridium responds to polyphonic aftertouch so they work together wonderfully. I've heard some people say that a Hydrasynth is a poor man's Iridium or that if you get an Iridium, the Hydrasynth is unnecessary. HOGWASH! The Hydrasynth has one of the most brilliantly-designed interfaces ever to grace a synth. I believe that both instruments offer years, if not decades, of programming wonder, but each invite the programmer to explore sound via very different paths. Some of those paths will provided similar experiences and take you to the same places. But the interfaces make the journey unique for each and provide different insights and learning experiences. As you can tell, I can get a bit carried away about this subject, Dave, and I haven't even scraped the surface. Feel free to friend me in Facebook and we can talk in greater detail. I'm in a ton of the synth groups (one of the only reasons I still spend time in Facebook, but it's really worth it for that). I also have a channel here on RUclips to which I need to start posting videos again. It's called Forlorn Synths of Yore. I hope to see you around. Anyone who loves the Z1 is alright in my book! ;) Peace, Ted
I followed with what Yannes came up with being that I love the SID Chip in the Commodore 64. But I was a teen when Ensoniq EPS came out, and it was easier to get a used DX7, so stuck with Yamaha since. So never had a chance to get an Ensoniq. I guess the Fizmo is more Creative Inc. than it was Yannes.
Killer nostalgia hook intro Your dial up modem is calling. It wants its tones back. This thing almost sounds circuit bent out of the box! Not really something I’d want but would be pretty cool if made into a small desktop module.
Lovely! Definitely an eccentric in the world of synths (which is an eccentric world in and of itself). The only thing vaguely like it is the Kawai k5000 line, mostly due to the format filter twiddling.
who here among has has ONLY one synth? 😀Certainly not me and I've been downsizing for decades, somehow keep re-sizing 🙃This is the year that, I swear, I downsize to ONLY one synth. Okay, maybe two. Three just feels like a better amount.
The software editor is just sounddiver. You can still use it, and you can find it online for free. It runs in windows 10 too. The architecture is no mystery, but you are locked out of some parameters unless you have sounddiver. With sounddiver, it's a precision instrument. It does great roland style 303 and SH-101 sounds. The FX are great, and programmable. There are several filter types and combinations, some with resonance and some without. You can adjust the envelope curves. There are basic sound waves too, in addition to the transwaves, along with a drum kit. Even though every demo goes nuts with ear piercing transwave modulation, it can do any normal sound that you would get out of a typical poly synth as well, and it sounds very good.
'How did you spend your day, Zach?' 'I filmed myself fiddling with a fizmo and put it up on the internet.' 'Zach, I think we might need to have a word.'
It’s funny hearing the sound changes completely each time you barely touch a button. I looks like sound design on this synth is to just randomly turn the button until you stumble on a sound you like. They might as well labeled the controls with wacky names like “random”, “ don’t touch”, “whatever “, “don’t know “ because they all seem to randomly change the sound.
Well... the thing is the physical interface is rather a flawed design. It has one interface to control 8 voices, the values are not marked and will jump if you turn a knob. It should have latching behaviour (or endless encoders with led rings, like nord g2, but that would've greatly add to the cost at the time I suppose). Also the "F" & "O" knobs are programmable and "I" will drastically change the sound (wave modulation).
It kinda reminds me of Yamaha's EX5 which I got sucked into buying. Hoping it would be a stealthy workstation to easily compose on like their SY series. It was really a 'sonic lab' like the Fizmo. Only it was a LOT more complex, using AN, VL, AWM, Sampling, and possibly FM (If there was a PLG board available?) I like the Fizmo, as it sounds unique from the get go. Whereas the EX5 had all these generic presets off the bat, and nothing to really show off it's full potential easily. Hence why I thought it'd be a good workstation. But I like the Fizmo for just being a straight ahead odd twiddlers paradise like a big old analog modular simplified for blind people.
I’ve owned one of these and got rid of it after a month. Yes, it can be sonically very complex, especially as it can run multiple arpeggiators in parallel, BUT it really made my ears bleed, it is painfully bright! And there’s a HUGE drawback: you cannot fully program it from the front panel, there are hidden parameters you can only access via an editor that doesn’t exist any more. Glad to see the video though - confirms my view of the sound 😄
@@chrisleinhart You’d have to research the MIDI CC codes for it a d I suspect it wouldn’t be simple - I cannot fathom why it’s not fully programmable from its own front panel!
@@RikMaxSpeed Combine a "get it to market attitude" with a company that knew it was the last synth of its life. The developers were probably throwing a bone to open up the params via the editor. There was an official "cracked" version of soundiver released right as ensoniq was dying, I have a vintage copy. It SHOULD pick up the FIZMO and I know it runs on Win10--I use it for my Virus Indigo.
@@RikMaxSpeed Also I forgot that there was a rack model of this that lacked pretty much everything but the five FIZMO knobs. My memory is fuzzy here but that's another explanation why the software had more access than the keyboard.
Hearing this and DSI Evolvers…they are less “musical instruments”…and more “summoning devices”…the tones these things make only a GREAT OLD ONE would truly ever understand.
Very nice job you did here. I owned one- loveliest synth visually ever made imo- could not figure out a good use for it- ha! Now my previous 400.00 Fiz commands huge prices.
I own 10 synthesizers, everyone of them a classic. The Fizmo produces sounds and textures than none of the others can. The sound can range from dirty to incredibly lush and organic. The presets are very thin and cheap sounding but once you start to delve deeper into it, very interesting sonic worlds can emerge. Often unpredictably so. The effects are quite nice sounding and contribute a good deal to the overall sound of the synth...if I'm not mistaken they are 20 bit and the same effects as in the DP2.
I remember almost buying this at a Guitar Center in Dallas, Texas back when it came out. They were reasonably priced for the time...something like $1,100 or $1,200. But programming it didn’t seem very intuitive from my first impressions, and twisting the knobs rarely had a pleasant effect on the presets. Many of it’s functions were just elusive, and some didn’t seem to have any effect that I could hear just by tweaking random patches. It might’ve been something I needed to take home and learn to get a feel for, but I passed it up for a Waldorf Microwave XT. Now the Fizmo is so rare, it’s worth a small fortune. Who’d have guessed? I do wish I’d bought it way back then.
This was an interesting synth I remember this at Guitar Center. Another synth at that time that I like are Quasimidi Polymorph and Sirius and Raveolution. Sadly Quasimidi is done.
I have one of these sync’d up to an SQ-80 whose audio output is fed into the Line In of the FIZMO for using its effects processor on the SQ. Interesting combination when they are layered. There’s a lot of stuff you can do with this. If only they hadn’t given it such a goofy name, things might have gone differently!
I caught entries of the Fizmo in catalogues back in ‘98 when it was new. If I hadn’t been given a synthesizer the previous year, this one might have tempted me. It seemed out of place to see instrument with that many front panel knobs, even in the era of the first two Nord Lead models, the CS1x, the Z1 and the JP-8000. After 26 years, I’m wondering if I should be thankful I didn’t own one.
I remember a reddit thread showing Alex Jones synth collection, he has a fizmo and other favorites like Nord Modular G2 and Oberhiem OBX from what I remember, some deep nerdy stuff lol
This is all original sounding. It's too bad good things like this never get the attention they should. It's a characteristic of too much density in perceptions of the masses (TMI) and control of what is seen, it's a problem that effects the greater music industry and the greater business and "development" world. These sounds are unique. That interests sound designers and listeners. But these sounds don't get heard because the "system" only pushes things connected to material that supports its manipulated structure and direction. Music shouldn't be oppressed like it is, nor the arts. Manipulators have pressured the masses into thinking this way, to support their monopolies which are also dualities anyway. It's like colors of the spectrum and not to be 'judged' and cutoff from their livelihood and place in the structure of society. Everyone who complained about monopolies and private interests rigging everything has been proven accurate despite the abusive censorship from cowards in the monopoly shadows. Many things that are "cult" classics are really secret messages to the people that have sustained the test of time. That's the point of real timeless good music and sound production and art to some degree. But when the monopolies see something getting attention, they seize it as their own, water it down, though had nothing at all to do with the cultivation of the product. Thanks for sharing these cools sounds....
I got to play one back in 2008 I begged my friend to sell it to me but I couldn’t convince him And now their so pricey if you can even find one. What a sonic mind f**k
The music store in my town had one of these when i was in high school and I remember playing it and the sounds all moving so slowly that I couldn't figure out how it would ever sound good. I didn't even understand what a synth was versus a sample based keyboard. The retail price then was surely lower than what it's going for now on ebay. Anyway, I'd love to mess with one now. Really seems to have its own unique character. Seems like digital analog modeling synths aren't as popular as they used to be.
I got one for a firesale from Musicians Friend in '99. $499. I oddly still remember a few of the patches I had made. It was very movement oriented. I loved it but I couldn't really figure out how to use it with any of the music I was making. I sold it for $750 just a few years later, I couldn't do anything with it, figured it needed a smarter noggin. I would love another crack at it, but I knew when I sold it for the markup I did that I'd never afford it again the next time it came around.
This should have been sold as a rack expander unit rather than a keyboard. They probably would've sold better. It's an interesting synth but too odd for a desert island synth. It's sad what became of Ensoniq. I had the Mirage and ESQ-1. They released cool gear. I'm sure they sold out to Creative for big bucks though.
It's a real head scratcher. Ensoniq who became well known for both their advanced UI/display technology (easy to read/use VFD displays with 'soft' buttons) and polyphonic aftertouch keyboards had neither of these innovations in their last, most advanced synth. In fact, the Fizmo's cryptic display using 7 segment LEDs is a weird throwback to their first product, the Mirage sampler.
Not only have I heard about it, I played one in a shop. All the presets sounded rubbish, so I kept my money and purchased a Yamaha EX5R (which I later swapped for an EX5S).
I find the FiZMO to be criminally underrated. It's like the kid that has the answer in the room, but no one's listening to him and everyone is continually arguing without allowing him to speak. The FiZ was my first synth, and that being said, I wanted to try to find/create classic synth sounds aside from the wild, transformative soundscapes. Guess what: that's exactly what I did. I've achieved beautiful deep pads, the Human League's 'Keep Feeling Fascination' melody riff sound, digital bells, organs, percussion, synth piano sounds, sub bass sounds, pan flute like sounds, you name it. I will have to make a video one day.
A heavy sound effects machine. The wavetables are 32Khz. The problem with this synth is what is called "value proposition" what can you actually get from it? it is worth having such hardware? no. Unless you have spare space and want to have it in the back to play it once a year as a novelty.
It is insane to think i had the opportunity to buy this for $500 back in the day when musicians friend had it on clearance & to think. They go for at least 3Gs now 🤦
I think this synth goes over a lot of people heads, as is demonstrated in this video. Also, there was only 50 rack units produced ....not 500. If I'm not mistaken, only 1000 keyboards were made.
I have a Fizmo and owned a Hydra for a bit and although it beats the Fizmo on paper, I thought it sounded weak in comparison and took a lot more work to dial in.
@@gtsmith4021 I have a Fizmo for many years now, and I have to say I'm some times ashamed I barely use it. I got a Hydrasynth about 2 months ago and totally love it. The BIGGEST difference is simple: you ALWAYS know what you're doing with the Hydrasynth, because the interface is simply fantastic. It's based on the interface of the Xpander (got one too), and my god, are these synths ever a breeze to use. With the Fizmo, you never know where you will end up, which is a really cool thing, but not very practical. As the engineer who once serviced it told me about the Fizmo: well, uhh, cool synth, if you'd ever need a synth to score say, a documentary about erupting volcano's :)
I wish I could touch this synth long term. I know it has massive potential even today if you dug deep and made your own patches. Price is mad nutty tho. I'm such a Ensoniq fan boy and that synth is the peak but numbers are so limited.
@@RikMaxSpeed I think it can be a beast in the right hands. The issue is they are so pricey most never get to explore it. In the end nothing is for everyone and this does feel like a odd ball synth. So I can understand not getting along with it
@@toddsmithmusic3172 I’m a real synth enthusiast and like you had long wanted to get one of these, then when I finally got one I discovered that it was not really usable, in part because you can’t full edit the sounds without external software, but also because the sound is so bright (you can hear it on this video, he actually says that it gets unpleasant). After thirty minutes or so you really feel you have to give your ears a rest! Much as I wanted to love the Fizmo it was unpleasant, not a problem I’ve ever had with any other synth (Waldorf Xt maybe). In terms of sonic potential, you could do more with a Blofeld (or two, which would still be cheaper). The Fizmo’s party trick is that it can run something like 8 arpeggiators in parallel, that’s why you get super complex / interesting sounds.
Best Fizmo video on RUclips. Tell that boss of yours to give you a damn raise!
He is the boss!
As I understand the origin on the name "Fizmo" is that Ensoniq had a physical modeling synth on their roadmap. Fizmo - "Phys(ical) Mo(del)". The physical modeling synth was never completed, but the name was so cool they used it on this.
That was the same sales pitch told to me at a music store where I live. The biggest mistake, though, was to not hook up a mic and use the vocoder function. Still one of my favorites even now.
@@artisan002 There is nothing that cannot be made better by having a vocoder!
@@infesticon Maybe country music, but I'd damn sure try.
@@artisan002 It was probally more of a talk box but check out what "Pete Drake" and his talking guitar. He has one of those country music steel guitars
ruclips.net/video/c_i10rmmUsg/видео.html
I mean I think this is awesome. But I would.
@@infesticon Oh, yeah! I love that video. Found a couple others a few years ago; great stuff. But, much as I love it, I'm gonna say talk boxes don't count. But, it's kind of a technicality, in that talk boxes are electric rather than electronic.
Former Ensoniq employee here and correction....the Fizmo came way before Creative bought our group. Worked on it for years before acquisition.
Also, we NEVER worked with Emu on team meetings...already had sound cards and chipsets on video cards well before aquisition.
And the majority of engineers (both hardware amd software) from my understanding went their own ways once the buyout occurred. Many were self invested in Ensoniq stock.
That's what I thought. My understanding is that Creative bought Ensoniq because they wanted their AudioPCI sound card technology. And subsequently ditched everything else about Ensoniq. I still own an Ensoniq KT-76 (as a controller only, not for the sounds).
Awesome, didn’t think the story presented rang true so interesting to hear what actually happened. What area were you working on with the Fizz?
My first job out of college! I worked in software engineering as a "tester" where I got paid to test musical instruments, soundcards, videocards etc, help troubleshoot, then create software fixes.
Dream first job - seriously - working with literally the inventor of the first hearing aid, commodore 64, 3d audio, and Nasa star wars. :)
Great group.
@@TheBryanyingst great that you appreciated it too! Lots of peeps would stare that gifthorse in the mouth ;) AND you've got this not-so-little slab of a reminder floating about out there creating a legend of synth history!
I wish I could have started there 10 years before! A bunch of my friends got to help troubleshoot people like Kenny Loggins, Wutang, and Boyz 2 men when their instruments needed help on tour :)
Cool piece, Zach! I beta-tested for Ensoniq (but the last one I worked on was the MR-Rack/MR-61, pre-Fizmo.) I believe Ensoniq pioneered the Transwave term - you could argue it was PPG (Waldorf 80's) related, but as you astutely pointed out, Transwave had its own unique features. Descended from the TS-10 (Ensoniq too), though you can find hints of it in their SD-1 (VFX) also! Thanks!
PS. the working name of the MR-Rack was Gizmo, which could factor into your interesting interpretation of where the term Fizmo came from! PS. Ensoniq was mostly guitar playing engineers, as opposed to keyboard playing engineers.(i was a keyboard resource for them.)
I've owned (and some times sold) many synths over the years. I was lucky enough to find one of these for a VERY reasonable price many years ago (it literally didn't even get sold on eBay back then (which I predicted to the owner) so I got to bargain an even cheaper price). Normally, I use this golden rule that if a piece of gear doesn't get used enough, I have to sell it. I almost never use my Fizmo, yet I can't seem to part with it. I know no other synth that sounds like this. The name Fizmo is really excellent, in the end, because there seems to be a sort of bright "fizziness" in almost every sound it produces. Maybe one of the biggest problems, apart from it's mostly totally unique sound palette (when you're not using it as a VA), is that you're trying to "tame" it most of the time. Every "part" of a patch can already sound really complex, so most patches are simply just way too complex to still be playable. And yes, the fact that parameters jump with every move of a knob (as is the case with most old synths of course) doesn't help much either. You honestly simply have to give into the Fizmo, and try to make the best of it/tame the beast. You'll be scratching your head a lot with this synth, but you'll also be pulled into sonically magnificent soundscapes. Not a synth you will use a lot, but definitely totally unique. Absolutely worth it's legendary status, somehow... :)
Some of the hidden params are for multistage envelopes. Very powerful in that regard. The default voice banks were never intended to be 8 OSC sounds, so you were to choose a patch, and then select one (or combination) of the 4 sound buttons to hear it without the dissonance (some sounds had contrary detuning in the patch of 4 for example). This is a powerful synth and you can limit a sound to the simple VA wav that represents saw/sine etc if needed. Effects can be used via external input, the ARP is arguable the best of it's age and for years had not been replicated. Vocoder is powerful as well. The keybed is fatar. Not a bread a butter rompler, nor a typical VA, this is for experts that want to expand their sonic palette. A comprehensive studio has analog, FM, VA, DA, additive, wavetable and transwave (either via the ASR or this Fizmo). There is no other synth like it, due to the architecture. Yes it can sound awful, but a Ferrari F1 car can be turned into a wall and crash, but is still capable of beautiful drives ... Same with the Fizmo in capable hands. Not for beginners.
Fucking nice. This. And I have two (kb & rack) ;)
Well defined and explained.
While I don't think I could use it. Im glad it happened and I like when people make things that are different. It totally has it's own vibe.
That Fizmo has such a unique look. I wish they would bring it back in mini format! I'd like to see you do a bit of Quasimidi as well if you are up for it. Your videos are always very discerning and interesting!
Behringer ... if you're listening
Believe it or not, this synth is very capable of producing "classic" synth sounds. It's got something like 64 different wave forms, but amongst those are square, sawtooth, and sine wave.
The vocoder is also tons of fun.
This is absolutely true. I have a Fizmo that was given to me many years ago by my brother (who bought it for $500 on a G.C. sale before it went out of production) and since it was my only synth at the time, I used it to make a lot of "regular" synth sounds - obviously there's better tools to do this (ha, almost any other synths..), but it can make very normal old school synth sounds pretty well too. The reverb is good and it has delays and distortion.... But of course, your not using it for it's unique qualities by making regular synth sounds with it.
Shut up and take my money. You had me at 'vocoder'
I think this thing sounds SO cool in an erratic uncanny valley sort of way. Downright spooky once the effects are dialed in to mush up the harshness. Truly unique chord/drone machine and anyone into their lofi anything could find some use for it. That glitchy thing you get up to at the end of the demo is super interesting, it's a very now kind of sound actually.
This sounds like the perfect synth for ambient music
the nostalgic intro made me shed a tear 😭
this synth seems like it's easy to push it too far on complexity. It is definitely unique in its sound because to achieve the same results on a PC would require much more work
Well maybe you are not an ensoniq user but from the vfx onwards most had transwaves ,with the asr10 you can make your own , a fizmo is a transwave synth with fixed waves just like a vfx
I had 3 of these over the years and used it extensively on my Rainbow Rider album from 2004-5 that I recently curated here on YT. . The transwave technology was really something special with the variable loop points and multi-timbral. You have to get into programming it. I liked it for the spacious swirling sounds. FIZMO is the acronym for the control knobs.... somehow representing those controls I am trying to get the fizmo sound from the Hydrasynth but so far it is a stretch. Fun to hear a modern take on it. I think it has been surpassed, technically by a number of digial instruments, starting with the Blofeld but it still has a special place in my memory.
Fizmo is the acronym for Physical Modelling
@@annother3350 While that makes good sense initially, the FIZMO does not do physical modeling like, say, Roland Analog modeling, it is purely wave based. From Wiki: The F-I-Z-M-O knobs did the following:[1]
• F: Effect modulation. • I: Wave modulation. • Z: Filter cutoff. • M: Oscillator detuning. • O: Varies from Preset to Preset. (Sys4 mod)
I have not had a FIZMO for 5 yrs but I remember those knobs with the letters above them.
@@Sam_Utah But the knob letters bear no relation to the underlying function -- otherwise F would stand for filter!!
Fizmo = Physical Modelling. It models physical things such as analogue filters
@@annother3350 OK, just went with wiki on it. You have good logic.
What a great blast from the past. I sure hope someone from Music Tribe is lurking and noting all the passionate recollections and comments about such a rare keyboard. I'm sure that their successful work resurrecting so many classic and obscure analogue synths of the past, could be met with an equally successful digital effort. I'd love to have something like a new and improved Fizmo to compete with the Wavestate, Modwave, Hydrasynth, and Argon.
Man, caught your drumlogue video, and no I am backtracking through all your previous entries. Top notch content.
About 10 years ago I traded a Blofeld for a Fizmo -- one of the best decisions I made! It's debatable whether the Fizmo was Ensoniq's last synth -- There's also the Ensoniq Halo, which was a rebranded E/Mu Proteus engine based keyboard. Might be more appropriate to say the Fiz is "the last REAL Ensoniq synth".
Hit me up if you want a Blofeld again for the Fizmo...
also, suggestion for another synth: the Kawai K5000, one of the very few additive synths ever made. Beautiful synth, but be sure to try out enough of the presets you can find online. Like most synths, the ones it came with weren't always the best. I downloaded them maybe 15 years ago from a yahoo group, had to put them on floppy to load them in the synth. But yeah, I believe the group doesn't exist any more.
I have been looking for one of these for years in my country, really rare.
back when all synths were slathered in reverb. oh wait, they still are
bill gates of synths. this fizmo is such a rare beast. must be one of the most obscure sounding wavetables
if its the Bill Gates of synths then it wants to jab everyone with poison and depopulate the world. Thats a wierd mantra for a synth to have...
@@DarrenGlen Depopulating the world would be a good thing, way too many people.
A friend of mine used to own this and I played it a few times back in the day. Never heard anything quite like it before or since. Have hassled more than a few devs about making a vst version, since it still sounds very different to any other wavetable synth. Having it as a VST is especially feasible nowadays, where you have people working on MAME style emulations of hardware synths, like the recent project that revives the Virus B as a VST . Like the Yamaha FS1, VL1, SY99*, Nord Modular, and Wave, Korg Z1, Karma** and EMU Morpheus, it has become something of a legend to me. All that being said, maybe it was because I watched this video, first thing in the morning, after getting up in a weird depressed mood, I really didn't care for what I heard. Definitely a case of resample the more interesting wavetables and use in another synth. One with a better filter for a start. I'll rewatch this again though, because maybe it was my disposition at the time. Or maybe my taste has changed and what used sound good to me, back in the day, no longer hits that spot. Really hopes it's just a mood thing. A world where I don't like the Fizmo seems weird.
* Seriously, why haven't Yamaha followed Roland and Korg's example with these?
** Now that Korg have ported the Triton and the Prophecy, it's only a matter of time for those two. Although with Z1 I heard that the guy who designed it died and nobody really understood it enough to recreate it without his help. Would prefer this info to be incorrect.Also, Steven Kaye tole me that there would never be a VST port of the Karma. That was in 2007 though. Hopefully he's changed his mind since then.
All that being said Diadow and Transistow by Hrast programmer times gets close to the Fizmo at times, or at least the possibly idealised version of it my faulty memory maybe conjured up. Both free too. Although with the Transistow you pay by writing patches for the Diodow. For anyone interested in that sort of vibe, they're not exactly the same but both have a tonality and feel that is somewhat reminiscent of the Fizmo, but with much greater depth in terms of synthesis capabilities. Although be warned, the GUIs on both are hard to get along with. You'll see what I mean when you get em.
Wow. The more i hear about Ensoniq the more i realize how underrated they are. I have an ESQ1 and it's the only vintage synth i own. I'd love to have an SQ80 with its poly aftertouch. And now this thing. It seems really interesting especially for it's time and the fact that it was the company's last gasp.
Look into getting a VFX or TS-10/12 .. they might sound a little meh on paper because of no resonant digital filters, but the transwave features and the easy editing and gritty sound makes them awesome. I even like them better then the ESQ-1. Oh and they can sometimes be had very cheap :D
12:20 sounds wonderfully glitchy, would fit perfectly in a modern sci-fi movie. I don't think I had even heard of the FIzmo before. If I ever saw them in the music shop, I probably passed them by completely. Very interesting sound. Controlling an FS1r from the Fizmo keyboard would have yielded some intriguing layered sounds. Seems like the Fizmo's are in the $4k+ price range now. My fave moment here is going from 26:09 to 26:21 because I think the onboard effects seem to suit what is happening. Seem better integrated with the sound generation.
This synth sounds amazing. Wish more would be made like this.
Wow, it sounds like Trent Reznor stomping on a Sega Genesis.
Where I think I would go with it these days, is to sample it and then either do granular synthesis on interesting parts, play at slow speeds (down the keyboard for slower tape effects), or time-stretch longer portions and filter the heck out of it.
This and the K5000s are probably the best ambient/soundscaping synths from the 90's.
Thanks these are so rare I really appreciate you giving this a great demo. Of course it’s minor tragedy Ensoniq was lost to the synth world but I’m in the camp of those that think the Fizmo doesn’t deserve its “legendary” status ( I think it’s rarity and being last of line thing that gives it an unwarranted mystique ). My impression It’s an interesting idea but not that musically useful. I compare to something like the wavestation, not dissimilar in concept but the wavestation ended up all over music/soundtracks etc in the 90s- fizmo pretty much unknown, outside of the nerd synth world 😏. Embarrassing to admit my favourite aspect is the way it looks☺️.
As an overall synth, def not really that legendary but its so rare to get polys that get this weird so if you're into lofi or experimental this is definitely unique, covetable and historical.
@@troelsknudsen253 I guess what shocks me is where I am when they rarely come up for sale people around pay 4-5k for them! That's "legend" money in my book😉
@@pizzagogo6151 yeah that makes no sense but the first wave of hipstersynth drove the price up like crazy
@@pizzagogo6151 hipstersynth culture and the general frenzy collectors get up to these days (its anything: watches, shoes, speakers) will drive up the price. You definitely need a pretty solid collection or a very specific taste for the fizmo to fit in.
Ohhh that sound at 17:41 is so good too! This thing excels at “weird ear candy” layers of sound.
Great overview! I own one and it's my favourite synth ever but I recon it isn't for everyone. Whenever I turn it on to program a specific sound I always end up somewhere else, you can get carried away easily.👽
This came out at the same time the Waldorf wave line and Nord modular… great review! Thanks for sharing
Great job and good information! This is a fascinatingly quirky instrument.
Love to see you do an episode on the Korg Z1.
Peace.
Just got one about a month ago, after listing for a year or 2... God it's an amazing and unique synth to play and program, it's so responsive that it truely feels like your playing an actual instrument rather than the typical cold disconnection between a human and a computer/keyboard.I really want to get a wind/breath controller to play with it. My 2 main synths now are the Z1 & and the Ensoniq TS-10 (has Transwaves+Samples+Hyperwaves+PolyAftertouch+A built in Ensoniq DP/2 fx engine+the largest transformer I've ever seen in a synth by about at least 5x, there may be larger ones in analog synths but not that ibe seen, and that may be why it has such a uniquely full and lush sound). Any other synths or gear you would recommend? I have great faith in the opinions of any Z1 fan. Also do you believe/ know if the Korg Triton+ the ultra rare Z1 add on, is truly comparable to the Z1? Cause I've heard the reason why they only sold Z1's for 3 years (supposedly produced for only about a year) is that it had some kind of (magik) powerful/ rare chips in them that soon went out of production after making them. Also look how expensive other Phy. Modeling synths where, the Yamaha V-1 was like 5k$, and the others in that series where not to far off, yet all of those+the Korg Prophecy where all only Mono synths, if I'm not mistaken the Z1 is the only Poly Physical Modeling Synth? Do you know of any other Physical Modeling Synths? I thought the Casio VZ series where but then I read something that made me think they weren't or at least not true P.M. synths, also I've heard the Korg WaveDrum's use it, and some roland guitar synth fx module, which makes me think perhaps EHX's "9 Series" may use it as well (EHX: Mel9, Synth9,Keys9,B9).
+1 on the Z1. Great synth but very understated.
@@davegraham716 Good to know that there is still love out there for the Z1. My musical partner in crime owns one as well and he was able to get the 18-voice version! (I've only got the 12-voice.) I have never played the Triton with the expansion that supposedly gives it Z1 capability, but from what I've heard, it pales in comparison. I have been playing since high school - we're talking 40 years. I have over 40 instruments and each has their own charm. It really depends on what you're looking for.
I will say that I love my Kurzweil K2000RS. It was surpassed by the K2500, K2600, and recently the K2700. However, the V.A.S.T. engine in the original is still as remarkable now as it was when I got it around 25 years ago. The K2500 doubles the polyphony and I think the K2600 includes the KDFX effect processor as a standard rather than an add-on. What's remarkable about these instruments is the sheer sonic potential. And you can use your own samples as the starting point for the creative mayhem. They involve some menu-diving, but efforts are truly rewarded.
I am a huge fan of Clavia's Nord Lead series. The one I own is the Nord Lead 3. People argue about the sonic differences between the incarnations, but I think they all sound wonderful. The reason that I love the NL3 is because of the interface. Unlike the others it uses encoders with LED indicators. When you bring up a patch you immediately see where everything is set. Furthermore, they incorporated the Morph function for Keybed, Velocity, Aftertouch, and the Mod Wheel. This allows you to assign changes to all 26 encoder-driven parameters for each of those to allow your patch to radically changed based on those four different control parameters. And, though it's purely for eye candy, I love watching the LEDs change in realtime when you apply aftertouch or use the mod wheel. Seeing those changes in realtime is like a small magical light show!
Another favorite of mine is the E-MU Morpheus. If you don't know about this (or it's bigger brother the UltraProteus), you should read up. There's more under the hood of the UltraProteus, but I love the waveforms in the Morpheus.
I have always loved vector synthesis. I could never afford a Sequential Circuits Prophet VS back in the day, but I pined for a Wavestation. I ended up with a Yamaha TG33 in the '90s (which I still have and love). I eventually got a Wavestation S/R to accompany the TG33. Each offers a different take on vector synthesis and the Wavestation provides wave sequencing as well. I've always enjoyed incorporating huge moving pads and these are awesome for that. If you want a modern take on this, Korg's Wavestate is a marvel. I haven't taken that plunge, but the latest firmware appears to have provided some options that make its depth a little more manageable.
And if you're interested in something more modern, I highly recommend the ASM Hydrasynth and the Waldorf Iridium. These are both creative playgrounds for sound. I got the Hydrasynth keyboard (which has polyphonic aftertouch) and the Iridium responds to polyphonic aftertouch so they work together wonderfully. I've heard some people say that a Hydrasynth is a poor man's Iridium or that if you get an Iridium, the Hydrasynth is unnecessary. HOGWASH! The Hydrasynth has one of the most brilliantly-designed interfaces ever to grace a synth. I believe that both instruments offer years, if not decades, of programming wonder, but each invite the programmer to explore sound via very different paths. Some of those paths will provided similar experiences and take you to the same places. But the interfaces make the journey unique for each and provide different insights and learning experiences.
As you can tell, I can get a bit carried away about this subject, Dave, and I haven't even scraped the surface. Feel free to friend me in Facebook and we can talk in greater detail. I'm in a ton of the synth groups (one of the only reasons I still spend time in Facebook, but it's really worth it for that). I also have a channel here on RUclips to which I need to start posting videos again. It's called Forlorn Synths of Yore.
I hope to see you around. Anyone who loves the Z1 is alright in my book! ;)
Peace,
Ted
@@larsuk9578 Indeed! An outstanding instrument that doesn't get the love it deserves.
Peace.
I followed with what Yannes came up with being that I love the SID Chip in the Commodore 64. But I was a teen when Ensoniq EPS came out, and it was easier to get a used DX7, so stuck with Yamaha since. So never had a chance to get an Ensoniq. I guess the Fizmo is more Creative Inc. than it was Yannes.
What an interesting synth. It seems like the kind of thing that might do better as a VST.
Killer nostalgia hook intro
Your dial up modem is calling. It wants its tones back.
This thing almost sounds circuit bent out of the box! Not really something I’d want but would be pretty cool if made into a small desktop module.
I have one. Some of the most amazing sounds I’ve ever heard came out of it. Sounds other worldly.
how challenging is the Fizmo to program?
Lovely! Definitely an eccentric in the world of synths (which is an eccentric world in and of itself).
The only thing vaguely like it is the Kawai k5000 line, mostly due to the format filter twiddling.
Aw yes the synth I always wanted but never could get. This and the Yamaha CS-80 are my dream synths
Check out the ASM Hydrasynth Deluxe. You might find what you are seeking there.
Wouldn't want this as my ONLY synth of course. But, to me it sounds like it could add some interesting colors to a mix.
who here among has has ONLY one synth? 😀Certainly not me and I've been downsizing for decades, somehow keep re-sizing 🙃This is the year that, I swear, I downsize to ONLY one synth. Okay, maybe two. Three just feels like a better amount.
@@BarryWarne Nah, do four. You earned it. 😉😉
The software editor is just sounddiver. You can still use it, and you can find it online for free. It runs in windows 10 too. The architecture is no mystery, but you are locked out of some parameters unless you have sounddiver. With sounddiver, it's a precision instrument. It does great roland style 303 and SH-101 sounds. The FX are great, and programmable. There are several filter types and combinations, some with resonance and some without. You can adjust the envelope curves. There are basic sound waves too, in addition to the transwaves, along with a drum kit. Even though every demo goes nuts with ear piercing transwave modulation, it can do any normal sound that you would get out of a typical poly synth as well, and it sounds very good.
'How did you spend your day, Zach?'
'I filmed myself fiddling with a fizmo and put it up on the internet.'
'Zach, I think we might need to have a word.'
It’s funny hearing the sound changes completely each time you barely touch a button. I looks like sound design on this synth is to just randomly turn the button until you stumble on a sound you like. They might as well labeled the controls with wacky names like “random”, “ don’t touch”, “whatever “, “don’t know “ because they all seem to randomly change the sound.
Well... the thing is the physical interface is rather a flawed design. It has one interface to control 8 voices, the values are not marked and will jump if you turn a knob. It should have latching behaviour (or endless encoders with led rings, like nord g2, but that would've greatly add to the cost at the time I suppose). Also the "F" & "O" knobs are programmable and "I" will drastically change the sound (wave modulation).
It kinda reminds me of Yamaha's EX5 which I got sucked into buying. Hoping it would be a stealthy workstation to easily compose on like their SY series. It was really a 'sonic lab' like the Fizmo. Only it was a LOT more complex, using AN, VL, AWM, Sampling, and possibly FM (If there was a PLG board available?) I like the Fizmo, as it sounds unique from the get go. Whereas the EX5 had all these generic presets off the bat, and nothing to really show off it's full potential easily. Hence why I thought it'd be a good workstation. But I like the Fizmo for just being a straight ahead odd twiddlers paradise like a big old analog modular simplified for blind people.
11:28 such a beautiful sound! So weird, even in the lush friendly pad sounds. I love it!
I have one of these. It's absolutely amazing.
I’ve owned one of these and got rid of it after a month.
Yes, it can be sonically very complex, especially as it can run multiple arpeggiators in parallel, BUT it really made my ears bleed, it is painfully bright!
And there’s a HUGE drawback: you cannot fully program it from the front panel, there are hidden parameters you can only access via an editor that doesn’t exist any more.
Glad to see the video though - confirms my view of the sound 😄
Yikes, no way around that with a midi fader knob controller like the Evolution UC-33?
@@chrisleinhart You’d have to research the MIDI CC codes for it a d I suspect it wouldn’t be simple - I cannot fathom why it’s not fully programmable from its own front panel!
@@RikMaxSpeed Combine a "get it to market attitude" with a company that knew it was the last synth of its life. The developers were probably throwing a bone to open up the params via the editor.
There was an official "cracked" version of soundiver released right as ensoniq was dying, I have a vintage copy. It SHOULD pick up the FIZMO and I know it runs on Win10--I use it for my Virus Indigo.
@@RikMaxSpeed Also I forgot that there was a rack model of this that lacked pretty much everything but the five FIZMO knobs. My memory is fuzzy here but that's another explanation why the software had more access than the keyboard.
What a dark spycho horror synth.
This synth sounds beauiful!
I could so get lost in one of these.
Thanks for clearing that up for me
Hearing this and DSI Evolvers…they are less “musical instruments”…and more “summoning devices”…the tones these things make only a GREAT OLD ONE would truly ever understand.
Very nice job you did here. I owned one- loveliest synth visually ever made imo- could not figure out a good use for it- ha! Now my previous 400.00 Fiz commands huge prices.
I own 10 synthesizers, everyone of them a classic. The Fizmo produces sounds and textures than none of the others can. The sound can range from dirty to incredibly lush and organic. The presets are very thin and cheap sounding but once you start to delve deeper into it, very interesting sonic worlds can emerge. Often unpredictably so. The effects are quite nice sounding and contribute a good deal to the overall sound of the synth...if I'm not mistaken they are 20 bit and the same effects as in the DP2.
I remember almost buying this at a Guitar Center in Dallas, Texas back when it came out. They were reasonably priced for the time...something like $1,100 or $1,200. But programming it didn’t seem very intuitive from my first impressions, and twisting the knobs rarely had a pleasant effect on the presets. Many of it’s functions were just elusive, and some didn’t seem to have any effect that I could hear just by tweaking random patches. It might’ve been something I needed to take home and learn to get a feel for, but I passed it up for a Waldorf Microwave XT. Now the Fizmo is so rare, it’s worth a small fortune. Who’d have guessed? I do wish I’d bought it way back then.
That intro/ending patch reminded me of the theme song from Outer Wilds for some reason. Strong space banjo vibes.
It's got some wicked sounds. I can dig it.
This was an interesting synth I remember this at Guitar Center. Another synth at that time that I like are Quasimidi Polymorph and Sirius and Raveolution. Sadly Quasimidi is done.
This synth is like later Miles Davis -- you either love it or you don't. I love its sound.
I've been looking to get me one of these for many years. It's whacked. Therefore, exactly what I'm looking for.
I have one of these sync’d up to an SQ-80
whose audio output is fed into the Line In of the FIZMO for using its effects processor on the SQ. Interesting combination when they are layered. There’s a lot of stuff you can do with this. If only they hadn’t given it such a goofy name, things might have gone differently!
I caught entries of the Fizmo in catalogues back in ‘98 when it was new. If I hadn’t been given a synthesizer the previous year, this one might have tempted me. It seemed out of place to see instrument with that many front panel knobs, even in the era of the first two Nord Lead models, the CS1x, the Z1 and the JP-8000. After 26 years, I’m wondering if I should be thankful I didn’t own one.
Honestly should turn the demo portion of this video into an EP
I remember a reddit thread showing Alex Jones synth collection, he has a fizmo and other favorites like Nord Modular G2 and Oberhiem OBX from what I remember, some deep nerdy stuff lol
I would love to see a comparison to the yamaha sy-22 fm/awm vector synth. They sound kind of similar to me
No FM in the SY-22. Only the SY-77/99 and TG-77 had FM at the time. SY-55 and SY-22 were AWM only.
@@Wazoox , the sy-22, tg-33 and sy-35 had 4op fm and awm vector synthesis.
@@zerb true. However Vector "synthesis" is also a misleading name, since the vector thing is only a one-control OSC mixer, not a synth engine.
@@zerb 2OP FM in the SY-22/35 and TG-33 actually.
@@robocelot thats correct! actually the only 2op fm synth i know of…
This is right down my alley, but way out of my price range....if only I was smart enough to make something similar myself....I hate being dumb.
This is all original sounding. It's too bad good things like this never get the attention they should. It's a characteristic of too much density in perceptions of the masses (TMI) and control of what is seen, it's a problem that effects the greater music industry and the greater business and "development" world. These sounds are unique. That interests sound designers and listeners. But these sounds don't get heard because the "system" only pushes things connected to material that supports its manipulated structure and direction. Music shouldn't be oppressed like it is, nor the arts. Manipulators have pressured the masses into thinking this way, to support their monopolies which are also dualities anyway. It's like colors of the spectrum and not to be 'judged' and cutoff from their livelihood and place in the structure of society. Everyone who complained about monopolies and private interests rigging everything has been proven accurate despite the abusive censorship from cowards in the monopoly shadows. Many things that are "cult" classics are really secret messages to the people that have sustained the test of time. That's the point of real timeless good music and sound production and art to some degree. But when the monopolies see something getting attention, they seize it as their own, water it down, though had nothing at all to do with the cultivation of the product. Thanks for sharing these cools sounds....
i just released Tranzwave which makes all the Fizmo Transwaves available within a Kontakt Player based Wavetable Synthesizer
Dang…hearing this again REALLY makes me want one…it’s so weird!
It really does remind me of my Evolver….and I love my DSI.
I got to play one back in 2008
I begged my friend to sell it to me but I couldn’t convince him
And now their so pricey if you can even find one. What a sonic mind f**k
The music store in my town had one of these when i was in high school and I remember playing it and the sounds all moving so slowly that I couldn't figure out how it would ever sound good. I didn't even understand what a synth was versus a sample based keyboard. The retail price then was surely lower than what it's going for now on ebay. Anyway, I'd love to mess with one now. Really seems to have its own unique character. Seems like digital analog modeling synths aren't as popular as they used to be.
I got one for a firesale from Musicians Friend in '99. $499. I oddly still remember a few of the patches I had made. It was very movement oriented. I loved it but I couldn't really figure out how to use it with any of the music I was making.
I sold it for $750 just a few years later, I couldn't do anything with it, figured it needed a smarter noggin. I would love another crack at it, but I knew when I sold it for the markup I did that I'd never afford it again the next time it came around.
I had a fizmo in the late 90s. But i sold it...it sounds so creepy, that i dont want to own it anymore....
Reason Parsec has a sound like this, though it is using additive synthesis with sampled one dimensional wave tables.
im in love with a fizmo
This should have been sold as a rack expander unit rather than a keyboard. They probably would've sold better. It's an interesting synth but too odd for a desert island synth. It's sad what became of Ensoniq. I had the Mirage and ESQ-1. They released cool gear. I'm sure they sold out to Creative for big bucks though.
They did, along with E-mu (ofE max, and SP 1200)😭
It's a real head scratcher. Ensoniq who became well known for both their advanced UI/display technology (easy to read/use VFD displays with 'soft' buttons) and polyphonic aftertouch keyboards had neither of these innovations in their last, most advanced synth. In fact, the Fizmo's cryptic display using 7 segment LEDs is a weird throwback to their first product, the Mirage sampler.
..and in 98 we had Yamaha EX5, the most underrrated synth ever know to man
Not only have I heard about it, I played one in a shop. All the presets sounded rubbish, so I kept my money and purchased a Yamaha EX5R (which I later swapped for an EX5S).
I used one for a short while when it came out, but it never really got used once I got a computer. Too bad.
I find the FiZMO to be criminally underrated. It's like the kid that has the answer in the room, but no one's listening to him and everyone is continually arguing without allowing him to speak. The FiZ was my first synth, and that being said, I wanted to try to find/create classic synth sounds aside from the wild, transformative soundscapes. Guess what: that's exactly what I did. I've achieved beautiful deep pads, the Human League's 'Keep Feeling Fascination' melody riff sound, digital bells, organs, percussion, synth piano sounds, sub bass sounds, pan flute like sounds, you name it. I will have to make a video one day.
freakiest synth ever
Fizmo = Physical Modelling. Put another way, Fiz=Physical and mo= modelling. So the internet says...
Fizzy like in a cheap sparkling soda pop or pop rocks sounds more accurate ,bottom end sure seems to be lacking it's all mid range fizzzz
@@cnfuzz yea, I have to agree - at least, based on this video.
I forgot about this one!
A heavy sound effects machine. The wavetables are 32Khz. The problem with this synth is what is called "value proposition" what can you actually get from it? it is worth having such hardware? no. Unless you have spare space and want to have it in the back to play it once a year as a novelty.
I could see this being in the palette of a film composer.
It is insane to think i had the opportunity to buy this for $500 back in the day when musicians friend had it on clearance & to think. They go for at least 3Gs now 🤦
OMG. It's awesome, therrible great. ❤
what is the fizmo analogous to these days? wave table synth?
Very awesome instrument.
I think this synth goes over a lot of people heads, as is demonstrated in this video. Also, there was only 50 rack units produced ....not 500. If I'm not mistaken, only 1000 keyboards were made.
love it.
Its Of The Error!!
Sounds like a Waldorf Microwave to me.
Impossible to find now…Hydrasynth will scratch that itch and then some.
I have a Fizmo and owned a Hydra for a bit and although it beats the Fizmo on paper, I thought it sounded weak in comparison and took a lot more work to dial in.
@@gtsmith4021 I have a Fizmo for many years now, and I have to say I'm some times ashamed I barely use it. I got a Hydrasynth about 2 months ago and totally love it. The BIGGEST difference is simple: you ALWAYS know what you're doing with the Hydrasynth, because the interface is simply fantastic. It's based on the interface of the Xpander (got one too), and my god, are these synths ever a breeze to use. With the Fizmo, you never know where you will end up, which is a really cool thing, but not very practical. As the engineer who once serviced it told me about the Fizmo: well, uhh, cool synth, if you'd ever need a synth to score say, a documentary about erupting volcano's :)
I wish I could touch this synth long term. I know it has massive potential even today if you dug deep and made your own patches. Price is mad nutty tho. I'm such a Ensoniq fan boy and that synth is the peak but numbers are so limited.
Horrible synth, hurt my ears, and not fully editable, got rid of it after a month.
@@RikMaxSpeed I think it can be a beast in the right hands. The issue is they are so pricey most never get to explore it. In the end nothing is for everyone and this does feel like a odd ball synth. So I can understand not getting along with it
@@toddsmithmusic3172 I’m a real synth enthusiast and like you had long wanted to get one of these, then when I finally got one I discovered that it was not really usable, in part because you can’t full edit the sounds without external software, but also because the sound is so bright (you can hear it on this video, he actually says that it gets unpleasant). After thirty minutes or so you really feel you have to give your ears a rest! Much as I wanted to love the Fizmo it was unpleasant, not a problem I’ve ever had with any other synth (Waldorf Xt maybe). In terms of sonic potential, you could do more with a Blofeld (or two, which would still be cheaper). The Fizmo’s party trick is that it can run something like 8 arpeggiators in parallel, that’s why you get super complex / interesting sounds.
Some nice presets, but programming this beast must be hell.
It's actually fairly simple. It programs exactly like any "traditional" synth.
YES! I own one.
This alien, I will never part with!
God I miss mine. *sigh* Nothing else sounded like it.
Oof! as cool as it looks a lot of the patches are terrible. In a market with a KORG 01w or Roland XP-50 the Fizmo sounds outdated.
hell no
this is unreallll
My studio partner owned a couple of them back in the day. Never was my cup of tea.