Ensoniq Fizmo
Open-knowledge reference entry
The Ensoniq Fizmo was a synthesizer developed by Ensoniq. Developed in 1998, the Fizmo uses a Digital Acoustic simulation Transwave with 4 MB of ROM, up to four voices per preset, each voice with two oscillators, independent LFOs and FX: 48 voices maximum, with three separate fx units (24-bit VLSI effects with 41 algorithms) built in for further sound sculpting. The Fizmo featured 61 keys, and responded to velocity, channel aftertouch, as well as allowing the sounds to be split by velocity and keyboard position (note). The name F-I-Z-M-O was mapped across five control knobs just above the keyboard keys, allowing real-time modulation of the waves for more user controlled evolving sounds than a usual synthesizer could provide, as well as also having 17 dedicated Sound and Effect editing knobs for further sound design and editing.
The F-I-Z-M-O knobs did the following:
• F: Effect modulation.
• I: Wave modulation.
• Z: Filter cutoff.
• M: Oscillator detuning.
• O: Varies from Preset to Preset. (Sys4 mod)
Sound
The Fizmo's sound can be described as post-modernistic and ambient.
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