The Fizmo® Transwave Synthesizer is a 48-voice instrument that has accrued a cult following since its initial introduction. From its distinctive purple paint to its hands-on, sweeping transwave synthesis to its world class built-in effects, it’s one of the most distinctive and rare all-digital keyboards in existence.
I’m pleased to have been part of the team that brought Fizmo to life decades ago and want to share what I know about it, how I use it, and most importantly – impart what those knobs do!
I’ve got a few projects in process with Fizmo and will be adding those developments over time. In the meantime, please take a look at the resources I’ve put together so far, keep and eye out for pending updates!
Resources for Fizmo:
Here’s a list of resources to get you started with Fizmo – or at least to learn more about it:
Manuals:
SoundEngine hosts a copy of the Fizmo User Guide here.
Editors:
The vision of Ensoniq synthesizers, starting with the MR-Rack series, was always to partner the editing of the synth with a computer – it’s why we heavily invested in partnerships with E-Magic (SoundDiver) and Mark of the Unicorn (Uniysyn) at the time. Ahead of our day? Perhaps.
The absolute best editing solution for Fizmo right now is Fauxmo, from Defective Records. I highly recommend this editor – it realizes the vision of computer editing of Fizmo perfectly.
Sounds/Patches:
Well, first, we’d recommend our Fizmo: One patch bank, which takes Fizmo is another direction – it’s focused less on sweeping, ambient transwave pads and contains more basic patches for use in multiple workflows in your compositions – check it out!
Articles:
Coming Soon!
Fun Stuff:
Coming Soon!
Sound Demos:
I’ve collected many links of demos that show what Fizmo sounds like – they are included here. Beware: There’s a lot of purple below!
• I really enjoyed this demo of sounds from muzykujkropkacom:
• O.Z. Hall seems to get it:
• Love these sounds from Transisted Waves, too:
Fizmo® is a registered trademark of SoundEngine®, LLC.