Unsupported Browser
The web browser that you are currently using is no longer supported, and as such features of this website may not work as expected. We advise you to update to a currently supported browser (such as Chrome, Edge, or Firefox) to improve your security, speed, and overall experience.
Playing videos requires marketing & advertising cookies. By pressing Play, you consent to their use, which will override previously rejected settings. To update your preferences, see our cookie policy.
Once confirmation has been received that your payment has been successful from your chosen payment method provider, then we can process your order and send your email containing your unique code and instructions on how to download the software from the Supplier.
When completing the checkout, please make sure that your email address is accurate so that we can get this to you as quickly as possible.
14-day money back guarantee included if product is not activated
You can purchase from Gear4music with complete confidence and peace of mind. All of our digital products come with a 14-day money-back guarantee as standard.
If you decide you don't want your order, you can return it within 14 days of receiving it. Provided your product hasn't been activated in that time, you can exchange it for a different product, or get a refund.
We will only issue a new product or refund if the supplier confirms that your product has not been activated. At the same time, we will ask them to invalidate it so that it cannot be used in the future.
This does not affect your statutory rights.
For more information, please refer to our Returns and Refunds Information.
If you decide your order isn't suitable for any reason you can return it - just let us know within 30 days of receiving it. Please keep hold of all the original packaging until you're sure you want to keep the order.
Eligibility for Money Back Guarantee
Important: For hygiene and software licensing reasons, some items are only eligible for our Money Back Guarantee if they are returned to us unused and sealed in the original packaging with all software still "unregistered." Details of exclusions are shown within the product descriptions. Products include:
- Monitors and Headphones
- Earplugs and Ear Protection
- Reeds and mouthpieces for woodwind and brass instruments
- Mouth and Lip-Care Products
- CDs, DVDs and Software
We can collect your return for a small fee, or you can send it back to us yourself. The collection fee can be found in the returns information on each product's page on Gear4music.
In the unlikely event that any item in this order is faulty, damaged or incorrect on receipt, notify us within 14 days and we'll arrange a free collection.
When returning an order please ensure products are appropriately packaged and protected, to prevent them from getting damaged.
This table provides an overview of your statutory consumer rights, compared with our standard returns policy and optional extended money back guarantee and warranty.
| UK & Europe | EU Standard | Gear4music Standard | Gear4music Optional |
|---|---|---|---|
| Return Period | 14 days | 30 days | up to 180 days |
| Standard delivery charges refunded? | Yes | Yes | Yes, up to 30 days |
| Upgraded delivery charges refunded? | Standard costs only | Standard costs only | Standard costs only |
| Free collection on cancellation | No | No | Yes, up to 30 days |
| Free collection if defective, delivered damaged or incorrect item | Yes, within 14 days | Yes, within 14 days | Yes, within 30 days |
We are unable to accept returns of any custom made items designed to work together as a unique package and some items are only eligible for money back guarantee if they are returned to us unused and sealed in the original packaging. For full information on our returns policy, please refer to our returns and refunds information guide.
Spread your payment with Klarna. No fees.
Shop now. Pay in 30 days with Klarna
Key Features
The Cherry Audio Ensoniq ESQ-1 is an identical software plugin recreation of a rare and distinctive 1986 synthesizer, created with official licencing from the original manufacturer. Created in collaboration with Creative Technology, this virtual instrument uses the original 32 ESQ-1 waveforms to recreate the evolving textures and distinctive character of the hardware original with typical workflow improvements you expect from Cherry Audio. Alongside a detailed model of the renowned CEM3379 filter, it faithfully captures the signal path that made the original instrument so popular.
Unlike the hardware's menu-driven interface, Cherry Audio presents controls visually across multiple pages, making sound design faster and more intuitive. Extensive modulation options, polyphonic aftertouch, and MPE support provide expressive performance possibilities, while the built-in arpeggiator and programmable step sequencer add powerful rhythmic tools. With nearly 400 presets, SysEx patch compatibility, and dual-layer multitimbral operation, the ESQ-1 combines authentic vintage synthesis with features suited to modern production environments.
Product Ref: 383557
Cherry Audio's ESQ-1 uses the original 32 waveforms from the 1986 hardware under official licence from Creative Technology, the original ESQ-1 IP owners. Combined with a detailed recreation of the CEM3379 analogue filter, it captures the evolving textures and distinctive character that defined the original instrument. Four digitally controlled amplifiers, multiple envelopes, LFOs, oscillator sync, and amplitude modulation have all been modelled to preserve the ESQ-1's sound and behaviour. The result is an authentic virtual recreation that brings classic hybrid synthesis into a modern production environment.
Programming the original ESQ-1 often meant navigating menus through a small display and limited controls. Cherry Audio's redesigned interface places key parameters directly on screen, making sound design faster and more intuitive. Multiple editing pages provide clear visual feedback across the synth engine, helping you shape sounds efficiently. By removing these barriers, adjusting envelopes, refining modulation routings, or building layered patches is now made incredibly simple and easy to access the instrument's powerful synthesis capabilities.
The ESQ-1 expands on the original design with a stereo dual-layer architecture offering up to 32 voices per layer. This supports split keyboard setups, layered sounds, and multitimbral performances. A four-slot modulation matrix provides simple assignment of sources and destinations, making it easy to create movement and variation within patches. Polyphonic aftertouch and MIDI Polyphonic Expression support add further performance control, allowing individual notes to respond independently for more expressive playing.
