Synth Site |  Ensoniq |  MR 76

First of all it has great piano action rivalling the Kurzweil PC88 and the Roland RD-500 (Actually its preference, but I think I really like the Ensoniq feel better.)

The sounds are very good. But as always with Ensoniq, you must know how to use them. The piano and electric piano sounds are not the best sounds, but are very useable and in some registers, beautiful.

The synth sounds are great with Transwaves, bringing to mind the sound of my Wavestation. Plenty of washes, pads, and ringing sounds, as well as leads and basses for any application.

But by far the best sounds are the drums and percussion. Very strong. 808 sets, Rock, jazz, pop, reggae, and the samples are different, not just the same kit with different names. This is one area to spend time checking out in the store.

The sequencer is very easy to use, letting you bring sounds, phrases you just played from the "Idea Pad", or pre-set rhythms from the very nice drum machine.

The effects are very good if not overdone, and they integrate well with the sequencer so you dont lose the feel of the sound by putting into a sequence.

Overall, I give the MR-76 a 8.5 out of 10.

Pros: Good assortment of sounds, GREAT drums, cool synth sounds, VERY easy to work with. VERY nice piano action.

Cons: Not my personal favorite piano/EP sounds. Organ a bit weak.