Ok, I don't see anything here on this little gem...I just got my hands on that FIZMO board at Guitar Center...What is up with that? I guess I'll head to Ensoniq's site for more, but the thing is mesmerizing. Awesome for otherworldly pads, warped ambient pleasures....FUN! Anybody do anything "practical" with this beautiful noise box?

Ok... FIZMO looks impressive! But do you know how it compares to stuff like Roland JP-8000 and is it any good for making techno/trance/dance/rave?

Regs.
P. Sommer

Ok. Maybe I was a little starry eyed. I jammed on the board for about 1/2 hour and was kind of overcome by the random effects the control knobs had. The machine has a way of coming off a bit more mystical and organic than the JP (the god of analog modeling.) While the JP is a true mind blower, it can be quite literal and clinical. The FIZMO has an unknown quality that I can't pinpoint, just a feel and a layering of sounds that would defy mechanical reproduction on the JP.
But after searching around (www.ENSONIQUE.COM has an adequate spec page & PR sheet on the board)I came across a review at musicmachines that brought me down to earth:
http://www.hyperreal.org/music/machines/manufacturers/Ensoniq/Fizmo/info/Fizmo.review

Best bet, get to a store and see for yourself. I am not a pro musician. Just an amateur composer, and I can see myself using the FIZMO as well as the JP-8000 to push the envelope, so to speak...