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5 reasons the Ensoniq Mirage changed music forever

It was the first affordable sampler, costing under 1,700 dollars when competitors cost up to 28,000 dollars.

The Mirage sold nearly 8,000 units in its first year, outselling all other samplers combined.

Its distinctive lo-fi sound comes from 8-bit converters and analog resonant filters.

Users often had to edit samples using complex hexadecimal code, a limitation that became a creative challenge.

It was used on iconic tracks by Public Enemy and Janet Jackson.