Back in 1986, when dedicated bass synths were a rare breed amid the drum machine boom, this little desktop unit arrived to nail authentic low-end grooves with multisampled precision from real basses and synths.
Its digital sample-based engine pulls from swappable 27256 EPROM chips—up to four at once, each holding 30K of 8-bit u-law coded multisamples for natural pitch response across 16Hz to 16kHz, with no pesky noise or artifacts. Monophonic output via a single TS jack gets full MIDI In/Out/Thru support, including velocity sensitivity, pitch bend, and program changes to switch sounds on the fly. Controls are refreshingly simple on the compact blue-topped panel—volume and pitch knobs, four memory selector switches with LEDs, a multi-function Set button for hidden tweaks like note limits and touch sensitivity, a clever sliding MIDI channel switch (1-14 or Omni), and a 3-way key priority toggle for low/high/last note response. At just 1.7 x 19 x 7.5 inches and 5 lbs, it's a rack-friendly footprint with rear audio/MIDI, front power, and easy fuse access.
Vintage players today dig its convincing Jazz Bass picks, funky snaps, upright fingerstyles, and fat MiniMoog tones, especially since EPROMs are still findable for custom swaps—though those unmarked pots can get bumped mid-session.
