Back in 2012, this synth marked Arturia's bold leap into pure analog hardware, delivering a raw, hands-on monosynth experience from a company famous for software emulations.
Its single VCO mixes sawtooth, pulse, triangle, and white noise via sliders, with a sub-oscillator for extra low-end punch, plus unique Ultrasaw wave cloning on saw and Metalizer harmonics on triangle for sounds no vintage mono could touch. Everything feeds into a versatile 12dB/octave Steiner-Parker multimode filter—low-pass, high-pass, band-pass, or notch—with its own ADSR envelope, while a separate amp envelope handles dynamics. Two LFOs (one main with six waveforms including sample & hold, another for keyboard vibrato) join a modulation wheel and aftertouch from the 25-key velocity-sensitive keyboard for expressive tweaks, all topped by the Brute Factor distortion knob. Hands-on sliders and knobs cover it all with no menus, in a compact aluminum chassis measuring 15.4 x 12.8 x 2.8 inches and weighing 8.8 lbs, complete with CV/gate, MIDI/USB, audio in/out, and a punchy arpeggiator with modes, swing, and clock sync.
Players loved its aggressive, versatile tone for basslines and leads, praising the filter's bite and connectivity in modular or DAW setups, though some noted the knobs could feel a touch loose over time. It remains a staple for analog newcomers seeking that gritty edge without breaking the bank.
