Inspired by the ethereal pads and soaring leads of Vangelis on the Yamaha CS-80, this synth captures that legendary warmth in a compact rackmount form that's far more approachable for modern studios.
Each of its eight polyphonic voices layers two discrete VCOs offering saw, square, sine, and pulse waves with dedicated waveshapers, PWM via LFO or manual control, and a noise source for rich textures. Dual 12dB/oct lowpass and highpass filters share independent cutoff and resonance knobs, shaped by unique multi-segment envelopes, while separate ADSR envelopes handle amp and filter duties per voice. A global LFO modulates pitch, filter, or PWM, with chorus and ring mod effects adding depth; polyphonic aftertouch and full MPE support let you dynamically tweak filter brilliance, volume, LFO amounts, and poly pitch bend for incredibly expressive play. Around 70 sliders mimic the CS-80's tactile workflow across Layer I, Layer II, and global sections, including detune, tuning, glide, and a master release override, all browsable via a 128x64 OLED display with 256 presets (128 factory, 128 user). MIDI DIN in/thru, USB, CV/Gate, velocity sensitivity, dual 1/4" outputs (low/high), and external mod input round out connectivity on its 19" x 4U x 7" frame weighing just over 6 lbs.
Players love its authentic analog bite—sharp like a Prophet-5 or Jupiter-6 yet uniquely creamy—and the MPE magic for Blade Runner-style swells, though some note the preset browsing feels a bit clunky without the VST editor always handy.
