Creamware Noah Tactive Instrument Modeller

Back in 2003, when lugging laptops onstage felt like a recipe for disaster, this rackmount gem stepped in as a standalone powerhouse, hosting plugin-style instrument models without needing a computer—perfect for gigging musicians craving software flexibility in hardware form.

At its core, it packs six DSP slots for up to two-part multitimbral operation, expandable by linking slots for more polyphony on demanding emulations like the B-2003 Hammond organ with 92 tonewheels and Leslie modeling, Vectron Prophet-style polysynth, Lightwave wavetable oscillator, or Six-String for guitars and basses. A 24dB/oct lowpass filter anchors the virtual analog engine, joined by FM and physical modeling, 16 voices, a deep mod matrix, and 256 RAM patches. Effects abound—chorus, delay, reverb, flanger, phaser, distortion, and more—routable over stereo 1/4" ins/outs, ADAT digital, S/PDIF, and USB MIDI. The front panel shines with a big value wheel, directional buttons, plus/minus keys, and essentials like mode, compare, write, and FX bypass for tactile tweaking in a tidy 19" single rack unit.

Over the years, players have praised its broad sonic palette and live reliability, calling out the creamy organ tones and versatile effects chain as standouts, though some note the limited slots curb mega-poly setups compared to modern rigs. If you're hunting vintage DSP magic that still holds up, this one's a rare find worth the hunt.