When E-MU released the Audity 2000 in 1998, they were betting big on a radical idea: what if a synthesizer could run 16 independent arpeggiators simultaneously? It sounds like overkill until you actually hear what emerges from layering that much rhythmic complexity, which is probably why it became a favorite for electronic producers working in trance, techno, and ambient music.
The Audity 2000 is a rack-mounted digital synthesizer built on E-MU's sample-and-synthesis architecture, delivering 64 voices of polyphony across 16 MIDI channels. At its heart sits a 16-channel rhythmic pattern generator with 100 user-editable patterns and 100 factory patterns, each capable of 32 steps. The synthesis engine features 50 Z-plane filters—E-MU's signature morphing filter technology that lets you sculpt dynamic, evolving tones—paired with 12th-order digital resonant modeling for serious sound-shaping depth. You get a 24-bit dual stereo effects processor with 76 effects types, a modular patch cord architecture with over 60 modulation sources and destinations, and four real-time control knobs on the front panel for hands-on tweaking. The unit includes 16MB of waveform ROM with 287 raw waveforms, expandable to 32MB, and stores 896 presets across 4 layers per patch. Audio connectivity includes six analog outputs (configurable as three stereo pairs), S/PDIF digital output, and full MIDI I/O.
The Audity 2000 has aged into cult status among producers who appreciate its particular flavor of digital character and its unmatched rhythmic capabilities. Some users note that patch editing can be menu-heavy and the overall sound carries a distinctly digital character that doesn't pretend to be analog, but that's part of its identity. Artists like ATB and The Crystal Method built signature sounds with it, and it remains sought-after on the used market precisely because nothing else quite does what it does.
