Launched in 2000 as a street-smart spin-off from the mighty Proteus 2000, this compact desktop module packed 32MB of Pure Phatt sounds into a vibrant purple chassis, delivering gritty urban vibes that powered countless hip-hop and dance tracks of the era.
At its core, it's a sample-based PCM synth with 64 voices of polyphony and 16-part multitimbrality, drawing from 1099 instruments across four layers per preset. You'll find 50 Z-plane multimode filters—including analog emulations, formants, and even a TB303-style—for shaping those 44.1kHz/16-bit waveforms, plus dual envelope generators, two multi-waveform LFOs, and a modular patch cord system for deep tweaking. Hands-on control comes via a bright LCD display, data entry wheel, master volume knob, and four versatile knobs that toggle across 12 real-time parameters like filter cutoff, resonance, attack, and LFO rate. It rocks a built-in arpeggiator, SuperBEATS mode for rhythmic chops, 512 factory presets plus 512 user slots, and a 24-bit dual effects processor offering 76 algorithms such as reverb, delay, chorus, flange, and distortion. Connectivity is straightforward with MIDI In/Out/Thru, stereo 1/4" outputs, S/PDIF optical, and two SIMM slots for sound expansions—though the optional Turbo board unlocks 128 voices and extra I/O.
Over two decades on, producers still hunt these down for their punchy, no-nonsense phatt basslines and authentic '90s club tones that hold up in modern mixes, though some note the basic I/O as a limitation without upgrades. It's a vintage gem that rewards MIDI sequencing with endless groove potential.
