Back in the late 1970s, this Italian gem snuck in a genuine Moog ladder filter just before patents locked it down, giving organ-maker Elka a secret weapon in the preset synth wars.
A compact monophonic beast with a 49-key keyboard and responsive action, it packs 11 onboard presets like Trombone, Trumpet, Saxophone, Clarinet, Oboe, Guitar, Hawaiian Guitar, Violin, Flute, Cosmic, and Telstar—perfect for quick leads or filling out organ rigs. Switch to Variation mode and tweak with seven sliders: slow attack, decay, WOW for bandpass resonance, filter cutoff, vibrato depth, and auto-bend portamento that glides notes from low to pitch. Subtractive synthesis shines through its single oscillator (saw and pulse waves), lowpass ladder filter with resonance, basic AD envelope, LFO for modulation, and a single mono audio out—no MIDI or CV, pure analog from 1978.
Vintage hunters love its warm, characterful tones that punch above the basic preset vibe, especially in bass or filtered sweeps, though the limited edits and quirky top-octave doubling take some getting used to. It's a rare find that still holds up for raw, live-friendly analog grit.
