Back in 1984, this beast became the world's first true digital sampling workstation, packing acoustic instrument samples so realistic they fooled even seasoned players into thinking a grand piano was in the room.
At its heart sits a sample-based engine with FM synthesis capabilities, delivering 12-voice polyphony across an 88-note fully weighted wooden keyboard with velocity sensitivity for expressive piano-like response. The front panel centers around a backlit LCD display flanked by a 12-digit keypad, cursor controls, and 43 LED-lit buttons for instant preset access from three banks of 10 sounds each—think 36 ROM sounds, 96 pristine acoustic instruments, and 341 presets ready to layer or split across up to 87 keyboard zones. Seven sliders handle tuning, panning, volume, and assignable parameters, while dual mod wheels, two LFOs per voice, lowpass filters, and full envelopes let you sculpt tones precisely; effects like chorus, flanging, echo, and doubling add polish, routed to four stereo outs (balanced XLRs). A built-in 12-track sequencer holds 12,000 notes across 40 songs, with editing, quantization, and MIDI In/Out/Thru for seamless integration, plus a floppy drive and Macintosh interface for user sampling up to 50kHz.
Players still geek out over its groundbreaking realism—triple-strike pianos, lush strings, and natural hammers that respond like the real thing—but some note the quirks, like occasional sample glitches on certain piano ranges or the hefty size at 56 by 26.5 by 8 inches that demands studio space. If you're chasing vintage magic that launched modern workstations, this one's a holy grail.
