Back in 1978, this synth broke ground as the first analog with patch memory, letting you store up to eight programs on its quirky discrete programmer board—a clever hack using 4000-series chips before micros took over.
At its core sit two analog VCOs, each with saw/triangle or pulse waveforms, plus dedicated sub-oscillators you can switch in for extra low-end punch. They mix with noise at fixed on/half/off levels, feeding into a standout switchable 2-pole or 4-pole VCF known for its screaming resonance, paired with a single ADSR envelope that shapes both filter and VCA. Hands-on controls cover everything from osc sync and cross-mod toggles to LFO routing for pitch, filter, or amp, all on a compact 37-key keyboard with that oddball bender: forward for LFO amount to osc pitch, backward to blend in noise modulation. A mono audio out keeps it pure, housed in a sturdy metal chassis that's built to last.
Players love its fat bass and searing leads—think Tangerine Dream atmospheres or Rush stabs—with a raw SEM-inspired tone that's tough to beat on modern clones. Sure, the fixed mixing limits fine tweaks, but that pushes creative workarounds everyone still geeks out over.
