Back in the late 1970s, this synth stood out as one of the earliest DIY polyphonic kits you could build at home, designed by Tim Orr and bringing touch-sensitive playability to bedroom builders before poly synths were everywhere.
It's a hybrid beast with digital control over its 61-note keyboard, delivering up to eight polyphonic voices through four modular voice cards—each packing dual oscillators with low/mid/high ranges, triangle and ramp waves, plus noise mix. The filter section shines with low-pass and bandpass modes, resonance, LFO sweep, and a dedicated attack/decay envelope for frequency sweeps that get nicely acidic. You've got ADSR envelopes, portamento (knob reversed for that quirky charm), vibrato, chorus, and delay effects, all controlled from a straightforward front panel of sliders and interlocking multi-pole switches for preset sounds like honky piano, piano, strings, and brass. Dual audio outputs let you layer tones, and there's even sample/hold plus pitch detection for stability in a compact cabinet setup.
Vintage enthusiasts love its raw, minimal character—dark and punchy tones that pair well with post-punk vibes, as heard in setups echoing Martin Hannett's world. Common gripes center on the kit-build quirks, like finicky tuning or resistor swaps, but restored units reward with unique, hands-on analog warmth that's hard to find today.
