Elevata

Back in 2001, only 250 of these ever saw the light of day, making it one of those elusive gems from Red Sound Systems that collectors still chase for its quirky virtual analog modeling tones.

This 16-voice polyphonic, eight-part multitimbral synth packs a straightforward synthesis engine with dual ADSR envelopes—Envelope 1 for amplitude, Envelope 2 dedicated to filter cutoff—plus two versatile LFOs offering waveforms like ramp, triangle, square, sine, narrow pulse, sample & hold, and random, with key sync, MIDI sync up to eight bars, and a slow mode for extended cycles. The filter is a clean 12dB/octave multimode design with dedicated cutoff and resonance knobs, plus envelope amount control for positive or negative modulation and options for keyboard tracking. Controls are intuitive and minimal: a front panel of essential knobs for oscillator mix, filter, envelopes, LFOs, and output, with menu diving for deeper tweaks like velocity sensitivity across 15 levels and sustain on/off; it boasts three stereo outputs (six individual channels total for separate processing), stereo inputs for external audio, full MIDI implementation, built-in chorus and flange effects, and memory for 127 presets, 127 user patches, plus 90 multis holding eight programs each. Physically compact with responsive buttons and that one proper master volume knob everyone notices.

Owners often highlight its unique, characterful sounds that stand apart from typical virtual analogs, praising the hands-on programming flow and enduring audio quality even today, though some note the menu navigation feels dated by modern standards.