EM-101

Back in the day, this little box packed eight oscillators into a paraphonic design, sharing one fat analog filter across all voices for that classic string synth vibe Roland nailed in the 80s.

It's a compact desktop module with a simple front panel: brilliance button for stepped low-pass filter cutoff, attack knob for envelope shaping, and dynamics control that tweaks velocity sensitivity on volume and filter—flip it for softer notes to punch brighter. Switch between 16 front-panel presets like lush poly strings, organs, brass, and mono leads or basses, plus a hidden bank of eight more (think piano, rhodes, bells) unlocked by holding brilliance on startup. MIDI in/thru handles channels 1-8 for program changes, with stereo outs, mono mix input for layering another synth, volume, tuning, and power controls. No deep editing or modulation beyond velocity, but that Boss-style stereo chorus adds instant polish.

Folks digging vintage gear love its Juno-esque poly sounds on a budget—clear digital-ish oscillators through analog warmth shine in demos—but some wish for more tweakability than the limited knobs allow.