Back in 1978, this synth changed everything by becoming the first fully programmable polyphonic analog instrument, letting you save and recall entire panels of knobs instantly—no more painstakingly recreating sounds by hand.
Each of its five voices packs two voltage-controlled oscillators: Oscillator A with sawtooth and variable-width pulse, Oscillator B adding triangle for extra flexibility, plus a noise generator and mixer feeding into a classic 24dB/octave low-pass filter and dual ADSR envelopes for filter and amp. The Poly-Mod section stands out, routing Osc B, filter envelope, and noise to modulate frequencies and pulse width across all voices for wild FM, sync, and timbral tricks. It sits behind a 61-key, five-octave keyboard in a sturdy wooden cabinet about 37 by 16 inches, with a single-knob-per-function panel of sliders and momentary LED-lit switches, storing 40 to 120 patches in battery-backed memory. A global LFO, mod wheel assignments, and pitch wheel add expressive performance depth, all outputting via mono jack with stereo headphones.
Players have long praised its warm, versatile tone—from fat pads to biting leads—that defined '80s classics, though the five-voice limit can feel constraining next to modern polys. Rev 3 models with stable CEM chips remain collector favorites for their reliability and that signature Sequential growl.
