What it is and what it was built for
A six-voice polyphonic analog synthesizer released in 1981. Built to be affordable: one oscillator per voice, no complex modulation matrix, no premium chassis. Designed for players who needed polyphony without the price or maintenance of rivals like the Prophet-5 or OB-X.
How it works, in terms a player would use
Each voice has one oscillator: sawtooth, variable pulse, or PWM. PWM is controlled by a dedicated LFO. There is no second oscillator per voice. The chorus, phaser, and ensemble effects use bucket-brigade analog delay lines. Intensity for each effect is adjustable. Patch storage uses 32 memory slots. Patches save via cassette port. An arpeggiator is built in.
What it does better than anything else
Its bucket-brigade chorus delivers a thick, organic shimmer unmatched by early digital effects—and it is always on the signal path. That chorus, plus phaser and ensemble, gives single-oscillator voices immediate width and movement no other sub-£1,000 polysynth offered in 1981.
What it does badly
It lacks oscillator layering or detuning per voice. Tuning drifts more than dual-oscillator contemporaries. No filter resonance sweep control beyond cutoff. No velocity or aftertouch sensitivity. No patch editing in real time without entering edit mode.
What people made with it
It made accessible the sound of layered analog pads, shimmering basslines, and chorus-saturated leads in early 1980s pop, synth-pop, and new wave—especially where budget ruled out higher-end polysynths.
Who should use it, and who should not
Players who value immediacy, tactile simplicity, and that specific bucket-brigade chorus over flexibility or stability. Not for producers needing precise, repeatable modulation or multi-oscillator textures.
Is it worth your time
Yes—if you want six-voice polyphony with lush, chorus-drenched analog pads and leads at a price that avoids the Prophet-5’s complexity and cost. No—if you need two oscillators per voice, deep modulation routing, or stable tuning across long sessions.
