E-mu • Proteus 2500
The new Proteus 2500 is basically 4-unit version of the 128-voice Proteus 2000 rack module with much greater real-time controls and some other new tricks! The Proteus 2500 has got over 30 real-time, programmable knobs and buttons. It features the exact same great Proteus 32 MB sound set of ROM samples, and can be expanded up to 128 MB with additional sound cards from E-mu's family of genre based sound modules, keyboards, and desktop groove machines. The sounds it ships with is called the "Composer" soundset, offering sounds that cover the whole spectrum of synthesizer type sounds, from real instruments to bizarre sounds and effects.
The Proteus 2500 features a built-in 16-track MIDI sequencer, with 16 MIDI channels per track! It offers both linear and pattern based recording, real or step time, analog grid/drum machine style programming and more. Unlike the Proteus 2000, the 2500 has 24-bit DAC outputs instead of 16-bit, for enhanced sound quality. The MIDI processors have also been redesigned and are three times more efficient now than on the Proteus 2000! The 2500 has six audio outputs, S/PDIF digital output and a USB port. This is the most powerful Proteus ever, and will likely be E-mu's flagship synthesizer module for quite some time!
Current E-mu sound modules ship with one 32 MB sound-set each, but are expandable up to 128 MB via three additional slots for 32 MB expansion cards. These cards include (ranging from $249 to $395):
- 9061: Siedlaczek Orchestra 32 MB ROM.
- 9062: Pure Phatt 32 MB ROM - standard in Mo'Phatt, MP-7 and MK-6.
- 9063: Beat Garden 32 MB ROM - standard in Orbit 3.
- 9082: Protozoa 16 MB ROM - standard in Proteus 1, 2, 3.
- 9083: Definitive B-3 32 MB ROM - standard in B-3.
- 9084: Techno Synth Construction Yard 32 MB ROM - standard in Orbit 3.
- 9085: Orchestral Session Vol. 1 32 MB ROM - standard in Virtuoso 2000.
- 9086: Orchestral Session Vol. 2 32 MB ROM - standard in Virtuoso 2000.
- 9087: World Expedition 32 MB ROM - standard in Planet Earth.
- 9088: Sounds of the ZR featuring the Perfect Piano 32 MB ROM - standard in Ensoniq Halo.
- 9089: X-Lead 32 MB ROM - standard in Xtreme Lead-1, XL-7 and XK-6.
With these expansion options, you could buy a PK-6, then add the sounds of the Orbit 3, XK-6, and the MP-7... or any other combinations you may want. If you like desktop synths, you can start with an MP-7 or XL-7, and then add these same expansion card options to add Proteus, Orchestral, or the new Halo sounds to them. E-mu/Ensoniq's interchangeable sound cards and a variety of keyboard/sound-module options means that there's a model out there for everybody now.
I currently use and experiment with software based synth (Cubase) with Delta 66, Layla 24/96. Even with the flexibility of the modern software based syhth, I still find myself creating new sounds and audio textures with the Korg Triton and the EMU Proteus 2500, since their ROM samples, filters, effects and arpeggiators are much easier and faster to get thing done. The newly added XL-7 makes it even more spicy. I will keep the EMU Proteus for a long time.
http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/Pr oteus2500Group/