E-mu Virtuoso 2000

E-mu Virtuoso 2000 Image
VSE Rating
User Rating

The Virtuoso 2000 is a 128-voice orchestral sound module with over 64 MB of sounds - an entire orchestra in a single rack space! Featuring the "Orchestral Session" soundsets 1&2 from E-mu, the sounds are great and they include violins, violas, celli, double basses, trumpets, French horns, trombones, bass trombones, tubas, piccolos, flutes, oboes, English horn, clarinets, bass clarinets, bassoons, contra bassoons, harp, orchestral bells, tubular bells, bell trees, celeste, xylophone, marimba and a percussion battery with over 20 instruments! With 128 voices, 32 MIDI channels, lightning-fast MIDI response and over 1,000 sounds you can create the largest of orchestral ensembles!

Additional professional features worth mentioning include the twelve assignable real-time front panel controls, six analog outputs plus an S/PDIF digital output, two additional internal ROM expansion slots, ability to play back Flash ROMs authored on E4 Ultra Samplers and an advanced synthesis architecture based on the Proteus 2000. The Virtuoso 2000 is likely the best all-in-one orchestral sound module ever!

Every one of these ships with one 32 MB sound-set, 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.

Lookup Prices for Virtuoso 2000

Demos & Media

Audio Clip 1 Demos track. From Future Music CD issue 103.

Specifications

Polyphony - 128 voices
Oscillators - 64 MB "Orchestral Session" soundsets 1&2 (expandable to 128 MB via 2 additional ROM slots)
Arpeg/Seq - Over 120 orchestral MIDI riffs
Sounds - violins, violas, celli, double basses, trumpets, French horns, trombones, bass trombones, tubas, Piccolos, flutes, oboes, English horn, clarinets, bass clarinets, bassoons, contra bassoons, harp, orchestral bells, tubular bells, bell trees, celeste, xylophone, marimba and percussion battery with over 20 instruments
Effects - 24-bit dual stereo-effects processor
Keyboard - None
Memory - 512 ROM and 512 User Presets
Control - MIDI (32 channels)
Date Produced - 2000

Resources