EMU Orbit 9090
The Dance Planet (1996)

 

Rackmount module based on a samples wavetable: sounds are oriented to techno and dance music from mid-nineties.

RACKMOUNT 1 unit height.
Main panel features 5 buttons, a 2 X 16 lines backlit display, a single knob for volume and a data wheel encoder.

Back panel terminal connectors:
- Midi interface
- 2x main signal out
- 4 X analog outs
- LED for Midi signal.

POWER SUPPLY internal switch 110V/220V (check it ANYWAY).

 

VOICE a Motorola 68000 CPU (MC68hc00fn10) manages 32 voices of polyphony, DACS are 6 X 16 bits AD1861 (by analog devices).
Orbit is a rompler machine and a basic voice is composed by 1 or 2 samples or oscillators called Primary and Secondary Instruments. Each instruments have individual wave parameters:
- volume / paning
- delay start
- pitch tuning coarse and fine
- zone assign
- chorus mode (thicker sound)
- reverse playback flag
- monophonic mode with variable portamento rate
- crossade fade volume Primary--> Secondary or vice versa

 

WAVETABLE the non-expandable 8 MB ROM contains 386 PCM samples coded at 16 bits at 39 kHz frequency rate. Some names stands out like Roland TB303, JUNO bass, Casio CZ101 and many Roland TR909 drums percussions.

EXPANSION UPDATE ORBIT V2 this expansion model 9095 is composed by 2 new eproms adds a new OS as well as a new soundset.
TIP: See differences "Orbit V1 vs V2"

 

 

PERFORMANCE the 32 voics polyphony can be assigned to 16 parts each with individual parameters:
- footswitch assign (assignable to any Midi CC#)
- master tune with semitones transpose
- realtime modulation matrix (check out table below "matrix")
- scale: equal, C, Vallotti, Gamelan and user.

 

FILTER a single resonant digital filter for both primary and secondary.
There are 2 kinds of filters A-B out of 17 models:
- standard: 3 lowpasses, 2 highpasses and 2 bandpasses
- Zplanes: 10 models partially derived from Emu Morpheus including sweep, vocal formant and phaser.

 

ENVELOPE 3 EGs:
- primary EG: ADSR with 2 times
- secondary EG: same as primary
- AUX EG: same as primary.
In addition, the Orbit features 8 preset velocity curves.

 

LFO there are 2 interchangeable delayed digital modulators (5 shapes: triangle, square, random, sinewave and sawtooth) with variable amount and "variance" factor - a modulation desync.

 

 

MATRIX the LFO are assignable to the real-time modulation control matrix:

SOURCES: DESTINATIONS: pitch wheel pitch (pri /sec / both) MIDI CC# (4 X called A B C D) filter cutoff (pri / sec / both) Mono pressure volume (pri / sec / both) Poly pressure ADSR (pri / sec / both) LFO 1 / LFO 2 Crossfade AUX EG LFO1 amount / rate   LFO2 amount / rate   portament rate (pri / sec / both)   EG AUX ADSR (pri / sec / both)   Panning (pri / sec / both)

 

SEQUENCER the BEAT SEQUENCER is a groove arranger based on 55 beat presets with real-time transpose.
The V2 update adds:
- 45 new beats a Midi out control for other Midi compliant units
- a SONG composer to make own beat sequences with the X-factor function which streches samples to a BPM.
SYNC Both LFO and BEAT sequencer can be synched to master clock (range from 5 to 500 BPM) or sync to external Midi clock

 

MEMORY:
- 256 ROM patches
- 256 RAM slots
- 128 Extra preset in V2 version
Memory sytem works with a CR-2032 lithium battery in a holder, replacement is quite easy.

EDITORS there are some free and commercial computer-based softwares:
- PPC (free - LINK)
- Soundquest (commercial)
- Orbedit 1.1 (free, old PC) PIC

 

MAINTENANCE not much, should be ok for years - just typical trouble with the rotary encoder that may need cleaning after years and dust.

 

ORBIT 1 VS ORBIT V2 comparison and main differences:

classic V2 RAM slots 256 256 ROM slots 256 384 Beats 55 100 Beats Midi out no yes Song mode no yes

 

RELATED FAMILY:

	EMU ORBIT 3 orbit updated to steroids but different and bigger wavetable. Final EMU edition VIDEO EMU XL-1 this rack contains all ORBIT 1-2 PCM Also released in: - groovebox version XL-7 - keyboard version model XK-6
	ORBIT ROM same soundset could be installed in EMU samplers series like E-IV, Ultra, Esynth and more.
	EMU PLANET PHATT same hardware but PCM wavetable oriented to HIP HOP. Later updated to MOPHATT like Orbit 3. also: EMU CARNAVAL same hardware but oriented to latino instruments and percussions VIDEO
	EMU LAUNCHPAD performance control Midi controller optimized for the EMU Orbit.

 

 

VST PLUGIN / SAMPLED VERSION there are some free and commercial samples set:

	name	price	demo
	EMU CREATIVE Xtreme Lead X	PLUGIN commercial. Should contains all Orbit samples . For emulator X and Proteus X softwares.	n/a

 

 

AUDIO DEMO EXAMPLES

Factory demo 1 Factory demo 2 my demo 100% orbit with overdub Emu orbit track 1 Emu orbit track 2 Emu orbit track 3 gurgling pad

Various drum patterns LFO noises dark chords filter pad chill out sub bass crappy chords

VIDEO CLIP SELECTION demo demo2 demo3