Emu Proteus MPS - model 9030 (also knonw as 9031 expanded)
Master Performance System (1991)

 

Early keyboard version of the famous module Emu Proteus 1 adding a special FX DSP section

 

KEYBOARD 61 keys with velocity and aftertouch. Main panel features a 16 x 2 LCD display, 30 push button, 1 volume slider and 1 data encoder.

Rear panel terminal connectors:
- main signal out
- Midi interface
- headphones
- 1 pedalswitch input (e.g. SUSTAIN)
- 1 pedal input (e.g. VOLUME)
- headphones (front)

POWER SUPPLY is quite odd with custom connector READ ABOUT

 

 

TECH main core based on a Motorola MC68000 manages up to 32 channels polyphony.
A MPS voice is composed by 2 elements samples "primary" + "secondary" with some edit parameters:

- pitch tuning (fine and coarse) - keyzone assignments - start delay - stereo panning - mix level - reverse playback - chorus mode (it fats voice up)

 

WAVETABLE internal 4Mb ROM - 125 PCM waves at 39 kHz / 16 bits resolution.

PCM wavetable contains all kind of sounds samples including: piano, string, sax, trumpet, brass, guitar, bass, organs, drums, percussions and basic waveforms (e.g digital, square, harmonics, short-cycled). HEAR piano

EXPANSION some different upgrades were available:
- Plus extra rom adds 4 MB of orchestral sounds (same found on PROTEUS 2 module)

HEAR orchestra board

PERFORMANCE multitimbric system up to 16 parts some special functions:

- solo monophonic mode (for: OSC1/OSC2/BOTH) - crossfade balance between primary and secondary - pitchbend range (+/- 1 OCT) - 3 footswitch assignable controls (eg: sustain, portamento, hold...) - key velocity control - FX amount - Keyboard Split zone+4 preset velocity curves - Quickeys function: enable a special 4 patches setup recall with zone assignment HEAR performance drum + bass

LFO 2 delayed modulators (shapes: sin, triangle, saw, square and random) for pitch with variable amount and random fluctuation.

ENVELOPE 3 EGS 4 segments + 2 times called DAHDSR which stands for Delay, Attack, Hold, Decay, Sustain, and Release.
- EG1 primary sample amplitude
- EG2 secondary sample amplitude
- EG3 AUX (assignable) EG can be assigned to the matrix control.
TIP: Special "Alternate" mode plays the EG forward and then Backward.

 

EFFECT unlike the previous rackmount, MPS features a double DSP engine for effects A/B:
A- REVERBS delay, reverb (plate, chamber, hall, warm), stereo chorus, EQ, echo.
B - VARIOUS: flanger, chorus, phaser, fuzz, ring modulator, cross delay, EQ.

MIDI full sysex commands and some basic CC controls including: panning, modulation and 4 assignable controllers ABCD (see "matrix" below).
TECH: for some (stupid reasons) the MPS is not fully compatible with Proteus 1 patche for different bank strucure 1-100 vs 1-127.

MATRIX the "real-time control" allows some special modulation routings:

Sources: destinations: modulation wheel bender Midi Control A/B/C/D key pressure LFO1 LFO2 EG AUX key note Pitch osc1/osc2/both volume osc1/osc2/both all EG segments osc1/osc2/both LFO 1 amount /rate LFO 2 amount /rate panning osc1/osc2/both sample start osc1/osc2/both

MEMORY:
- 100 ROM patches
- 100 RAM slots.
RAM 256 KB S-RAM doubled if memory card fitted.
Sounds can be saved only using Midi sysex, no external medias.

UPPER - Battery replacement soldered Lithium BR2-3 3V

PSU here's the description + pinout in case you miss the original one - AT YOUR OWN RISK! - kindly provided by Fred Verdoorn (thanks):
Th MPS PSU has a 3 pin mini-din connector and needs 2 x 9V AC from a transformer of 1,5 Amp. As follows:
- left pin <> middle pin 9 V
- right pin <> middle pin 9 V
- left pin <> right pin 0 (zero) V.
For this you need an AC 115 (or 230) V to a 2 x 9 V AC transformer , 1,5 Amp (connect two of the four pins on the trafo, so you have 3 pins out). (May be an AC 115 [or 230]) to AC 18V CT (center tapped) transformer will do the same job , but you get 18V on the left pin <> right pin of the din connector. I didn't try this out)"

 

RELATED FAMILY:

	PROTEUS 1 more or less the rackmount version without FX DSP
	PROTOZOA ROM expansion rom board includes all waves from Proteus 1/2/3 for 2k and 1k machine, including: proteus 2000, B3, XL-1, Orbit 3, Virtuoso and more.

 

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

	name	price
	EMU proteus VX VST all samples!	FREE!

EDITOR some computer-based editors:
- Jsynthlib (free)
- Midi QUEST (commercial)

 

AUDIO DEMO

performance mix: piano + strings performance mix 2: choir + strings performance mix3: dance (!) performance mix4: ambient piano: stereo piano: kinda rhodes organ: hammond b3 strings: acoustic strings: with choir flute: classic choir: simple

synth: arpeggio synth: harmonics drums: pop kit drums: jungle FX: lfo FX: 8 bits arcade pad: digital ethnic: asia Vibraphone harpsichord: Lully

VIDEO SELECTION Demo demo2 Proteus 1 bending