Trend price : 50-100€
Rackmount module based on samples wavetable. Sounds are oriented to techno and dance music from mid-nineties.
Overview
RACKMOUNT (weight: 3.1 Kg) main panel features 5 buttons, a 2 X 16 backlit display, 1 single knob for volume and a data wheel encoder.
Back panel terminal connectors:
- Midi interface
- main outs
- 4 aux outs
- LED diode for incoming Midi signal
Voice
system handles up to 32 voices of polyphony. A basic voice is composed by 1 or 2 samples "oscillators" called Primary and Secondary Instruments.
Wavetable
internal non-expandable 8 MB ROM - 386 samples coded at 16 bits at 39 kHz frequency rate. Some names stands out like TB-303, JUNO bass, CZ-101 strings and many Roland TR-909 percussions.
Performance
up to 16 parts
Filter
a single resonant digital filter for both primary and secondary. There are 2 kinds of filter out of 17 :
- standard :
3 lowpasses, 2 highpasses and 2 bandpasses
- Z-planes : 10 kinds derived from MORPHEUS including sweep, vocal formant and phaser
LFO
2 interchangeable delayed digital modulators (5 shapes: triangle, square, random, sine and saw) with variable amount and "variance" factor (modulation de-sync). Matrix can be assigned to a special matrix modulation system based on sources and destination.
Envelope
- primary EG: ADSR with 2 times
- secondary
EG: same as primary
- AUX EG: same as primary
Sequencer
the BEAT SEQUENCER a kind of groove arranger based on 55 beat presets with possible real-time transpose. The V2 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.
Memory
- 256 ROM patches
- 256 RAM slots
- 128 Extra preset in V2 version
Audio demo:
Video Clip:
Review
OK: cheap / matrix / filters
NOT : edit / many pcm are outdated
"The orbit was a good rompler, but now it is quite old. Instead consider a more modern V3 or Xlead with more features. Now at bargain price, orbit romplers seem to be quite dead for the moment, especially for poor edit interface."
Text , review, special demos copyright polynominal.com / Eric Pochesci