E-MU Composer ROM

I'm actually reviewing the Composer sound ROM, so it's very easy. Just plug it in and go. Exact same sounds as the P2K, but I have mine installed in a Vintage Pro.

Features belong to the synth, not the soundset.

Like most reviewers of the Proteus 2000, I think these sounds are a mixed bag. E-mu synths definitely shine when you PROGRAM them. 128 voices, 4-layer architecture, matrix modulation and Z-plane filters all make for some truly amazing sounds. It would be hard to guess that from these presets, though. This is an all-in-one sort of soundset--it's supposed to cover all the composing bases. It has a strong emphasis on dance music, though. Lots of "pads" which are all similar-sounding, dancey chords that you've heard a thousand times and that virtual analogs are much better at. Way too many basses (about 250, I think) that, again, are done better by a VA. Drums and guitars are good, acoustic pianos sound good until you compare them to something else, orchestral and world stuff are almost non-existant. This is so you'll buy other sound ROMs, of course, and not so consistent with the "composer" theme. The vintage keyboards are just OK--there's only one CP70, and it sounds nothing like the real thing, and there's no Leslie simulation for the Hammonds. They do a crossfade instead between no-Leslie and full-Leslie samples. That might be OK for a GM sound module, but not for a pro instrument. (Incidentally, their Vintage Pro module also lacks a Leslie simulator. Pathetic!) If you want good acoustic emulations out of the box, get a Roland or a Kurzweil instead. If you want a deep synthesizer for programming your own sounds, these things are great. They're also cheap and easy to find on the used market.

Expect none from E-mu. As I said in my Vintage Pro review: E-mu was bought be Creative (the maker of Nomad mp3 players). First they dropped all their pro instruments, now they've even dropped their groove boxes and plastic romplers to focus solely on their software sampler. E-mu used to make fantastic instruments and used to employ people who knew and cared a lot about them. Those days are gone. Email them, and you'll get a reply two weeks later consisting of a link to their website. Welcome to the era of corporate consolidation and profit optimization.

I only paid $89 for this, but it's the ROM only, not the whole synth. I have only minimal needs for emulations of other instruments, so this will work well enough for now. I'm disappointed that there are so many patches that are unusable to me, but I didn't pay much for it. If I need better quality acoustic emulations, I'll buy the Kurzweil PCR with the new electric piano ROM in it. Until then, I have this installed in an E-mu Vintage Pro along with the ZR ROM (for acoustic piano only, since the rest of it is pretty weak) and the Protozoa ROM. Surprisingly, the Protozoa is the best of the bunch. It has the sounds of the three original Protei in it, and those modules were made back when E-mu was a leader in high-quality sounds. How the mighty have fallen. E-mu has been overtaken by the Japanese rompler makers, and they can barely even GIVE the Protozoa ROMs away now. I keep this synth for it's Z-plane filters, mod matrix, and 128 voices, basically. If forced to replace it, I would probably get the Kurzweil PCR for its great sounds and a Morpheus for its Z-plane filters. I also own an E-synth, a Supernova II (these two have the best non-piano keyboards I've come across), and a Microwave XT.