Evolution EVS-1

It is easy to use to do simple things such as panning , splitting ...the voices . To get "inside the sound" you must use the editing software supplied with . That's the main restriction ....
But with a 1U rack you cannot have too much controls on the front panel!
The display is based on LEDs and 7 segment displays , it is "cheap" but very useful in dark areas , and LCD displays are less reliable and visible .

16 voices polyphony and 8 parts multitimbral , a little more than the standard when it was manufactured , and interesting possibilities of panning ans splitting the voices and the parts . The only expansion possibility is to get another EVS1 hooked to it in "slave" mode (the first one controls the second and sends notes data if it runs out of polyphony ). No on board sequencer , nor built in effects . 2 drum kits but without long cymbals ....

It is a "pure" synth , not dedicated to reproduce realistic "classic" instruments tones . It has a lot of synthesis modes (FM, phase distorsion , additive ) . With the software and a lot of coffe you can get some great sounds , either "analog" or "digital" . In additive synthesis mode it is possible to get "B3 style" sounds very easily .
But a major bug : there is only 20 user program memories ....and 80 awful factory patches! They could have done the opposite , in the factory sounds only 10 or 20 are worth keeping....

Mine has never failed ... Be careful of changing the RAM backup battery before it is empty : if not , you loose your own sounds , replaced at the first reset by the factory ones , which , of course ....see above .

They have a website with the editor software and a lot of patches , all downloadable for free . That's all , now Evolution manufactures only master keyboards for MIDI or computer use .

Some interesting features , a rare instrument and very cheap second hand . That's the pros
Cons : very limited without a computer and the dedicated software , ugly factory presets (however like most of the synths , i think they're more useful for the final test before shipping than to play music!).

The thing itself is easy to use. As a 19 inch rackmounted module it doesn't take up too much space. It has a row of numbered buttons in a normal and 'shift' mode to choose the preset sounds. I'm not fond of the fact you have to use a computer to edit the sounds, standard software is for Atari ST (which was the standard MIDI machine when this module was sold) though Windows sofware is downloadable from the evolution website.

The Evolution is multitimbral and it has got polyphony (16 voice) in it. Since it has only 8 channels it is really only just useful as an add-on in a studio, for adding extra layers to channels. I really do like the display, fashioned in red LED's. Extra little LED's over the function keys indicate which function the big display is actually showing. No expansion and no other gadgets - it's a budget module.

The sounds are quite okay for the time it was built. Do not expect fat sounds or beautiful samples - everything is a little flat but clean. Drumsounds (only two drumkits) were rather cool, kinda tinny. Although the sounds do react to velocity controls, there is no aftertouch. There are no onboard effects, but i always used it hooked on an effect processor which made it sound very nice indeed (but maybe that's cheating).

I used it quite extensively in a rather dated setup, until - without any warning- it stopped. It is a huge mistery to me why it doesn't react anymore to me switching it ON. Therefore i must encourage anyone owning an EVS-1 to be very careful with it. It is sturdy built and when i looked inside nothing was broken or burnt. It lookes like new and the steel housing protected it well during all those years (i used it for at least 10 years extensively and without caring much). Buttons on the front are the flat hard plastic 'clicky' kind, that need t.l.c. every few years or they get stuck.

I got almost laughed at when i bought it, i'm afraid the people at the music store will ignore me completely when i ask them to repair my EVS-1. But i'll try enayway.
The Evolution website can be found at www.evolution.co.uk, they only build master keyboards for computeruse these days, but do have a small page for the EVS-1 in their 'support' section.

To be honest i think there are quite a few second hand synths out there that do the FM job a lot better. But when you really do need a cheap and easy module to add that special cheap and easy sound to your music - it is really not that bad. After all it is multitimbral, and most FM synths aren't - surely not this cheap. Remember you can layer different voices over one MIDI channel to create nice bass sounds. Just be extremely cautious with it, and preferably use it with an external effects box.

I am returning to using EVS-1 Editor v2.2 to try and retrieve some sounds I programmed about 5/6 years ago.
The presets are on the whole disappointing bar a few interesting ones. There are many seemingly samey brassy sawtooths etc.
The software is farely easy to use but you'll need a midi merge unit to play a midi keyboard to audition them as you go (recommended).
The only problem (or is it a problem) is you are really starting from scratch with a world of possibilities. Not for the indecisive!
The manual was long since discarded by one of the many previous owners. Perhaps a kind soul may wish to contact me with more info:
mailto:almclay@btinternet.com

A 16 bit polyphonic multi-timbral synthesizer. (With a love it or hate it personality)
No effects. But amassing a whole rack of gadgets has always been attractive!
Not upgradable as far as I know. It's out on it's own.
Only 8 channels of midi at a time!
No sequencer. Hey you've got a PC. Get Cubase!

Very artificial sounding - if you like that! You really need to get programming with it. Worth perservering with. REMEMBER TO SAVE YOUR SOUNDS AND WHERE YOU STORED THEM!!
Rock or Dance. Up to you.
Expressiveness depends on your musicality, master keyboard capabilities etc.
Can react interestingly to velocity differentials.

Live life on the edge!!
I gigged with it once. Used it on only one song and it let me down for ten minutes until I reset it!!!

Haven't been able to contact Evolution about it.
Keep it dust free. Common sense!
I don't have much of that myself mind you.

If I didn't have it I'd concentrate on my Soundfonts.
I've been playing electronically for about 13 years but always tinkered with sounds of some sort before that.
Got a PC with a Soundblaster Live card and Cubase VST (Hard Disk recording and MIDI sequencer)installed.
Also got an Atari ST with Cubase and a Hard Drive.
Yamaha TG100 tone generator.
ART Multiverb LTX effects unit.
Standard Realistic disco mixer (5 channel).
Korg M-500 Micro preset synth. Classic.
Cheetah MK7VA Midi Master Keyboard FULLSIZE!
Mics etc. CD writer, Tape deck, turntable. You know the score.
Yes it's a budget system but I'm not a shamecaddy.
Check out http://www.peoplesound.com/artist/victimsofcircumstance
I wanted to start making sounds from scratch rather than use presets all the time so I bought the EVS-1 as an introduction to Synth programming.
Always wanted a Korg Wavestation or the ilk but could never afford it.
It's a novelty item now but served it's purpose in the grand scheme.
Anyone intersted in it with something to share.

The interface is a two-digit LED, and a row of buttons. However, to do anything more than housekeeping tasks such as changing the MIDI channel and velocity scaling, you absolutely *have* to use the included editing software. This is on a pair of floppy discs, and comes in Atari ST, Mac, and PC flavours.
It doesn't seem to work with my modern, PCI-soundcard-ed PC, though, and my ST is far away. Shame. Potentially easy-to-use, then, but I can't comment.

Without the software you can step through the 100 or so presets without too much trouble.

This is an early-90's digital synth [released in 1986 - Ed.], using 44khz waveforms and a mixture of synthesis types. Don't think this is an early Kurtzweil K2000, though. The sample memory is tiny, so sample-based sounds have horrible digital compression noise. The FM synthesis is dated nowadays, and is only useful for bell sounds and the occasional special effect, and the analogue synthesis is limited by the unspectacular filter.There's no sequencer or on-board effects, a pair of mono outputs and a headphone jack, and it has MIDI in and out only. There are no expansion boards, and this was something of a one-off for the company.

Of the 100 preset sounds, there are three types - synth strings (which are quite good), FM bell noises (the usefulness of which depends on taste), and some half-hearted attempts at D-50ish spectral sampled noises (which are very bad). Presumably with the editing software you can make other sounds - as I say above, I can't get the editing software to work, so this isn't really a fair review. It's better than nothing, however.

The drum samples are awful - they sound very Roland TR-626 ish, but the lack of sample memory means that they last for a split-second and sound thin and weedy.

The front panel seems to be peeling off, but apart from that the lack of anything to break, and small size, mean that this will probably be around for a while.

Evolution launched this and then quickly forgot about it - they make home keyboards nowadays, and their web site has scant mention of the module. It's unlikely that any customer support exists, although there isn't really much to support - if it breaks, you throw it away.

On the one hand, it's extremely cheap, and it has potential. One the other hand, the presets are very bad, there are no effects, there is nothing on the internet about it, and at this level you'd be better off with a Casio CZ101, or something similar.