Studio Electronics Code 8

Presets are classic, analog tones combined with sci-fi sounds from outer space. The presets reek of analog girth, the Midiminiafied presets (using the new sinewave feature) will send your subwoofer into the afterlife. As with many other synths, the presets are good places to start tweaking your own sounds, but there's a lot of great material here. The original SE-1 didn't have the most varied factory patches - this synth does. Editing sounds is no problem at all, most of the stuff is on the front panel. I haven't read the manual, but coming from an SE-1 and a bunch of other synths, getting started is no problem at all.

8-voice polyphonic, there's also mono, 2, 4 and 6 voice versions. I have the OD (overdrive) version, which adds a nice flavor to the sounds. It's not as flexible as a dedicated fx unit, but considering the fact that this is also an 8-part multitimbral external filterbank, and internal OD is always a welcome addition. You can install one or up to eight of each of the available filters; CS-80, Arp 2600 and TB-303. These come at a price, and I haven't heard them, but if they are anything like the included filters (Moog and OB), they're worth it. All functions are accessible via CC.

Pristine sound quality indeed. MASSIVE analog sounds, very 'American' sounding. It's as ballsy as my OB-Xa was, it can be angry like my MKS-80 and smooth like my Andromeda, only bigger. I don't have these synths anymore, the Code 8 replaces most of what they did with ease. I have an OB Xpander for the rest of my poly synth needs.
The presets are rooted in a classic synth vein, lots of wiggly leads and big heavy basses, but with the 8-part multitimbrality you can take this synth anywhere. You can combine a sine sub through the Moog filter with a square wave through the OB filter in BP mode and so on. Velocity can be used as a modulator. It's almost impossible to get a boring sound from this synth, the discrete oscs and filters are very alive, this is as good as it gets in this vein. Brilliant stuff!

The discrete components means there's no chips to worry about. SE is an active company with incredible support and an engaged group of customers. I wouldn't gig with it, but then again I have other (cheaper!) synths for gigging. I used an SE-1 for years live, and the SE synths work great in a live context.

I've been in contact with SE a few times over the years, and they have always been extremely helpful. They have a good reputation, and for a good reason. Just like Moog, DSI and Kurzweil, these guys have realised the importance of customer suppport and feedback.

Raving and glowing reviews aren't the most exciting or interesting, but in this case I have no complaints whatsoever. I have extensive experience with analog and digital synths as well as EP:s and organs, and I know good sound when I hear it. If my Code8 was lost or stolen, I don't know what I'd do. I hope I could afford a new one. Some people need keyboard synths, I prefer racks for reasons of space, and finding a rack synth like this is like a dream come true for me. I loved the sound of m OB-Xa, but it broke down too often. I loved the sound of my MKS-80, but wanted more, and I figured I could settle with an MKS-70. I started saving up for the Omega 8, but then the Code was released and I got a good deal on it, and since getting it last summer it has slowly but surely started replacing my other synths. If you're into classic American synth sounds with an operational company that has great customer support, this is your ticket. It could probably be replaced with a Polymoog, a Minimoog and an OB-Xa, but you might end up with those synths in the shop more than you'd like, and you'd also miss out on the integration and filterbank capacity. I just wish mine had all 4 filters installed, but that can be arranged.