E-mu Proteus FX

Price Paid: US $555

Ease of Use: 8
I also read the "Kiwi dissing" of this module and felt I had to add my .02 (USD). I sort of agree with reviewer #2, although I'm not quite as enthusiastic about the Protues F/X as he was.
I don't recall my software Rev, I bought the module (in 1995) about a year after it came out (1994), so I guess it's an early to mid Rev.
The presets sound ranges from very good to very bad. I know that's kind of a non statement, but it's true. The piano sounds are very thin and lifeless, I wouldn't even bother layering them with another synth. Some of the brasses are ok, most are kind of wheezy (I've made some decent ones with some editing). The strings are very good, many of them have a lot of "rosin" to the attack. Also the woodwinds (except the saxes, which are horrible) are excellent. I'm sure classical musicians would find fault with the sounds, but I think the things like oboe, english horn, clarinet, etc. are very good. The pads are great too, there are some synth sounds that are good, others are pretty bad. I would use the synths more as layers or effects, not for leads. The organs run the gamut, from as bad as the pianos, to as good as the strings. Unfortunately many of them have the "fake leslie" effect programmed in with an LFO. Nice try, but I would just run a straight sound and use a leslie patch from an external unit. The basses are pretty good, although some don't seem to have much punch. The mallets and percussion sounds are very good, I don't know much about the drums because I never really used them.
The effects are serviceable, but are global. You can cut them on or off for each patch in a multi.
This is a VERY EASY unit to program. I was up and going within a few hours of bringing it home. It's the standard Proteus interface; you use the data knob (which wasn't on the original by the way)to scroll thru a linear array of edit screens, and then a cursor key to jump to the value. Then you can use the knob to edit the value. There is a dedicated global button for things like the effects, midi channels, etc. One real nice thing is that the presets have labels, showing which sound category they are in. They are arranged in groups, so if you keep the sounds that way in the RAM, you always know keboards are the first 20, etc. There is also a dedicated display for midi volume, which I find very helpful. There is only a two line display, so you can only look at one midi channel at a time, but it's easy enough to spin to another one.
A patch editor is nice (I use Midi Quest 4.0), although not really necessary. The editor mainly helps with the envelopes, since the display can only show numbers.
ONE VERY BIG CAUTION ABOUT USING AN EDITOR!!!! Make sure you've saved your preset before you start. There is an edit buffer for the Proteus F/X, but it only works with the front panel. If you call up another patch with your editor, IT WILL OVERWRITE WHATEVER EXISTING PATCH IS SITTING IN RAM!!! Needless to say, I found this out the hard way. Also, if you go to edit the existing patch with your editor, the only way to restore the patch to the orignal values is to either recall it from computer disk (the original version), or if your editor has it (most do) use the "return to original preset" or whatever it's called.
If you're editing, chances are you don't like the sound anyway, so this may not be a big deal, just be aware of it.
The manual is pretty good (about 12 times better than a Roland one), it has a nice index in the back of all of the waveform names, and the presets that use them.
Some bits are a little sketchy - for example the part about using bank change messages to call up different banks. I could never get this to work (calling up banks) until I contacted tech support - the manual was not exactly wrong, but it was very vague.
Another thing the manual does not make clear is the multi setup. I remember calling E-Mu before I bought it and asking how many multi timbral setups it had. The tech guy was like HUH????. What the ads and the

Features: 8
32 voice polyphony, but not really. Most of the decent sounds use two oscillators, so that brings it down to 16 voice polyphony. In 1994 when this unit was introduced, 32 voices was a little better than average.
It's a module, so there's no keyboard. Apparently the Protues MPS is very similar to the F/X, so if you want a keyboard, you might check that out.
The built in effects are ok, but pretty basic. There are two effects processors, A and B. You can feed B (which is stuff more like chorus, phase, flange, distortion, etc.) serially into A. The effects are global, but you can select per midi channel whether it's effect A, effect B(which will be B+A if you select to run B into A), or none. The delays are not quite long enough, the chorusing sounds ok, but not too thick. The distortion is really wank, but I was able to program a useable organ distortion patch using it (I'm kind of cheating by layering it with a straight organ from another synth).
No expansion abilities whatsover. There are 256 programs in RAM (banks 0 and 1), and 256 Programs in ROM (Banks 2 and 3). With 8 mb of sample ROM, there's a fair amount to work with sample wise though so lack of expansion slots is not that big of a deal. The original Proteii (1, 2, and 3/World) only had 4 mb of ROM. Apparently the F/X is kind of a best of the 1 through 3 (without the digerdoo!)
The midi capabilities are pretty extensive. You can modulate the effects via midi, and the modulation matrix is very nice. There are 4 dedicated routings (A, B, C, D) which can basically be routed to any parameter. Unlike a lot of cheap modules, there is a midi thru and a midi in and out. The sysex dumps are very well implemented, you can dump everything, only a patch, only a bank, banks, tuning tables, effects, globals, etc.
No on board sequencer (although the built in demos sound pretty good).

Expressiveness/Sounds: 5
As I said the orchestral instruments are really the best out of this module, along with some of the non piano keyboard sounds. Pads and synths are also good. The strings and woodwinds in particular are very realistic (english horn isn't my cup of tea but this thing does that real well).
Forget the pianos, no punch, no sustain, no life. This is usually the achilles heel of most units, so I wouldn't gig or record with just this module.
With no filters, it's not exactly a dance machine or minimoog substitute either. Use it for what it's good for and you'll be happy.
Good for Rock, great for classical, forget dance or anything that needs crunchy or greasy sounds.
The effects are pretty good, the reverb isn't too fluttery, the delays are nice, and other than the flanging/chorusing being thin the effects are not bad (better than my JV-90). The distortion (called FUZZ and FUZZ LITE) really bites - it sounds like a Wal Mart distortion pedal.
This module is very responsive to velocity, especially at the lower end of the scale (esp. with the orchestral sounds). You can program in all sorts of velocity scalings. Unfortunately though there is no real filter. There is a filter, but it's global with no resonance. Basically all it's it for is to roll off a little highs from a patch as you go up the keyboard (keyboard scaling).
The aftertouch response is very nice, especially since most of the presets have an aftertouch routing built into them.
One thing I really have to rave about is how quiet this module is. You can turn the output all the way up, and turn the samples all the way up, and there is hardly any noise. The output is a little weak (depending on the patch), but the lack of noise kind of makes up for this.

Reliability: 4
I've never had a mechanical problem with it, although I think the step back from the original Proteus by having a wall wart instead of an internal power supply sucks. (Just how much did E-Mu save me by taking out the internal power supply?)
My keyboard player's PC-88 ocasionally freaks the Proteus F/X out though. When doing some of our organ songs, I have a midi controlled leslie patch programmed into a quadraverb. When he really gets going toggling the leslie, bringing it's volume in and out - the Proteus will sometimes hang up and the oscillators get thrown like 2/3 of a step out of tune. Cycling the power usually fixes it.
It also suffers from stuck notes sometimes. The Proteus suffers from these kinds of things more than any other instrument in my midi rig (my DW-8000 and Matrix 1000 also freak out sometimes, but hey they're a lot older) - it's not the end of the world, but if I was using it on a gig and it did it it would piss me off.
I would gig without a backup, but have the rack handy to turn the volume down in case it wigged out.

Customer Support: 7
Pretty good. I called about my bank select problem and the guy was pretty prompt, but I don't think he really understood my question.
His suggested fix didn't work. A few months later, I emailed them and got a reply the next day. this time it worked - I think being able to write what was going on helped the tech support. The second guy did comment that what I had been told by the first guy was wrong.
I never got an upgrade (do they even exist?), or needed repairs. E-Mu is still milking the Proteus (not bad for a nearly 10 year old product) with their new dance and latin modules. Apparently the only straight Proteus still available is the Ultra (probably not for long, how that they are coming out with the Audity 2000).
E-Mu did offer some additional sound sets for the Proteus F/X on disc.

Overall Rating: 6
I don't think I would replace the Proteus F/X, I would try to get something with resonant filters. At the time I bought it (3 years) ago there were not a lot of modules on the market (the flurry of modules released from 1988 to 1993 or so had kind of died down). The main competition was from GM modules, that were either really bad, or really overpriced (at the time the Korg O3RW was about $800!). I never really looked at anything else, since I was after the "Proteus Sound".
I've been dabbling (I'm really a bass player) with synths for about 11 years. Besides the Proteus, I have a Korg DW-8000 (my first synth) with an Angel City Turbo mod, a Kawai K-1, a Roland JV-90 (with the VE-JV1 voice expansion board and a SR-JV-80 Piano board), a Yamaha CS1-x, an Oberheim Matrix 1000, the Proteus F/X and an Alesis D-4.
WHAT I LOVE - The easy programming interface, the string and ensemble sounds, having decent built in effects, a front panel headphone output, decent quality of the buttons and data wheel, the midi volume display in the preset name screen. The lack of noise in the outputs.

WHAT I HATE - The lack of resonant filters (the Morpheus was 3 TIMES the cost when I bought the F/X, so it really wasn't an option), the lame piano sounds, the output volume is kind of weak, the fuzz F/X just bite, it's propensity for wigging out with a thick midi data stream, THE FREAKIN WALL WART POWER SUPPLY, the fact that there is not edit buffer when editing via midi.
Like I've said, this is a good module for part of a rig, but not a stand alone, do it all box. My keyboard player has used this and a PC-88 for some gigs and we got by.
It's funny that he doesn't really like the Proteus very much, yet when we go through my keyboards looking for new sounds, I can call up the same Proteus F/X patches he says he doesn't like, and he'll say, "oh that's cool, what's that sound?". I've done this to him about three times - it usually stops his bitching for a month or two. I tell him it's HIS responsibility to buy a K2500 if that's the sound he's after.
I would buy the Proteus F/X if you want string and orchestral sounds, but if you need good pianos and organs, forget it (you can get a decent organ sound, but many other units do much better).
The NZ guy really dissed this module, I guess maybe he paid a lot with the exchange rates and all - a lot of what he said was true, but I think he overstated the case. I think a used JV-880 would be a better deal, but if you can get a Proteus F/X used for under $300 I would do it.
I would say that overall, considering what I paid for it, and the vintage of the technology (1994) I'm happy that I bought it.
We'll probably all be talking in 2003 about how crappy JV-2080's sound anyway - age in keyboards has a way of making them sound not so hot.

Submitted by Jay Storey at 04/09/1998 07:23

Price Paid: US $450

Ease of Use: 10
Note : I saw there was only one review for the P-Fx on this site, and the reviewer completely dissed the module. I believe the other reviewer missed the whole point. True, there are a lot of missing items on the P-Fx (e.g., the filters), but this is also true of other machines. So, it's not for techno (Orbit is !!). What it is : a good all-around box for working out arrangements, if you're into mainstream pop or classical. The acoustic sounds (strings, brass, reeds, woodwinds) have enough realism to enable listeners to "suspend judgement". The sounds don't get in the way of the music. For acoustic sounds, and considering the price, nothing comes close to the P-Fx.
I first bought this unit in 1994. Sounded great and realistic in the studio, but wimpy on stage, so I swapped it for a Korg X5. I missed the orchestral sounds so much that I bought one again recently.
Proteus units are generally easy to use (read: we just got used to their O.S.). The presets are great so that you may not feel like editing them, although editing is quite easy if you decide to do so (this inspite of the 2 line LCD). The manual is great, as US company manuals generally are.

Features: 5
32 note polyphony. for orchestral music, you'd wish there was more. Effects are akay. The reverb is quite subtle (not metallic like Korg's), but not very editable. Not much bells and whistles, just a real workhorse module.

Expressiveness/Sounds: 9
The whole point about the P-Fx is the quality of the acoustic / orchestral sounds. The realism is great. The strings (ensemble and solo) are very expressive. The brasses and woodwinds are powerful.
The pianos and organs (B3) rate okay (very usable). The basses and guitars are average. The synths and drums ARE wimpy, because of the lack of filters.
I used the solo strings extensively in our 1996 album, and some album reviewers thought we used real players.
As mentioned before, this unit is for pop / rock / classical / orchestral. The strings may work for house. Definitely not for techno.

Reliability: 5
Lousy AC adapter. My firts unit conked out.

Customer Support: N/A
No comment.

Overall Rating: 10
I DID BUY IT AGAIN !!! I really missed the great orchestral sounds and the general usability of the other P-Fx sounds.
I'm now into techno / dance music. I also own a roland MC-303, U-220 and Yamaha CS1x / SU10. These boxes sound great for dance, but the P-Fx has it's place as a great source of orchestral sounds.
I was planning to buy instead a roland M-SE1 for strings. the M-SE1 does sound good, but it's not as versatile as the P-Fx. I think the Proteus has more character.

Submitted by Rommel Carrera at 03/08/1998 16:56

Price Paid: NZ. 1795

Ease of Use: N/A
This is just brief summary of my experiences with the "Proteus Sound", courtesy of the Proteus FX.

Features: 3
The Proteus FX is a 1U rackmountable unit. It has a 32 character display, a few buttons, and a data entry wheel. Patch editing with the Proteus is surprisingly easy - if you can be bothered with the task at all...but more on that below.
32 voice polyphony, and a small selection of very boring effects. Also includes a distortion effect which Emu call "fuzz"... It is appallingly bad.
Fairly standard MIDI implementation. In this regard the Proteus does nothing poorly, but nothing particularly well either.
Peculiarly, the Proteus FX has (wait for it) NO FILTERS. That's right, a supposedly professional module from Emu systems, and it has no filters. Not resonant. Not multimode. Not even a low-pass design of poor quality. No filters. Anyone even remotely interested in advanced sound design, or electronica - forget it.
Not expandable.

Expressiveness/Sounds: 1
Right. Let's get one thing straight. THE PROTEUS FX SOUNDS AWFUL!! I have *never* heard more thin, weak, tweezy pus-filled sounds than the ones which this box farts out. 8MB of waveform ROM is stretched across some 600-odd patches, none of which sound any good. Pianos, brass, basses, strings, and most other "traditional" instruments come off the worst. This would be almost forgivable if the Proteus could deliver solid electronic timbres. But it can't - Not even.
With no filters, any expression to be squeezed out of the module is reduced to things like vibrato/volume/pan.
All up, truly terrible sounds. Don't even bother trying to program it, as the time you'll spend doing so will NOT justify the end result.

Reliability: N/A
It's a rackmount module - nothing much to go wrong.
Operating system appears robust.
I wouldn't use it on a gig in any case. I'd rather play spoons.

Customer Support: N/A
Never dealt with customer support.

Overall Rating: 1
At the ridiculous retail of NZ$1795, no I *wouldn't* buy it again. I don't even know if it qualifies as a novelty drinks coaster, or a doorstop.
And this is meant to be Emu's famed "Proteus Sound"?

Submitted by dissimilate at 06/06/1997 19:06