From atomic@netcom.comTue Feb 28 11:16:37 1995 Date: Tue, 28 Feb 1995 10:48:02 -0800 (PST) From: atomic city To: "Marc S. Crandall" Cc: Analogue Heaven Mailing List Subject: Re: What is a Unique DBE rack mount analog?! Marc S. Crandall writes-- > >I recently saw a 3 space rack mount, MIDI, analog-style synth called the >Unique (or Munique) DBE. It sported 2 DCOs, LFOs, envelopes, etc, an LCD >to store patches, and a numeric keypad to enter patch/parameter numbers. > >I've never seen one before! Anyone know anything about it? >Who made it? >When was it made? >Where was it made (European?)? >How does it sound? (I didn't have time to listen to it) >How much is one worth? The Unique line of synths was, essentially, the final resting place of the Design That Would Not Die....a fairly good-sounding DCO-based analog programmable synth originally designed by Bit Electronics, an Italian firm, and sold as the Bit One. (Don't ask me who owned Bit or bought them out...someone did. Siel maybe.) It was one of the first European analog MIDI synths, with velocity-sensitive keyboard and some fairly decent modulation routing abilities. The problem was that the Bit One, like many 1985-era Eurosynths, was totally...well....as Nick Rothwell would say, "MIDIgerfuckt." It had a positively idiotic MIDI spec, that caused all sorts of crashes and lockups not only to the Bit One itself but also to anything it ws hooked to. The synth designs were sold, the MIDI improved a bit, and the new unit was released as a rackmount called the Bit 99. The designs for both keyboard and rack eventually ended up as the Unique DBK and DBE, respectively, and got a reputation as "The Bit One with the MIDI tht (almost) Works" before Unique went under in 1990ish. The Bit One family is a fairly DCO- Rolandesque sort of sound (think JX8P with fewer mod routings and better filters), warm but clean, appealing to some folks. I have no idea what one would be worth, but if you like the sound, a DBE is a much better investment than any of its predecessors; it's a lot sturdier in terms of MIDI. >Does anyone here use one? I owned a Bit One for a while. Sold it because it drove me absolutely insane as a keyboard controller and the sound wasn't (to my ears) a "keeper". mike -- mike metlay | "No matter how good the rest of your life is, if you've atomic city | got a hole in your heart where your muse used to be, p.o.box 81175 | eventually it'll hurt enough to make a song." pgh pa 15217-0675 | atomic@netcom.com | (me, actually)