This text regarding the Evolution EVS-1 is based on 4 experiences:
 
 - a review in Keyboards 2/91 (the german magazine)
 - a SoundPage Demo
 - a SAM 8905 Data Book
 - a personal test in a synth studio

The review is no help, it's a slating. Everything is bad, the sounds are
bad and the software is worth for nothing.

A short glance into the date book implies that the EVS-1 is a straight-
forward implementation of the application hints. So what can a SAM 8905 
can do for you?

 * CD quality, stereo 16 bit, 44.1 kHz
 * user definable synthesis modes; algorithms down-load 
 * 16 voices, polytimbral 8 sounds
 * sinus op 176.8 ns, FM op 265.2 ns, 2nd order filter 663 ns
 * built-in 4k x 12 sinus table and ramp
 * 1 Mega x 12 of external sampling memory directly addressable,
   any size with paging
 * stereo mix (pan and volume) independant for each sound component
 * 19 bits internal data path, 24 bits accumulate with clipping circuitry

The user manual of the samSOUND editor lists 29 algorithms which include
additive, ring modulation, feed-back, FM, PM, noise, formant, filtering 
and sample processing (filters 6dB, 12dB low-pass with Q). There are several 
warnings in the FM and PM algorithms about creation of noise if no 
smoothing is done.

But nobody knows, which of these algorithms are used in the EVS-1. So lets 
listen to the synth itself and to the demo. It sounds okay to me, sometimes 
a bit analog. Well no GOSH, WOW a la 01/Wpro :-) but no-one knows what can be
done with this thing by clever programming. It's a real synth, no samples 
except for the drums. With the chance to easily get clock noise and aliasing
a promising intrument. Give it a try.

There are other boxes which use the french SAM chip, the SAM-XP from the 
Geerdes Midipack and the SX-16 Midi-Expander from Doepfer.

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+  Georg Mueller, Darmstadt, Germany  +  georg@nlp.physik.th-darmstadt.de  +
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