E-mu Proteus/2
The E-mu Proteus/2 is a rack-mount sound module and the direct successor to E-mu's hugely popular original Proteus. It has the same 16-bit sample-based "ROMpler" architecture and 32-voice polyphony as its predecessor, but it was built around a completely different sound library. This one aimed squarely at orchestral and acoustic instruments, where the original was a general-purpose set. Mix (October 1990, p.78) called it a virtual "orchestra in a box" at its introduction, and it was priced at $1,495.
The Proteus/2 was marketed as the first instrument to offer the complete resources of a world-class symphony orchestra in a single rack unit. It has 16-channel multi-timbral capability, a small LCD display with front-panel buttons for navigation, and support for expansion cards. E-mu positioned it as a cost-effective alternative to hardware samplers. That brought high-quality sample-based synthesis to a wider market than the expensive Emulator series could reach.
The Proteus/2 never got quite the fame of the original Proteus, but it was well regarded in studios and widely used in pop, hip-hop, and film/TV production. In the family it sat above the original Proteus and below the later Proteus/3, and the main difference was the sound ROM.
Documentation on the Proteus/2 is thinner than on its siblings. No production end year, dimensions, or detailed output configuration have survived in accessible sources. There is also conflicting information about whether its samples came from the Emulator III library or the later Proteus XR library, and the record doesn't clearly settle it.
Known specs
- Rack-mount sound module (ROMpler)
- 32-voice polyphony
- 16-channel multi-timbral
- 16-bit sample-based synthesis
- MIDI connectivity
- Stereo outputs
- Small LCD display with front-panel navigation
- Expansion card support
- Original price: $1,495
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