Ursa Major MSP-126
Little is documented about the Ursa Major MSP-126; almost all that survives comes from a handful of studio-trade press items from 1985. It was a digital multi-tap stereo processor — an effects unit rather than a straightforward synth. Studio Sound (June 1985, p.90) called it an unusual effects unit that didn't fit into any of the accepted categories, while Recording Engineer (December 1985, p.134) summarized it as a stereo processor with a 20 kHz bandwidth at a 44.1 kHz sampling rate, 15-bit PCM conversion, and a +80 dB dynamic range. It was a 19-inch rackmount box measuring 19 by 1.75 by 11 inches and weighing about 12 pounds.
The "multi-tap" description is literal: the MSP-126's effects were built around six delay taps, arranged in time delay, phase, and amplitude according to the selected setting, with remote switching possible (Studio Sound June 1985, p.90). A new-product write-up in Studio Sound (March 1985, p.46) described it as a combination of stereo functions in one box: early reflections of a room or hall with adjustable delay and dry/wet mix, a delay cluster with adjustable pre-delay, and a repeats mode producing two to ten equally spaced repeats alternating between channels. A Recording Engineer listing (February 1985, p.191) also mentioned a pan control that used time delay to place a source anywhere in the stereo field, with adjustable position and image width.
Ursa Major's own advertising for the MSP-126 was cheerfully dramatic — Studio Sound (November 1985, p.37) ran an ad opening "Words fail us," claiming several of the effects were unlike anything you'd ever heard and altered stereo perspective in a way that would "intrigue, then impress and finally amaze." That is marketing, but it hints at the unit's reputation for unusual spatial effects. No production dates, original price, or sales figures have surfaced; the record is thin beyond this period coverage.
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