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Average rating:
3.3 out of 5
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This is a very frustrating synth. It sounds really good, but it's very unreliable. I got mine with two dead CEMs so it's only 4 voice poly. But in the last two years, it has stopped retaining its memory (the battery is OK!) and is gone out of tune. It doesn't always "boot up" properly either. But it still works OK as a MIDI controller, albeit without pitch bend, modulation or sustain pedal (as mentioned, the MIDI spec is rubbish).
So I'm gonna get a Matrix 1000 instead, based on AdamT's comments, and leave the Bit in the band room for rehearsals. Maybe I'll sample a few of the sounds, but I don't think I want to go throught the hassle of fixing it. If I find a broken one I'll raid it for spares maybe.
Such a pity- the sound is great, very Synthex. Get the Bit 01 (a rack) much better reliability.
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I should add that you can turn omni off by sending controller 124 @ 0 on earlier Bits.
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The MIDI update just allows you to change the transmit channel and turn omni mode off, using those extra "addresses"- Crumars rather unwieldy name for paramater. I suppose it makes sense, because each parameter lives at a different address in the memory register. Ah, eighties technology, doncha love it? Tron is well cool...
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This is the Curtis 3328-VCF version (earlier ones had the SSM2044 "Polysix" filter)
For some italian piece of supposed worthless junk I`m very impressed indeed, the user interface is horrible (Korg-poly 800 esque) but it`s very brassy and has a hell of a punch for what it is.. Far better synth than Korg`s Poly-61, far better for generic polysynth duties (read non-dance) than a Juno-106 and can sound rather like a Matrix-6 (albeit a severely crippled one), there`s a bit of synthex in those DCOs, trust me! and the velocity is routable and very usable indeed. I`d love to hear it through a Synthex Chorus unit..
The Bit-1 must be the second cheapest Analog poly available in the UK secondhand market (the Poly-61 has that title) and if big brassy punchy ballsy pads etc are what`s needed it could just be one of the best synth finds of all time (though the BIT99 is an improved version, they go for more money).
The Midi is awful, the Keyboard an early Fatar (same as the ESQ1) so that`s not too bad and even though the wheels are in a strange place, at least it HAS them!
PS:- People have a habit of putting the battery in upside down for some reason, this is the third one which I`ve seen where that`s been done and been sold off cheap because it won`t store patches (also a dead Curtis chip contributed to the price or lack thereof :)..
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In the trade they were known as a "Bit" of crap. Why?, because they were a load of old crap. The early models came with a poor MIDI spec. which was as reliable as a dead battery. The sounds weren't too bad. But reliability was the big problem. You won't find many new spares for these either. Best avoided....
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