Great unit for your first module if you're doing dance. I wouldn't recommend it if you want to program drum & bass drums. The pads and synth sounds are nice for that though. Would be nice w/ effects, but not expected. The sub send/returns make up for that. A lot of "old" dance sounds. It's pretty easy to make some new ones... Though it tqkes quite a bit of understanding on synth structure.

I say if you're looking to add this to your studio, get somthing else... If this is your first module, GO FOR IT!

It ain't no synthesizer, it does'nt have filters like "Cutoff", "Ressonance" aso. but it has som other filters though which can change the sounds a lot so that you'll be able to make your own sounds.

Also, most of the presets is assigned with a filter controlled by the modulationwheel and for some presets it changes a ressonance-like filter which makes it great for stageperformance. Also you can assign all of the filters to a midicontroller which will give you the ability to change the sounds in various ways like on an old analog synth with knobs and sliders.

The sound is very tinny and harsh and the machine does'nt include en fx-module, so you'll have to hook it up to an fx-expander for reverb, echo, chorus aso.

There's a lot of great drumsamples which also can be filtered.

The patches are build of two partials which can be assigned a one different sample each, if you fell like having 4, 6, or 8 partials per patch you can emulate it by "linking" one or more pactches, that basicly means that if you need 4 partials to create that special sound you want you link to userpresets together. The great thing about that is if you make a good attack-sound and store it in a UP you can use that UP later for other patches by linking them together.

As a comment to guy who says all the bad stuff about this machine I can't keep myself for asking some questions. He says that he does'nt like the machine because of it's color, but why would someone by a soundmodule? I buy them because i want the sound, not the looks. Also he syas that he want every damn patch to be good, well how is E-MU to know exactly what kind of patches this guy likes? Has he ever considered that the possibility that just because there's a patch HE does'nt like, some others maybe like it? How can anyone expect to buy a soundmodule containing only the sounds they think is great? Obviously he himself does'nt come with much of a brain which definitely consider as a great softwarelack from his manufacturer. ;)

The Orbit 9090 is a great piece of machinery, i lacks some here and there and it really kicks ass there and here, so basicly it's a pretty "normal" soundmodule and delivers what to expect from a module in it's class of price.

The presets mostly suck since lots of the sounds are very dated. That means that you have to program if you want to make this box sound good.

I found the Orbit very easy to program. It is a sample playback type synth so you get all the positives and negatives that come with that. It doesn't have millions of knobs like some of the new VAs out there, but the edit menu is pretty straight forward. I especially like all the possible modulation settings. The filters are also fun.

I've programmed some really nice sounds with the Orbit. It has a unique sound that fits perfectly in some of my songs. In others I don't touch it.

I've only used the beats mode a few times. If you output the beats to MIDI and edit them a little bit with your sequencer they are more useful.

Like others have noted, it doesn't come with any effects. This hasn't been a problem for me since I pretty up the sounds with an effects processor. Make sure you have one if you're considering getting an Orbit. It helps a lot.

It's not your all in one synth, but it does it's job pretty well and makes a nice fit in a studio. For the prices you see for them on ebay you'd be stupid not to look at it.