I use it for what it does best - huge analogue sweeps and shimmery strings and pads. The full digital delay line, (as opposed to the poxy chorus on the Mk1), really does make a difference.

Back in the late eighties, lots of magazines published patches for the Mk1. They can be easily translated as a starting point for your own sounds.

As to the reliability etc, I've used it for six months with no problems whatsoever. I'd guess the battery problem is best solved with a screwdriver and a trip to your local jewellers or whatever.

I've also read nightmare tales about the memories wiping themselves when you plug in MIDI leads. That hasn't happened to me (yet).

Overall, it's a really pleasant change from the flat, bland sounds of S+S. It really does have a character of it's own. Not, I admit, to everyone's taste, and definitely of a sort of square wave feel to everything that comes out of it, but you _can_ drop it to the 1 VCO eight voice poly mode quite happily, if you take time to set up the dleay line right.

Don't pass this one up if it's the right price. It will take more work than the instant gratification of modern synths, but it will be worth it and you will learn a lot for not much layout.