|
Home Up
| |
Morpheus
Z-Plane synthesizer module

|
|
The E-mu
Morpheus was an innovative machine
at the time of its release in 1993. The big news was the
introduction of its "z-plane" filters, that had the capability
of "changing smoothly their function" over time. This
translates in superb synth sweeps, sci-fi swoops, alien
soundscapes, human voice emulations, and lots more.
The Morpheus contains 8MB of
16-bit samples as the starting points for its sounds.
There are 197 (!) filters to choose from, and many of these are
truly phenomenal.
There are three banks of 128
sounds, and an optional data card. The hyperpresets allow
you to stack or split up to 32 sounds in a patch - very
powerful. A bit hidden in the MidiMap there are also 28
effects, including reverb, delay, chorus, phaser and flanger.
Other features include three sets of stereo outputs, user
definable alternate tuning, and extensive MIDI implementation.
|
|
The star on this machine are undoubtedly
the 197 filters. It is possible to get thousands of "sonic colors" from
them, and if you have experience with other classic E-mu modules, it is easy to
navigate the editing menus, even with a small two-line display. Some of
the filters allow you to program vowel-like sounds, and morph vocal formants in
real time. There are many variations of comb filters, and even a few that
add overdrive/distortion to the sound.
This is still a very interesting instrument and
if you have the time/inclination for tweaking, you will have a lot of fun
editing this synthesizer. Morpheus was the Greek god of dreams, and this
module will certainly make you do that with the sounds it's capable of. |
E-mu Morpheus audio demos in mp3
Here below are the Morpheus' on board
demo songs:
Demo 1
Demo 2
Demo 3
Demo 4
Bank 0
(I'm running the synth in "dry"
midimap effect mode so that you can appreciate the filters in their
raw power)
Stream all mp3 examples below
|
Patch name with audio demo |
My comments |
|
000 Mph-Z-Synth |
Superb motion synth pad,
exquisitely auto-panned. First great impression of the Morpheus
filters. |
|
001 Real-PnoVibe |
Classy, romantic grand piano. The modulation
wheel morphs into vibraphone-like. |
|
003 Pad-Strings |
Nice string ensemble |
|
006 Ld-Grunge |
Dirty solo synth. |
|
007 Atm-RaveGruv |
Excellent, punchy techno drum set, with auto-groove
on selected keys. |
|
008 Voc-Why |
Fantastic vox emulation preset! I
remember being impressed with this preset at the time the Morpheus came
out. Can't beat those E-mu filters ;-) |
|
010 Mph-KlavKlip |
Realistic, useful Clavinet |
|
012 Mph-AirStrg |
Beautiful, breathy string-synth ensemble |
|
015 Mph-RhyOfLfe |
Stupendous, sweet vector-style preset |
|
038 Cmp-Cookin' |
Nice split. Fat, analog sounding lead |
|
043 Pad-SynthMph |
Different. Nice. |
|
046 Pad-Leslike |
Cool Hammond organ patch with Leslie speed
controllable via mod wheel. |
|
051 Bass-FatSawz |
Huge synth bass! Perfect for many
genres. |
|
054 Bass-Grindge |
Superb bass for
electronica! |
|
060 Gtr-SntaCrz |
Realistic, fantastic acoustic guitar |
|
065 Gtr-Guitarzn |
Very good strat with effects |
|
069 Gtr-Pick It |
classic Martin acoustic guitar |
|
070 Ld-Sync Lead |
Mega-modern techno synth lead |
|
077 Ld-HoohZayr |
Different. |
|
080 Atm-Astralix |
Very charming, warm, soft synth pad |
|
081 Atm-Nova Arp |
Shimmering sci-fi synth, very good. |
|
082 Atm-Mosaic |
Another excellent moving synth. |
|
083 Atm-LunarArp |
Take on the classic Pink Floyd sound from "The Dark
Side Of The Moon". |
|
086 Atm-KotoBrth |
Very good. |
|
088 Atm-Movie |
Spacious, ominous |
|
091 Voc-AglHeart |
Beauty. Serious beauty. |
|
095 Voc-OzBoiz |
Superb! Techno-Alpine yodelers |
|
100 Drum-House |
Classic house sounds. |
|
101 Drum-Skritch |
Nice combo drums+scratch |
|
110 Sfx-SonikSyn |
Pleasant mayhem! |
|
111 Sfx-NoiseBnd |
North Pole base. |
|
113 Sfx-S-H |
Excellent sample & hold patch. |
|
114 Sfx-Hemloc |
Incredible, out worldly patch, perfect for
movie scoring |
|
120 Tek-Omatika |
Cool. |
|
122 Tek-JavaTea |
Another phenomenal out worldly synth-pad/ethnic
patch, perfect for movie scoring |
|
126 Tek-KrazyRom |
Nice, very nice :-) |
Bank 1
Stream all mp3 examples below
Bank 2
Stream all mp3 examples below
E-mu Morpheus specifications
| Year of release: |
1993 |
| Polyphony: |
32 |
| Sound generation method: |
PCM samples |
| Preset memories |
three banks of 128 plus data card |
| MIDI: |
in, out, thru |
| Sound expansion capabilities: |
data card |
| Sequencer |
no |
| Arpeggiator |
no |
| Effects |
yes |
E-mu Morpheus pictures
(click on thumbnails to enlarge)


E-mu Morpheus manuals
available at
www.emu.com
Links
|
SITE |
Type of resource |
DESCRIPTION |
|
www.emu.com |
home page |
|
| |
|
|
E-mu Morpheus review with sound demo
|