Years of familiarity with Emu modules tends to dull the impact of just how well they have stood the test of time. Furthermore, my initial lack of enthusiasm underwent a complete reversal as I began to translate those on-paper specs into real music-making power. However, sometimes you need to step back before cynicism overwhelms you completely, because when the Proteus 2500 arrived chez Nagle, I warmed instantly to its control-rich user interface and serious blue-grey styling. So it was that when asked to review a new Emu module, I mentally dismissed it as 'just another Proteus with a few knobs added'. Sometimes even the latest all-singing, all-dancing box of hi-tech delights fails to excite, like a book with a flashy new cover concealing a story we know we've read before. I think we all go through periods where we start to feel we've seen it all. Emu's synths may have broken no new ground since the 1999 launch of the Proteus 2000, but the new 2500 plays to their strengths, offering the best of their sound library, plus excellent sequencing and real-time control capabilities, at a very attractive price.
