[plaid_emu]

Here's my initial impression:

1) The hardware feels heavy and very robust. Looks hard to break. I could probably drop it on a hard surface and it would be OK. (I'm thinking it already happened to this particular unit, hence the damage.)

2) Software was an easy install and everything was smooth sailing. The firmware was already up to date so I was up and running in under 10 minutes. Upon power up the first thing you notice: it's white LED's are bright enough to warn ships miles from shore that they are approaching land. Had to turn them down some.

3) The hardware interface might take some getting used to. Some parameters are well hidden under a few button presses. It took me a minute to find the LED intensity parameter and some other global functions without using the manual.

I really dig the Virus Control AU/VST editor. This thing has loads of unique programming features that make it extremely versatile and powerful. The multitude of oscillators and filters (some of them quite bizarre) are gonna keep me busy for a long time. Can't wait to explore this more, as I was mostly sifting through presets last night and only took about an hour to delve into sound design.

4) Now the sound: This is maybe the most inspiring synth I've ever played. Now I'm not the greatest synth player, but I felt like Robert Johnson at the crossroads and I just signed my soul over to Satan. It seemed to coax all the right notes and chords out of me like I was possessed. ****in' awesome!

I'm not selling ALL my other synths now that I own this, but I can see how it's sound quality and versatility would make it a good candidate for the "desert island" scenario. I was always skeptical about the hype and the price of Viruses. Now I know why they're so goddamn expensive.