I believe it’s unique. 
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Congratulations! You’re now the proud owner of what is, in my opinion, one of the best synths of the 21st century so far. Once you’re used to the grid/ matrix layout and gain staging the oscillators it can be as simple or as deep as you want it to be. Big classic unison bass patch? No problem. Want aftertouch to modulate the bpm of a sequenced karplus delay line? Well, okay, it’ll do that too.
I borrowed one from a friend for years before finally buying my own about six years ago. I still discover new things it can do all the time. Honeymoon period long gone and it still feels like cyber-witchcraft! I consider most gear as at least potentially temporary in my life but there’s no way I’ll ever get rid of the evolver. If I saw a killer deal on another one I’d buy it all day long. If I was in Europe I’d be selling something else and giving @circuitghost a call about that mek. Same synth, better interface.
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In case anyone is interested and hasn’t seen this (and since I can’t stop gushing about this synth) here’s Jexus’ demo. There aren’t many demos that really show off what this thing can do but naturally he does a bang up job.
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All this love makes me wonder if I shouldn’t just pull myself together and use this thing for a few days. I’m in creative hibernation anyway so there’s room for something new now.
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Do it. It covers so many bases.
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I really appreciate this kind of hype and appreciation for gear. It’s infectious! Thank you!
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If you wanted to buy all the equivalent modules in eurorack for what this synth can do then you would be parting with several grand- and you still wouldn’t be able to do everything. Despite being drawn into the eurorack world I still think this synth has just about the most varied and modular sound pallet you can buy, its a bargain I would say.
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IMO they just don’t make synths like these anymore Bunker.
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I wish there were a really solid tutorial on YouTube. This thing is so deep and complex! I’m slowly piecing it together with the official and unofficial manual, and a couple of vids. This makes me want to try the keyboard version!
This thing is unreal. I can’t believe this came out so long ago, it does so much.
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If I had more desk space I’d have already done this!
Was responsible for me buying a Virus Ti:
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I feel that. His demos are my favorite on YouTube but they’re dangerous. It doesn’t matter how uninterested I am in a synth, I want it fiercely after I hear what he does with it. Dude is so creative.
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The Evolver is a lovely sounding synth. I’m the original owner of #00096. Dave ran a listserv back in the day to gauge interest in whether or not there was a market for new designs from him. I ponied up the deposit and chatted with him a bit over email as I waited for delivery. I knew immediately that this synth was special. I never understood the detractors that dislike the sound and interface but to each his own I suppose. Anyway, welcome to the Evolver club.
I always liked this single patch demo.
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How does the sequential pro 3 compare? I’ve played it for a bit but given how much I love the evolver desktop sequencer and all its flexibility and happy accidents, I’m wondering how the pro 3 sequencer and overall sound compares for those with more experience.
I feel similar using the evolver as the 303 sequencer. Really happy accidents due to a really counter intuitive workflow. It’s wonderful!!
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I’ve had the pro3 for about six months so while I know my way around it and feel like I have a good sense of it there are probably people who can speak with more authority than me.
The sequencers are worlds apart. While I love the sequencer on the evolver the one on the pro3 is way more fleshed out. Far faster to program, way more channels, more flexible, etc. Though they both are cut from the same fundamental cloth one has had almost two more decades to “mature”. Both are beautifully integrated with their synth engines which I love, they feel integral to the instruments rather than tacked on.
As for sound, while there are some strong resemblances they’re pretty different. I think the pro3 would appeal to a much broader audience than the evolver. It’s easy to think of a sound and then sit down and program it. It has something closer to traditional wavetable synthesis as where the evolver can scan through four waves per table if set up that way (although it can do it on two oscillators at once while the pro3 can only do it on one). The multiple filters add more options, I’m especially fond of the oberheim filter. It has two effect busses, cv access to the mod matrix, etc. Going by specs the pro3 is a far more full featured and versatile synth but it can’t capture the character of the evolver. I wouldn’t call it polite by a long shot but it seems like it next to the evolver.
It feels like the pro3 was designed to be a killer mono/ para synth that can get wild and experimental if you want it to while the evolver feels like it was designed to be a weird puzzle to solve and when you do your reward is chaos that you try to shape into something you like.
Can you tell I have a hard time describing sound comparatively? Haha.
Side note/ tip for both synths; I’ve always had more success using the digital oscillators for the fundamental tones than the analog ones when making bass patches. They feel more stable at super low frequencies.
Sorry this is so long.
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A little late on my reply to the original question 
but any synth that was ever worth it will be worth it in any other year. If it was good in the first place, it will still be good a billion years on. Some UIs may seem archaic in some cases due to when the device was designed, but if one takes the time to learn the synth, it will produce good results. After that, it comes down to personal taste as to whether you like the synth itself period. IMO age shouldn’t determine the quality, usefulness, or beauty of an instrument. The only thing that I would attribute to age is reliability or maintenance. If that’s not an issue, then nothing else should be. (provided you like the synth or the sounds it allows you to create 
)
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Actually, I think you did a remarkably good job describing both and the differences!!! Thank you!
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WORD my friend! 
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The Evolver is too old. Also never use a piano as it is even older technology. The piano or the Evolver were never meant for “EDM” so I’d definitely pass up on both.
It is just a synth with a matrix. If you like that kind of thing, then get it. Build quality of these is great 
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I wasn’t a fan of matrix either, as I owned 2 desktop before deciding need a MEK, which I will be one of the last bits of kit I would let got. Massive variety of tones and very playable, much more so as a keyboard laden with knobs.
The more I play with the desktop evolver, the more it reminds me of s tb-303, only in the sequencer sense. I know with some planning you can get exactly what you want, but it’s also difficult enough to just kind of let go and see where the happy accidents lead you.
I think that’s where so much of the charm lies. Up to a certain point I can follow what I’m doing and what I’ve done, but it’s easy to lose track of where you are. At that point I just go with instinct and explore, in a way that I’ve never really been inspired to do on any other piece of gear. And for what it’s worth, I’ve ONLY used the evolver with its sequencer. I have yet to just design a patch and play it that way. Maybe I should try that…
Hope that makes some sense. I’d LOVE to try the mono evolver keyboard just to see what the experience is like laid out that way!
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