Playing the GForce Virtual String Machine will bring back a lot of memories for those who once owned an ARP Omni, Solina String Ensemble, Elka Rhapsody, or other synth string keyboards. Because there was no such thing as MIDI when these began appearing in the mid-1970s, there was no way to layer them, even if you owned more than one. Using the GForce Virtual String Machine, you can call up one instrument in Layer A (represented in red) and another in Layer B (represented in green). To hear them both back at the same time, you just click on the LINK button, which turns all the controls blue, meaning you can edit both layers simulaneously. The Phaser and Ensemble sections are global, so they control both layers. If you want to edit just one layer, let’s say Layer B, just click on the B button and the layers automatically decouple, letting you set a fast attack in one layer, while having the second layer slowly fade in. It’s all a lot of fun for those who like to tweak. For those who don’t, the software comes with over 700 patches created by some of the top artists and programmers around. Some do sound pretty cheesy today, compared to the massive sampled string libraries available – but hey, that’s the beauty of the vintage string machines!