Harness the Magnificent Might of the Crumar Digital Synthesizer
Developed in collaboration with Crumar Instruments, the Cherry Audio Crumar DS-2 faithfully captures the sublime sonic vibe of the original ’70s-era Digital Synthesizer while also expanding its capabilities for modern music production. The hardware offered a novel melding of a monophonic Synth section and a 44-voice Poly section, the latter of which generated unconventional sawtooth tones, shaped using divide‑down circuitry and filters, resulting in an inimitable jagged, harmonically rich character. Cherry Audio’s software DS-2 preserves the stair-stepped vintage-digital grit of the original unit, bolstering it with expanded mono and poly voice options, full polyphony up to 32 notes, Split Layer keyboard modes, new oscillator options with Sync and other selections, a third LFO with advanced modulation features, enhanced envelopes and filters, expressive aftertouch control, a dynamic arpeggiator, and flexible effects routing with three independent effects chains. Jam-packed with updated performance controls, deep modulation, and a generous preset library, the Cherry Audio Crumar DS‑2 enables you to harness the unmistakable glitched-out mojo wielded by Cirrus, Sun Ra, Tambourine Studio, the Cardigans, and more directly within your computer-based setup.
Related Videos: Crumar DS-2 Virtual Instrument Plugin
The Crumar DS-2: the legendary Digital Synthesizer
Originally unveiled in 1978, the Crumar DS-2 — short for Digital Synthesizer — combined a monophonic Synth section and a 44-voice Poly section. It was among the first synthesizers to leverage DCOs, sacrificing the rawer, fatter sound of the VCO-driven synths for rock-solid tuning stability. That said, the vintage synth aficionados here at Sweetwater claim that the original DS-2 sounds plenty fat — especially with the Poly section engaged and animated with slow LFO pitch modulation. Feature-wise, the DS-2 has a lot to offer, including flexible modulation with two LFOs, reinforced by sample-and-hold and staircase waveforms, pulse-width modulation, a powerful Mogue-esque filter, fast ADSRs tailor-made for bass and percussion, and an external input for filter processing. However, original hardware units are notoriously unreliable due to frequent component failures, making ownership risky, even as the synth remains prized for its characterful sound. Now, thanks to Cherry Audio’s Crumar DS-2 plugin, you can enjoy all the benefits of the original unit with none of the drawbacks.
Picks up where the hardware leaves off
Regardless of how much nostalgia you feel for the original Crumar DS-2, you’ll love the many modern updates Cherry Audio added to their software iteration. For starters, it bolsters the monophonic Synth section with Last Note/High Note settings, as well as Unison and Multi voice options, offering voice Cycle, Pan, and Pitch capabilities. Next, the Poly section supports full 32-note polyphony, elevated by a keyboard Split Layer feature. You’ll benefit from expanded LFO options, including a third LFO and per-LFO Delay knobs, as well as Sync, Retrigger, and One Shot features. You also get a Reverse Wave switch on LFOs 1 and 2. Moreover, the software includes a fully assignable LFO Mixer, which was hard-wired to specific destinations on the original hardware. Additionally, Cherry Audio’s Crumar DS-2 includes enhanced envelopes with an initial delay stage, velocity sensitivity, and looping functionality. Beyond that, the Poly section has been turbocharged with a VCA Release control for stellar string-synth sonics, and you get a powerful arpeggiator, three independent effects chains, and an extensive preset library. Finally, this plugin showcases expressive aftertouch-based control and a refined filter offering multiple slopes and performance adjustments.
Cherry Audio Crumar DS-2 Features:
- A software re-creation of the ’70s-era Crumar DS-2 Digital Synthesizer
- Developed in collaboration with Crumar Instruments
- Captures the sublime sonic vibe of the original ’70s-era hardware while also expanding its capabilities
- Preserves the stair-stepped vintage-digital grit of the original unit
- Monophonic Synth section bolstered with Last Note/High Note settings, as well as Unison and Multi voice options
- Poly section supports full 32-note polyphony, elevated by a keyboard Split Layer feature
- Expanded LFO options include a 3rd LFO and per-LFO Delay knobs, as well as Sync, Retrigger, and One Shot features
- Reverse Wave switch on LFOs 1 and 2
- Fully assignable LFO Mixer
- Enhanced envelopes with an initial delay stage, velocity sensitivity, and looping functionality
- VCA Release control unleashes stellar string-synth sonics
- Powerful arpeggiator, 3 independent FX chains, and an extensive preset library
- Expressive aftertouch-based control
- Refined filter with multiple slopes and performance adjustments