Summary

The Crumar DS-2 by Cherry Audio is a software synthesizer that emulates the unique digital/analog hybrid sound of the original 1978 Crumar DS-2 hardware synth. It combines monophonic and polyphonic synthesis with innovative enhancements such as expanded voice options, flexible modulation, and integrated effects.

Features

• Faithful recreation of the 1978 Crumar DS-2 hardware synth, including its distinctive gritty, stair-stepped waveform character.
• Dual sections: a monophonic synth engine with digitally controlled oscillators (DCOs) and an analog polyphonic section with paraphonic filter.
• Expanded voice capabilities in the mono synth section: unison, multi-voice, panning, tuning, and polyphony up to 16 voices.
• Poly section supports full polyphony up to 32 notes.
• Keyboard split and layered modes with adjustable ranges for synth and poly sections.
• Additional oscillator waveforms and oscillator sync for enhanced sound design.
• Three LFOs with multiple waveforms, individual delay, sync, retrigger, one-shot, and reverse options.
• Highly flexible modulation routing with six assignable LFO destinations and 33 options each.
• Enhanced envelopes featuring initial delay, velocity sensitivity, looping, and added VCA release in the poly section.
• VCF with selectable 2-pole and 4-pole filters, polarity and key-follow controls.
• Assignable pitch bend range, mod wheel, and dynamic arpeggiator applicable to either section or both.
• Three independent customizable effects chains (synth, poly, and global layer) with 20 studio-quality effects.
• Over 300 professionally designed presets plus an optional additional preset pack to explore advanced features.

Background and Sound Character

The original Crumar DS-2 was an early digital synthesizer hybrid, employing DCOs to prevent tuning drift but producing a unique stair-stepped waveform with harmonically rich, edgy tones, distinct from typical analog or smooth digital synth sounds. The polyphonic section used a paraphonic design with unique sawtooth waveforms generated via divide-down square waves. This combination resulted in a synth with a gritty, jagged character rather than warm analog smoothness.

Artists and Usage

Notable artists who have used the Crumar DS-2 include Cirrus, The Cardigans, Alan St. Jon, Ian Hunter/Mick Ronson, Hainbach, Legowelt, Sun Ra, and many others, featuring it in diverse musical contexts.