FENDER / RHODES CHROMA POLARIS - Analog Synthesizer Review

video upload by synth4ever

"Fender Rhodes Chroma Polaris synth review, demo and sounds. The Chroma Polaris is a classic 6-voice analog synthesizer released in 1984 by Fender Rhodes, and has Arp heritage. Join me for a review of the Chroma Polaris where I provide an overview, demo presets and patches, and provide my final thoughts on this vintage synth."

Cherry Audio | Introducing Crumar Spirit with Tim Shoebridge

video upload by Cherry Audio

"Crumar Spirit by Cherry Audio captures the unique sound and features of the exceptional analog monosynth from 1983, originally designed by some of the most legendary figures in the synth industry. Spirit is a gateway to sonic experimentation. It is not a polite instrument. Nor is it clean, safe, or obvious. However, twist a few knobs and it will reward you with some of the most colorful sounds you have ever heard from a virtual analog software synthesizer.

https://cherryaudio.com/products/spir...

00:53 - Music Intro by Tim Shoebridge
02:05 - Introducing Crumar Spirit by Cherry Audio
03:28 - Spirit Signal Path
05:49 - Mod X
08:07 - The Oscillators
13:40 - The Filters
20:34 - Audio Mixer
21:14 - Shaper Y
26:20 - Arpeggiator
30:15 - Voice Modes and Multi-Voice Cycling
31:04 - Matrix Z Modulations
31:45 - Dual Effects Chain
34:42 - Conclusion"

Cherry Audio | Crumar Spirit

video upload by Cherry Audio

Cherry Audio | Spectres Preset Pack for Crumar Spirit by James Dyson

video upload by Cherry Audio

"100 additional presets for Cherry Audio's Crumar Spirit synthesizer by James Dyson that showcase its darker and more atmospheric side in nine categories. Explore more advanced modulations, integrated effects, rhythmic arpeggios, and aftertouch performance features.

Just $9.99, exclusively from https://store.cherryaudio.com/presets...

18 Arps
9 Basses
5 Brass
8 Chords
10 Keys
9 Leads
17 Pads
14 Polyphonic
10 SoundFX"

Crumar Spirit by Cherry Audio: The rare Spirit reborn! (Part 1)

video upload by CatSynth TV

"We are proud to preset the new Crumar Spirit by Cherry Audio, a meticulous software recreation of the unique, quirky and elusive Crumar Spirit analog synthesizer from the early 1980s. This is a two-part series. In Part 1 we go over most of the original-instrument features (minus the arpeggiator).

Part 2, covering the remaining features and exploring factory presets, will be released soon.

To find out more about Crumar Spriit by Cherry Audio, please visit: https://cherryaudio.com

00:00 Introduction
00:34 A brief history
01:54 Overview of Crumar Spirit by Cherry Audio
02:35 Oscillators
09:59 Upper filter
12:41 Lower filter
20:02 Noise generator
23:43 Shaper Y (and Shaper Y audio path)
33:24 Mod X
41:24 Conclusion"

Merch: https://shop.catsynth.com



Crumar Spirit by Cherry Audio is a meticulously crafted virtual recreation that captures the unique and captivating features of the exceptional analog monosynth from 1983, originally designed by some of the most legendary figures in the synth industry. In collaboration with Crumar, we have reopened a time capsule to revive this Italian cult classic and thoughtfully elevated it with Cherry Audio's signature style.

Spirit is a gateway to sonic experimentation, whether you are after wild, unpredictable timbres or warm, analog tones. It is not a polite instrument. Nor is it clean, safe, or obvious. However, twist a few knobs and it will reward you with some of the most colorful sounds you have ever heard from a virtual analog software synthesizer.

Crumar Spirit includes over 430 sensational presets in 12 categories

Producers will find immediate inspiration in Spirit's extensive preset library, created by a talented sound design team led by veteran sound designer James Terris. And don't miss the Spectres for Spirt Preset Pack (sold separately), featuring an additional 100 additional presets by James Dyson.


A "Little Synth" Designed by Legends

Crumar S.P.A., based in Castelfidardo, Italy, was a notable player in the 1970s musical instrument industry, specializing in home organs, digital pianos, and multi-sound keyboards, and with a significant focus on the U.S. market. Sante Crucianelli, the son of the owner, became the driving force behind Crumar's design and strategies. Crumar became known for its open lab culture, frequently allowing competitors to test instruments, a rare practice for the time. Another key figure during this period was Luciano Jura, a designer, musician, and programmer. Luciano became crucial as Crumar's point of contact with synth pioneer Bob Moog, which led to a collaboration that resulted in the creation of Crumar's Spirit synthesizer.

Although many details have been lost due to the passing of key figures and the closure of Crumar, the development of the Spirit synthesizer in the U.S. is well documented. Key contributors to the project, codenamed "Little Synth," included Moog engineer Jim Scott, Moog clinician and electronic music historian Tom Rhea, and Bob Moog himself. The project likely began around 1980 or 1981, and incorporated elements from earlier projects by Scott and Moog. Rhea played an essential role in defining the Spirit's key features, such as the keyboard scanning setup, panel layout, functional architecture, and technical documentation. The Crumar Spirit went into production and was released in late 1983.

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Explore the ARP Synthesizer Exhibition at the Museum of Making Music

video upload by CatSynth TV

"Guest curator Brian Kehew gives as a tour of the new ARP Exhbition at the NAMM Museum of Making Music in Carlsbad, California. Titled 'ARP: The Innovator, The Instruments, The Impact', the exhibition includes details about Alan R. Pearlman on his centennial, a large collection of ARP instruments, and a bit about the legacy and new re-creations.

To find out more about the museum and the exhibit, please visit
https://www.museumofmakingmusic.org/e...

Both the exhibition and opening events were done in collaboration with the Alan R. Pearlman Foundation. To find out more about the foundation, including how to support their work, please visit:
https://alanrpearlmanfoundation.org/

The background music for this tour was created using Cherry Audio's re-creations of classic ARP instruments, including the CA2600, ODC 2800, Chroma, Quadra, and Pro Soloist.

00:00 Introduction
00:26 Overview of the exhibit
01:37 The ARP 2500
02:00 The ARP 2600
02:30 The 1972 NAMM show
03:02 The ARP Odyssey
03:36 The Pro Soloist and OMNI 2
04:58 The Avatar
05:46 The 1978 NAMM show
06:05 The Rhodes Electronic Piano and Chroma
08:08 The Impact: Korg Odyssey & Cherry Audio
09:16 The early ARP Soloist
09:46 Don Lewis and the LEO
10:44 Albums and advertisements
11:44 Conclusion

_______
Please consider supporting this channel to help us bring you more synthesizer tutorials and other content.
Merch: https://shop.catsynth.com
Patreon: / catsynth
Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/catsynth"

Rhodes Chroma 64-Key 16-Voice Polyphonic Analog Synthesizer w/ CC+ Upgrade & Docs SN 21030660

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.
video upload by Bruce Sklar

"This is a short video of my 1984 Rhodes Chroma. I am the original owner.
This shows me creating a scratch patch using the CC+ Split 39 function , which shows the instrument functioning as it should"

via this Reverb listing

"It is registered on the Chroma Website 0660

Is it fully functional , has the CC+ and midi interface , and a new power supply installed by the best Chroma tech on the east coast.

It is cosmetically beautiful. The black metal top shows a few scratches from having a Rhodes Chroma Polaris on it years ago, hence the 'excellent' vs ' mint ' condition

It has a new flight case to original specs, all original manuals , all needed pedals , although those are not original"

CLICK FOR MORE »

Driving Through San Diego’s Freeways with an original synth soundtrack

video upload by CatSynth TV

Store: https://shop.catsynth.com
Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/catsynth
Patreon: / catsynth

"We take a ride through several major freeways in San Diego and the surrounding areas. We start downtown on I-5, cross CA 163 (which we featured in a previous video), and turn east on CA 94. We follow CA 94 for a while, and then turn north on CA 125. Shortly thereafter, we turn east onto I-8, and then north onto CA 67, where we meet CA 52 in anticipation of the next video...

Music composed and performed by Amanda Chaudhary. It uses several of the instruments we have recently reviewed:
Cherry Audio ODC 2800
Arturia MiniFreak with 4.0 vocoder update
Arturia Pure LoFi
Arturia Augmented Yangtze
Arturia Jup-8000 V
Rhodes Wurli

Additional instruments include:
Minimoog
Cherry Audio Chroma, Mercury 6, Startdust-201 delay
BFD drums and percussion
EastWest Ministry of Rock
AudioModeling SWAM Flugelhorn and Trombone
AudioThing Wires and Dials"

Like a Kid Again on an Analog Synth with the Rhodes Chroma

video upload by MARSHALL MUSIC

"Can’t lie, when I get on an analog synth I become a kid again and the possibilities become endless!"

Rhodes Chroma Polaris 64-Key 6-Voice Analog - Serviced - New Membrane

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.

via this Reverb listing

"Fantastic Rhodes Chroma Polaris. This Chroma has a new membrane, has been fully serviced including battery, full factory reset/spec, Factory load. Super rich, midi heavy Poly analog. Great integration, expressive w/ pedal and assignments.

The panel was installed a year ago and in that time something did press the surface (see last pic) - no functional issues, but wanted to note the visual since it is a new membrane."

CLICK FOR MORE »

Rhodes Chroma Polaris

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.

via this eBay listing, also on Reverb

"Serviced a few years ago and given a new membrane which is known to go bad on these. For this listing, we had it serviced and given new batteries. With that, all the factory patches were erased and about 50% of them were located and installed. Banks G-K only play an initialized saw patch. All other factory banks are loaded, and all features and functions work very nicely!"

CLICK FOR MORE »

RHODES CHROMA FULL SYSTEM - Handmade miniatures 1/6 scale.

video upload by Ronaldo Lopes Teixeira ROLT

Rhodes Chroma Polaris w/ Freddy Mercury Road Case

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.

via this Reverb listing

CLICK FOR MORE »

Original Rhodes Chroma Polyphonic Analog Synthesizer Brochure

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.

via this listing

"original Rhodes Chroma brochure. 8 pages in English."

CLICK FOR MORE »

TMP-3-02 Vintage Synth TV Series from Benge

video upload by Memetune Studio

Additional episodes

00:00 Opening Titles
00:17 Introduction
01:26 Switched On 80s
13:36 Little Black Boxes
16:07 Commercial Break
18:42 Synthesiser Club
21:40 Patching Today
33:44 Video Lab
40:06 Outro

"Episode two of the third series of the TV program from Benge, made at his Memetune Electronic Music Studio

The series explores his passion for vintage synthesiser instruments and studio gear and how he uses them in his productions and collaborations"

"In THIS episode:

SWITCHED ON 80s - A detailed presentation on the Arp / Rhodes Chroma, the mega-poly-synth that nearly took over the world

LITTLE BLACK BOXES - A look at the Korg M3R, a slimmed down version of the biggest selling synth of all time

SYNTHESISER CLUB - a picturesque study made on the Sequential Six-track, the Drumtracks, the Prophet VS and the mighty T8

COMMERCIAL BREAK - Some adverts for Memetune-related goodies, including the new Memetune Annual 2024, the range of Memetune merchandise and Benge's seminal 13 Systems album

PATCHING TODAY - on the vintage Emu Modular, with some help from a big Modcan A-Series

VIDEO LAB - In this episode we try and use the video mixers without any external inputs - its all about self-generating feedback imagery - with a soundtrack made on classic vintage modular synths

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

LINKS:

Benge's Studio Blog: http://myblogitsfullofstars.blogspot.com

Memetune Studio Instagram: @memetunestudio

Benge & Memetune Merch on Bandcamp: https://zackdagoba.bandcamp.com

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

The MemeTune Programme Credits:
Everything in this video was created by B D Edwards (Benge)
All music, design, writing, filming and production completed at Memetune Studios, UK, 2025"

Rhodes Chroma with CC+ MIDI Programmer Data Readout

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.

via this listing

"Fully overhauled

PSU new, CC+ board, midi

comes plus mini programmer (see photo)"

CLICK FOR MORE »

1980s Rhodes Chroma (Model 2103) 16-Voice Analog Synthesizer SN 30915

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.

via this listing

Additional SYNTH CITY Listings

Super rare synthesizer, originally designed by ARP just before they closed their doors. Rhodes saved the day by bringing just 3000 units to the light of day. This particular unit has been serviced thoroughly by our in-house technician. Serial No. 21030915

Polyphony - 16 voices max

Oscillators - 16 VCOs: 0-63 value mix of sawtooth and variable pulse waveforms; 16 modulation sources

LFO - 16 LFO waveforms

Filter - Switchable hi-pass or low-pass filters

VCA - ADSR

Keyboard - 64 weighted-keys with velocity (polyphonic aftertouch optional)

Memory - 50 patches + external cassette tape interface"

CLICK FOR MORE »

Rhodes Chroma Polaris

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.

via this listing

CLICK FOR MORE »

Sound morphing with Electra One /w Rhodes Chroma

video upload by Electra One MIDI Controller

"A demonstration of discovering new sounds using the Electra One's snapshot morphing and randomization features.

This functionality will be available in the upcoming Electra One firmware version 4.0.

The demonstration showcases the powerful capabilities of the mighty Rhodes Chroma. I intentionally made the Patch Algorithm parameter part of the sound morphing to achieve more dramatic changes in the sound while morphing and randomizing."

Retroaktiv Rhodes Chroma Polyphonic Aftertouch Demo

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.
video upload by Retroaktiv Synthesizers

"Playing a Rhodes Chroma with the Retroaktiv Polyphonic Aftertouch Retrofit installed. For more info, visit www.retroaktivsynthesizers.com"

Found the above video from 2017 in the following listing.

via this listing

"It is in great shape, and the wood is nearly flawless. The metal and tolex are also in great shape. It's got the CC+ CPU board upgrade, MIDI and polyphponic aftertouch. The unit has had the following work done:

Luca Sasdelli Switching Power Supply installed. (Replaces original PSU, which was underpowered)

Retroaktiv Polyphonic Aftertouch installed. Can also transmit this via MIDI to control other devices that support poly aftertouch.

CC+ CPU upgrade installed, allowing for CC control of parameters, extra memory, and more.

Other information:

One of the segments is out on the large 2-digit segment display (Which shows the current program selected). One segment is out on the 8-character mini-7-segment screen. Both of these segments are so minor that I have never been affected by them. One of the voice cards is currently coming up with an error. I am willing to replace the card before shipping the instrument. If I haven't played the Chroma for a month, certain keys will need to be exercised a few times in order to work. This is due to the leaf switches used on these. They're the same as the ones on the K250. I have never seen a keyboard that uses these that did not exhibit this behavior.

There is s small dent in the front panel near the Chroma logo. Hardly noticeable.

Voice 6 is currently throwing an error code."

CLICK FOR MORE »

Rhodes Chroma Polaris 64-Key 6-Voice Polyphonic Analog Synthesizer

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.

via this listing

"It’s in phenomenal physical shape for its age. The membrane buttons had been previously replaced so they work like a charm. Comes with power cable and will be packaged very securely.

The only strange workaround is that the Assignable Control Fader doesn’t work. Instead, the Volume Envelope Release Fader controls both the selected Assignable Control parameter and the Volume Release at the same time. So when you move the Release fader, it affects both. Weird, but I usually set the Assignable to something that doesn’t affect the sound so it never bothers me. It’s probably a simple fix in the right hands. This synth just sounds too good to care! Everything else works well and I haven’t had any issues creating with it. One day I will regret letting this one go."

CLICK FOR MORE »

Cherry Audio | Synth Stack 5 Collection - New for 2024

video upload by Cherry Audio

"Updated for 2024! Synth Stack 5 assembles 30 of Cherry Audio's award-winning virtual instruments at an astoundingly affordable price! In addition to Voltage Modular Core+Electro Drums, Synth Stack 5 includes DCO-106, CA2600, Surrealistic MG-1 Plus, Polymode, Eight Voice, PS-20, Memorymode, Mercury-4, Quadra, Dreamsynth, Miniverse, Lowdown, Elka-X, Sines, GX-80, Mercury-6, Novachord + Solovox, Octave Cat, Harmonia, PS-3300, and Pro Soloist.

Included and new this year are the hit virtual instruments Synthesizer Expander Module, CR-78 Drum Machine, Rhodes Chroma, Wurlybird 140B, Blue3 Organ, Atomika, and the new P-10. In all, that's 23 emulations of vintage synthesizers; three original synthesizers; a legendary drum machine, electric piano, and tonewheel organ; a massive modular synthesizer platform; and over 10,000 professionally designed presets!

https://store.cherryaudio.com/bundles...

Use Sync, Cherry Audio's free user application, to easily manage downloads, installations, updates, demos, and more for Cherry Audio virtual instruments, effects, and preset packs.

Also included is GPFree, a lite version of Gig Performer 5, Deskew Technologies' cross-platform premium audio plugin host for live performance and session musicians. In addition, owners of Synth Stack receive a 10% discount off the regular price of the full version of Gig Performer 5. Check out GPFree with Marty Wade at • Gig Performer Free - Cherry Audio Edi...

That's nearly $1,300 worth of amazing instruments for the incredibly low price of only $499! Plus, further price reductions are applied if you’ve already purchased one or more of these products, including any previous version of Synth Stack. Sign in to see your personalized offer!

There’s never been a better time to dive into Cherry Audio’s incredible line of virtual instruments. From deep modular synthesis to vintage analog tone, Synth Stack 5 is a synth player’s dream come true!"

FENDER CHROMA POLARIS - RESTORED BY SYNTH TAILOR ELECTRONICS

video upload by Synth Tailor Electronics

"Fender Chroma Polaris six voice synthesizer restored and repaired by Synth Tailor Electronics in Columbus, Ohio. If you have a broken Chroma Polaris or any vintage synthesizer, drum machine, outboard gear, or rare obscure gear that needs repaired/restored, please reach out on our website contact form or email.

The Fender Chroma Polaris is an interesting synth, made by CBS Fender after they took over ARP instruments. It was marketed as a smaller hybrid version of the Rhodes Chroma, and featured more slide potentiometers with the same style membrane buttons as the Rhodes Chroma. The synth has a remarkably pleasant sound and features dual oscillators, dual envelope generators, a smooth analog filter, and generous modulation routings.

The membrane buttons are less than reliable, and along with its rather heavy weight, probably kept the Polaris from gaining wide spread popularity.

It features Curtis Electromusic Specialties chips (CEM3372, CEM3374) which is found on other vintage synthesizers from that era including: Akai AX80/VX600, Oberheim Xpander/Matrix 12, Sequential Prophet 600/Prophet T8, and Simmons Drums."