Fender Chroma Polaris II Analog Synthesizer - MINTY w/ Original Box

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Rhodes Chroma Polaris Polyphonic Analog Synthesizer w/ New Membrane

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"It is in very good working and cosmetic condition.

Professionally serviced, including the needed membrane replacement.

There is typical wear and tear to vintage equipment this old. See pictures for an idea of condition."

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DSI Prophet 08 (the better one) night time melodies

video upload by MIDERA

"I had no interest in recording anything tonight, but I feel like any time I sit down with the DSI Prophet 08, I enjoy it, so I recorded this. Sorry about the crackling. I don't know what it is about the P08, but it seems to distort more easily than other synths. Maybe I just have the levels all wrong.

I had been comparing the P08 to the P10, side by side, and I still have to say to myself 'WTF - I like the P08 more.' In almost every sound I create, the P08 feels more melodic. I don't get it. There's something almost 'boring' in the P10. Or maybe it can just go too wild at the 'same settings'? I don't know what it is, I am sure the P08 is more tame so in a way it more easily makes things sound pleasant. I can usually get them super close (which speaks highly to the P08 I think).

Also - I call it the 'better one' because I absolutely hated the REV2, after owning it once and borrowing it from a friend to compare to the P08. I concluded that the P08 was better then. And it's still one of the best synths I have. I like it more than the P10, PE, P12 (easily), Jupiter 6... Not sure about the Chroma Polaris, which itself is wild, but in a more "Bladerunner" sort of way.

On a personal note - I'm one week into being bald. It's weird. Most people don't say a word and I wonder 'Does that mean they think it looks terrible or does nobody care?' One person did stop me to say they thought I looked good, but I felt like maybe they said that just to be kind, knowing I must feel pretty bad otherwise. Truthfully, it's hard to get used to. I think 'great, I'm just another bald dude...' and think a bit less of myself, but part of me loves the idea of not having to think about my hair after I have a hat on or bike somewhere.

And finally, today I got my final gift from my mom. It was new indoor slippers. She bought me a pair about 10 years ago and I wore them beyond the point that they had holes in the soles. I asked her for a new pair for christmas, but she didn't make it to then, and so I bought myself a pair. I'm wearing them now. It will be sad to throw the old pair out, but I should lay them to rest. They've served me well.

Prophet 08 with Eventide Blackhole VST"

CHROMA POLARIS vs PROPHET 600: Live Shoot-out of these Analog Synth Titans!

video upload by

"2 Voltage-controlled Oscillators per voice is expensive, especially in the vintage market! The two cheapest analog polysynths you can get from the 80's with 2 VCO's are the Sequential Circuits Prophet 600 and the rare Fender Chroma Polaris. In this livestream we'll compare the two and see which reigns supreme."

FENDER CHROMA POLARIS Synthesizer

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via Tone Tweakers eBay | Reverb

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See the site's privacy policy for more info.

Video previously posted here.

"Like nearly all the high end vintage analog synths we sell, this item has been METICULOUSLY disassembled, cleaned inside and out, FULLY serviced by professionals who’ve been servicing and selling vintage synths for more than the last 3 decades, and systematically tested multiple times over a long period to ensure it’s working exactly as it should. No BS. No ebay surprises. We’re perfectionists and don’t cut corners. Although this instrument came to us in relatively good shape, we want our items to be better than the rest and invested *many* hours of tech time plus parts costs to fully overhaul this unit so it would be clean, working like new again and as reliable as possible for its next owner. This was a serious investment of time, love, and money, and was definitely worth the effort and is of course reflected in the higher than usual price. If you’re looking for a great sounding example of this model that works just like it should without needing to invest hundreds or thousands of dollars in tech fees and waiting from weeks to years, this one should make you very happy."

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Fender Chroma Polaris - Meticulously Refurbished

video upload by tonetweakers

"We just finished meticulously refurbishing this Chroma Polaris. It's for sale on our website along with another that's in its original box. This is one of the few vintage polysynths with a built in ring modulator, oscillator sync and touch sensitive keyboard. It’s midi implementation was quite impressive for the time. It was relatively unpopular, thanks to its 1984 release date as it was an analog machine competing with new digital technology like the Yamaha dx7. Since so few high profile musicians used it, it didn’t get the recognition it deserved, but it’s a really powerful synth that should be of great interest to most synth players. We’ve got one in our studio!

Buy vintage gear that works like new at tonetweakers.com

We buy sell trade refurbish vintage synths and electronic musical instruments."

Tone Tweakers eBay | Reverb

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Studio Electronics SE-1 | Borrowing a friend's SE-1 while I contemplate getting a Model D

video upload by MIDERA

"I probably was wrong thinking the SE-1 was anything like a Minimoog (Model D). Come to think of it, I haven't really figured out why it's called the Minimoog and Model D. Or maybe it's Minimoog Model D? Well. I don't know why I want one in the first place. I guess it just looks cool. I've been wondering why I want it, given that I already have the Matriarch and have enjoyed how it sounds. Anyway, after talking with a friend, they offered to let me test out their SE-1. The first thing that stuck out to me is how wildly steppy the cutoff knob is. In some ways, it can actually be interesting what sounds you get out of it, but it's pretty prominent. Another thing that baffles me is that there doesn't appear to be a true 'menu'. You seem to access menu items by pressing a button or twisting a knob. I end up lost at times thinking "There should just be a simple global button to access all the parameters" but there isn't.

Beyond that - it does sound quite lovely. I can tell it's very punchy and 'thick'. It's interesting in that you can activate saw, triangle, and square waves at the same time. Something I don't think the Minimoog can do. It sounds like the pulse width can affect even saw waves, which was surprising. Maybe I was just hearing things, but it sounds like it does. It has something of a mod matrix, but kind of not really how I'd describe it, just that you can take LFOs and ENVs and assign them to various things. The filter itself does sound great - and you're able to use a 24db LP filter or a 12db LP or BP filter. I found myself enjoying the 24db filter more.

After I finished this demo, I sat down with my Matriarch and thought "Wow, this is such a great synth." I'm not sure I'd feel the same way about the Minimoog, as it lacks a lot of things I like including an arpeggiator/sequencer (which the Matriarch has). I found both the SE-1 and Matriarch kind of have similar flavors apart from their obvious differences.

The Minimoog would probably get me 1-5% more 'minimoog' sound that would without a doubt get lost in all the FX I have. But still, it's hard not to want one. I bet it will end the same way the Prophet 10 ended - I was deeply unsatisfied with it for years, and then started to really open it up for some interesting sounds. The Minimoog seems a bit more... simple.

The plan has been to sell a bunch of stuff towards a Minimoog though:
System 8
EMU XL7
Chroma Polaris
Something else I don't quite have on the chopping block yet.

That's the plan. Not sure how it will end.

On that note - here's me playing the SE1 using the DSI Prophet 08 as a controller. It went into the Strymon Volante to my mixer, with Eventide Blackhole VST for reverb. Not my best work, but it was fun to noodle on it.

#Studioelectronics #Minimoog #moog"

UVI Introduces Synth Anthology 4

video uploads by UVI

Note the above is a playlist featuring 4 videos. You can use the player controls to skip through them or just watch them all in order.

Details on Synth Anthology 4 follow:

The authentic sound of 200 synthesizers, from vintage to modern
4,000+ presets and layers deliver incredible sound with hardware soul
Feature-packed dual-layer engine with fx, arpeggiator and more

Synth Anthology 4 - A Synthesizer Tour de Force
https://www.uvi.net/synth-anthology-4

Rebuilt from the ground-up, Synth Anthology 4 now features the authentic hardware sound of 200 vintage and modern synthesizers, a fully redesigned engine with powerful features, fx, arpeggiator, smart sound suggestion engine, native MPE support, and more.
A dreamlike collection!

Also included in SonicPass ➡️ https://www.uvi.net/sonicpass

Video credits: Anthony Hak
Music Credits: Théo & Thomas

"The Best Keeps Getting Better

What's new in version 4?

Almost everything!
We've rebuilt the engine from the ground-up, added more synths, more presets, more effects, more filters, more modulation, a dedicated browser, a second fully-customizable layer for creating hybrid and blended timbres, an all-new smart suggestion engine that helps you quickly find similar sounds, a more powerful arpeggiator/phraser, bus effects, native MPE support, and more!

Real Hardware Sounds There is something unmistakable about the sound of a real hardware synth, from subtle differences between voice circuits and drift to the varied way filters bite into the sound; there's a distinct character and energy. Synth Anthology 4 delivers the authentic and uncompromising hardware sound with all the conveniences of a modern software instrument.

Every piece of hardware represents a unique creative vision, sonic character, innovations, and strengths. Whatever you're looking for, from analog to digital, vintage classic to future classic, you will find it here. Synth Anthology 4 delivers an incredible collection of hardware, every major manufacturer, every type of synthesis, every era, 200 synthesizers in all.

You won't find a more complete collection anywhere else."

The list:

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CHROMA POLARIS vs AKAI AX60: Live Sound Demo and Comparison!

video upload by Vulture Culture

"Tonight we're checking out two "cold"-sounding vintage synths from the 1980's LIVE! We're comparing the Fender Chroma Polaris, a 6 voice VCO analog synth and the Akai AX60 and 6 voice VCO analog synth! We'll start with the oscillators, check out the filters, the LFO's, arpeggiators, sequencers and all the other features of these two synths.

A big reason these synthesizers sound so similar is they both use Curtis Electromusic Specialties aka CEM chips. These "synths-on-a-chip" components were used as far back as the Sequential Circuits Prophet 5 and Oberheim OB-Xa. They're known, especially the later chips, for sounding "cold" as far as analog synths go.

Specifically the Akai AX60 uses 6 CEM3394 chips, which contain a VCO, VCF and VCA on one chip. The Chroma Polaris uses 6 CEM3374 Dual VCO chips and 6 CEM3372 Filter, Mix and VCA chips, which is the same chipset used by the legendary Oberheim Matrix 12.

The biggest difference in terms of sound is the Polaris has two VCO's per voice but the AX60 only has one - BUT the AX60 has a trick up its sleeve. It has PWM on ALL waveforms, which lets you fake a detuned sound, as well as sounding beautiful in it's own right.

I'm really excited to see which of these two synthesizers reign supreme tonight! Scum one, scum all and scum as you are!"

CHROMA POLARIS: Live Demo of the Polyphonic Odyssey

video upload by Vulture Culture

"In this Live Deep Dive I'll show you how glorious this rare all-Analog Vintage Synthesizer is, by going over the filter (same components as the Matrix 12 and Xpander from Oberheim) and oscillators and showing you how to program your own sounds!"

Fender/Rhodes Chroma Polaris Analog Synthesizer SN 300088

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via this auction

"This unit is one of the first units made, because it has the Rhodes Chroma sliders, which are more durable and desirable. It is currently set to 220V but can be toggled back to 110V if desired.

It has been professionally calibrated, tested, & serviced, with a new membrane panel installed. It's quite a beautiful-sounding analog instrument, unlike anything made today.

It is MIDI ready for studio/DAW integration and plays nicely with modern setups despite its status as a modern classic. It is 100% functional, other than the red LED for Bank A is dead.

The Chroma Polaris was the 2nd synthesizer made by CBS/Fender/Rhodes after they took over ARP, following their classic Rhodes Chroma. It has a very ARP-like sound.

It has 2 envelopes, including a 5 stage ADSDR filter envelope, aftertouch support (via external controller), and true multitimbral capability, with sounds that can be layered up to 6 voices. It also has a simple real-time sequencer and 132 memory patches."

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EMEAPP SONIC TEST DRIVE: RHODES CHROMA POLARIS Feat. DON SLEPIAN

video upload by EMEAPP

"Here's a little Rhodes Chroma Polaris for ya from the EMEAPP synth collection. Join electronic musician and ace synthesist Don Slepian as he takes this vintage six voice beast from the mid-80s for a true sonic test drive as he demonstrates the wide sonic palette that this beast is capable of."

Fender Chroma Polaris Rev 9 with expanded Sequencer Memory SN 300689

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Pics of the inside below.

According to the listing:

"Rare Chroma Polaris multi-timbral analog synth in near mint condition. Rev 9 firmware with maxed out sequencer memory ( 4 X factory)

The Polaris is a highly under rated synth. It has a vintage analog sound along with the flexible MIDI implementation of a modern synth. This synth was ahead of its time obscured by the digital craze at the time.

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FENDER CHROMA POLARIS w/ Original Box

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Additional Tone Tweakers Listings, also on eBay

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Fender Chroma Polaris II Vintage Analog Synth SN 500248

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via this auction

video in the listing previously posted here.

"Rare vintage analog synthesizer Fender Chroma Polaris II serviced and in excelent working order.

The Chroma Polaris is an ARP-designed, 6 voice microprocessor-based sibling of the famous ARP Chroma with the raw and powerful analog sound of the magnificient Curtis CEM3372 4 pole, 24 dB/oct. low-pass filter chip, used in iconic synthesizers such as Oberheim's Matrix 12 and Xpander, and the Sequential Prophet 600 & Prophet T8.

It boasts 2 DCO (CEM3374) per voice, plus a suboscillator and noise circuit, osc sync and ring modulation, 2 envelope generators (filter and VCA), LFO, a basic velocity sensitive 61-key keyboard that can be layered or splitted, 132-memory programs, full MIDI implementation (all sliders can be automated via MIDI, up to 3 layered programs in different channels, storage/retrieval of patches via simple Sysex) and a basic sequence recorder.

Model 2123B was a rarer still series with 100% the same exact specs but produced for the Japanese market.

This unit has been thoroughly serviced and future-proofed for use, specially all the usual issues that this synth suffers at some point:

New high-quality panel membrane replacement by Paul DeRocco
Velocity-sensitive keyboard serviced and calibrated
Firmware EPROM updated to V9 (latest)
Power supply set for 220V-240V (reversible to 110V-115V)
Unit tested and calibrated"

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Fender Chroma Polaris

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via this auction

"Freshly serviced by the experts at Switched On in Austin, TX. Works great, only minor cosmetic wear which doesn’t affect functionality."

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Fender Chroma Polaris

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via this auction

"Fender Chroma Polaris in excellent working condition. Membrane has been replaced and the unit has been serviced by a reputable local synth technician. There are some minor marks on it, normal wear and tear with a unit this old. Includes power cable.

This synth is *very* heavy for it's size (42 lbs!) - a lot of metal, but extremely well-built. Such a cool sound, only selling because I have 2 of them. :)"

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Fender Chroma Polaris II SN 500516

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"Awesome synth from the 80s. Was made by the guys from arp after they were bought out by fender. Everything works as it should, some pretty radical sounds can be conceived with this machine that’s for sure."

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Fender Rhodes Chroma Polaris SN 302332

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via this auction

"This Chroma Polaris is 100% functional and in A- cosmetic condition.

It has been professionally tested and serviced, and quite a beautiful-sounding analog instrument, unlike anything made today. Also, it is MIDI ready for studio/DAW integration and plays nicely with modern setups despite its status as a modern classic.

The Chroma Polaris was the 2nd synthesizer made by CBS/Fender/Rhodes after they took over ARP, following their classic Rhodes Chroma. It has a very ARP-like sound.

It has some interesting tricks up its sleeve: like 2 envelopes, including a 5 stage ADSDR filter envelope, aftertouch support (via external controller), and true multitimbral capability, with sounds that can be layered up to 6 voices. It also has a simple real-time sequencer and 132 memory patches."

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Keytek CTS2000 Cross Table Sampled Synthesizer SN 0279

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via this auction

You can find a couple of videos featuring the CTS2000 in previous posts here.

"THE GIBSON Synthesizer. The only.

Its name: The Keytek CTS 2000
Analog True vintage : CURTIS CHIPS // CEM 5530 / 8 CEM 3389
Released in 1987.

RARE COLLECTOR Early Model number 279

This will be supplied with :

1 COMPLETE IN ENGLISH !! Instruction Manual ! 64 pages
1 EXTERNAL ORIGINAL MEMORY CARD of this KEYTEK CTS 2000 model to store even more of your sounds.
1 CASE
1 OLD ORIGINAL ADVERTISEMENT

Fender has also released one on its side: The Chroma Polaris.

Story : Gibson had bought the Italian brand SIEL (Societa Industrie Elettroniche)
and worked in collaboration with its engineers who had already released
a lot of synthesizers including ( Cruise, Orchestra, Orchestra 2, Dk-70,
Ex-80, Dk-80 , Expander , Opera 6 , Dk-600 , Dk-700 , Kiwi ) and worked
themselves with suzuki and knew how to draw inspiration from analogs
from Korg .Moreover it would have been produced in Japan.

Gibson's synth, the Keytek CTS 2000 is a 330 plus wavetable based
synthesizer. But it is above all one of the last analog synths of this era. For
this it was equipped with Curtis chips, the same used in the little brother
of the Waldorf Wave, the Microwave .... as well as the Prophet 2000 which
is a Sequencial Audio / Dave Smith sampler ...

It has 6 voices with 2 oscillators per voice.
7 levels of envelope settings...
A Total MIDI Implementation....
An internal memory to save 48 sounds.
Finally its specialty of Cross Table Sample allows to mix for a sound of the
wavetables between them to obtain a combination of 330 X 329 so 9000 !

That is more than 9000 waveforms more than the sinusoid, the triangle,
the square, the sawtooth ! And this for a single voice ....
Each oscillator can be tuned differently for Fat sound .
An Lfo is also present to modulate these.
Dcf
Dca
Cut-off
Resonance
ADSR on 7 levels
All this in many combinations

One cannot simply overcome its possibilities.

It produces a unique sound. With it your instrumentations won't sound too much today.
He will add a personal color. It can produce percussive sounds, particular pads...

Another thing that differentiates the KEYTEK CTS 2000 is that very few copies
were produced in the world.
There are 2 other Keytek models but they are only weakly trimmed compared
to this one.

The model on sale was released in the very First GIBSON-SIEL workshops.

Number 279."

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