Late '70s Crucianelli / Crumar DS-2 Analogue Synthesizer

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"Dive into the 1970s with the Crumar DS-2 Synthesiser, an instrument that’s more stable than your average Italian sports car but with a sound that can get just as wild. A synth that marries digital precision with analogue warmth, creating a sound as rich and inviting as a Tuscan sunset. The DS-2 is kept in tune thanks to its pioneering digitally controlled oscillators (DCOs); and its unique, simple 'poly' voice, supports the equally unique mono voice you sculpt above it (highest note prioritised). This beautifully weird marriage offers a lushness of sound that could make even a seasoned maestro swoon.

Its dual LFOs, Moog-flavoured filter, and agile ADSRs are your ingredients for culinary sonic excellence, whether you're concocting the bass line of the next disco hit or simmering up some ambient soundscapes. In an era where synths often come with more presets than personality, the DS-2 stands out as a testament to hands-on creativity and the enduring appeal of Italian craftsmanship. The renaissance is now, so put down your chisel, and carve some soundwaves instead!

This is a typically Italian synthesiser, a very playful user experience with all the expected quirks and idiosyncrasies. Lift-off lid not included."

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Crumar DS-2 synthesizer monophonic / polyphonic + manuals (serviced)

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"Completely overhauled Crumar DS-2 synthesizer with its original owner's (in German) and service manual available! All potentiometers are been replaced by new ones, the volumes of the monophonic and polyphonic part are matched, it's recapped and serviced...

The DS2 is a fantastic synth to work with. It can be played polyphonic and/or monophonic, it has two LFOs which can be used at the same time, I like the modulation options where you can choose which LFO you use, it has two glide modes, a great filter, two ENVs and so on."

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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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Crazy Vincent SELLS 100 synths & keeps 26! EP1 = intro, synth list, and new studio space.

video upload by Vincent Presley

"After 2 years of crazy synth buying, Vincent has the new Secret Records studio down to a mere 26 synthesizers that he claims are better than the rest.....
Before you watch, maybe you can make your own list of what you would have kept or make some guesses about what Crazy Vincent kept. Remember..... he's not like other people.

Support the label, the studio, and us at secretrecords.bandcamp.com

Chapters:
00:00 Opening Music
00:14 Introduction
01:32 Overview
03:04 Stack One
04:49 Stack Two
05:48 Stack Three
07:23 Stack Four
08:43 Stack Five
09:23 Stack Six
09:55 Stack Seven
11:12 Stack Eight
13:19 Outro
14:50 Some Music

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Sun Ra Plays the Crumar DS-2 Synthesizer

video upload by Farsetto Nero

"1978’s Crumar DS2 analog synth"

Crumar DS2 Synthesizer

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"Completely serviced by wellknown dutch top tech (with invoice)
Great state, great sound and complete with lid/hardcase.

The DS-2 is basically a monosynth with an added 44-voice polyphonic strings section. The DS-2 uses DCOs (digitally controlled osc.) making it stable in tune. That isn't to say it can't sound fat...it can. Especially if you use the polyphonic string section and apply some slow LFO modulation to the pitch. This is a very big and good looking synth with a lot of knobs for instant hands-on control. And you don't need a hardcase, it's built into one. Just lift the cover and there it is.

It has two nice LFOs, one with S&H and staircase waveforms. You can use either or both LFOs for modulation of Osc 1, Osc 2, VCF and the VCA. Pulse-width can be set manually or modulated by either LFO. The VCF is killer, it has a nice Moog sound in it that fattens up the sound. The two ADSRs are very fast so there's no problem making bass and drum sounds with it. It has an external input for processing other sounds through its lovely filter too."

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This Analog Synth Arrived Broken...

video upload by HAINBACH

"When I first heard the Crumar DS-2 I was enchanted: it sounds absolutely wonderful and is, like most Italian synths, a true player's instrument. I get why Sun Ra dug it so much. But it is a risky synthesizer to buy: according to vintagesynth.com it is one of "the most unreliable on the used market". And mine was no exception. The seller claimed that "you can make music with it" and he was not wrong, even though he did not say it was this messed up. I was very close to sending it back, but then I started really playing it. This is what happened.

Get the tape and book of my DS-2 album 'Tagwerk':
https://industrialcomplexx.bandcamp.c..."

Hainbach is the paradigm of the revaluation of outdated material and the reconditioning of machines destined for other purposes that have nothing to do with sound, although his work as a researcher is currently much broader, his technological mastery is possibly one of the most advanced of our era.

Tagwerk is an album that honours Hainbach's way of working. It is recorded on a Crumar DS-2, an early Italian synthesiser he acquired and which began to malfunction shortly after he started it up, hence the title. This album is about embracing the broken and letting it inspire you. Much of it was recorded in two days, not even daring to open the window or turn off the synthesizer for fear that inspiration would escape or that it would break completely. He recorded 22 tracks in this marathon state, and the ones on this release are the ones that survived. There is a sonic magic in that era that is unsurpassed.

Tagwerk is accompanied by a book that tells the story of this German producer and also discusses many of his machines and working techniques.

Vintage Crumar Digital Synthesizer DS-2 SN 00030

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Pic of the inside below. This one needs some work.

"Vintage Crumar DS-2; in very good condition, cosmetically, and mostly functions very good, Very clean inside and out; I don't think this synth has been played much, and spent the last 30 years stored in a dry climate.

lowest E key cuts out intermittently only on POLY section; but if you play it softly its fine. Works fine for both oscillators.
some of the LFO modulation routing switches are noisy.
some keys are slightly blemished
Resonance control isn't very gradual; after 9 it jumps quickly to self-oscillation.
Pitch bending potentiometer is not the original.
Missing one slider cap."

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1978 Crumar DS2 Synthesizer

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I think the seller is mixing up the Crumar Spirit with the DS2. From the listing:

"Der letzte von Robert Moog in den späten 70er Jahren entwickelte Synthesizer."

"The last synthesizer developed by Robert Moog in the late 70's."

Moog worked on the Crumar Spirit from 1983.

via Wikipedia: "In 1978, Crumar released their first full-fledged synthesizer, the DS-2, which had one of the earliest digitally controlled oscillators (DCO).[2] Crumar synthesizers are comparable and contemporaneous to Moog synthesizers and other analog synthesizers; in fact, the Crumar Spirit synthesizer (1983) was designed by Bob Moog himself, along with Minimoog co-designer Jim Scott and Tom Rhea (who wrote Moog manuals)."

Crumar DS-2 44-Key Keyboard / Synthesizer For Parts

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"What works: Powers on, all keys work, parameters work, left and right outputs work

What doesn't work: tuning is a bit unstable, master volume knob isn't smooth and makes jumps, Pitch knob in OSC 1 section is difficult to move, pitch bend is hard to move.

What it needs: a good internal cleaning and probably some caps replaced. Overall, a good experianced tech to get in there. Lots of good to work off of. Selling as is. Includes cover."

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Restored Crumar DS-2

video upload by umusic6

Crumar DS 2 Synthesizer SN 278

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"Tested recently. One of the oscillators is off-line. This item is a bit of a project. There is a schematic inside the cover. All original. Much of this unit is functional."

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Crumar TRILOGY Vintage Polyphonic Analog Synthesizer

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Crumar Trilogy Sound Test video upload by Mario Mantero

Note this video is from 2016 and not the specific TRILOGY listed below.

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“Released in 1981 by Crumar, the Trilogy is a polyphonic analog synthesizer organized in 3 sections : Polysynth, Organ and Strings. The three sections are combined into one instrument to make up the six-voice analog hybrid synth. The Trilogy is a very versatile and warm machine that can easily generate synth basses & leads, electronic pianos and organs, warm strings, lush pads and sci-fi type noises. Thanks to the razor-sharp filter resonance you can also get a variety of tuned percussive sounds.

SYNTH SECTION
The Synth section implements two 74LS221 oscillators (the same used in the ultra-rare Crumar DS-1) with saw, square and saw+square waveforms. The two oscillators can be synced or tuned separately. The Synth architecture is basically built around CEM chips and in fact it features 6 CEM VCFs, 6 CEM VCAs and 6 CEM EG (one per voice).

ORGAN SECTION
The Organ section implements two additional detunable (or syncable) master tone generators divided-down to generate the octaves of the 4 horizontal drawbars (2', 4', 8' and 16'). The fact that the two master Organ oscillators can be detuned allows to produce a vast, rich, organy sound. The Organ section is fully polyphonic and can benefit of the Glide effect and the LFO features.

STRINGS
The Strings section is relatively simple but generates warm and unique brassy string sounds. The Strings section features a stepless "Footage" knob to mix low and high strings (16 ′ to 8 ′), a cutoff filter named "Timbre" and volume Attack and Release. The Strings section is 6-voice polyphonic and can benefit of the Glide effect and the LFO features

OUTPUTS
What is nice about the Trilogy is that in addition to being able to layer the sections they all also feature individual outputs for separating the sounds. The Organ and Strings audio outputs can be taken separately from a ¼inch jack socket on the back panel, or from the socket marked 'Polysynth' which in fact gives a mix of synth and organ if used alone.

MODULATION
The Trilogy LFO features triangle and square waveforms, and sports controls not often found on other synths. These included a variable delay control that determines how quickly the LFO is brought into the sound, a variable slope for blending two separate tones, and a glide feature for a glissando pitch change in the initial attack of a sound. An oscillator sync option determines the high frequency attack of one oscillator with the other high frequency oscillator. An input on the rear panel allowed for pedal control of this function.
Geek Porn : the presets 2->8 are not "static", they just cannot be edited using the synth knobs and sliders. You need to open the synth and tweak the dozens of trimpots placed on the preset board using an insulated screwdriver!”

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The Forgotten Synthesizers Of Marche Region

video upload by HAINBACH

Update: you can find additional posts featuring The Museo Del Synth Marchigiano here.

"The Marche Region in Italy was home to a thriving industry of music instrument production from the 1950s to the mid-90s. Tens of thousands of people made organs, accordions and small runs of synthesizers that were like nothing else in the world. Much production closed in the 90s, leaving only a few companies around, and many people lost their jobs. The history of Marche synths was not talked about, too bitter were the memories. The Museo Del Synth Marchigiano aims to change that - a motley crew of synth lovers work together to get the story about this special time in music instrument history out.

I was invited to play a show at Acusmatic Festival in Ancona and visit the collection before. I was overwhelmed by the amazing sounds these machines made, so I captured them on tape and for use in my performance. I also just had to film every synth I could get my hand for you to enjoy. You will find instruments by Siel, Elka, Elgan, Farfisa, Crumar, CRB and more here.

https://www.museodelsynth.org"

Timeline:

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CRUMAR STRATUS Vintage CEM Synthesizer SN 00269

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"Unfairly marked as "slimmed-down version of the Crumar Trilogy", the Stratus is actually a synth with its own character and features, a hybrid keyboard with a set of sounds which belong neither to the world of the conventional organ nor to that of complex polyphonic synth. Released in 1982, it's a 6-voices polyphonic analog synthesizer + organ synth which can be played separately or simultaneously.

SYNTH SECTION

The Synth section implements two 74LS221 oscillators (the same used in the ultra-rare Crumar DS-1) with saw, square and saw+square waveforms. The two oscillators can be synced or tuned separately. The Synth architecture is basically built around CEM chips and in fact it features 6 CEM VCFs, 6 CEM VCAs and 6 CEM EG (one per voice). The CEM filters and envelopes, combined with the various oscillator features, make it possible to create a wide range of electronic pianos, lush strings, quasi-vocal pads and tuned percussive sounds. A very unusual (unique?) feature is the "Alternate" switch: this automatically switches between sawtooth and square on every key depression, or only after all the keys have been released and one is depressed again.

ORGAN SECTION

The Organ section implements two additional detunable (or syncable) master tone generators divided-down to generate the octaves of the 4 horizontal drawbars (2', 4', 8' and 16'). The fact that the two master Organ oscillators can be detuned allows to produce a vast, rich, organy sound. The Organ section is fully polyphonic and can benefit of the Glide effect and the LFO features. The Organ audio output can be taken separately from a ¼inch jack socket on the back panel, or from the socket marked 'Polysynth' which in fact gives a mix of synth and organ if used alone.

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Crumar Composer Digital keyboard synthesizer DS-2

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"Pitch bending needs to be cleaned

Right output is a little lower than the left output

Keyboard contacts need to be cleaned

All keyboard keys work

Both oscillators work great and tune perfectly

Keyboard is in excellent condition

Front panel is in excellent condition

Both side wood panels are in great condition

The tolex case is in good condition with no rips or tears

The unit has no scratches or damage

Everything else appears to be working fine"

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Rare CRUMAR DS-1 // Less than 200 made in 1978 SN 28

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There was also a Crumar DS-2.

"One of the very few remaining Crumar DS-1 on the planet, serial number 28. Recently serviced and recapped, this impressive monosynth works like a charm and looks great - far better than any other DS-1 / DS-2 available nowaday.

Released in 1978 to compete against the Minimoog, the Crumar DS-1 implemented one of the earliest digitally controlled oscillators (DCO) - if not THE first. In those days this was enough to mark a synth as "Digital Synthesizer" but actually the DS-1 is a fully analog monosynth with analog controlled digital oscillators. A rocksolid synth that can easily genetare fat basses, expressive lead sounds and an unexpected range of percussive/FX sounds.

So Crumar released the DS-1 (their first full-fledged synthesizer) in 1978, more than four years after Korg and Roland began their domination of the low-cost arena. Consequently, and despite its cool sound and features, everybody overlooked the DS-1 and less than 200 units were sold.

The Crumar DS-1 is a dual-oscillator monosynth with a 24dB/octave resonant low-pass filter (inspired by the Minimoog Ladder), one LFO (assignable to oscillators, VCA, VCF and PW), Glide FX, two selectable noise generators and a useful Gate/IN. The front panel has a lot of well organized (and sturdy) knobs and sliders that make the DS-1 a very intuitive machine.

Specifications :

OSC Waveforms : Saw, Tri, Squ, PW (only OSC1)
OSC Parameters : Volume, Pitch, Octave, Manual PW Modulation
Noise : White / Pink + Volume control
LFO Assign : OSC1, OSC2, VCF, VCA, PW (OSC1)
LFO Waveforms : Saw Down, Tri, Squ, Saw Up, S&H, Scaled
LFO Parameters : LFO Delay
VCF : Cutoff, Resonance, ADSR, ADSR Amount
VCA : ADSR, ADSR Amount
Other : Pitch Bend, Glide with Speed Glide / Speed Range
Connections : Out Hi, Out Low, Gate/IN & Gate/OUT (+/-5 Volts)"

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Rare Green Edition Crumar DS 2 SN 023

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These usually have reddish accents as seen in previous posts. This might actually be the first one with green outlines featured on the site.  Curious what the story is behind it.  Custom, or factory? Different rev?  If anyone knows, feel free to leave a comment.

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Synthesizer von Gestern (Synths of the Past) Vol 2, Matthias Becker.

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"Beautifully-produced second volume of Matthias Becker's authoritative 'Synthesizers of the Past' book - in German, but with so many superb illustrations that it's hardly necessary to read the text. New, unused, still sealed. The photos were taken of another copy of the book.

Too many highlights to mention all, but the book covers such absolute classic synths as the Trautonium, ARP 2500, EMS Synthi 100, E-mu Modular, Steiner-Parker Synthacon, RMI Harmonic Synthesizer, Birotron, PPG 1002, Moog Taurus and Liberation, Roland System 700, Synlab Modular, Roland SH-7, Crumar DS-2, Korg Sigma, ARP Quadra, Roland RS-505 and VP-330, Fairlight CMI, Realton Variophon, Oberhaim OB-Xa, Xpander and OB-SX, Gleeman Pentaphonic, RSF Kobol, Emulator 1, Synergy, Roland SH-101, TB-303, TR-606, MC-202, Jupiter 6, Syntec Banana, SCI Prophet T8, OSCar......... an incredible roster which would (in the beautiful condition they are in the photos) probably now be worth over half a million US dollars.

All with superb photos by Dieter Stork. Hardback, beautifully printed on very high quality paper, bound to the highest standards. A coffee-table book which is also a superb source of information. The Rolls-Royce (OK, Mercedes) of synth literature. (I should know - I produced the Ford Fiestas of the genre.) ISBN 3927954012, printed in 1995."

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Crumar DS-2 SN SN 327

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"Lightly used. Fresh from estate of noted Kansas City jazz artist. I have been playing with this synth for the last two weeks and it has some amazing capabilities. The only function that I have found to not work properly is the release time for the poly section. It is likely just a card that needs cleaned. Several YouTube tutorials on this subject of handling the attack and release cards and their simple repairs. The inside of the unit is incredibly clean."

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