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)
"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."
"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.
"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."
"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!
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 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."
"The Chroma Polaris was the predecessor to the classic Rhodes Chroma. Even with its heritage, the Chroma series of keyboards has seemed to resist the inflation that vintage analog synths often have. This synth gives massive sounds with the added benefit of having midi I/O. A hi-fi synth with 6 voices of analog polyphony. Creamy sounds, very lush with tons of character. Total sleeper! Wow.
Service notes:
-Replaced membrain switch panels
-Removed all faders and disassembled and cleaned, reinstalled
-Replaced supply caps on panel boards
-Resoldered other panel board components and connectors
-Replaced filter caps and all power supply caps
-Cleaned keys and key assembly
-Cleaned all power supply connectors
-Resoldered panel board LEDs
-Cleaned bender faders, straightened shafts of panel board faders"
"00% working and currently has the original preset bank loaded. The membrane switches are all working. Over the years the unit has had a few repairs, including one of the pot muxes and replacement of all of the VCO tuning caps (Believe me, you want this done on any Polaris you find) The headphone out circuit on these is a rather poor design, which causes a good deal of hum. I have disabled this, as I want the cleanest sound I can get from the Hi Z output jack. (The Hi impedance output is the one that sounds the best) All of the keys are working perfectly. One key has a slight wiggle, which is very minor and doesn't affect playing."
Click the auction link on top when you get there for additional listings.
"For sale are the Rhodes Chroma Performancer Manual and Rhodes Chroma Programming Manual.This is your chance to own this hard to find Manuals from 1982. This is a must-have for any vintage synthesizer collector as these are getting very hard/impossible to find these days. These Manuals have no highlighting or underlining in it. These Manuals are in very good condition, see the picture's for more detail."
"Here is an extremely rare 'Chroma to Computer Interface PCBoard'. I believe it needs the 'Chroma to Computer Interface' to work which I am also selling in this Vemia. Not tested so no idea if it works or not but it's like new and in case there are issues they should be minimal. More details here : https://www.rhodeschroma.com/?id=computerinterfacehardware Rhodes Chroma rarities I am selling in Vemia : - Chroma to Computer Interface - Chroma tapper - Roland MIF-APL 291-894 board."
"Here is an extremely rare 'Chroma to Computer Interface'. I believe it needs the 'Chroma to Computer Interface PCBoard' to work which I am also selling here. Not tested so no idea if it works or not but it's like new and in case there are issues they should be minimal. Rhodes Chroma rarities I am selling in this Vemia : - Chroma to Computer Interface PCBoard - Roland MIF-APL 291-894 board."
"Your chance to own one of the most sought after analog synths of all time along with the custom-built “Enabler” controller manufactured by Randel Osborne.
Both were purchased directly from Mr. Osborne who described this particular Chroma as cosmetically and functionally one of the nicest he’d ever come across. The Enabler took two years to receive due to the extensive waiting list for this boutique unit.
The Chroma sounds MASSIVE and The Enabler allows the user to in real-time access endless layers of functionality buried by the synth’s original designers.
Comes with the original double sustain pedal, volume pedal, a bespoke interface used to connect the Enabler and an ATA style, heavy duty flightcase.
The only thing keeping me from listing this Chroma as “excellent“ is an error with voice board #5(limiting the synth to 14 voices (still sounds amazing), a burnt out “pixel” in the Chroma’s numerical display (does not affect functionality) and a dark LED screen on the Enabler (which also doesn’t affect functionality). In any event these should be simple fixes and these issues are already reflected in the lower than normal asking price. All buttons/sliders/keys functions as they should.
Due to the delicate nature of the synth it is available for local pick up only in the northeast for now. If it isn’t sold after a while I’ll open it up to shipping although I doubt it will not sell quickly as I’ll be entertaining all serious offers."
"Powers on and has some sound output but reads error message 4 on LCD screen. The rest of functions are untested. Has the Syntech Midi upgrade. Please examine pictures carefully. Comes with original Anvil custom case."
See here for error codes. Err 4 likely means an issue with voice board 4, aka dual channel board 4.
"Rare vintage spare Dual Channel Bd circuit board Assy-7225601 Fab 30-5422801 for your Arp Rhodes Chroma Keyboard or Expander. Previous tech notes it was tested and working in 2015, but I have not tested it as I no longer have any Chroma keyboards to test with, so this is sold as-is with no guarantees, for parts/repairs. Very useful if you have a Chroma you need to restore and looking for this piece. We have many other rare Rhodes Chroma parts for sale, please check out our other listings."
Note the white board below is a Rev 3 board: "Assy-7225601 Fab 30-5422801 Rev 3"
Chroma Classics Preset Pack for Chroma features an additional 100 phenomenal presets by Cherry Audio's Director of Sound Design, James Terris, blending vintage tones with a contemporary feel.
"Dive into the captivating history of the Rhodes Chroma synthesizer with "The Story of Chroma," a documentary that traces its revolutionary path from the final days of ARP Instruments to its celebrated release by Rhodes in 1982. This compelling video brings to life the innovative spirit of the Chroma through the firsthand accounts of those who stood at the forefront of its creation. Hear from Dr. Tom Rhea, a renowned electronic music historian, Michael Brigida, a dedicated ARP and Rhodes product specialist, and Mary Lock, the esteemed service manager for both companies, as they recount the synthesizer's development, challenges, and triumphs. Featuring exclusive interviews and insights, this documentary not only explores the technical breakthroughs and musical possibilities the Chroma introduced but also celebrates its enduring legacy and the recent resurgence through Cherry Audio’s efforts. Witness the story of a musical marvel that continues to inspire innovation and creativity in the world of music.
Produced by Daniel Keller Editing and graphics by Mal Meehan Music by James Terris"
4. Cherry Audio | Introduction to Chroma Synthesizer
Synth designer Mitchell Sigman of Cherry Audio introduces Chroma, Cherry Audio's virtual instrument that emulates the 1982 Rhodes Chroma polyphonic analog synthesizer and its Expander unit.
0:10 Introduction
1:18 User Interface Basics
4:44 Voice Architecture and Patch Configuration
9:43 The Chroma Arpeggiator
11:37 Sweep Generators (the LFOs)
17:02 Envelope Generators
19:46 Chroma CPU Usage
Cherry Audio Chroma User Videos
1. Cherry Audio Chroma: A demo + tutorial of an elusive analog synth - CatSynth TV - Patreon
We take a deep dive into Cherry Audio's new Chroma, a meticulous recreation of the legendary and elusive Rhodes Chroma. It was a polyphonic analog synthesizer that came with some unique features, notably the ability to reconfigure the signal path among its oscillators, filters, and VCAs, opening up a wider range of sound possibilities. Cherry Audio's version combines these features with a modern user interface that allows direct manipulation of the parameters (unlike the original with a single data slider), and adds a full-featured effects section. We go over the expansive feature set of this instrument, showing you how each feature works and how to use them to make your own sounds.
00:00 Introduction 00:27 History of the Chroma synthesizer 01:38 Presenting the Cherry Audio Chroma 02:39 Oscillator features 06:56 Filter features 11:17 VCA features 12:42 Dual Layers configuration 16:49 Dual Layers + Oscillator Sync 18:47 Dual Layers + Ring Modulation 21:13 Filter FM 23:54 Parallel Filters 26:09 Parallel Filters + Oscillator Sync 27:04 Series Filters 31:44 Effects section 32:38 Factory Presets 39:41 Conclusion
2. Cherry Audio Chroma Expander Sounds of Chaos Beauty Virtual Synthesizer - Rik Marston Official - AhnyxianSoundDesign
3. Cherry Audio Chroma Expander Sounds of Light & Darkness Virtual Synthesizer VST - Rik Marston Official - AhnyxianSoundDesign
Press release follows:
May 14, 2024: Cherry Audio is excited to unveil Chroma, a groundbreaking virtual instrument that brings the legendary sounds of the 1982 Rhodes Chroma into the digital age.
