Rhodes Chroma Videos by Claes von Heijne

Published on Dec 12, 2019 Claes von Heijne

"Rhodes Chroma and Chroma Expander Invitation"

I spotted the above on the http://rhodeschroma.com mailing list. Turns out he also had a playlist with 22 Chroma videos:



Playlist at the time of this post:

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ARP RHODES CHROMA Analog Synthesizer - Sounds, Patches & Ambient Soundscapes | Synth Demo

Published on Jan 25, 2020 synth4ever

"ARP Rhodes Chroma analog synthesizer demo featuring various sounds, patches, presets and ambient soundscapes. This Rhodes Chroma synth demo covers a variety of sounds on the Chroma and features some effects from Strymon Big Sky. Filmed at Synth Palace (http://www.synthpalace.net) in Montreal, Canada.

The Rhodes Chroma is a vintage analog synth originally designed by ARP, and then completed by Rhodes in the early 1980s. Only 3000 Rhodes Chroma synths were manufactured, making it fairly rare today. Its sound can be described as big, brash, powerful and aggressive in tone, but also refined, harmonically rich and organic.

The ARP Rhodes Chroma uses VCOs and features 16 voice mode (1-osc per voice) and 8-voice mode (2-osc per voice). The synth engine architecture is very powerful and allows for complex sound creation, parameter routing and modulation. The Chroma uses an Electronically Reconfigurable System which allows the VCOs, VCFs and VCAs to be reconfigured, or "patched" like modular synthesizers, but without the patch cords.

For example, filters can be arranged in series for 4 pole or band-pass response, or in parallel for notch filtering. In addition, some configurations feature oscillator synchronization, filter frequency modulation or ring modulation.

The Rhodes Chroma has 16 LFOs (1 or 2 per voice) which are digitally generated -- shapes include: sine, cosine, offset sine, half sine, saw, square, lag square, 2 x triangles, random and 6 x patterns. The filter can be set to 24dB/oct low-, high-, band-pass or notch modes, or 12dB/oct low- or high-pass modes. It also has digitally generated ADSR envelopes.

The ARP Rhodes Chroma has a 64-note keyboard, which is velocity sensitive and weighted action, with optional polyphonic aftertouch capability (if installed). It can store 50 programs, is 2-part multi-timbral, and can also be expanded up to 32/16 voices of polyphony via the separate Chroma Expander unit (also quite rare).

In its standard configuration, editing the Rhodes Chroma in real-time is very difficult as it uses membrane panel buttons and a single data slider for changing parameters. However, today there are Behringer BCR2000 sysex templates available for download, as well as custom controllers available for purchase from manufacturers like StereoPing (https://www.stereoping.com/synth-prog...) and Red Shift Consulting's "ENABLER" (http://www.redshift-consulting.com/en...) which give you direct hands-on control via knob-per-function design.

I hope you enjoy this demo of the Rhodes Chroma by ARP. It is a colossal synth and versatile instrument, and sounds magnificent to this day. The raw power and tone from the Rhodes Chroma is something which must be heard in person, as some have suggested it is essentially a polyphonic ARP 2600. Needless to say, I was very impressed with this beautiful synth and its sounds. Hope you enjoy the demo."

Rhodes Chroma Demo, Part 1

YouTube via NonDigitalTom

"Here's the first of a four part series demonstrating the Rhodes Chroma, arguably the greatest polyphonic analog synthesizer of all time. The video was shot with the help of Mike Thompson, who's doing the majority of the playing in this demo. One of the channels on the Chroma is not working, so what you're hearing is 7 out of its 8 voices. The Chroma Expander shown is not currently functioning (we'll get to it someday though).

I acquired this Rhodes Chroma on trade in non-working condition with the hope I could one day get it up and running. I had the power supply replaced and purchased the CC+ upgrade available through RhodesChroma.com. After that, I had three voices working. With a little troubleshooting and swapping around of voice cards I was able to get four voices. Mike was super motivated to hear the Chroma in its full glory (which we've yet to do, mind you). With his help and determination, we figured out that the Chroma had four dead voice cards and one bad channel. We're still trying to figure out what to do about that. In the meantime, I acquired the Chroma Expander, which is non-functional but had good working voice cards. So we pulled some cards from the Expander to make our 7 voice Chroma, which is demonstrated in the video."

Rhodes Chroma Demo, Part 2

"Here's the second installment of our Rhodes Chroma demo. The Chroma originally had one bank of 50 patches, but the CC+ CPU upgrade expands the memory to allow 4 banks of 50 patches. This demo is all the second bank (which we've been referring to as "Bank B"). This time it's just me playing. One thing I really love about the Chroma is the velocity sensitivity, especially for envelope-controlled filter effects. You can see this demonstrated here in some of the patches where I just used the left hand. That (combined with the weighted real wood keys) really makes the Chroma a blast to play. I can't say enough good things about this synth. Seriously. Can't wait to get the Expander going!

Check out http://www.formusiciansonly.com/blog to see pictures of our vintage keyboard studio."

Rhodes Chroma Demo, Part 3

Uploaded by NonDigitalTom on Apr 15, 2009

"Here's the third part in our Rhodes Chroma demo series, this time featuring sounds from Bank C (including the patch we used for our ominous intro). These all came preloaded with the CC+ upgrade - we haven't even gotten to programming our own yet. Should be a lot of fun! This demo features a mix of Mike and myself taking turns going through various patches. Keep in mind, there's no reverb, delay, or effects of any kind in any of these videos; just the Chroma being recorded direct.
Check out http://www.formusiciansonly.com/blog to see pictures of our vintage keyboard studio."

Rhodes Chroma Updates

A couple of interesting bits from the Rhodes Chroma Group.

Chroma interface lead (pictured). Allows you to communicate between Chromas and applies to the ARP Chroma, Rhodes Chroma, and Chroma Polaris. Title link takes you to the details on the Rhodes Chroma site.

And... A knob box for the ARP/Rhodes Chroma just might be coming via jesper:
"My knob project will take advantage of Sandro's and David's CC+ and then add a Doepfer Pocket Dial on the midi chain. I spoke to Sandro about this and he said it should work. I'll keep you posted when the CC+ has arrived, has been installed and the Pocket Dial has been programmed to send on the right channels... (expect a few more months ;) If it works as I hope I'll do a Chroma-style new case for the Pocket Dial."

It's stuff like this that makes the Rhodes Chroma group and site pretty amazing. I find it pretty fascinating that out of all vintage synths, the Rhodes Chroma ended up with the best direct support group and site.

Update: When I put up this post, I wanted to call out a big thanks to Chris Ryan, the owner of the Rhodes Chroma site and list, but I wasn't sure if the thanks should be limited to just him or others. I contacted Chris directly and he let me know that although he maintains the site on his own, we can find a list of the contributors here.

"David Clarke has been the most consistent and prolific contributor of articles and information, and to the mailing list. Sandro worked with him on the CC+ and contributed a couple of articles. There are lots of other people active on the list as well (as you've seen), and contributors."

Anyway, thanks Chris, David, Senso and everyone else that contributed. It really is one heck of a group.

Rhodes CHROMA ARP Analog Polyphonic Synthesizer

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

via this auction

This is the second one listed today. These are beautiful instruments and thanks to the iPad, Chromas with the CC+ upgrade can now be edited in real time with a dedicated iPad editor.

Notes on this one via the listing: "Here is a Rhodes Chroma that has recently been restored to full operation by William Santana at Santana Musical Electronics of Portland, OR. The unit was purchased from the original owner and has already been upgraded with the SPSU that is currently available for the Chroma.

))))))))PLEASE READ(((((((((
The CPU in the unit is the original design but the CC+ CPU upgrade is on order now and will be available some time in March. Once the kit is available I would be willing to ship it to the seller as it's value is included with the sale price in this auction. No further costs will be incurred by the buyer of this unit for the value of the CC+. The CC+ will be shipped as soon as is received from the manufacturer. The only thing the buyer will have to make arrangements for is for the installation of the upgrade. The CC+ along with the SPSU brings the Chroma truly into the 21st century providing an enduring stable service life for many more years to come as well as many new and valuable features provided by the CC+. Read more info about it at: rhodeschroma.com

The CC+ is essential for full CC control of all parameters and has already been used to great benefit by the designer of the
Enabler Chroma interface, and the iPad Touch OSC interface:

The woodwork is all original. Due to the typical nature of the aging Rhodes Chroma, often the end caps are found to be stained from the degraded foam that lines the flight case for the Chroma. This unit came to me with foam stains but has since been refinished and the case has been refoamed as well.

As you can see in the pics, the cosmetic condition is very clean. I have since provided bushings under the front panel screws to give it a cleaner look. The tolex is very clean as well. Overall, this unit is an excellent example of the Rhodes Chroma model.

Also included is 2 extra channel boards. Parts have been removed from both of these boards to facilitate the restoration of this Chroma. Currently, NONE of the CEM ICs are present on these boards. However, there are other parts that are specific to the Chroma including the cards themselves. Both of the extra cards are the 2nd or 3 revisions that still had to have a jumper installed at the factory. The need for this jumper was corrected by the later revisions of the channel board which are what all 8 channel boards are currently loaded in the Chroma you see here.

The sound of the unit is big, organic and very deep. The keyboard is a real, wooden 64-note velocity-sensitive dream come true. The programming features are truly unlike any other synth. The "patch" parameter gives you several different routing options between the 2 voices on each card. Some have compared this to the "Algorithm" concept found in the Yamaha DX7.

This unit comes with all of the original accessories including:
Dual sustain/sostenuto pedal (Rhodes)
Single patch advance pedal (Rhodes)
Variable voltage control pedal (Rhodes)
3 x cassette interface cables (original) 2 x 5-pin 1 x 8 pin
Programming manual
Performance Manual
Syntech MIDI interface with all documentation
Front panel interface feature chart
2 x original factory patch cassettes

The Rhodes Chroma was the last product to come from ARP. This unit was to be ARPs big push back into the very competitive synthesizer market. They were definitely onto something. There were many innovation that were developed for this machine that were way ahead of its time. Unfortunately, ARP could not hold things together to release the product to market. Phillip Dodds, who was responsible for the Chromas development and the shutting down of ARP, managed to convince CBS to take up the design along with the R&D team to release it to market under the Rhodes badge. The Rhodes Chroma saw some hi-profile use and was definitely the "players" synthesizer in its day."

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TouchOSC iPad Template for the Rhodes Chroma

Rhodes Chroma TouchOSC Editor

YouTube via matrixsynth | November 21, 2010 |


"The Chroma has a slightly, conceptually different architecture than most analog poly synths. On most you have two oscillators that are routed through a filter with shared modulation sources such as envelopes and LFOs. On the Chroma, each of two oscillators, Wave A and Wave B have corresponding filters, Filter A and Filter B, LFOs called Sweep A and B, and so on. The routing is not fixed and is very flexible, meaning you can use modulation sources on B with A and vice versa. There is too much to go into here, so check out the excellent Rhodes Chroma site for more: http://rhodeschroma.com/.

As for this video, the Chroma starts with an initialized patch which only has one "Wave/Patch" active. In the beginning I adjust the pitch for Wave A which is active. I then show Wave B is inactive by attempting to adjust its pitch which does nothing. I then enable Wave B followed by applying various modulations to filter and pitch for both. This video is not a performance and is only meant to show a little of what the Rhodes Chroma TouchOSC editor is capable of." See the screens above for reference. Below is a shot of the iPad on top of the Chroma.

Update: see this post for an editor that does not require The Missing Link.

For The Missing Link you can find templates here. One is for TouchOSC and one is for OSCulator.

For those new to TouchOSC and OSCulator, TouchOSC provides a JazzMutant Lemur-like control interface that is completely configurable. You can read more about it on hexler.net here. TouchOSC only transmits Open Sound Control messages. To translate these messages to MIDI CC you need something like OSCulator.

The two templates in the share above are for TouchOSC and OSCulator. For TouchOSC you just need to drop the mapping in the templates folder and sync to your iPad. You can then select the mapping. For OSCulator, you just need to open the template, click on the Settings icon and set it to use whatever MIDI out you plan to hook into your Chroma. Note you do need the CC+ upgrade on your Chroma with MIDI set for Expanded Mode MCM.

The screens show all editable parameters of the Rhodes Chroma. If you have a Chroma, you owe it to yourself to check out the Rhodes Chroma website and join the email list.

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Rhodes Chroma Expander

images via this auction.

If you are considering this one, don't miss the note on MIDI below.

"Rare keyboardless version of the Chroma. (Less than 250 expanders produced) The Chroma was the last instrument produced by Arp before the company went bust in the mid 80's. Rhodes then took over Arp and rebadged the Chroma. The Chroma is a very flexible instrument, the architecture is almost modular like, very patchable plus with the benefits of having user memories. Fantastic sounding instrument, on tons of records from the 80s/ 90s. Famous users include Joe Zawinul and Herbie Hancock (Future Shock) amongst others.. Check out Herbie Hancock playing his Chroma in this Youtube video below:





Herbie Hancock jams with his Fairlight CMI
YouTube via froady.

"Herbie shows off while Quincy Jones looks on. 1983" Herbie plays the Chroma starting at 2:40 into the video. Gives you an idea of how great the synth sounds! Personally i think the Chroma is a much better sounding instrument than many of the other classic analogue polysynths, like the Prophet 5, Jupiter or Oberheim OB series. Here are some more details on the synths specifications: -2 VCO oscillators per voice, 8 note polyphonic synthesizer OR 1 VCO per voice and 16 note polyphonic. *Velocity and aftertouch sensitive* -Oscillators have sawtooth and square waveforms. -Ability to modulate the width of the sawtooth wave giving sine and triangle waveforms. -Filter modes include: 4 pole Low pass/4 pole High pass/ 2 pole Low pass/ 2 pole High pass/ 2 pole Band pass/ 2 pole Notch all with resonance. -Filter FM, ring modulation and Oscillator sync! -Four envelopes and glide generator PER voice. 16 LFO waveforms. -Arpeggiator with random mode. Also check out the excellent Rhodes Chroma website for more further information. Super instrument. Sonically its really versatile, great for percussive, cutting lead lines great for experimental and effects sounds (has a ring modulator, frequency modulation, tons of assignable LFOs and envelopes!) also very good for traditional synth sounds, smooth brass, string/ pad sounds etc. Really rich sounding.. It has a dual voice architecture like the CS80, where each oscillator has its own individual signal path and settings, so you can build some really impressive sounding patches. There is also a wide selection of decent patches to download from the Rhodes Chroma website. This unit has just been fully serviced (October 2007) and been given a full bill of health by Roy Paynter, an Arp trained Chroma repair expert in the UK. As well as being serviced the internal PSU has been also replaced with a modern switching unit improving long term reliability and also makes the instrument a lot lighter! The Expander is great if you are limited for space, its about a third of the size and weight of the Chroma keyboard! Also included in the auction is a JL Cooper Chromaface midi interface and manual and the Chroma user manual. I havent been able to get this midi interface working, im not sure i have it hooked up correctly, im sure the midi interface works ok, but thought it was worth mentioning. I was considering purchasing a CC+ midi kit for this unit, a great midi interface new on the market, which really brings the Chroma into 2007, gives it a great midi spec. Unfortunately i didnt get round to it and need need to sell this Chroma now to fund something else. But i highly recommend the buyer to check out the CC+ midi kit"

Arp Rhodes Chroma Expander

images via this auction via Rob

"The Chroma was the last synth made by synth giants Arp Electronics, it was rebadged by the Rhodes company when they bought Arp out in the mid 80's. Rare synth, approximately 2000 Chroma keyboard's were made, but only around 200 Chroma Expanders were produced. The Expander has all the same superb sound as the Chroma keyboard, but fortunately none of the bulk. The Chroma keyboard is HUGE and weighs about the same as a CS80! [Update via Joseph in the comments: "Hi There the CS-80 Weighs 220 1/2 pounds (100.3 kg) And the Chroma weighs 71 pounds."] The Expander by contrast is very portable and takes up very little space which is great.

Here is a brief technical specification:
Velocity and aftertouch sensitive. 16 Oscillators. (Can be either 16 note polyphonic with one oscillator per voice, or 8 note, with two per voice) Pulse and Sawtooth waveforms. The PULSE and SAWTOOTH both have width controls, so the Sawtooth can be swept from a Sine wave through Triangle to Sawtooth. Multimode filter, 2 pole Band pass, 2 pole Notch, 2 pole High pass, 2 and 4 pole Low pass filter modes. White and Pink noise. 4 EGs. 2 LFOS with 16! different waveforms. Each VCO has independant portamento. Sync. Ring modulator. FM. Unison. It has a very flexible architecture much like a modular synth- but with patch memories.

Fab sounding synthesizer, great for string, pad sounds, resonant sweeps, vocal sounds, basslines, leadlines, FX. It can sound very percussive too, capable of cutting right through a mix. It has a recognisable classic 80's powerful analogue sound and was used on tons of records, Herbie handcock in particular is a heavy user, the lead line on Rockit was the Chroma.

To hear the sound of the Chroma in action i highly recommend checking out this Youtube video [see this post]: (Herbie plays the Chroma, 2:43 minutes into the video)

As well as restoring the electronics and case, i also added the new midi kit from the guys on Rhodes Chroma website, check out the midi kit specification here.

I recommend checking out the Rhodes Chroma website its an excellent resource!"

Rhodes Chroma with Enabler Controller

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

via this auction

" Rhodes Chroma in excellent condition! The Chroma includes the Enabler contoller(and power cord/midi connector) , brand new flight case for Chroma, original pedals. the Enabler wood is cherry with a finish to match the Chroma cherry wood and finish. Reworked by New England Analog(NEA) who performed the following service.If you go to NEA's website and gallery,you can see photos of this exact Chroma.
removed all wood surfaces, stripped and resanded the cherry wood and finished in cherry finish with three coats of PU
all electrolytic capacitors replaced.
replaced PSU with Luca Sasdelli's switching power supply kit which was the Chroma's weakest point. Chroma now generates no heat upon touch and is incredibly stable.
Added Chris Borman's, After touch Pressure Sensor Kit. Chroma now has aftertouch which can easily be adjusted with the Enabler.
Added the CPU Plus CC+ software PCB which adds further operating stability and better midi control.This feature increases the standard 50 patches to 200 patches and allows the Chroma to be controlled by Randall Osborne's Enabler which is now marketed by NEA.
For those unfamiliar with the Chroma, you can find basic info on Vintage Synth Explorer or Soundonsound, but the primary source of information in on the Rhodes Chroma website which contains significant information about the Chroma and all the upgrades performed on this unit.Here are the basics:

Polyphony-16 voices with 1 OSC per voice or 8 voice with 2 Osc per voice
64 note velocity sensitive full size keys including polyphonic aftertouch
Oscillators -mix of saw and variable pulse waveforms
Filters- switchable low and high pass .16 different configurations including parallel, in series,variable mix, ring mod, FM mod, band pass, notch filtering.
VCA- ADSR type
Transpose, split, and two patch link capability
Autotune
Memory-200 patches
LFO- 16 different waveforms
Midi controllable"

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ARP / RHODES CHROMA 【SYNTH DEMO】Overview

Published on Aug 27, 2014 David Hobson
Re-Published on Jul 19, 2015 Synthesizer Style

ARP / Rhodes Chroma Song | "Memories of Dune" | HD DEMO
ARP / Rhodes Chroma | HD DEMO - Overview | Part 1 - 3 [Playing starts after 41:20.]

"Demonstration / Tutorial Video's of the Rhodes Chroma / Arp Chroma Synthesizer. The Rhodes Chroma is a vintage polyphonic analog synthesizer completely designed by the Arp Synthesizer Company and manufactured by Rhodes between 1982 and 1983. There were approximately 3000 Chromas produced in total between 82 & 83, making it *now* one of the most valued synthesizers to those who are 'in the know.'

I have attempted to scratch the surface of this wonderful synthesizer in a *very* CASUAL 3 part video series totaling @ 5 hours.Please look for the other parts to this initial series, and be sure to watch for much more on the legendary Arp Chroma.

For more info, please see:

http://www.rhodeschroma.com/"

Playlist:

Rhodes Chroma Overview by Eric Frampton

Published on Jan 3, 2015 The Keyboardist Blog

"Atlanta-based keyboard player and tech Eric Frampton gives a detailed explanation of how he restored his classic Rhodes Chroma.

thekeyboardistblog.wordpress.com"

Playlist:
Rhodes Chroma: Part 1
Rhodes Chroma: Part 2
Rhodes Chroma Preset Demos
Rhodes Chroma/Memorymoog Shootout

ARP Rhodes Chroma - Ambient Chillout Music | Synth Demo

Published on Feb 4, 2020 synth4ever

"ARP Rhodes Chroma analog synthesizer demo, featuring ambient chillout music created on Rhodes Chroma synth from ARP. This ambient soundscape created directly on the ARP Rhodes Chroma synthesizer. Subtle reverb effects provided by Strymon Big Sky.

The Rhodes Chroma was designed by ARP Instruments in the early 1980s and is one of the most revered analog synths to this day. In this ambient music piece titled "Titans", I showcase the Rhodes Chroma's massive low end and brassy overtones via a live piano improvisation. Filmed at www.synthpalace.net in Montreal, Quebec (Canada)."

Rhodes Chroma Site Turns 10

via Chris Ryan on the Rhodes Chroma List:
"Ten years ago [2/21/99] today the first version of the Chroma site went live. I posted five pages on the instrument to my personal site, and sent a short announcement to comp.music.midi (Usenet! how things have changed). I've attached a screen shot of the home page from 1999.

A decade later, the site comprises 327 pages and more than 975,000 words--about the length of ten or eleven novels--including over 3700 posts to the mailing list (which now has about 150 subscribers). It all adds up to 330mb of information on our beloved synthesizer. All of the documentation is available, along with most of the known reviews, a gold mine of technical information, software, patches, numerous downloads, and a lot more: take a look at the site map to get an idea of the scope if you haven't browsed recently. Of course, I couldn't have done it all myself; see the list of contributors.

Perhaps most significantly, activity surrounding the instrument has resumed, with excellent projects such as the CPU Plus, SPSU kit, and more. Some have purchased and/or restored their instruments as a result of the community and the resources available at the site.

There have been more than a couple hundred thousand visitors, which is astonishing considering we have figured out that only about 1500 Chromas were manufactured, and probably only a few hundred, at most, are currently in use or even in working order. I've updated the Site Statistics page with information through the end of 2008; it's quite interesting to see the changes in browsers, referring sites and search engines, and top pages over the years.

Thanks, everyone, for your continued participation, contributions, and donations. It's been really rewarding; I've learned a lot and have heard from many great people from all over the world.

Chris"

I want to congratulate Chris on running THE BEST dedicated synth site on the web hands down. It really is amazing how much life Chris has given to the Rhodes Chroma through the site and the email list. As someone on the list said, if it weren't for the site his Chroma would be a paper weight. As a proud owner of a Rhodes Chroma myself, I sincerely thank Chris for all he has done for us. I still need to get me a CPU Plus one day. :) If you haven't checked out the site, do it. It's a vast resource not only on the Rhodes Chroma but the Polaris as well.

Rhodes Chroma CC+ Upgrade Turns Six

CC+ firmware release 215 offers Random Patch Generator, Support for Parameter feedback for ‘knob boxes’ and more.

via David Clarke on the Rhodes Chroma list. If you are interested in the Rhodes Chroma, be sure to check out the excellent http://rhodeschroma.com/

"Happy Birthday to the CC+.

The first CC+ orders were placed in June, 2006. Now five years later, these boards are still being produced and we’re still adding features suggested by CC+ users.

The newly released version of firmware (215) adds the following items:

* Support for transmission of Monophonic (Channel) Pressure via MIDI
* Program 0 SYSEX dump via [Set Split 20]
* Random Patch Generation with [Set Split 38]
* 'MIDI CC Data Request' SYSEX command

As well, operation has been updated such that a Program 0 SYSEX receive will automatically redefine the main and link instruments according to the new program.

Mono Pressure
-------------

[Set Split 36] + P16 (MIDI Pressure Mode) now gives users a choice as to whether they would like to transmit MIDI pressure as Polyphonic/Key pressure messages or Monophonic/Channel Pressure messages.

Setting P16 to "Pol" selects Polyphonic/Key pressure messages.
Setting P16 to "Chnl" selects Monophonic/Channel Pressure messages.


Program 0 SYSEX Dump/Receive
----------------------------

Pressing [Set Split 20] sends the current program over MIDI as a single program 0 SYSEX message.

Sending the 'program 0' SYSEX message back to the Chroma will make that patch the currently sounding one.

Together, these features can be used to allow a user to create a specific patch they like, send it to a sequencer for storage - and then to have the sequencer download just that the patch to the Chroma, so that you can always ensure that a sequence is playing exactly the patch of interest.


Random Patch Generator
----------------------

Pressing [Set Split 38] creates a random patch. A new random patch is created each time that key combination is pressed.


CC Parameter Dump Request
-------------------------

Sending the following SYSEX string to the Chroma will prompt the Chroma to dump all parameters of its current program via MIDI.

F0 08 00 4B 59 00 38 F7

This command is provided to allow parameter feedback for such editors as the BCR2000. Specifically - by programming this string into the 'Data Request' feature of the box, the current parameter state can be echoed back to the encoder rings.

Such a feature could also be used with other editors that support similar functionality.


Further information on these features is available on-line via the CC+ User's Manual (http://www.rhodeschroma.com/?id=cpuplusmanual) and in the CC+'s Firmware page (http://www.rhodeschroma.com/?id=cpuplusfirmware).

Please continue to raise new feature ideas here for discussion - and if there are items that users agree would be good to add, we'll certainly consider adding them.

Thank you for your continued interest.

(NOTE: CC+ units currently being built will ship with firmware version 215 pre-installed)."

The CC+ upgrade made these iPad editor possible:
New Rhodes Chroma TouchOSC Templates Complete
iChromaCC+

Rhodes Chroma Now Supports an External Alphanumeric Display

via the Rhodes Chroma list:
"Following up to the ChromaTalk discussion in April of this year ( http://www.rhodeschroma.com/?id=2010&month=04#speakingofmodifications ) we have created a firmware release to support an external display for the Rhodes Chroma/Rhodes Chroma Expander.

The hope is that easily understandable parameter data will allow a more fluid programming experience, and will make users more likely to modify existing patches, or to create new ones from scratch.

While there might eventually be a one-stop kit to add on the display, the initial addition of the capability is intended to be a 'do-it-yourself' project where interested users have the freedom to make up their own cables, decide their own display mounting locations and to choose their own display housings. (A picture of my display is attached).

The specific details of this feature are provided on the Rhodes Chroma site ( http://www.rhodeschroma.com/?id=cpuplusalphadisplay ).

Special thanks go to Tom Moravansky who generously volunteered his time to review test versions of the firmware. Tom provided specific text for the Patch and Algorithm screens and also provided valuable input concerning the usability of the data.

As with all updates, the changes are intended to benefit Chroma users as a whole. We hope that all comments, questions or change requests will be shared here with the group for discussion.

Best regards,

Sandro Sfregola & David Clarke"

New Rhodes Chroma TouchOSC Templates Complete

Update: see this post for a port that does not require The Missing Link.
-----
One for The Missing Link and two for OSCulator. Click the images for the full size screens. They will show you every editable parameter on the Chroma. The template interfaces for The Missing Link and OSCulator are exactly the same. The only difference is in the message format each sends. You can find a video of the previous template in this post. It's roughly the same but I switched out sliders for toggles where appropriate for finer control over the parameters.

I sent the following to the Rhodes Chroma List and wanted to capture it here in a post. If you have a Chroma and are not on the list, you owe it to yourself to join it. See http://rhodeschroma.com for everything Chroma. It's an amazing resource.

"Hi everyone. The Chroma TouchOSC editors are ready. Yes editors plural. I made two, one for The Missing Link, and one for OSCulator so those that don't have The Missing Link can try it out. If you have an iPad and a Mac with MIDI you can get going right now. If you don't you can still check out the templates in the TouchOSC editor which runs on Windows, Mac or Linux.

If all of this is new to you and a little confusing. It's not as complicated as you think. Once you get set up it's a breeze and running the editor is as simple as launching a stand alone app for the iPad.

In short:
1. TouchOSC is an iOS and Android app that transmits OSC (Open Sound Control) Messages.
2. OSCulator and The Missing Link translates these messages into MIDI

TouchOSC
TouchOSC consists of two programs, an editor and the app that runs on the iPad, iPhone/iPod Touch, or Android. The editor runs on Windows, Mac or Linux and is where you design templates. The app runs your templates on an iOS or Android device.

OSCulator
OSCulator is an app that runs on a Mac only and acts as the translator for TouchOSC to MIDI. You connect from the iPad to your Mac over wireless.

The Missing Link is a little wireless TouchOSC MIDI device that does the same as OSCulator minus the need for a PC or Mac. It is also a class compliant USB MIDI merge device.

You can grab the templates here.

Setup Instructions for TouchOSC (only do this once):
1. Install TouchOSC on your iPad via iTunes or http://hexler.net/ It is free. Follow the instructions on site.
2. Install the TouchOSC editor http://hexler.net/software/touchosc Follow the instructions on site.

Setup Instructions for OSCulator (only do this once):
1. Install OSCulator: http://www.osculator.net...
2. Follow the Quickstart Guide: http://www.osculator.net/doc/

Install Templates:
1. Download the appropriate templates - two OSCulator files if you are going to use OSCulator or one ML file if you are going to use The Missing Link.
2. Copy the .touchosc file/s to the TouchOSC application folder.
3. Copy the .oscd file to the OSCulator application folder.
6. Double click/open the template you plan to use
7. Click on the Sync button
8. Open TouchOSC on your iPad
9. On the iPad, in TouchOSC's settings, click on the template name listed under Layout
10. Click on Add
11. Click on your computer's name. It should add the Chroma template
12. Click the TouchOSC button on the top left of the screen to get out of the Layout screen
13. Click Done on the top right of the TouchOSC screen. With The Missing Link you are good to go. For OSCulator:
14. Launch the Chroma OSCulator template, click on Parameters and set MIDI for your MIDI device - MIDI out of your Mac to MIDI in of your Chroma. You should be good to go.

If things don't seem to be working, close out of TouchOSC completely. Get out of the program, double click on the iPad's "launch/start" button, hold your finger down on the OSC icon for a few seconds and then click on the minus to close it. Make sure your iPad is connected to the same network as your Mac and then open TouchOSC again. Follow the setup instructions on hexler.net and/or osculator.net to make sure everything is connected properly.

Once setup is complete you can just launch whatever template you want to use and go.

A quick note: if you plan on using The Missing Link and OSCulator interchangeably, remember to switch the Network setting in the TouchOSC iPad app's settings. It does not auto discover like the iPad's wireless settings, so be sure to write them down."

TouchOSC - hexler
iPads on eBay

Update: Some troubleshooting tips via Ben on the Rhodes Chroma list:

---OSCulator was not sending midi out of my interface, even though I had it selected to do so. I had to go into Audio Midi setup on my Mac, enable IAC, and then select it as an input source within OSCulator. It then properly passed the information out of my interface, an old first gen USB MOTU Midi Express XT. Although this is listed in the OSCulator manual, I didn't see it in any of the general setup instructions on Matrix's site so if you have this problem turning IAC on may fix it.
---The Chroma must be set to Extended Program mode... set split 36, parameter 6 set to on
---The Chroma must be set to Custom MCM mode... set split 18 set to Cust
That was pretty much it, the rest was just basic missteps with me learning how to get the Ipad/TouchOsc/Osculator stuff working properly.
Now that I have it working, It should be pretty solid unless I go start changing parameters.
Thanks everyone, and especially to Matrix for making this available for free!

ARP / RHODES CHROMA 【SYNTH DEMO】 - Part 3 / 5 Hour Video Series

Published on Sep 16, 2014 David Hobson
Update: Re-Published on Sep 17, 2014

Video moved to a new channel. All parts here.

"RHODES CHROMA Demo / Part 3 of a 5 hour series of Demonstration / Tutorial Video's of the Rhodes Chroma / Arp Chroma Synthesizer. The Rhodes Chroma is a vintage polyphonic analog synthesizer completely designed by the Arp Synthesizer Company and manufactured by Rhodes between 1982 and 1983. There were approximately 3000 Chromas produced in total between 82 & 83, making it *now* one of the most valued synthesizers to those who are 'in the know.'

Any corrections are listed below, or in the comments section.

I have attempted to scratch the surface of this wonderful synthesizer in a *very* CASUAL 3 part video series totaling @ 5 hours.Please look for the other parts to this initial series, and be sure to watch for much more on the legendary Arp Chroma.

For more info, please see:

http://www.rhodeschroma.com/"

ARP / RHODES CHROMA 【SYNTH DEMO】 - Part 2 / 5 Hour Video Series

Published on Aug 29, 2014 David Hobson

Video moved to a new channel. All parts here.

"RHODES CHROMA Demo / Part 2 of a 5 hour series of Demonstration / Tutorial Video's of the Rhodes Chroma / Arp Chroma Synthesizer. The Rhodes Chroma is a vintage polyphonic analog synthesizer completely designed by the Arp Synthesizer Company and manufactured by Rhodes between 1982 and 1983. There were approximately 3000 Chromas produced in total between 82 & 83, making it *now* one of the most valued synthesizers to those who are 'in the know.'

Any corrections are listed below, or in the comments section.

I have attempted to scratch the surface of this wonderful synthesizer in a *very* CASUAL 3 part video series totaling @ 5 hours.Please look for the other parts to this initial series, and be sure to watch for much more on the legendary Arp Chroma.

For more info, please see:

http://www.rhodeschroma.com/

CORRECTIONS:

1. The CC+ affords *4* banks of 50 patches, not 3. (I erred...)"

Part 1 here.

Kineticsoundprism Rhodes Chroma Sample Collection Demo

Kineticsoundprism Rhodes chroma sample collection demo pt1

Published on Oct 27, 2012 by KiNeTiCsOuNdPrIsM

"This is a demonstration of the new Kineticsoundprism Rhodes chroma sample collection an 8gb 200 patch sample library available for most software and some hardware based samplers.

You can find out more about the library at

www.Kineticsoundprism.com"

Kineticsoundprism Rhodes chroma sample collection ' Kontakt patches demo pt 2'

Published on Oct 27, 2012 by KiNeTiCsOuNdPrIsM

"This is pt 2 of a demonstration of the Kontakt patches included with the Kineticsoundprism Rhodes chroma sample collection utilizing Kontakts build in fx and filters.

You can find out more about the library at

www.Kineticsoundprism.com"

ARP RHODES CHROMA - MEXICO CHA CHA MAMBO - VON BRAINAURA MUSICC

Published on Aug 6, 2014 musivox

"PHANTASTICS FILMSCORE RELAXING CHILL OUT AMBIENT MUSIC ! FROM ARP RHODES CHROMA SOUND IMPRESSIONS WITH DIFFERENT LIFE ON 4 x STEREO TAPE RECORDED INTUITIEV FREE FROM THE IMAGINATION 2010 ARP RHODES CHROMA WITH CC+SYSEX MIDI AND 200 PATCHES IS ONE OF THE BEST ANALOG SYNTHESIZER .MORE MUSIC HERE FROM ME TO FIND ...."BRAINAURA MUSIC"! .....ALL MY MUSIC WHEN THEY HEAR TO BRAINAURA.-MUSIC ! THANK YOU! PLEASE GOOD COMMENTS!.....................

HALLO-SIE HÖREN HIER FILMMUSIK RELAXING CHILLOUT MIT ARP RHODES CHROMA UND SCHÖNEN VERSCHIEDENEN SOUND-IMPRESSIONEN,LIFE AUF 4 x STEREO TAPE INTUITIEV AUFGENOMMEN FREI AUS DER PHANTASIE ,2010 ES IST NUR EIN BESTIMMTER KLANGAUSCHNITT VON IHM-ABER ER KANN VIEL VIEL MEHR....DER ARP RHODES CHROMA HAT EIN CC+ SYSEX-MIDI MIT 200 SOUNDPLÄTZEN-WEITERE MUSIK VON MIR HIER BEI BRAINAURA-MUSIC;:VIELEN DANK FÜR IHR ZUHÖREN. ! BITTE KOMMENTARE GUTE !"