DS-2 Synthesizer by Cherry Audio virtual synth plugin interface

DS-2 Synthesizer: Virtual Crumar DS-2 Synth by Cherry Audio

Rated 4.8/5 on Plugin Boutique (17 ratings)

DS-2 Synthesizer is a virtual instrument plugin by Cherry Audio that recreates the 1978 Crumar DS-2 hybrid synth, pairing a monophonic synth engine with a polyphonic companion section.

VST3VST2AUAAXStandaloneWindowsmacOS64-bit

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01Overview

Cherry Audio developed the DS-2 Synthesizer in collaboration with Crumar Instruments. The original 1978 hardware combined a monophonic synth engine with a paraphonic companion section, and the plugin carries over its gritty, harmonically edgy character. Cherry Audio also expands the design with modern additions, including more voice modes, a third LFO, looped envelopes, and a 20-effect library. The plugin ships with over 300 presets in 14 categories.

Best for

Vintage digital synth tones
Gritty basslines
String-synth pads
Layered and split performances
Arpeggiated sequences
Sound design with LFO modulation

Developer: Cherry Audio
Category: Synths
Store: Plugin Boutique

02Key features

What you get

Synth section with monophonic, Unison, Multi and polyphonic 4, 8 or 16 voice modes
Poly section fully polyphonic, accommodating up to 32 notes
Keyboard split mode in addition to layered mode, with adjustable ranges
Third LFO with Ramp, Sine, Square and Staircase waveforms
LFOs with sync, retrigger, one-shot and reverse wave options
LFO Mixer with six assignable destinations, 33 options each
Envelopes with initial delay stage, velocity and looping
VCF with 12dB 2-pole and 24dB 4-pole options
Dynamic arpeggiator with four pattern modes and Swing, Chance and Feel
Three independent effects chains with 20 effects and a mini FX strip

03In depth

Sound Character of the Crumar DS-2 Original

The original DS-2 used digitally controlled oscillators that avoided the tuning drift of conventional analog designs. The resulting waveforms are stair-stepped, which produces a gritty tone and dense harmonics.

The Poly section was paraphonic, with a single filter and its own VCA. Cherry Audio says the plugin keeps this combination of timbres, which sits apart from both smooth digital tones and warm analog ones.

OSC 2 in the Synth section includes a stair-stepped Sine waveform option, and oscillator sync is available for sound design.

Voicing, Modulation and Workflow

The Synth section offers monophonic mode with last and high note settings, plus Unison and Multi voice options with voice cycling, panning and tuning. It also provides polyphony with 4, 8 or 16 voices. The Poly section is fully polyphonic for up to 32 notes.

Three LFOs include Ramp, Sine, Square and Staircase waveforms, with sync, retrigger and one-shot modes. The LFO Mixer offers six assignable destinations with 33 options each. Touch control gives four assignable slots for channel or polyphonic aftertouch.

A dynamic arpeggiator with Arp, Leap, Order and Random patterns, plus Swing, Chance and Feel controls, can run on either or both sections.

04Specs

Will it run?

Formats, systems and requirements as listed by Plugin Boutique. Missing details are left out, not guessed.

Developer	Cherry Audio
Type	Plugin
Category	Synth
Formats	VST3, VST2, AU, AAX, Standalone
Operating systems	Windows, macOS
Architecture	64-bit

05FAQ

Questions, answered

What formats does DS-2 Synthesizer support?

DS-2 Synthesizer is available as VST3, VST2, AU and AAX plugins, plus a standalone version.

Which operating systems can run DS-2 Synthesizer?

DS-2 Synthesizer runs on Windows 7 or later and macOS 10.13 or later, in 64-bit versions.

What do I need to use DS-2 Synthesizer?

You need a 64-bit Intel or Apple Silicon Mac, or a 64-bit Windows computer. A 3.4 GHz quad-core processor and 8GB of RAM are recommended, with 150 MB of disk space. An internet connection is required for product activation.