“This is the kind of forgotten, half-mythical synth you discover by accident on a forum thread”: Cherry Audio unearths an obscure ‘70s Italian gem with the DS-2

Adding to its ever-growing catalogue of vintage synth emulations, Cherry Audio has announced the release of DS-2, a software recreation of the Crumar DS-2, a “wonderfully odd” Italian synth released in 1978.

Following last year’s take on the cult classic Crumar Spirit, Cherry Audio has revived a lesser-known instrument in the Crumar line-up released several years prior.

The DS-2 brought together two separate synth engines – a dual-oscillator monophonic Synth section and a paraphonic Poly section with divide-down oscillators – that could be layered to create lush, harmonically rich patches. One of the first synths to employ DCOs (digitally controlled oscillators) it produced unique stair-stepped waveforms that gave the DS-2 a distinctively gritty sonic character.

Cherry Audio has introduced a number of modern enhancements to bring DS-2 into the 21st century. The Synth section has been equipped with polyphonic functionality, unison and multi-voice modes, and oscillator sync, and there’s now a keyboard split mode for dividing both sections across the keyboard.

The DS-2 already had some interesting modulation capabilities thanks to the stepped ‘staircase’ waveform available to its LFOs, but Cherry Audio has expanded these with the addition of a third LFO and a five-part LFO mixer that offers six assignable destinations with 33 options each.

The DS-2’s ADSR envelopes have also been bolstered with an additional delay stage, looping functionality and velocity sensitivity. Alongside an emulation of the original synth’s 24dB 4-pole filter, Cherry Audio have thrown in a 12dB 2-pole option for extra flexibility.

While the original DS-2 offered no effects, Cherry Audio have added a dedicated five-slot effects chain for both synth engines, alongside a global effects chain on the output. These can be populated with a generous selection of 20 effects spanning delays, reverbs, distortion, EQ, and modulation effects.

“The DS-2 isn’t one of those era-defining classics with presets you’ve heard on radio staples and retro playlists,” reads a statement from Cherry Audio. “Not even close. This is the kind of forgotten, half-mythical synth you discover by accident on a forum thread populated by sleep-deprived gear archaeologists.

“It's the kind of white whale instrument that synth nerds obsess over and argue about for no other reason than it exists, it’s rare, and it doesn't sound like anything tidy, modern, or even remotely approved of by the internet.”

“It’s neither the glassy, polished sound of later digital synths nor the rounded, buttery sound we associate with classic analog designs. The DS-2’s tone has a more jagged, harmonically edgy quality, with a gritty, slightly stepped character that gives it a sound all its own.”

Cherry Audio DS-2 is priced at $59 and available for macOS and Windows in AU/VST/VST3/AAX formats.

Find out more on Cherry Audio's website.