Cherry Audio | March 31 - A True Synth Gem Returns
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- KVRist
- 303 posts since 25 Apr, 2011
The new video today, announcement of the live première, has the background colors green-white-red. Like the Italian flag. So quite sure it’s an Italian manufactured synth.
So indeed it could be Crumar Bit One-Bit 99 or even DS-2 as mentioned here before. Not the Crumar GDS (that later become the Synergy) as that one isn’t a DCO based hybride.
But back to Italian DCO based hybride, it could as well be the Siel Opera 6/DK-600, Siel Cruise, Elka EK-22/EM-22 or the Jen SX-1000.
So indeed it could be Crumar Bit One-Bit 99 or even DS-2 as mentioned here before. Not the Crumar GDS (that later become the Synergy) as that one isn’t a DCO based hybride.
But back to Italian DCO based hybride, it could as well be the Siel Opera 6/DK-600, Siel Cruise, Elka EK-22/EM-22 or the Jen SX-1000.
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prodigal_sounds prodigal_sounds https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=176348
- KVRist
- 87 posts since 17 Mar, 2008
I'm probably not the only one longing for a D-50, in vain due to copyright but still... that was a hybrid worth getting excited about. I realize the Dreamsynth is probably the closest we'll get.
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- KVRAF
- 9932 posts since 15 Sep, 2005 from East Coast of the USA
Roland Cloud had the D-50 plugin on sale for $49 recently, but it’s back to the regular price now.prodigal_sounds wrote: Sat Mar 28, 2026 5:34 pm I'm probably not the only one longing for a D-50, in vain due to copyright but still... that was a hybrid worth getting excited about. I realize the Dreamsynth is probably the closest we'll get.
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- KVRist
- 108 posts since 25 Oct, 2025 from Next to Enid Sinclair
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- KVRian
- 794 posts since 26 Jan, 2020
It's going to be another generic sounding synth "based on" some known retro hardware, and with a good looking UI.
There are two kinds of people in the world. And you're not one of them.
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- KVRian
- 987 posts since 10 Feb, 2017 from By the Slot Machines
Probably another great synth with increasingly capable architecture that is unique.
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- KVRAF
- 3059 posts since 6 Jul, 2013
Yeah, most of the budget/low/mid-range DCO polysynths of that era were quite similar, even if their character might differ a bit depending in implementations etc. They are not that exciting generally imo, and due to being budget constrained, usually fairly feature-limited or in the case of the Bit 1/01/99, quite quirky.TheMaestro wrote: Sat Mar 28, 2026 8:41 pm It's going to be another generic sounding synth "based on" some known retro hardware, and with a good looking UI.
Doesn't mean they can't be fun and produce good sounds in a modern context though.
Note in the UK, they weren't marketed as being made by Crumar, but as "Chase", the UK importer. So it was the "Chase Bit 1" being advertised etc, including front panel branding saying "Chase" in big letters...
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- KVRAF
- 20915 posts since 22 Nov, 2000 from Southern California
People used to talk about the Bit One a lot in the 90s, usually in the same sentence with the Matrix-1000.
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- KVRAF
- 3059 posts since 6 Jul, 2013
It was a few years earlier than the Matrix 1000, but yes it was popular in the mid to late 80s because it was reasonably affordable, and the Bit 01 was one of the first analog synth expanders. In the second issue of Sound On Sound I always remembered this article (partly because I was angling getting a CZ-101).Uncle E wrote: Sat Mar 28, 2026 9:35 pm People used to talk about the Bit One a lot in the 90s, usually in the same sentence with the Matrix-1000.
https://www.muzines.co.uk/articles/system-power/1275
There's plenty of articles on the Crumar/Chase Bit range on mu:zines of course:
Bit 1: https://www.muzines.co.uk/gear/?z=g&m=3 ... 0&j=2&jj=1
Bit 01: https://www.muzines.co.uk/gear/?z=g&m=2 ... 0&j=2&jj=1
Bit 99: https://www.muzines.co.uk/gear/?z=g&m=3 ... 0&j=2&jj=1