Getting Started
Every now and then, a synthesizer comes along that’s so unusual, so rare, and so defiantly brilliant, it becomes the stuff of cult legend. The Spirit is one of those synths.
Originally released in the early 1980s by Italian keyboard manufacturer Crumar, the Spirit was a bold, strange, wonderful instrument that dared to go where few synths of its time even dreamed. Designed in collaboration with Bob Moog (yes, that Bob Moog!), Jim Scott, Tom Rhea, and Sante Crucianelli, the Spirit felt like a science experiment. It was the kind of instrument that practically dared you to bend the rules of synthesis.
At first glance, the original Spirit may have looked like a humble two-oscillator monosynth. But pop the hood and it quickly revealed itself as a sound designer’s playground in disguise. The Spirit featured dual multi-mode filters that could be configured in a variety of useful and downright quirky ways, audio–frequency AM and FM, ring modulation and oscillator cross-modulation, a Shaper that could be user for (among other things) an AR envelope in addition to the main ADSRs, a simple and slightly oddball arpeggiator, and modulation. It was flexible and charmingly unpredictable, capable of everything from buttery round basses to squealing chaos. In short, it was a little synth with a big, bad attitude.
Sadly, it was also a synth with very little commercial success. Crumar, primarily known for organs and string machines, never managed to get the Spirit into the hands of many players. Production numbers were low (some say as few as 300 units were ever made), and with its idiosyncratic layout, steep learning curve, and unapologetically experimental nature, the Spirit was destined for cult status rather than mainstream fame. And yet, among those who knew it, the Spirit became a revered secret, a kind of analog shaman’s toolkit passed down from one adventurous sound designer to the next.
Now, in cooperation with Crumar, we’ve cracked open the time capsule and brought the Spirit back to life with no scratchy pots, no failing capacitors, and no bidding wars. Crumar Spirit by Cherry Audio is a lovingly detailed virtual recreation that captures every bizarre, beautiful quirk of the original. But we didn’t stop at historical accuracy: we’ve added polyphony (because, let’s face it, more notes is simply more fun), a comprehensive modulation matrix, patch memory, studio-grade effects, aftertouch control, polyphonic aftertouch, and an easy-to-navigate interface that makes this once-esoteric synth feel like an old friend—albeit a really weird one. Best of all, no maintenance or soldering skills are required.
So whether you're chasing raw, snarling unpredictability or just exploring warm analog expression, the Spirit is your passport to sonic mischief. It's not a polite instrument. Nor is it clean, safe, or obvious. But twist a few knobs and it will reward you with some of the most expressive sounds you've ever heard from a softsynth.
Technical Assistance
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