The Chroma is my absolute favorite analog synth. Everyone (rightfully) talks about the icons like the CS-80, Jupiter 8, Prophet 5, all the classic Moogs, etc but I don't see the Chroma ever discussed much at least in my experience. That blows my mind because it's capabilities are incredible for an analog synth from 1981. The routing and modulation abilities are insane and result in sounds many of which I have yet to hear replicated by anything else. I think the only synths that come close to doing what the Chroma can is the Oberheim Matrix 12 and Xpander, along with the Kurzweil K2000 but with its own unique twist. Not to mention some of the other great features like early computer implementation (coupled with the modulation capabilities really made it ahead of its time), auto-tuning, and the lovely full wood keyboard with true polyphonic aftertouch which was a pretty big deal for the time. I just love this synth. It's a shame no ones taken a crack at making a really faithful software VST version of it yet. Would love to see someone like Arturia do that in the future.
Enjoyed the video. For anyone who cares the VCO core is charge pump sawtooth - not triangle. Available waves are saw, pulse & altered saw (mixes saw w/ pulse). Also has ring mod and white and pink noise options
Thanks for the kind words. You are correct and I did misspeak - sawtooth not triangle. To my knowledge, this is a unique case of a charge pump being used in an analog synth oscillator design - perhaps it adds to the charm of the instrument?
Fantastic! sounds great… no fx! … see this is why vintage synths still command high prices. Love that you're rockin' the Kurzweil Midiboard with the poly aftertouch and the Xpander & Memorymoog over behind you.
That's one DOPE setup ! You definitely could create a magnificent soundtrack for any number of Movies from 80's style Slasher Horror, to Robots taking over Mankind , to Alien Invasion Sci-Fi. AWESOME work!
Gorgeous. One of the most underrated vintage synths. I’d say the sound is somewhere between the CS-80 and the old Oberheims. Even the Chroma Polaris samples in my Iridium sound somehow unique.
Really enjoyed this and I’m usually hilariously underwhelmed by demos of classic synths. It sounds so good to my ears, almost like a desert (I’m getting weird as I struggle to articulate how this sounds to me). Preciate this a bunch. Peace ✌🏾
crazy even with FX that would be so very much at home in todays house/trance/techno to be fair sound wise alot of that early gear is really great sound wise, far beyond what it maybe might first look like
That not only sounds spectacular, Randell. It was fitting for you to trigger those modules from the K250. Though built by three different companies, the Chroma, the Synclavier II and the 250 were all originally intended to interact with the Apple IIe system. I can easily imagine (the late) Philip Dodds having maintained a regular correspondence/dialogue with (the late) Steve Jobs as the IIe and the Chroma were both being developed.
Well, i think the Chroma is in weight in the same class as a PPG, and also what concerns sturdiness (none). So when on the road i can understand his decision! But what absolute sound quality and deptn concerns ... You can't get Chroma quality from a many-multi-proteus rack.
Awesome!!!...the last pad sounds like it has FX on it when it hasn´t....now THAT´S awesome!!! Hope to get my Expander back working...it´s been in the "shop" for a long time now
Great sounds! Have you considered offering a few tips on how to get these rich, evolving timbres from the Chroma? Now that Cherry Audio has released its emulation, I bet more people will see your video (as I did) and would love to get an idea how you got these sounds. Of course, you don't have to give *everything* away, but a few tips might be nice. 🙂
@@davebradley6944 Maybe so, but since the Chroma didn't support naming patches, it's difficult to tell-and anyone new to it probably wouldn't care. A good patch is a good patch, even if it's a factory one.😏 There just aren't many good tutorials on how to get lush, swirling pads, screaming leads, or anything else you want out of it. The manual Cherry Audio provided with their emulation gets you up and running with the synth, but doesn't offer many tips. It's a good start, but I'll bet people like Randel have more tricks up their sleeve.
@@shadowsoflife000 I have a few tricks myself, having bought a Chroma and Expander back when they came out. For super strength sounds, try stacking all oscillators on a note using the Unison Poly or Unison Mono kbd algo. For lush pads, get movement going by assigning separate Sweeps (LFOs) tuned to different rates to each osc pulse width. You can also vary the sawteeth symmetry just like pulse width. To make it scream and cut use 2 pole filters with one of the sync or ring mod patch paths. Combine that with a Unison kbd mode and step back! :)
@@shadowsoflife000 Another good learning trick is to deconstruct a patch that you like. You can turn any of the 4 layers on or off easily, which helps you zero in on what's going on.
Great video for a not such known instrument, thank you, great sounds. Maybe an other following video with more indepth programing and history of these? (and in the waiting I subscribe!)
I wouldn't exactly say you're "wasting my time", Randel. The expander produces really wonderful sounds! Although, if each unit (I have a Chroma) has two oscillators, and you're using them in a stereo setup triggering each from a MIDI keyboard then you are actually playing a four oscillator synth, right? This seems to be what ARP had in mind when they developed these to be mated with the Chroma. You'd be playing two synths that could either have the same sounds or even different patches layered together. I'd love to see you do some of that, since you actually have the capability. Best to you!
Wow, I have an expander and a special Chroma, it is my absolute favourite polyphone-synth. Unfortunately, I move my appartment and have not enough space, so I must reduce my old synths too. My Chroma is very unique and special. I bought it from a musician and technician, who sold his copy from a f?double VCS-3 in one case (VCS-6) and added a second noise to the chroma, so mine has white and pink noise. What is the oruce for a perfect Chroma expander at the moment? With all updates CC+ and perfect protected power supply (BETTER then the psu from Italy, which is not bad either!).
Great demo! Beautiful sounds. New subscriber here. I came to hear the Chroma Expanders but am so happy to see someone else with a Kurzweil Midiboard! Bought mine new back in the day. Have you had any issues with yours? Do you find it works well with a modern setup (in terms of connectivity, etc.)? Thanks and cheers from California.
Thanks for the kind words. I've had the Midiboard for several years, and repaired a problem with the pitch-bend that was causing errors on boot up. I also sent the keys to my piano technician and had her rework the felt bushings - this greatly improved the feel of the action. It works perfectly in my setup, it feels great, and the top surface is big enough to hold a trackball, transport, Linnstrument, etc. I anticipate keeping it for a while.
Wauw, what an unbelievable great sound these expanders. Thank you for sharing this with us! May I ask what converters you used to record? The recording translates very well
Do I regret selling my Chroma and Polaris back in the 90's? No sound wise as there are very good digital and analog alternatives on the market. Yes for the money they would have made today.
That is what I call a "Phat" seriously good fat sound. After seeing this video (or rather hearing it), I'm starting to question my synthesizers, and I've never ever heard anything quite as rich as this, not even from the best samples.
it's obvious that the method of construction = quality of sound. these sound a thousand times richer that modern synths , due to the handmade hand soldered components vs robotic made boards. and I love the new stuff, but man, that sound, it just can't be beat.
I don't agree. Modern hardware is potentially much more powerful and smart. It is sounding immense as well. You can source well made hardware if you want to go down that path. That is an expensive proposition these days. Something like a Korg Modwave for a fraction of the cost of a used Chroma Expander. Fact is it can do most of that and sound excellent at the same time. But do a million more things and get into complex synth territory the Chroma Expander cannot even think about. There are tons of software examples that would cover what the Chroma can do easily.
How are you controlling this when it didn't have MIDI - Thru what looks like the Kurzweil 250? - Thru a 25 pin conversion kit? Yeah I'm dating myself 😉 Because when I bought the first MIDI synthesizer (Prophet 600) I saw this off to the side and started playing it I remember the funny "knock" that it had when changing programs 🙂. I also remember the ethereal thickness of sound like it was about 10 ARP 2600s, an Oberheim 8 voice and whatever else you wanted to throw in 😌 But the well over $5,000 price tag was beyond me. The expander wasn't out yet. I remember H.H. talking about how you could choose the signal path.
Chromas have a parallel DIN port which a midi box can be attached to, or these days alternatively you can replace the CPU board with a modern replacement which has the MIDI ports built in. My Chromas had the external Chroma Cult interfaces.
It is possible to program them from the front panel, and I salute the folks that have. Personally, I found the interface a little cumbersome, and came up with a solution that many people find appealing.
awesome what is going on at th-cam.com/video/-Ha1WhAb5NA/w-d-xo.html - is that a spit or one part high pass phase lfo and one part a low pass filter sweep layered? thx
Tena- I can't see the time that your reference, but I suspect that the patch is in Series Filter mode, with one filter in highpass and one in lowpass, and both modulated by the same source, as you suggested.
Nope, not really.... The modern sounds don't even come close.... Maybe they seem similar when heard stand alone , but the Chroma sounds hold their ground in mixes, whilst the modern sounds always tend to get lost.
@@Kleevens you're free to delude yourself. Roland switched to entirely digital synths because they understand that there is no value added with analog circuits anymore. They'd surely keep some analog flagships if that really made a difference. Don't get me wrong, I love the sound and immediacy of my analog Moogs but if you claim you'd be able to recognize if it's an analog Model D or the Moog Model D app playing in a mix, well, good for you. I don't believe it 😆 Similarly, my Iridium can surely replicate the sounds Chroma makes to the extent that you wouldn't be able to tell the difference.
Thanks for the kind words. I agree that some affordable modern synths are capable of deeply expressive sounds that evoke some of the textures in the demo - instrument like the Hydrasynth, Wavestate and Iridium come to mind. Whenever I put the analog dinosaur polysynths up on the big monitors in the studio there are usually ear-to-ear smiles in the room, and that feeling has inspired a lot of creativity in my facility. Also, I love the smell of a few dozen warm VCOs...
There are always people who shoot across. It doesn't matter what thing. There are also people who think that the Beatles made shitty music. That's life. You can't take people like that seriously. Nice presentation of the Chroma Expanders! Thank you.
Many of us simply like synths and the sounds they make. I have an OB-6, Argon8, Behringer WASP, Casio XW-G1, /SA-1, Yamaha MK-100, PSS-470, /-360, and I can’t play anywhere near as good as this. Not one single lesson.
The Chroma is my absolute favorite analog synth. Everyone (rightfully) talks about the icons like the CS-80, Jupiter 8, Prophet 5, all the classic Moogs, etc but I don't see the Chroma ever discussed much at least in my experience. That blows my mind because it's capabilities are incredible for an analog synth from 1981. The routing and modulation abilities are insane and result in sounds many of which I have yet to hear replicated by anything else. I think the only synths that come close to doing what the Chroma can is the Oberheim Matrix 12 and Xpander, along with the Kurzweil K2000 but with its own unique twist.
Not to mention some of the other great features like early computer implementation (coupled with the modulation capabilities really made it ahead of its time), auto-tuning, and the lovely full wood keyboard with true polyphonic aftertouch which was a pretty big deal for the time.
I just love this synth. It's a shame no ones taken a crack at making a really faithful software VST version of it yet. Would love to see someone like Arturia do that in the future.
Cherry Audio will release a VST Version May 14
Wow, great sounds! The Chroma has a personality of it's own.
Enjoyed the video. For anyone who cares the VCO core is charge pump sawtooth - not triangle. Available waves are saw, pulse & altered saw (mixes saw w/ pulse). Also has ring mod and white and pink noise options
Thanks for the kind words. You are correct and I did misspeak - sawtooth not triangle. To my knowledge, this is a unique case of a charge pump being used in an analog synth oscillator design - perhaps it adds to the charm of the instrument?
@@randelosborne6409 The CS80 is also a charge-pump saw-core oscillator. :)
Fantastic! sounds great… no fx! … see this is why vintage synths still command high prices. Love that you're rockin' the Kurzweil Midiboard with the poly aftertouch and the Xpander & Memorymoog over behind you.
Listening to this on an iPhone 12, and still it sounds huge and amazing!
That's one DOPE setup ! You definitely could create a magnificent soundtrack for any number of Movies from 80's style Slasher Horror, to Robots taking over Mankind , to Alien Invasion Sci-Fi. AWESOME work!
Gorgeous. One of the most underrated vintage synths. I’d say the sound is somewhere between the CS-80 and the old Oberheims. Even the Chroma Polaris samples in my Iridium sound somehow unique.
Soooo SUPER MAJESTIC !!! unbeatable synth, still after 40+ years.
What a beast of a synth!
Totally unique sound color ! Marvelous machine!
I am into vintage synthesizers but never knew that there was an expander of the Chroma! Wonderful sounding! Very nice done! Greetings from Belgium.
Just guessing...these aren't made anymore, and there's only a few of them left.
wonderful sounding synth
Wow, those sound gorgeous!
The best chroma demo imo
Really enjoyed this and I’m usually hilariously underwhelmed by demos of classic synths. It sounds so good to my ears, almost like a desert (I’m getting weird as I struggle to articulate how this sounds to me). Preciate this a bunch. Peace ✌🏾
Thanks for the kind words! It was a joy to make the demo.
ahh so thats what the Chroma sounds like ......... thanks for demo
So bad ass I got no words man, sounds epic, every passage you played!
Thanks for the kind words!
Those pads sound wonderful, what a unique sounding instrument.
crazy even with FX that would be so very much at home in todays house/trance/techno to be fair sound wise alot of that early gear is really great sound wise, far beyond what it maybe might first look like
Beautiful sound and playing
I'm coming back here again and again to hear that crispy, fat sound. It really tickles my ears and synapses!
That not only sounds spectacular, Randell. It was fitting for you to trigger those modules from the K250. Though built by three different companies, the Chroma, the Synclavier II and the 250 were all originally intended to interact with the Apple IIe system. I can easily imagine (the late) Philip Dodds having maintained a regular correspondence/dialogue with (the late) Steve Jobs as the IIe and the Chroma were both being developed.
Pretty sure that’s a Kurzweil Midiboard
Yes, definitely a MidiBoard!@@kcclip6690
I have a Chroma keyboard that I bought in 1989 for $300. The guy who sold it to me wanted to get rid of it to buy a EMU Proteus. 😁
Well, i think the Chroma is in weight in the same class as a PPG, and also what concerns sturdiness (none). So when on the road i can understand his decision! But what absolute sound quality and deptn concerns ... You can't get Chroma quality from a many-multi-proteus rack.
This sounds so good.
Wow, so stunning sound, unbelivable that it is no external fx. Great playing.
Awesome!!!...the last pad sounds like it has FX on it when it hasn´t....now THAT´S awesome!!! Hope to get my Expander back working...it´s been in the "shop" for a long time now
very cozy studio!
Fabulous sounding.
Very interesting sounds, Thanks for sharing
Wonderful sounding!!!!
sounds great!
Great sounds! Have you considered offering a few tips on how to get these rich, evolving timbres from the Chroma? Now that Cherry Audio has released its emulation, I bet more people will see your video (as I did) and would love to get an idea how you got these sounds. Of course, you don't have to give *everything* away, but a few tips might be nice. 🙂
Quite a few of those sounds are factory presets.
@@davebradley6944 Maybe so, but since the Chroma didn't support naming patches, it's difficult to tell-and anyone new to it probably wouldn't care. A good patch is a good patch, even if it's a factory one.😏
There just aren't many good tutorials on how to get lush, swirling pads, screaming leads, or anything else you want out of it. The manual Cherry Audio provided with their emulation gets you up and running with the synth, but doesn't offer many tips. It's a good start, but I'll bet people like Randel have more tricks up their sleeve.
@@shadowsoflife000 I have a few tricks myself, having bought a Chroma and Expander back when they came out. For super strength sounds, try stacking all oscillators on a note using the Unison Poly or Unison Mono kbd algo. For lush pads, get movement going by assigning separate Sweeps (LFOs) tuned to different rates to each osc pulse width. You can also vary the sawteeth symmetry just like pulse width. To make it scream and cut use 2 pole filters with one of the sync or ring mod patch paths. Combine that with a Unison kbd mode and step back! :)
@@davebradley6944 Thank you! This is the kind of thing I'm talking about!
@@shadowsoflife000 Another good learning trick is to deconstruct a patch that you like. You can turn any of the 4 layers on or off easily, which helps you zero in on what's going on.
Fabulous! Thx for the video.
wonderful sound
wowzer sounds dope
Great video!
I never knew r that the chroma was that powerful and awesome. Totally amazed 😲
the unit sounds good
Great video for a not such known instrument, thank you, great sounds.
Maybe an other following video with more indepth programing and history of these?
(and in the waiting I subscribe!)
I have long suspected that these were used on the classic tv theme for Tales of the Unexpected. Can anyone verify this?
I wouldn't exactly say you're "wasting my time", Randel. The expander produces really wonderful sounds! Although, if each unit (I have a Chroma) has two oscillators, and you're using them in a stereo setup triggering each from a MIDI keyboard then you are actually playing a four oscillator synth, right? This seems to be what ARP had in mind when they developed these to be mated with the Chroma. You'd be playing two synths that could either have the same sounds or even different patches layered together. I'd love to see you do some of that, since you actually have the capability. Best to you!
Excellent!!!!
possibly the most ominous sounding synth ever
The Logitech Marble Mouse seems to be the tool of choice for all of us.
funny. now i don't have to comment on that....
Wow, I have an expander and a special Chroma, it is my absolute favourite polyphone-synth. Unfortunately, I move my appartment and have not enough space, so I must reduce my old synths too. My Chroma is very unique and special. I bought it from a musician and technician, who sold his copy from a f?double VCS-3 in one case (VCS-6) and added a second noise to the chroma, so mine has white and pink noise. What is the oruce for a perfect Chroma expander at the moment? With all updates CC+ and perfect protected power supply (BETTER then the psu from Italy, which is not bad either!).
Great work showing the sonic POWER, and sonic diversity of 2 Chroma Expanders! And a Kurzweil Midiboard..I think. Thank you!
So amazing. I am searching for an expander for my Chroma.. but they are so rare. Its an amazing jourmey each time i work with my chroma
These are really ARP designs right? So unique. Different character to Oberheim and Sequential.
Yes, ARP did the design, but then they went bankrupt. CBS purchased the design.
Great demo! Beautiful sounds. New subscriber here. I came to hear the Chroma Expanders but am so happy to see someone else with a Kurzweil Midiboard! Bought mine new back in the day. Have you had any issues with yours? Do you find it works well with a modern setup (in terms of connectivity, etc.)? Thanks and cheers from California.
Thanks for the kind words. I've had the Midiboard for several years, and repaired a problem with the pitch-bend that was causing errors on boot up. I also sent the keys to my piano technician and had her rework the felt bushings - this greatly improved the feel of the action. It works perfectly in my setup, it feels great, and the top surface is big enough to hold a trackball, transport, Linnstrument, etc. I anticipate keeping it for a while.
@@randelosborne Thanks!
Wauw, what an unbelievable great sound these expanders. Thank you for sharing this with us!
May I ask what converters you used to record? The recording translates very well
Apogee AD16x
2:48 🤔 "Keep It Dark" by Genesis?
Do I regret selling my Chroma and Polaris back in the 90's? No sound wise as there are very good digital and analog alternatives on the market. Yes for the money they would have made today.
what a marvel
Sounds like classic T-dream.
I thought that it was a polymoog 280a at first 🤔
The glassy quality of the second patch is unbelievable. Where these patches modeled on purpose to emulate the sound of digital synths?
Although I can't guarantee the history of each patch, they are all examples that come with the CC+ upgrade, and I suspect that most are 30+ years old.
Some serious early Enya coming from this.
what the fuck that's sick
Cem3374 This sound is so massive, you don't even need keyboard skills !
iirc it used the cem3350 filter. i think the polaris used the 3374
@@teak6306 3374 oscillator
@@amsterdamned6209 Chroma has discrete oscillators and CEM 3350 filter. Polaris has CEM 3374 oscillators and 3372 filters (just like Xpander and M12)
That is what I call a "Phat" seriously good fat sound. After seeing this video (or rather hearing it), I'm starting to question my synthesizers, and I've never ever heard anything quite as rich as this, not even from the best samples.
it's obvious that the method of construction = quality of sound. these sound a thousand times richer that modern synths , due to the handmade hand soldered components vs robotic made boards. and I love the new stuff, but man, that sound, it just can't be beat.
I don't agree. Modern hardware is potentially much more powerful and smart. It is sounding immense as well. You can source well made hardware if you want to go down that path. That is an expensive proposition these days. Something like a Korg Modwave for a fraction of the cost of a used Chroma Expander. Fact is it can do most of that and sound excellent at the same time. But do a million more things and get into complex synth territory the Chroma Expander cannot even think about. There are tons of software examples that would cover what the Chroma can do easily.
what are the differences with the chroma keyboard and the expander?
The keyboard version has 64 lovely wooden weighted keys, and a correspondingly larger footprint.
How are you controlling this when it didn't have MIDI - Thru what looks like the Kurzweil 250? - Thru a 25 pin conversion kit? Yeah I'm dating myself 😉 Because when I bought the first MIDI synthesizer (Prophet 600) I saw this off to the side and started playing it I remember the funny "knock" that it had when changing programs 🙂. I also remember the ethereal thickness of sound like it was about 10 ARP 2600s, an Oberheim 8 voice and whatever else you wanted to throw in 😌 But the well over $5,000 price tag was beyond me. The expander wasn't out yet.
I remember H.H. talking about how you could choose the signal path.
That's a Kurzweil Midi Motherboard
Chromas have a parallel DIN port which a midi box can be attached to, or these days alternatively you can replace the CPU board with a modern replacement which has the MIDI ports built in. My Chromas had the external Chroma Cult interfaces.
Prestine... are you recording in mono?
do you have any kind of programming software for these beauties? Can you program them from the front panel?
It is possible to program them from the front panel, and I salute the folks that have. Personally, I found the interface a little cumbersome, and came up with a solution that many people find appealing.
there are few hardware controllers available, and one that will soon be out will be CROM!
Wow
are these factory patches?
CC+ patches from 4 banks that are decades old.
Hey Randel
Hey Bob!
Охуенно! Best for ambient and space music. 👍
awesome what is going on at th-cam.com/video/-Ha1WhAb5NA/w-d-xo.html - is that a spit or one part high pass phase lfo and one part a low pass filter sweep layered? thx
Tena- I can't see the time that your reference, but I suspect that the patch is in Series Filter mode, with one filter in highpass and one in lowpass, and both modulated by the same source, as you suggested.
Do you sale the memorimoog ?
Yup! I bought it for 3 grand. :D
BALLZZ..❤❤❤
post more synths videos
What would you like to see?
Sounds glorious. Fortunately, those kinds of sounds are now easy to come by at much lower cost than a pair of vintage Chroma Expanders 😅
Nope, not really.... The modern sounds don't even come close.... Maybe they seem similar when heard stand alone , but the Chroma sounds hold their ground in mixes, whilst the modern sounds always tend to get lost.
@@Kleevens you're free to delude yourself. Roland switched to entirely digital synths because they understand that there is no value added with analog circuits anymore. They'd surely keep some analog flagships if that really made a difference.
Don't get me wrong, I love the sound and immediacy of my analog Moogs but if you claim you'd be able to recognize if it's an analog Model D or the Moog Model D app playing in a mix, well, good for you. I don't believe it 😆
Similarly, my Iridium can surely replicate the sounds Chroma makes to the extent that you wouldn't be able to tell the difference.
you could RPLKT the sounds pretty well for sure 😉
@@RPLKTR 🤣😂
Thanks for the kind words.
I agree that some affordable modern synths are capable of deeply expressive sounds that evoke some of the textures in the demo - instrument like the Hydrasynth, Wavestate and Iridium come to mind.
Whenever I put the analog dinosaur polysynths up on the big monitors in the studio there are usually ear-to-ear smiles in the room, and that feeling has inspired a lot of creativity in my facility.
Also, I love the smell of a few dozen warm VCOs...
Sounds like FM
It's a pity you have ALL THE RIGHT gear, but you can't play...
It’s a pity you (and your mom) are jealous of this man’s gear.
He is demonstrating some sounds it can make, not playing a concerto.
There are always people who shoot across. It doesn't matter what thing. There are also people who think that the Beatles made shitty music. That's life. You can't take people like that seriously. Nice presentation of the Chroma Expanders! Thank you.
It's a pity you have such an attitude problem! He' demonstrates the sounds extremely well. Being a virtuoso ####, you probably can't understand that!
Many of us simply like synths and the sounds they make. I have an OB-6, Argon8, Behringer WASP, Casio XW-G1, /SA-1, Yamaha MK-100, PSS-470, /-360, and I can’t play anywhere near as good as this. Not one single lesson.
Beautiful sounds. Would love to get the patch banks for my Chroma.