The Sound Board

Crumar, a name whispered with both reverence and memories of occasional frustration in circles of 70’s and 80’s afficionados, has virtualized their legendary Performer keyboard and turned into a convenient plug-in. Not by sampling it, but by modeling it. (And the demos sound pretty authentic, I must say. Sounds like a modeling job very well done.)

The original Performer was a 49 keys “strings and brass machine”, but with enough editability to do a lot more with it than just synthesized strings or brass.

Features of the plugin version:
- Adjustable global and single note tuning.
- Fully polyphonic.
- Realistic control panel with sliders and buttons like the original.
- Accurate simulation of original circuitry.
- Selection for Rev.A and Rev.B filter.
- Selection for the "sustain modification".
- Built-in adjustable reverb and chorus effect.
- Simulation of pedals effect section including Graphic EQ, Phaser, Flanger and Analog Delay.
- On-screen help tips and readout values.
- Very low memory and CPU power needed.
- Easy MIDI-Learn feature.
- MIDI map import and export feature.
- Bank and program import and export feature.

Crumar fans can buy the €129 Deluxe Boxed Set, which includes the software license, a t-shirt, a poster, a Crumar badge and sticker, plus a 2gig Crumar USB-drive.



Here's a demonstration of what sort of things can be done with the original hardware and thus, to a degree, with the new virtual version as well:



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I don’t get it. If this is the machine I am thinking of, In the US a version of the Crumar was marketed under the name Univox and was called the Multiman.I had one, along with a Univox MiniKorg.

It was similar to machines like the ARP String Ensemble and Omni, which were more expensive.

They all sounded bad to me, but this was before we had sampled strings available, so I used them. I have no desire to do so ever again unless I am hired to recreate the sound of a record that featured it.

I'm with Jay, I worked with players that owned the Crumar and the Univox versions, and I did not like either one of them then, and kinda doubt that I'd like one today, modeled or real, and I am a sucker for old gear!

Btw, back in the mid’70’s , I led a cover band here in Los Angeles named Piccadilly Circus. We played all kinds of clubs, but our first gig was at a club that quite coincidentally was named Scotland Yard. When our run finished, we went in to see the next band, whose name I don’t remember. What I do remember though is that the keyboard player, who was quite good, had an ARP String Ensemble, which was expensive in those days and I had never heard one live before.

The keyboard player was Jonathan Cain, who replaced Greg Rollie in the band Journey.

I really love tales like that!