Cherry Audio is kicking off the 2022 holiday season with the release of GX-80, their flagship synthesizer, over a year in the making, along with Synth Stack 3, the 2022 update to their complete collection of 16 virtual instruments.
GX-80 is a virtual instrument that combines the unique sound and features of the fabled GX-1 "Dream Machine" and its renowned descendant the CS-80, to create a powerhouse hybrid. Featuring the circuit-modeled DSP designs of the developer Mark Barton, Cherry Audio says it has "replicated every subtlety of the classics to create the most authentic emulation of its kind".
Cherry Audio says GX-80 is not just another CS-80 emulation. GX-80 integrates the GX-1's distinctive feature set into the CS-80 architecture; most significantly, the massive dual-layer architecture that effectively made the GX-1 the equivalent of two CS-80s and then some. The GX-1's unique resonant high-passed pulse and resonant band- passed sawtooth waves, octave-up triangle wave, and filter envelope inversion are incorporated, opening up a new universe of sonic experimentation. Most notably, GX-80 includes a reproduction of the classic GX-1 filter, delivering expressive timbres that even the mighty CS-80 cannot produce.
A virtual reproduction of the CS-80 has long been the most popular request from Cherry Audio fans. The company began work in 2021 to make the dream a reality. DSP designer and developer Mark Barton's extensive research of the original CS-80 and its schematics led him back to the CS-80's predecessor, the GX-1. As a result, GX-80 combines all of the sonic characteristics of the originals. When enhanced with GX-80's discrete layer volume and panning controls, the result is, says Cherry Audio, a colossal dual-layer voicing architecture, 16 polyphonic voices per layer, capable of sounding two different CS-80 style sounds simultaneously in a split or stacked layer mode.
Cherry Audio didn't stop with the sound, as the originals were also revered for their magnificent, expressive performance features. To recreate the experience as close as possible to the original hardware, GX-80 adds a split keyboard mode and support for both polyphonic and monophonic aftertouch controllers. Further, Cherry Audio has added a "last-note priority" mode for simulated poly aftertouch response with a monophonic channel aftertouch controller. More than 1,000 presets from expert sound designers, and integrated effects are included.
Price: $59 at cherryaudio.com and authorized resellers worldwide (incl. the KVR Marketplace) for Windows and macOS, with macOS 13 Ventura and native Apple M1 processor support, including Apple M1 Ultra. GX-80 is provided in AU, VST, VST3, AAX, and standalone formats, and a free 30-day demo is available.
GX-80 is also available as part of Cherry Audio's new and comprehensive Synth Stack 3 collection, which features all of its virtual instruments to date at an even more affordable price.
Synth Stack 3 includes:
- Voltage Modular Core + Electro Drums, a collection of modular madness including 120 modules and over 600 presets.
- DCO-106, a recreation of the much-loved Juno-106 polysynth of the 80's.
- CA2600, a powerful, self-contained duophonic synthesizer inspired by the ARP 2600 synthesizer.
- Surrealistic MG-1 Plus Synthesizer, a recreation of the fun and funky Moog MG-1 synthesizer sold in Radio Shack stores in 80s.
- Polymode, inspired by the classic Moog Polymoog synthesizer, one of the world's first polyphonic synthesizers.
- Eight Voice, an emulation of the Oberheim Eight Voice, one of the world's rarest and most desirable vintage instruments.
- PS-20, a polyphonic, hot-rodded tribute to Korg's renowned MS-20.
- Memorymode, based upon the Memorymoog, one of the very best-sounding polyphonic programmable analog synthesizers of the 80s.
- Mercury-4, a detailed emulation of one of the best-sounding and quirkiest polyphonic synthesizers of the late 1970's, the Roland Jupiter-4.
- Quadra, a reimagining of one of the quirkiest, rarest, and most curiosity-inspiring vintage synthesizers of all time, the 1978 ARP Quadra.
- New: Dreamsynth, a tribute to the celebrated hybrid analog/digital synthesizers of the mid-to-late 1980s.
- New: Miniverse, a virtual emulation of the granddaddy of all portable synthesizers focused on a single principle: absolute authenticity.
- New: Lowdown recreates the super-fat, room-rattling sounds of the most popular dual-oscillator bass pedal synth ever made.
- New: Elka-X, a virtual synthesizer recreation based upon the vintage Synthex, a rare Italian analog synth manufactured by ELKA in the early eighties.
- New: Sines, an original polyphonic synthesizer that utilizes diverse waveshaping methods to bend pure waveforms into infinitely variable and complex shapes.
- New: GX-80, Cherry Audio's flagship synthesizer that combines the unique sound and features of the fabled Yamaha GX-1 "Dream Machine" and its renowned descendant, the CS-80.
In total, Synth Stack 3 includes nearly $600 worth of products and is available for $299. Already own a previous version of Synth Stack or some of Cherry Audio's instruments? Sign in to see your personalized and discounted price at checkout.
Synth Stack 3 virtual instruments are provided in AU, VST, VST3, AAX, and standalone formats for both macOS and Windows.
Find GX-80 Synthesizer in the KVR Marketplace
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