Crumar DS-2

A synthesizer combining a monophonic synth engine with a 44-voice polyphonic strings section, notable for early use of DCOs.

Overview

The Crumar DS-2 is a synthesizer made by Crumar. It pairs a monophonic synth section with a 44-voice polyphonic strings section, so it has two sounds in one box. The "DS" in the name stands for "Digital Synthesizer," which fits the hybrid design. It was among the first synthesizers to use Digitally Controlled Oscillators (DCOs), and they hold their tuning better than traditional VCOs.

Specifications

Synth Type	Monophonic synth engine with 44-voice polyphonic strings section
Oscillator Type	Digitally Controlled Oscillators (DCOs)
Name Meaning	"DS" stands for "Digital Synthesizer"

Design

The Crumar DS-2 was one of the first synthesizers to use DCOs, an early step toward digital control in analog synthesis. The oscillators are digitally controlled, but users argue about whether they are fully analog or use digital waveform generation. The definitive technical details are not confirmed.

Market

A serviced Crumar DS-2 is valued around $1,000. Some users say the build quality is weak and that the A-series CMOS chips in the circuitry are prone to failure, which hurts long-term reliability. A service manual and schematic are available, though some versions in circulation may be incomplete.