Full Description

The origins of the Spirit

Crumar of Castelfidardo, Italy built its name in the 1970s with home organs and digital keyboards, particularly for the U.S. market. Guided by Sante Crucianelli, the company fostered an unusually open lab culture that even welcomed competitors, an approach that sparked collaboration with synthesiser pioneer Bob Moog. Alongside Moog engineer Jim Scott and clinician/historian Tom Rhea, the Spirit monophonic analogue synth took shape around 1980, drawing on earlier Moog/Scott design work. Rhea helped define essentials such as keyboard scanning, the instrument’s functional layout and its technical documentation. Spirit reached production in late 1983, but a fast-moving shift toward digital instruments limited its run. Despite its forward-thinking features, Crumar ceased operations in 1986 as the market evolved.

The revitalised Spirit

Cherry Audio’s software version retains the original’s adventurous sound architecture while updating it for today’s workflows, created in cooperation with Crumar. Polyphony has been added with mono, unison, poly (4, 8 or 16 voices) and cycle modes, and modulation is expanded via the four-slot Matrix Z with up to 25 sources. The Spirit arpeggiator is faithfully recreated and enriched with swing, chance and feel. Expression is heightened with velocity and aftertouch support, including polyphonic aftertouch, while dual chains of studio-grade effects and practical patch memory streamline production. With over 430 presets by six professional sound designers and an approachable interface, this plug-in brings the hardware’s bold tonal palette into the DAW, minus scratchy pots, failing caps or auction-hunt hassles.

Features

• Inspired by the original analog synth designs of legendary engineers including Robert A. Moog and Crumar's Sante Crucianelli
• Modern enhancements add expanded modulation and performance options for greater flexibility
• Multiple voice modes including mono, unison, polyphonic (4, 8, or 16 voices), and cycle mode for versatile playability
• Advanced multi-voice architecture adds unique per-note variations using three customizable mini synth panels
• Includes quick-access voice presets like Hard Panned and Well Worn to instantly create dynamic or vintage textures
• Over 430 expertly crafted presets across various categories to jumpstart your creativity
• Dual oscillators with tunable pitch, waveform selection, and sync functions for powerful tone shaping
• Two distinct filters—Upper low-pass and Lower multimode—with rich tone sculpting capabilities
• Flexible filter settings with keyboard tracking and formant filtering to add vocal-like character
• Two velocity-sensitive ADSR envelopes control both amp and filter for dynamic expression
• Dedicated Mod X and Shaper Y sections provide deep modulation options via intuitive mod wheels
• Mod X includes sources like triangle, square, sample & hold, and oscillator-based modulation
• Route modulation to multiple destinations including oscillators, filter parameters, and waveform modulation
• Shaper Y acts as an extra LFO or envelope with sync and looping, offering unique modulation styles
• Comprehensive Matrix Z modulation system allows routing from 25 sources to 45 destinations with adjustable depth
• Customizable envelope gate settings for more detailed triggering and control
• Dual signal paths for Shaper Y and filter/ADSR sections with separate audio outputs
• Pitch bend and glide controls for expressive pitch transitions
• Creative arpeggiator with three unique modes and adjustable swing, randomness, and human feel
• Two fully independent effects chains with studio-grade effects for both Shaper Y and Filter/ADSR paths
• Built-in effects include distortion, echo, chorus, phaser, and reverb for rich, polished sound
• Available as both a standalone virtual instrument and plugin for flexible use in any workflow
• Precision DAW sync ensures your patterns and sequences stay perfectly in time
• Customizable oversampling settings let you balance performance and sound quality
• Full MIDI mapping and DAW automation support, including easy MIDI learn functionality
• Scalable user interface with Cherry Audio’s Focus feature for detailed editing and quick navigation
• Comprehensive user manual accessible both online and in downloadable PDF format

Specifications

• Operating system:
  • Mac: macOS 10.13 or above (64-bit)
  • Windows: Windows 7 or above (64-bit)
• Format:
  • Mac: AU, VST, VST3, AAX, and standalone
  • Windows: VST, VST3, AAX, and standalone formats.
• Processor:
  • Mac: Intel or Apple Silicon processor. 3.4 GHz Quad-Core or Apple Silicon CPU
  • Windows: Intel or AMD equivalent 3.4 GHz Quad-Core
• RAM: 8GB
• Hard disk space: 64MB
• Activation: Internet connection required for activation