AfroDJMac (Brian Funk) has released a free Ableton Live Instrument, based on samples of a 1979 Crumar Performer, run through an Ampex 601 reel to reel preamp.
Here’s what he has to say about it:
The samples of the Crumar Performer were provided by Andrew Gomez from the band NRVS LVRS.
I’ve taken those samples and built this Ableton Live Instrument Rack. You get controls over the amplitude’s Attack and Release, to sculpt the sounds over time. Next is the Filter section which allows you to carve the frequencies away, while the Filter Envelop lets you create some movement with the filter over time. Finally are two useful effects.
The Phas-Rus control adds in Phaser and Chorus simultaneously. The Echo Dance adds a Ping Pong Delay, adjusts the time of that delay, and also filters out some of the high end frequencies at the higher values. You can get quite a lot of different sounds by manipulating these controls.
Check out the video for the complete walkthrough.
The 1979 Crumar Performer Free Ableton Live Pack is a free download from the AfroDJMac site.
Nostalgia! Back in ’79 I took out a major loan and bought a Crumar Performer and a Micromoog. Those and a Yamaha CP-30 electric piano were my keys setup at the time. Soon joined by a Roland SH-101.
No strings and brass separate samples? no 16 and 8 separate strings? Phaser and echo? This is not really a sampling of the performer! Just few samples without any timbre variation and a filter/phaser/echo (from Ableton). The Performer is really a great sounding synth, this sampling it’s a little bit simplistic in my opinion! Nevertheless, it’s cool to see a free pack of one of my favourite synths. Also, it’s free.
Woah, I got a Reel to reel for 30 bucks a few months back, and it’s just been sitting there… but I can use it as a preamp? Mind = blown