Cherry Audio Releases Eight Voice Polyphonic Synth

Cherry Audio has introduced Eight Voice, a new software synthesizer that emulates the sound of the classic Oberheim Eight Voice hardware synth.

The original Oberheim Eight Voice was essentially 8 individual SEM synth voices, each with their own set of controls, combined to create a polyphonic synthesizer. This made it very powerful, but also cumbersome to program.

Cherry Audio Eight Voice’s ‘Voice Link’ option lets you group voice module controls, eliminating individually setting each module’s controls when homogenous poly sounds are desired. Here’s an example of how this can be used to quickly create synth patches, while also giving you the ability to customize each voice in the synth engine:

Focus buttons allow instant enlargement of any section of the user interface, making sound programming easier, and flexible keyboard assign modes let you create custom mono and poly keyboard zoning and layering.

Or as Cherry Audio puts it, “We’ve transformed the original’s daunting user interface into a fun and inviting mondo poly synth experience.”

Features:

  • Eight fully independent dual-oscillator voice modules
  • Oberheim multi-mode filter emulation by synth designer Mark Barton (MRB).
  • Over 330 presets
  • Massively configurable mono and poly keyboard assignment modes
  • Independent key range settings for endless layering and zoning options
  • Super flexible Voice Linking for powerful voice control grouping
  • Focus buttons for instant enlargement of all areas of the user interface
  • Two separate poly assign buses for stacked poly patch creation
  • Additional LFO with six waveforms and tempo sync
  • Eight-Step Mini Sequencer with 1/2-step quantizer and tempo sync
  • Studio-quality reverb and mod delay with tempo sync
  • Full MIDI control and DAW automation for all controls

Here’s an audio comparison of the Oberheim Eight Voice to the Cherry Audio Eight Voice:

Pricing and Availability

Cherry Audio Eight Voice is available now for $29. A demo version is also available.

49 thoughts on “Cherry Audio Releases Eight Voice Polyphonic Synth”

  1. This is fantastic! I just bought it for $29, much more reasonable than $8,000 plus for a real one. 😉
    The comparison above was so close, it’s difficult to tell the difference even when I was scrutinizing it with headphones on. There’s no way most people (maybe except for golden-earred synth geeks) would notice a difference in a mix.

    1. “Focus buttons allow instant enlargement of any section of the user interface, making sound programming easier”

      Wonder how difficult it is to do this? Wish this would become a standard type feature on soft synths.

  2. The real thing has a lot more bite.
    Just close your eyes and listen 😉
    listen on really shit speakers and you can tell the difference at once.

    1. But I don’t have really shit speakers. What if I repeatedly stab the woofers and spray whipped cream in the tweeters, will I notice the difference then?

      1. No, but your woofers will lose 12Hz of response and your tweeters will sound milky muffled. Personally I think the the s/w synth sound absolutely gorgeous. I bought it. I was going to buy the original for £12573 off eBay but thought no, I can buy more whipped cream with the saving.

        You may suspect I have never owned the original…and you are right. I have also never owned a Moog System 55, Jupiter 8, PPG Wave or one of many other synths. But I use recreations of them and Im thankful for them.

        One day we will all get past the “it doesn’t sound the same as the original” and actually make some decent music.

      2. It’d be a laugh if it turns out Cherry have switched the sound (a bit like like GForce did in their video) so we’re hearing the plugin over the ‘real’ images. Every developer should do it really.

  3. The comparison video is really honest. The original sounds richer in most of the examples even through YouTube. That does not mean it is bad. Countdown to comparison with the GForce OB-E.

  4. So…. I got a message from a dear friend earlier who is a major producer in the world of pop as well as underground music, indie and more…. He told me he got this early today.

    Being close friends with the folks at Cherry Audio, I reached out and they are now in contact and his quotes about this and their products will be featured.

    Then, I was given this instrument from Cherry Audio… I have worked with them over the years on various products from their other company as a sound designer… anyhow….

    I wound up creating a song immediately!!!

    The sound of this is fantastic and I own Oberheim synths!!!!

    Even if you feel this is different than the “real thing”, you have to admit that this is a more than fine sounding beast!

    If something inspires me, I find it useful.

    I hope more folks will discover this!

      1. Bragging that I have worked with the company? I am not sure how that qualifies as a brag.

        Bragging that I own Oberheim synths? (this is to show that I have experience with the sound not just someone who has heard some examples on youtube or compressed mp3s of songs using Oberheim synths.)

        Bragging that I work in the industry?

        You are not being so clear here…..
        Thank you for your tip. I will take that into account.

  5. I was disappointed when I learnt that the GForce OB-E was Mac only (at this point in time). Jumped around with joy when I got an email from Cherry Audio about their Eight Voice. And it’s for both Windows and Mac. AND there are also the SEM modules available in mono and polyphonic options for their voltage modular product. Was an insta-buy for both the instrument and the module…

  7. The original sounds better here (and I’m certainly not a “cork sniffer”). I’m eager to see a Cherry Audio vs GForce comparison.

  9. Software synths should drop the skeuomorphism. If it’s not about the hardware, don’t try to look like it.

    Flat and cartoony has been ‘the thing’ for last 10 years now.

    1. It’s a software reproduction of a classic synth. What else should it look like?

      Software developers could create an optional skin that replaces the skeuomorphic panel with different graphics, but the UI would still operate the same way.

      1. I don’t see the point if you have to use a mouse to operate it anyway. Using a linear drag motion to turn a knob makes no sense to me. Give me a hardware knob to turn, and button to select the control – oh, Synclavier, you devil, you have it right all along.

        1. Synclavier,srsly , has an user interface from hell,
          One knob for fm and additive, is for masochists to enjoy.
          One knob doesn’t even work for subtractive, I had a sequential circuits multitrack, piece of crap.

    3. so many non-skeumorphic flat interfaces force users to learn what it does and how it needs to be manipulated. do i turn it? press it? poke it? slide it? how is it meant to react to what i think it does? = lots of lost time and brainpower relearning abstract interfaces.

      when i see a skeumorphic knob or slider, it uses knowledge i already know intuitively from real life. therefore, more time for music, less time wasted in recomputing “innovative” interfaces. imo.

      1. Apple has demonstrated that these flat, non-skeumorphic interfaces can work great and move interfaces forward.

        Skeumorphic interfaces, though, have completely won in the music world – for two reasons.

        Like you note, the skeumorphic interfaces are probably easier for experienced musicians to learn. If you know how to use a Minimoog, there’s nothing to learn when you open a software version.

        The other thing is people’s perception of value. It’s like Behringer’s hardware copies – if you make a synth look like a high-value original synth, people compare the copy to the original and attribute greater value to the copy.

        Take the same exact synth and give it a better original interface, and people would think twice about spending $29 on it, instead of thinking it’s a bargain.

        1. In fact add a skeumorphic interface and you can fool a lot of people into thinking this sounds good. 😉
          People don’t listen, they look.

      1. I’ve like other cherry audio releases but this one doesn’t do it for me. I do like the GForce one enough to pay for it yeah. If I don’t like listening to it I know I’ll be less inclined to use it. Not saying the cherry one sounds awful or anything… just not enough for me to get into it.

  12. Cherry Audio is cool, but with so many ‘classic synth’ emulations churning out constantly, anyone can release something. I wonder if some of these emulations are scams, could they be just generic coding with nice graphics?

      1. I have ears and I think this sounds somewhat like their surrealistic MG-1 plus. Which is to say, great. I love what they’re doing but do think there are certain similarities in the sounds of their instruments, to the point where perhaps there is “a” Cherry Audio sound. It’s a great sound, though, and I like it.

    2. I’m going to guess that you’ve never done any significant coding in your life and definitely no audio/DSP coding. None of these things are as simple as slapping down “generic coding” and adding nice graphics. That’s why there is plenty debate about how accurate these emulations are and which perform the best.

  16. Its cool that cherry audio sell their products in another price region. I can imagine using this strategy they will eventually earn way more than with a price tag of 140 $.

  17. It doesn’t sound perfect. But it sounds close enough that it’s got the flavor of it. Some of the bite could be added with a little bit of work with saturation. Maybe a little bit of low end enhancement. The filter sounds a little off, but it’s still in the neighborhood of the original.

    We could nitpick it all day. My metric isn’t “does it sound exactly like the original,” because there’s variance among the originals. My metric is “does it sound like it could be an original.” And while this isn’t quite there, it’s close and still sounds very good.

    But it’s $29. For that price, it’s a damn good deal. And while it may not be quite good enough to sound like a real Oberheim Eight Voice, with a bit of work and in a mix, it’s going to have that feel and almost nobody listening to the song is going to care.

  18. I have to echo Mark’s comments, which nail it well. An 8-voice isn’t for faint hearts!

    The simple fact is that now, with all *too* much available, people are drawn to the *idea* of the vintage classics without fully understanding the work load and the why of it. The Arturia version wisely allows you to control the modules as a group. That’s a huge help. (I haven’t dug into all of the specs.) It partly depends on how Oberheim-crazy you want to go, with some nice OBs out there as well.

    My advice: pick one and lean into your effects. Its easy to tack on EQs, filters and delays that bring the base sound as close as software can get to a real Oberheim.

  19. good and decent sounding synth for 29 dollars its amazing. There is however a special unknown quality is missing from the sound, as when you pay top dollar for brands like, XILS, GefORCEe, SonicLAB,THE KNIFONIUIM,softube,uvi for instance. The oberhausen is alot brighter and wonderful. differant but not better or worse than Maxforcats mse, but after just an hour of playing there is it own voice and massive potential for sound creation, and it works great with sensels bulcha morph!

    1. So you’re saying that it’s missing the effervescent sound stage, bold presence and spiritual highs that one gets from expensive boutique plug-ins? 😉

      The critical thing to remember about software is that inexpensive doesn’t automatically equate to low quality. I think Cherry Audio has realized that they will sell far more copies at $29 than they would at $199 and adjusted price accordingly.

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