Crumar Performer

not a lot of features and forget about midi. does a few things but does them so well and with such sublety that you'll find yourself gong to it again and again.

the performer is capable of string sounds that will sound absolutely gorgeous, and though less realistic-sounding if you a/b them with sampled strings, they have a good shot of sounding more realistic in the mix.

with a little imagination and with some offboard effects (i use it most often with the moogerfooger murf)--pedals or rack--this baby can be a devastating secret weapon for all genres.

aside from being a great generator for all sorts of noise weirdness, i guess i reach for it so often because, instead of giving me "realistic" sounding strings that ultimately sound fake, the crumar gives you what sounds like real strings altered with recording effects.

mine is beat to hell and is strictly a studio-only piece because the sliders are so scratchy and sketchy that the thing often needs a knock just to go from silent to making sounds. recently contemplated adding it to my on-stage setup and would, but not before giving it a hardware overhaul.

were it in its intended condition though, i don't think it would give any problems. seems a pretty simple, pretty solid build.

i would definitely get another one if it somehow vanished into phat air. this overall rating of 10 takes the price into account. when i think that i paid about $130 on it on ebay, and the price that some pedals go for, i just smile. someday i will get it a thorough going over from a synth tech and get it into the condition it deserves to be in. but for now i'm still thrilled with it despite broken sliders that i need to manipulate with a paper clip and a "brass" button that i need tape down to keep engaged.

it's not that i like fussing with junk. it's that this thing has such a unique, haunting, and most of all *musical* sound that i'm willing to put up with the minor physical hassles, and even regard them as a piece of thing's charm. run it through a pedal, particularly a moog pedal, particularly the murf, and you have just a great engine for oh-so-many things--rhythm, bass, strings, sonic weirdness, textural samples, eerie voice sounds, and on and on and.....

Yes and cool

All the keys works in the same time (generate sound);
It's a mini synth with great balls.

Unique sound and inteligent analog arhitec.
The sound is great for rock band. Compare to Oberheim is less strong but more flexible.
Some noise - analog ..

Yes

N/A

The strings on the crumar are hauntingly cool. Something that might be heard (and probably has) in horror films from the 70's. The brass on the other hand is mediocre at best. This thing is very easy to understand and only takes a couple minutes to master.

This creepy/cool keyboard is fully polyphonic and the sustain and cresendo are the highlights to me. Also, in the back the master VCO that is used for tuning, can also be used as a pitch bend and may make your audience wonder exactly what you are doing. Thaer are two timbres 16' and a 8' I beleive. The modulation is pretty neat if used sparingly.

The high end of this string simulator is somewhat realistic. The bottom timbre on the other hand is far less convincing, although it is still hauntingly cool. When playing with the sustain on it takes some getting used to due to the dissonance, but if the chord is allowed to fade then it purpose is served.

I got this thing off ebay and the ad said it was working. This was a lie because several transistors were melted and diodes fried and was just simply not working. My tech who is an electronics whiz and cared enough to assistgot it working again and so far is very reliable. I would bring this to a gig w/out backup.

I got a schematics manual from Mark Glinsky's manual manor and this cat is very helpful. Qick replies, quick service.

this thing is in a league of its own and if lost or stolen I would be bummed. After repair it was worth what I paid for it but when it arrived from the schiester who sold it to me from ebay, no. I also own a hammond xb-2 (with leslie 125), hohner clavinet duo, fender rhodes 72, toy piano, melodica, sequential circuits pro one, a casio cz-101 and just today FOUND a optigan in a garage for free!!!!!! The crumar is awesome though and wouldnt give it up for anything. I love it!

I am a guitarist/bassist, and this is my first "real" keyboard.I saw it at music go round, and decided it looked cool and since I have been looking for a Moog, decided to try it out for fun.

All it took was 5 minutes and I felt like I was in total control. If a bassist/guitarist like me can figure it out, anyone can.

Now in those last 7 hours, I only got to play with it for like

The action is very good. There is a very distinct difference between just tapping the keys verses holding it down. You can also adjust the action as well.

The EQ is very easy to use, and you can get sooooooo many cool sounds out of this lil monster. As everyone said before, the brass sounds more like a synth bass, but that is exactly what I was looking for anyhow. Two different outputs for the strings and bass things, and a switch for turning on the bass.

I also got a so-so conditioned vinyl/pleather bag for it w/ two zippers that run up the sides. It seems to be constructed rather well. It has the Crumar logo running along both sides.

It's an old piece of equipment, and you can make pretty much any sound with it and perhaps a few pedals. I am eager to use it in a mod rock band I plan to start.

See my above comments as well. The only problem I have, is that the volume for the Strings only seems to be half as loud as the brass. But there is a seperate volume level for brass so it's easy to equal it out on an amp.

THis thing was old and crusty when I got it. It still works. It looks late 70's, and if that's true, I must say I am very impressed. SOldi Construction, although the handle for the volume fader was broken when I bought mine. I'm still sort of affraid I might break something, but only because it's so old.

They are gone from what I hear, but there are tons of sites with info if you need it.

Mine came trashed, and I got it working just like that.

All polyphony, simple modulation effects,
but that eq is where its at man. Simple, no bullcrap.

Let's put it this way, its never going to be a mellotron, and that's good, because no one can afford one these days. This thing has a sound like nothing else I touch. It beats my yamaha sk-20 string sound any day. Try it with a crybaby and a univibe, I tell you, you can knock out any funk/disco guitar rhythm just like that.

It was shipped in a cardbox with little else. The low C sticked a little, but hell, it still works.

NA

This was my very first analog synthesizer, rescued (stolen?) from some angry guitar dudes who slammed it against things for their home videos; needless to say, it was unoperational. However, once I soldered the connections and put brand new sliders in, OH MY GOD!!! Of all analog's I've ever played, this one has the easiest learning curve. It's about as complicated as a slide whistle!

Its just simple enough. The modulation effects (VCF and FM) are surprisingly useful and versatile. My particular favorite is the string's 'crescendo' level...a slow attack that's amazingly lifelike. There's also a tuning knob in the back, allowing more than an octave of pitch calibration; great for playing to out-of-tune instruments...like that bratty guitarist who wants to tune to E flat because "Stevie Ray Vaughn does it".

The sounds MAKE this machine. The 'brass' channel of course sounds nothing like brass, but I've managed to get some great porno-background-music-like squirts and squawks with it. At lower octaves, this makes AMAZING bass synth sounds, especially when utilizing the modulation. However, the 'tootsie-roll-center' to this thing is the strings channel. There are no other keyboard string sounds like this. From grungy to gorgeous to gargantuan, its in here.

Talk about a workhorse! When a drunken-opening-act-bassist stumbled into my rig, he knocked the Crumar right off of my Yamaha CP-30 Electric Piano, where it bounced off the edge of the stage into the crowd!! Once we fished the broken 1/4" cable end out of the output, we plugged it back in, and it was 100%!! (More than we can say about that bassist.)

Crumar's been out of business since before I ever even touched a keyboard. Not that big a deal...hardly anything ever goes wrong with them. (If you have problems, there are tons of websites with schematics for the downloadin'.)

I love this and the unique sounds it can give me. It won't give you those rowdy R2-D2 noises like you get from a Moog, but that's not it's thing (besides, with most Moogs, you've got to fart around with knobs for hours before you can find a particular sound). If you want to sound like everyone else, get a Moog (and a Rhodes, and a Hammond). If, like me, you like your own sounds, this is your 'board.

Back in 1982 this was my first synth and being used, had no manual. It took all of 10 minutes to start tracking with it. Fingering this board to trigger the envelope made me develope a playing techniqe I still use to this day and prepared me for the days of aftertouch.

I still compare the actions of all new snyths to this 20 year old oldie but goodie.This one piece of gear let our 3 man band compete with all the 6 & 7 pc. bands of the time.

It was hard to over produce on this board, the string and brass combination have a benchmark signiture all there own. I still find my self saying "It's almost a crumar stringy sound" when comparing all the new stuff out here.

Since this board sat 2nd from top of my Vintage Rig.( Chopped Hammond M100, RMI epiano/harpsichord,Crumar Performer, then a mini-moog.)It took the most falls,spills,burns,rainfall,etc. and still keeps going without one defect.(sliders are not even sratchy)

They no longer exist.. What a Shame !!!

I would eat hotdogs every day before I'd sell this board, I have had some tempting offers and trades but My son has dibs on it when I'm dead and gone

This is the easiest synth i've ever used. I own one and play it all the time. Whenever someone new plays mine, the confused look leaves their face after a minute or so and soon, they are handling it like they've played synths forever. It is a perfect gigging synth.

It is fully polyphonic and plays very nicely. i've never had a key stick. The modulation section is a joy with vcf and fm to chose from. There are sliders for rate, delay lenght (attack), and depth. the strings section has eq, crescendo, and sustain sliders. The brass side has a great set of filters. with resonance up, the range slider allows for some incredible sounds. It's an easy way to wow an audience. The only thing I wish it had is a few knobs to turn and a portamento or pitch bend. It has a pitch dial at the back for tuning which is a must have for an analog synth.

The brass setting doesn't sound anything like brass, but it is so much better that way. This makes a tremendous bass synth and it allows for a lot of sound tweaking. The strings sound is closer to reality, but it is just unreal enough to feel a little spooky. The sounds feel very warm and real which is quite an accomplishment for a fully electronic instrument. The keyboard reaction itself is better than average.

I've used mine at a ton of shows without a single problem. I've dropped it and banged it around some, and it's been perfect.

The company doesn't exist anymore. I'd need a specialist if something happened. Fortunately, everything has always worked fine.

I got such a good deal on this synth. It has been a dream come true. I'd played for six years, and i finally broke down and decided it was time to get a real keyboard (which means classic synth in my language). I couldn't find anything affordable until i stumbled across my crumar at a thrift shop. It is my favorite instrument, hands down. I'd rate it a 10, but i'm holding to the belief that someday i'll meet a synth that i'll love even more. It is the most indispensible part of my home studio and my personal favorite part of my band's live sound. I originally intended to save up for a moog, but now i'm glad i got this instead. It is just more musical and user friendly. Mine is named Atsuko. She is my most prized possesion!

Very easy to use analog string machine, plug it in and go. The Performer has a BRASS and STRING section to choose from. There are individual outs for each, and a slider for each parameter. It did not come with a manual but if you understand the basics of subtractive synthesis (or not?) you will have no problems.

The Performer is fully polyphonic (49 keys), but only has one envelope. So whatever you have held down first that starts the envelope, subsequent keys will come in on the heels of the envelope. This was manufacturer between, 78-83 so no MIDI. It has it's own built in EQ for the STRINGS part, and an 8' and 16' settings for them. You can control the Crescendo(Attack?) and Sustain of the strings. The BRASS section features simple envelope controls(Attack, Decay,) a Pitch control, and Resonance. The BRASS isn't that great for brass but it makes a decent Bass Synth. There is a filter section that is used for both with a slider for modulation, rate and delay. There is also a Transposition switch.

This does a nice shimmering string machine sound. Nick Rhodes from Duran Duran used one on their early albums. You can use it for a variety of styles.

The body seems pretty sturdy, but it has two keys that do stick. So, I would say it is not really that reliable.

Yeah, right.

I'd rather a Solina, an Omni, a VP-330 or a Paraphonic. But it is nicer than the Opus 3 and any of the Yamaha SKs that I've played. Its the kind of machine that you have to push the limits of to get the best effect. Some complex chords and a little modulation produces some sweet strings. A very underrated machine.