Fender Chroma Polaris

If you were raised in the analog days, or have experience with virtual analog synths, it's pretty intuitive. However, the sequencer, MIDI, etc will require a manual; even with one, it's going to be mostly trial and error. (I googled Chroma Polaris Manual - 1st hit scored me one! Thanks rhodeschroma.com and google.) I thought my Polaris sequencer was broken until I found out you have to hit the play button twice-once to choose play mode, then again to actually play back your sequence. However, once accomplished, it tracked control changes and all. There was occasional flakiness in playback, but that adds to the analog character, IMO.

For its day, It seems pretty replete with features. For a performer, which I'm not, I'd stay away. For the intrepid electronic musician, it's a goldmine. The features were pretty well covered elsewhere, here. I personally like the action of the keyboard, but I wouldn't use it as my main controller. It has a nice semi-weighted feel, but the velocity response seems uneven or unpredictable. That could be the oscillators, etc, and might not be a problem over MIDI, but I haven't gotten that far, yet.

Given the processor based programmability and memory, I forgive the 15% or so less sonic flexibility than the patch cord type synths. To my ear it sounds very 'organic' (not in the Hammond Organism sense), like the home brewed synths of the 60's and 70's that I was raised on. I'm looking forward to trying the op-amp updates mentioned by another reviewer. There was definitely some background hiss when no notes were sounding.

They don't build 'em like this anymore. Wood & Steel - this thing is decades old, weighs a ton, and was shipped single boxed in an old cardboard bicycle box with foam peanuts from across the USA, (perhaps not for the first time?) after buying it on Ebay for 399 USD. I took it out, brushed the 'nuts off, plugged it in and voila - worked perfectly. Looks immaculate aside from some scratches on the black wooden end-caps, which touched up nicely with a 'Sharpie".

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I've been looking for one of these since I fell in love with it about 15 years ago. I was at a studio jam without an ax, low man on the totem pole, and it was either play the synth used as a doorstop, or sit it out. Well, to my surprise, I was cutting through the Korgs and Rolands 'du jour' the other guys were playing and getting noticed. (no one told me to stop, so I think it was not only me that though it sounded heavy). I'm still looking forward to exploring the back panel functions like sync and MIDI, but I'm having too much fun playing it for now.

A hybrid front panel is not quite 1 slider/button per function, but all the critical voice elements are all right there.

There are lots of hidden voice features to this synth, so get a copy of the manual. It is well written. The LINK function would be an example. So would PWM that can be keyboard tracked.

It is a 6 voice CEM 3372/3374 synth. Dynamic Voice Allocation in SPLIT modes means you are not stuck with 4-2 or 2-4 hard assignment. It will steal back and forth.

Adjustable sawtooth duty cycle is a rare feature (including "pulse" width MOD for both square and saw waves). 6 LFOs that free-run in sine wave mode. PWM speed of the LFOs can track the keyboard when the PWM slider is pulled all the way down. In fact, many hidden features appear when sliders are pulled all the way down or up. Definitely RTFM for all the goodies.

You can add RAM to expand the sequencer. Most sequencing is now done off-board in a computer, so this is less important. I have not used it much, so can't comment any further.

The MIDI is very good even today. Complete CC mapping of all sliders (unheard in most synths due to 8-bit CPUs - the Polaris has a 16-bit CPU).

I like the keyboard action so much, I use is as a controller, but many do not. It is a 45lb synth and is very solid, which contributes to the feel.

I don't miss the lack of OSC or noise volume that much. The OB-Xa doesn't have this either and people seem to put up with it there.

I always thought the overall tone was a little mushy. Turns out this has a LOT to do with the final quad op-amp. The LM348 is crap! Replace it with a Burr Brown 2604 (brisk slew rate and BW) or even a TL084 (a $.50 part). You have to solder-remove the LM and the put in a socket. The board is easy to work on, so basic tech skills are all that you need.

No audio rate mod (I'm a prophet bigot, so I always miss OSC B as a mod source). It does have Ring and Sync, which makes up for it a bit.

I prefer saw down as an alternative LFO wave form to square. I don't LFO trill much. A saw down LFO is a bit like a cycling 0-attack AD envelope.

I like the velocity on the filter and can be used to great effect. Lots of people hate it. This is a great texture synth. It is not a great deep bass or lead box. It can do a pretty good bubbly, punchy funky bass with velocity filter and double LINK. It can do ARP. It can do CS-80 sometimes. I can now get decent OB-Xa sounds out of it (courtesy of the TL084 on the output board). The resonance settings (only 8) is noticable as subtle changes in Q on filters matter. It doesn't really sound much like my Avatar and no ARPS ever used Curtis parts. It has its own sound. BTW, I have never heard a Chroma. No VA can touch it for palpability. No, it doesn't have effects. Go buy an MPX1!


I would use the Polaris in a mix where you want a synth sound that doesn't sound like a synth sound. The mark of a great voice architecture.

The biggest problem is not with the membrane switches themselves (although when they do die, you are screwed). It is the cheap plastic ribbon connectors that crack. If you are losing GROUPS of buttons, then you are dropping address lines off these connectors. The rest of the synth is about the same reliability of any early 80s synth - power supplies, caps, 4000 CMOS going sideways etc. Nothing you wouldn't see on a Prophet, Oberheim, Jupiter of this era. I own 2 and only have 2 CMOS 4016s replaced and 1 3372 OSC chip. Remember, NONE of the instruments were designed to last 30 years.

Do NOT gig this instrument. Actually don't move it if you don't have to and DEFINITELY don't ship it anywhere. The cheap plastic connectors stress when the case is jarred. The only synth that is more prone to dying when you move it is the memorymoog. The Polaris is very easy to service and only the front panel and the keyboard need to be removed to access all circuitry. Only the Jupiters and Oberheims are easier to service.

If you own 80s synths, then either you are a part-time tech or live VERY close to one. It is the cost of maintaining these instruments. The service manuals and schematics are online and it is not very different from repairing any other 80s synth. You might the latest firmware if you plan to drive it via CCs from Logic or whatever. It can be found.

Polari still don't seem to fetch much used, so getting another would be be easy. There are a real analog polysynth and can be a bargain at $300. Remember, you are probably bidding on a DEAD OB-Xa for $700! I think the front panel scares the hell out of everybody, but its the connectors more so than the switches. And they can be fixed easily the first couple of times (by cutting them back). $300 is still typical. Even if the voice was dead, I would use it as a controller, but I like the feel (must be the only one).

A friend sold me his (that essentially sat in the box for years) and then another person had one that she needed connector repairs (having learned on mine) and she was constantly raving about it. I have learned to like it (more so, now that the op-amps are better). It is a unique sounding synth. I have limited space, so I try and have a few synths that really stand out from each other: Rev2/3 Prophet, OB-Xa, Jupiter-6, PolyEvolver, Juno60, Prophet VS, Polaris. It easily compliments the others.

I owned a Polaris for over a decade. It's a true, blue analog synth, with plenty of sliders and pressure pads for buttons. If you can find one today, don't expect to find a manual. You won't need it to program the sounds, but figuring out the MIDI or sequencer on your own may be tough.

The unit is a scaled down (though not much) version of the Chroma (but with MIDI) and based around the old ARP sound from the ARP team, once ARP went under. If you find one, remember that you are buying an old, analog synth. It won't have a lot of features, but it's MIDI was excellent for the day, and that remains so today. You're buying this for the sound right? Read the next section...

It has a very lush, pleasing analog sound, and very unique. Like it's predecessors, the ARP Quadra (and Odyssey, etc.), it is better suited to pads, strings, and other newagey sounds and FX than bass lines and leads (which were more suited to Moog in those days). To the trained ear, this machine sounds beautiful, and like no other synth out there. You can likely come close with something like the Andromeda, or maybe a Waldorf Q, or Virus C, but it won't be the same all the time. There is also a unique ASDSR envelope, coupled with an ADR output envelope. This allows some changing in the sound, though one must be careful with the release on the VCA, as on long sustains it tends to like to hold, then cut off to zero at the very end.

No on board FX, the keyboard is decent and has some weigh to it, though the keys don't trigger as nice as something like a Kurzweil K2661. There is only 1 output, and it's mono. :-(.

One other thing to know is that it has pink noise, instead of white.

It's built like a tank, with what has to be solid steel plates and solid oak side panels. The thing must weigh 60lbs. But it is getting up there in age. I think a good engineer could likely clean it up for you if you had one, as everything in it is old technology. I never once had a problem with mine.

While Fender and Rhodes are still arond in one incarnation or another, getting support today would be non existent. Better to find a good local tech/enginner.

I actually gave my Polaris away to a good friend and synth collector. So I can't say I'd buy another one. I loved the ARP sound growing up, and the Polaris didn't disappoint. It took a while to get used to the envelopes, but the sound was great in it's day. In today's world where everything is virtual analog, or buy an old analog, everyone looks at Moog, SCI, and such. Yet the Polaris is almost forgotten. If you're looking for a different sounding true analog synth, that has good MIDI, this machine could really be your ticket.

Nearly everything is modified with its own respective slider...Nearly..

The velocity sensitive keys can be set to be either volume or envelope sensitive ... or both. This is a fantastic feature to find on an analog synth. Also sounds great when the voices are stacked.

This keyboard seems to have a difficult time creating standard synth lead sounds. Which might be why I find it so interesting. Awesome sweeps and bleeps.

Oh.. well the touch pads instead of buttons was a terrible terrible idea. They tend to go in and out of functionality, and repair is a major problem. Opened up, the synth is built rather cheaply, the plastic ribbon cable which connects the control panel to the circuit board hardens over time and in most older models render the touch pads
useless. The keys feel kind of cheesy as well.

Too bad the synth is a bit unreliable - it sounds awesome. I would recommend getting one, but make sure it is clean inside and out. I had this synth and a juno-60 plugged into the same rig - I had to switch the setup because everytime these two synths were side by side.. the juno sounded like garbage.

Fairly easy to use analog synth. One touch splits, layers and sequencer. Only six voices with 2 occillators each. Powerful synth for its day

The touch sensitivity is not the best but it works. only 6 voices to split between layers and sequence. The most powerful thing about it in my estimation is the sequence. It does not have much memory...averages about 1800 notes but it is real time and memorizes all panel adjustments...very cool! no effects, mono output, quirkie midi implementation. Great slide guitar with foot pedal activation

This is true analogue with a distintive sound close to oberheim analogues. Good for big brassy sounds, clavenet type sounds and
percussion/effects. Strings are difficult to emulater but it has
good pad capability if you work with the filters. No aftertouch, velocity is OK, not the best. good performance synth with a one track
polyphonic sequencer that rememers interactive panel tweeking.

Built in 1980-84 these are big heavy synths. Barely luggable - but
not a yamaha cs-80. Probably 60lbs+. Mine was pretty dependable for
studio use. Has bladder switches that can wear out.

none - but my local electronics repair shop has fixed it up for me.
It is no mystery inside for an engineer.

Tough call. Old technology like this is good and bad. I am really good at playing the Polaris after 10 yrs so I would miss it...but it
is not competitive with the newer analog beasts. I would buy another
one if I could get it around $300.

This keyboard is a combination of an analog synth and Intel based
microcomputer which performs control and patch storage functions.
Everything related to the analog part is clearly labeled and extremely
easy to navigate. There are about 20 sliders, I believe, and that
provides convenient access to all parameters. Sliders are nicely
marked to distinguish between bypolar and unipolar parameters (i.e.
those which can take both positive and negative values, and positive
only).

All the MIDI configuration controls, however, are either poorly
labeled or not labeled at all. There are plenty of crucial functions
which are virtually inaccessible without heavy use of the manual.

I believe the polyphony is 6 note, 6 voice multitimbral. The
keyboard action is pleasing light semi-weighted. It's
velocity sensitive, no after pressure.

No effects. There is a memory extension for the onboard sequencer
which I never bothered to learn about.

The unit has one (count them!) one output, which makes it hard
if not impossible to use in multitimbral mode, because one would
typically want to use different effects on different patches.

Where this keyboard really shines, is the MIDI CC implementation.
All sliders transmit and receive control change messages, and in that
regards this unit is on par with most modern synths (and it's 15 yrs
old!). All the filter and envelope manipulations can be done
in real time and sequenced. You can't reassign CC numbers but it rarely
causes problems.

And of course, it has wooden sides without which no synthesizer
can be considered true analog.

Versatile is the keyword here. I managed to get very fuzzy pads
out of it which resemble Oberheim. It appears to be capable of
producing some very convincing classic bass. PWM modulation is very
helpful. With the ability to route the LFO to most relevant parameters,
sci-fi effects are easy to get. It can also sound clean and warm,
very ARPish.

Mine appears to be stable. It's solidly built (the front panel
is a steel armour plate, and the inside construction is good).
It uses 2 D-cell batteries to back up memory.

They are gone gone gone.

Great synth, not the most advanced architecture, but enough parameters
to tweak. Excellent MIDI control, nice filters.