Crumar DS-2

The Crumar DS-2 arrived in 1978 as one of the first synthesizers to employ digitally controlled oscillators, a technical leap that meant your tuning would stay rock solid even after hours of playing—a genuine breakthrough when most synths drifted like ships without anchors.

This is a hybrid beast: a tight monosynth paired with a 44-voice polyphonic string section that lets you layer lush pad textures underneath your lead lines. The two DCOs generate three waveforms each and feed into a Moog-style filter that's genuinely fat and responsive, paired with two fast envelope generators that handle everything from snappy drums to deep bass without lag. You get two LFOs with serious modulation depth—the second one includes sample-and-hold and staircase waveforms for those unpredictable, glitchy textures. Both LFOs can modulate the oscillators, filter, and VCA independently, giving you real hands-on control with dedicated knobs for instant tweaking. The keyboard itself is built into a hardcase that flips open and serves as a stand, making it surprisingly portable for something this substantial.

The DS-2 has earned respect among players who've tracked it down. Its sound sits somewhere between a Mini Moog and a Pro-One—capable of everything from strange, modulated noise to thick, punchy bass. The polyphonic string section, while simple in design, adds warmth and movement when layered with the monosynth section. That said, finding a working example on the used market is genuinely risky; these machines are now nearly 50 years old and prone to component failures in the DCO or polysynth stages, so any purchase should come with realistic expectations about potential repair costs. Artists like Sun Ra and Cirrus have put them to work, testament to their sonic character despite their quirks.