Please note that I am expanding the Cherry software reviews to be on different pages.
They’ve started to invade so much territory I think it’s time to take them more seriously.
Long long ago when dinosaurs ruled the earth and normal people bought vinyl records I was mad keen on getting hold of a synthesiser. The first was the Kawai 100F which is, by any measure, a good start for funny noises. For actual music I was able to get a hold of the Roland SH-1, which was modern, black – and pretty simple.
What I really wanted was one of the frog green SH series that had preceded my purchase – the SH-3, SH-5 and SH-7. All are from a time when the rules of synthesis were being invented, providing alternatives to the basic MOOG signal flow. They were never commonly available and held a daunting price. I did find a System 100 for AUD$5000 – there was no way I could raise that sort of money. Instead I lucked out with the Korg MS/SQ series that then took me off on a different tangent for years.
After some difficult decades of poverty I could afford hardware synthesisers again. There were now plenty of new digital keyboards to choose from but old dreams never died out. Roland didn’t seem at all interested, Behringer came very close with the MS-5 except there’s just no more room in this studio – which left it to Cherry to come up with this clever software hybrid.
The Cherry SH-MAX is the Roland SH 3a, 5 and 7 models blended together. Although not a purist approach it works extremely well as each had specialist features. Very basically – The SH-5 is the fundamental instrument, with oscillators fed through multiple paths to two filters and ring modulator via a mixing desk. The SH-3A is represented by an additional additive (electric organ) wave source. The SH-7 adds further features like FM of the filter, noise and oscillator synch. There’s a more detailed description here.
It’s odd to finally play a synthesiser (hardware or software really doesn’t matter) that was your aspiration 45 years ago. Absolutely no disappointment – it’s all quite excellent. The manual spends a good amount of time on the thought process behind the signal paths, where multiple signals follow multiple paths to treatments to form a complex sound – it’s the right balance between imagination and guidance. Better than the System 100 in my option.
The MAX is also polyphonic. Not sure why Cherry sometimes does poly and other times not, maybe it’s about too much signal at once or maybe some original makers insist on complete authenticity. Here the signal can be so lush that a few notes are at the edge of bloating, meaning it’s up to you to set the right amount. There are also effects, now becoming standard on all Cherry instruments which means you can share FX designs across their instruments.
At this price it’s a no brainer. And again represents a strong threat to Roland’s software plans – an ever falling reason to enrol in Roland’s subscription unless you’re just there for the latest library.