Fender Chroma Polaris - showing some presets

This is my Fender Chroma Polaris from 1984. It's an amazing analog 6 voice synthesizer with digital control. The core of the digital part is an Intel 80186 CPU running at 6 MHz. In those years the most powerful PC had a 8086 CPU @ 4,7 MHz!

The analog path is comprised of CEM VCO and Filters, while the envelopes and the LFOs are generated digitally.
It's very easy to program, really powerful, with plenty of memory for your presets and a fine dynamic keyboard.
If you find one at a reasonable price (around US$500) don't let it go!

In this video I'm showing you some of the factory presets.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Fender
• Chroma
• Polaris
• Synthesizer
• Synth
• Analog
• Vintage
• VCO

[liquidjustin]

Hi Guido,

I just bought a polaris and it appears that some of the membrane switches stopped working after shipping. This is really annoying as the lower function button isnt working and I cant even calibrate it. I noticed yours makes a clicking sound whenever you push a button. Did you have your switches replaced/repaired?

I would have sent you a private message but you have a friend's lock

enabled.

Cheers.

- Justin

[zioguido]

Hi Justin,

you can choose to disable the clicking sound when pressing the preset buttons. See the manual for this. If some of your buttons don't work, you probably have the membrane ribbon cable broken. Mine was repaired by the previous owner, but I already know that it will need another go, sooner or later.

[SlikkTim]

This synth is so fat... Excellent ! Could you give me more insight about that home made spring reverb ? Would much appreciated

[zioguido]

It's based on an Accutronics Type4 tank, mounted in a 19" 1U rack case and driven by a small circuit based on a TL082 opamp.

Go to PicasaWeb, search user zioguido and browse my photo albums, I have a few pictures of the project.

[mflandez]

Wow, i cant believe i have this synth back in chile, in the attic getting full of dust, i have to go back to get it!!

[newpro5657]

This was my main synth through the 80's and into the 90's...even used it on an album around the turn of the century. I thought the sequencer/split option that allows three voices at once to a maxim 6 polyphony was ahead of its time. Midi was quirky and often required resets in the mix of keyboard connections but way powerful. Velocity control was a bit weak but it was one of the first with that feature. Great synth in its day. Still very valuable for analog...as good as prophet 08 I think. -Sam

[thepauloapo]

I was scratching my head for a while and it hit me. The name was familiar from GSi plugins. Your stuff is great.

[Egondv]

@Egondv ah just read the description :)

[Egondv]

How much did you pay for this back in the days?

How much would it go for nowadays?

This thing is F***ing awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[JERRYKNIGHT84]

Hey what is the song you're playing at 2:50?

the "preset d3"

i love the chords

[Synthshop]

great playing. Great sounds. Do have the patch data (waveforms) posted somewhere? I'd like to try loading into mine. I'm interested in doing the op-amp mod too! thanks.

[newpro5657]

Had one for 10 yrs and really loved it. Heavy beast, though. Great sequencer could record all panel changes as you played them and you could play the sequencer and split the keyboard for three sounds at once. Only 6 voices total and midi a bit buggy but a great, I mean great synth. Played it until 2003.

[Laura041974]

@gretopplXRS There's a broken one on ebay for £600!

[FlashVideosDigital]

Great synth! I loved Mammagamma, magical...

[gretopplXRS]

Sounds like a good deal providing it's in good condition - I've seen good ones go for £600 in fixed-up shape ($1000).