Every year, Mix contributors Rich Tozzoli, Mike Dwyer and Bruce MacPherson decamp to St. John, USVI, and temporarily turn a house into a studio where they record TV cues while also testing new equipment and software, resulting in a bevy of Mix Real-World Reviews written in a unique part of the real world.
Rich and I wanted to include these Cherry Audio selections, as we both not only owned them already but used them extensively on this trip.
First up is the Cherry Audio GX-80, an extremely authentic re-creation of Yamaha’s 1977 classic polyphonic synth, the CS-80. The beauty and power of this piece of software is undeniable. Dual-layering and stereo spreading of the “ranks” make it incredibly flexible, and a large bank of excellent presets is a great place to start. The addition of the famous Yamaha GX-1 ($50,000 in 1976) parameters is really the hidden extra value here. But the deal-sealer is the way the parameters react when using our keyboard controller’s sliders and knobs via MIDI continuous controller messages. For me, they are smoother than most plug-ins and have a much more immediate feeling—as if you’re using the real thing.
Ninth Annual St John, USVI Recording Retreat Results in Reviews
The Mercury 6 is the latest re-creation from Cherry Audio, emulating the classic Roland Jupiter 6 analog synthesizer (1983). This release was also very well done and truly shines in the fat bass and arpeggiator department. There’s lots to choose from with over 500 presets, and the full sync capabilities to MIDI tempo make it a pulsing monster.
Eventide H90 Harmonizer Pedal — A Mix Real-World Review…in the USVI
In addition, both the GX-80 and Mercury 6 have very good-sounding built-in effects and are a lot easier to keep in tune than the real things! But damn, they sound badass.
