Synthesizer Expander Module: Another Computer Music 10 out of 10!

"We can't go far enough in praising what Cherry Audio has produced here."

Cherry Audio has received its tenth 10/10 rating from Computer Music, this time for the free Synthesizer Expander Module virtual instrument. It was also awarded the Value Award in the June 2024 issue, on newsstands now. Reviewer Roland Schmidt praised its looks ("absolutely stunning") and how its sound compared to the original hardware ("amazingly well").

Synthesizer Expander Module is an emulation of the classic "OB" self‑contained synthesizer module of the same name. Originally released in 1974, the keyboardless, mono module was intended as a companion to the one of the earliest digital sequencers.

"Let's be honest, you don't need to persuade synth-heads to download a freebie, although the Cherry SEM would be a bargain even if it were placed around its usual competitive price points. Placing this to one side. It sounds unbelievably good, even alongside hardware, and provides the added convenience of saving patches. Cherry Audio has supplied a handful of great presets to get you going, but as this is a quirky-but-simple mono-beast. which sounds totally Oberheim. you may well eventually find it difficult not to get twitchy with your own editing and automation."

This rating follows Computer Music's 10/10 reviews of GX-80 -- hailed as "the most impressive visual and sonic spectacle available in software" -- in December, 2022, and the 10 out of 10 ratings for Pro Soloist (May 2024), PS-3300 (March 2024), Harmonia (January 2024), Octave Cat (November 2023), Mercury-6 (May 2023), Elka-X (November 2022), Sines (December 2022), and Miniverse (September 2022).