Name

Cherry Audio

Legal name

Cherry Audio

Website

https://cherryaudio.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Music Production Software

NAICS

Audio and Video Equipment Manufacturing (33431), Musical Instrument and Supplies Retailers (459140)

SIC

Musical Instruments (3931)

akta.pro primary industry

Audio Plugins & Virtual Instruments (VST/AU/AAX) (MPAIAIAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Music Production Workflow & Project Management Tools (Session management, asset/versioning) (MPAIAIAK)

Keywords

• Virtual synthesizer plugins
• Vintage synth emulation
• Modular synthesis software
• Audio plugin development
• Music production software

Headquarters

HQ city

California

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Operations

Revenue model

1. Plugin Sales: One-time purchase of individual virtual synthesizer and effect plugins. Each product is sold as a perpetual license with no ongoing subscription required. Products are delivered digitally via download or the Sync application.
2. Bundles: Bundled collections of multiple plugins sold at discounted prices compared to individual purchases. The Synth Stack 6 bundle includes 36 award-winning plugins at an astoundingly affordable price.
3. Third-Party Modules: Voltage Module Designer commercial license enables third-party developers to create and sell modules in the Cherry Audio Store, with revenue share.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Cherry Audio designs and develops virtual synthesizer and effect plugins that emulate classic vintage synthesizers, drum machines, organs, electric pianos, and audio effects for music production. The company sells over 45 individual AU/VST/VST3/AAX plugins and a Voltage Modular platform directly via perpetual software licenses ($29-$69 per plugin), with collaboration from circuit-modeling specialist Mark Barton (MRB) and original instrument designers. The portfolio is also offered as the Synth Stack 6 bundle containing 36 plugins and over 12,000 presets.

Product overview

Cherry Audio is a software company specializing in virtual instrument and effect plugins that emulate classic vintage synthesizers, drum machines, and audio equipment. The product portfolio centers on Voltage Modular, a modular synthesizer platform, combined with over 40 individual synthesizer emulations (including Ensoniq ESQ-1, Mercury-8, GX-80, Eight Voice, Polymode, Memorymode, CA2600, and the Mercury series), two drum machines (KR-55C, CR-78), organ and electric piano instruments (Blue3, Wurlybird 140B, Rhodes Chroma), and effects plugins (Galactic Reverb, Stardust 201, Filtomika, Rackmode Signal Processors). Cherry Audio also offers Voltage Module Designer for third-party module development. Products are available as individual purchases or in the Synth Stack 6 bundle containing 36 plugins. Most synthesizers are emulations of vintage hardware from brands including Roland, Oberheim, ARP, KORG, Moog, and others, developed in collaboration with original designers or with meticulous circuit modeling.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Voltage Modular: Modular synthesizer platform and plugin ecosystem
• Voltage Module Designer

Products and services

• Voltage Modular Massive modular synthesizer platform that allows users to create and connect virtual modules for complex sound design, featuring unlimited cables per jack, new Busses feature, and Variations system. Targeted at modular synthesis enthusiasts and sound designers.
• Voltage Module Designer Exclusive development software for creating Voltage Modular modules using drag-and-drop controls and Java programming via an integrated code editor. User-created modules can be sold in the Cherry Audio Store under a commercial license with revenue share. Aimed at third-party module developers.
• Ensoniq ESQ-1 Virtual synthesizer officially licensed to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the classic 1986 hybrid polysynth. Features original 32 waveforms, extensive modulation options, rhythmic pattern generation, polyphonic aftertouch, MPE support, and over 400 presets combining classic factory sounds with new designs. Targeted at producers seeking accurate hybrid polysynth recreation.
• Crumar DS-2 Virtual synthesizer faithfully replicating the unique digital/analog sound of Crumar's 1978 hardware synth, created through a Crumar Instruments collaboration, with enhanced multitimbral capabilities.
• SH-MAX Fusion of three 1970s SH-series synthesizers (SH-5, SH-7, SH-3A) combined into one plugin with enhanced power and versatility.
• Mercury-8 Detailed emulation of the Roland JP-8 analog polyphonic synthesizer with expanded polyphony, versatile modulation options, studio-quality effects, expressive performance capabilities, and data exchange with the original hardware.
• Mercury-6 Meticulous recreation of the JP-6 analog polyphonic synthesizer released in 1983, known for its distinctive dark and complex character.
• Mercury-4 Detailed emulation of the Roland Jupiter-4 polyphonic synthesizer, the rarest and most sonically unique of the Jupiter series.
• GX-80 Flagship synthesizer combining the sound and features of the fabled GX-1 'Dream Machine' and the CS-80 into a powerhouse hybrid synthesizer. Chosen by MusicRadar Readers as Best Software Synthesizer of 2022.
• P-10 Dual-layer analog polysynth emulation effectively comprising two P5 synthesizers in one, with expanded 16-voice per layer polyphony, velocity, and polyphonic aftertouch.
• PS-3300 Faithful virtual analog emulation of the colossal and ultra-rare semi-modular analog polyphonic synthesizer released by KORG in 1977.
• DCO-106 Detailed recreation of one of the most iconic 1980s polysynths with modern creative features covering cutting lead sounds, warm pads, and punchy electro drums.
• Eight Voice Synthesizer Polyphonic synthesizer emulation of the Oberheim Eight Voice featuring eight independent dual-oscillator voice modules with Voice Link controls and Voice Link grouping, plus over 330 presets. Includes Mark Barton's circuit-modeled Oberheim state-variable filter.
• Polymode Synthesizer Synthesizer inspired by the Moog Polymoog with unique paraphonic architecture, 32-voice polyphony, over 150 presets, and extensive modulation capabilities for animated string, pad, and choral tones. Priced at $39.00.
• Memorymode Emulation of the legendary Memorymoog synthesizer from 1982 with lush, powerful analog sound, expanding upon the original while eliminating reliability and tuning issues.
• CA2600 Powerful duophonic synthesizer inspired by the groundbreaking ARP 2600 with precise modeling of oscillators, ladder filter, and preamp section.
• Octave Cat Emulation of the duophonic CAT synthesizer from Octave Electronics (1976) developed in partnership with The CAT's original designer, retaining the original's aggressive resonant filter with expanded polyphony and dual-step sequencer.
• Quadra Super-accurate emulation of the ARP Quadra synthesizer released in 1978, a rare and coveted instrument reproduced for the first time as a virtual instrument.
• Pro Soloist Virtual recreation of the ARP Pro Soloist from 1972 with full polyphony, splits and layers, mod matrix, and integrated effects, featuring circuit-modeled DSP designs by Mark Barton.
• ODC 2800 Three-in-one virtual instrument paying tribute to ARP Instruments' revolutionary Odyssey analog duophonic synthesizer from 1972, with authentic reproduction of all three hardware versions.
• Trident Virtual instrument reviving the multitimbral experience and sonic capabilities of the early 1980s Trident hardware synths with enhanced innovation and authenticity.
• Crumar Spirit Meticulously crafted virtual recreation of the 1983 Crumar analog monosynth, in collaboration with Crumar Instruments, elevated with modern enhancements.
• Elka-X Virtual instrument based on the legendary Synthex synthesizer, replicating the Italian luxury synth's stunning sonic character and expanding its functionality. Received a perfect 10/10 from Computer Music magazine.
• PS-20 Quirky and unique semi-modular synthesizer with unpredictable filter behavior and tremendous flexibility of patch panel and sequencer.
• Miniverse Painstaking virtual emulation of the granddaddy of all portable synthesizers, focused on absolute authenticity.
• Yellowjacket Tribute to the iconic 1978 EDP Wasp synthesizer with faithful recreation of its unique buzzy tone and drone, enhanced with 16-voice polyphony and modern features.
• Dreamsynth Tribute to hybrid analog/digital synthesizers of the mid-to-late 1980s with dual-wave morphing oscillators, stereo filters, polyphonic string synthesizer, and MPE support.
• Harmonia Innovative virtual instrument using additive synthesis techniques where each oscillator simultaneously produces up to eight pitches tuned to harmonic series or semitone pitches.
• Sines Innovative polyphonic synthesizer employing four sine-wave oscillators with diverse waveshaping methods to create complex timbres.
• Surrealistic MG-1 Plus Super authentic recreation of the Realistic MG-1 synthesizer sold in Radio Shack stores in the 1980s with enhanced capabilities. Available as a free product.
• Novachord + Solovox Collection of two virtual instruments emulating the forerunners of mass-produced synthesizers: the 1939 Novachord (163 vacuum tubes) and the related monophonic Solovox.
• Rhodes Chroma Virtual instrument bringing back the iconic Chroma polyphonic analog synthesizer from 1982 with utmost accuracy, with ability to add the Expander for layer or split modes.
• Synthesizer Expander Module Free emulation of the classic self-contained synthesizer module featuring a unique 12 dB/oct state-variable filter with lowpass, bandpass, highpass, and notch modes.
• Lowdown Recreation of the super-fat sounds of the legendary dual-oscillator bass pedal synthesizer.
• Atomika Virtual instrument based on the 1980s Soviet Polivoks synthesizer with Mark Barton's DSP designs, extended with new filter options and full polyphony.
• Blue3 Tonewheel Organ Detailed simulation of classic tonewheel organs, painstakingly simulating every feature, circuit, and source of imperfection for extraordinary richness.
• Wurlybird 140B Electric Piano Cherry Audio's first sample-based electro-acoustic virtual instrument, modeled after the Wurlitzer 140B electronic piano with solid-state amplifier from the early 1960s.
• KR-55C Drum Machine Drum machine including all rhythms of both the 1979 KR-55A and 1982 KR-55B Roland drum machines with 144 patterns, 32 intros, and 32 fills, featuring analog modeling and editable parameters.
• CR-78 Drum Machine Accurate recreation of the first true classic drum machine with 34 onboard preset rhythms, using modeled synthesis for fully editable analog sounds.
• Galactic Reverb Algorithmic reverb plugin capturing the expansive sound of coveted classic hardware digital reverbs with decay time up to 35 seconds.
• Stardust 201 Hot-rodded interpretation of classic tape echo effects from the 1970s and 1980s with spring reverb and chorus effects.
• Filtomika Filter effect plugin emulating the Polivoks filter based on the advanced multi-mode filter from the Atomika synthesizer, featuring circuit-modeled DSP designs.
• Rackmode Signal Processors Bundle of seven effects replicating classic rack-mounted Moog Signal Processors from the 1970s and 1980s, including Vocoder, Phaser, Ring Modulator, String Filter, Frequency Shifter, Graphic EQ, and Parametric EQ.
• Synth Stack 6 Bundle Comprehensive bundle assembling 36 award-winning Cherry Audio plugins including 28 vintage synthesizer emulations, 3 original synthesizers, 2 drum machines, an electric piano, tonewheel organ, the Voltage Modular platform, and over 12,000 professionally designed presets, plus the GPFree lite version of Gig Performer 5.
• Sync Free user download manager application to manage downloads, installations, updates, demos, and more for Cherry Audio's virtual instruments, effects, and preset packs.

Quantifiable outcome

• Synth Stack 6 provides 36 award-winning plugins with over 12,000 professionally designed presets

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Crumar InstrumentscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCherry Audio has an ongoing collaboration with Crumar Instruments to recreate their vintage synthesizers in software. This partnership has produced the Crumar DS-2 (faithful recreation of Crumar's 1978 digital/analog synth) and Crumar Spirit (meticulous recreation of the 1983 analog monosynth).
• Mark Barton (MRB)coreTechnology or IntegrationAward-winning synth designer Mark Barton provides circuit-modeled DSP designs for numerous Cherry Audio products including Atomika, Filtomika, Pro Soloist, and Eight Voice's Oberheim state-variable filter emulation. His expertise in analog circuit modeling is central to Cherry Audio's authentic sound recreation.
• Alan R. Pearlman (ARP Instruments)coreTechnology or IntegrationODC 2800 is a tribute to synth pioneer Alan R. Pearlman on the 100th anniversary of his birth, drawing inspiration from the revolutionary ARP Odyssey synthesizer launched in 1972. Products include CA2600 (ARP 2600 inspired) and Pro Soloist (ARP 1972 preset lead synth).
• Octave ElectronicscoreTechnology or IntegrationOctave Cat was developed in partnership with The CAT's original designer, retaining all the growl of the original hardware's fat, savage sound and replicating its aggressive resonant filter.
• DigitalOceanminorOthersCloud infrastructure provider for data storage. Primary servers and databases are hosted in the United States by DigitalOcean, AWS, and Braintree, all maintaining SOC 2 and ISO 27001 security certifications.
• AWS (Amazon Web Services)minorOthersCloud infrastructure provider for data storage. Primary servers and databases are hosted in the United States by DigitalOcean, AWS, and Braintree, all maintaining SOC 2 and ISO 27001 security certifications.
• BraintreeminorOthersPayment processor for the Cherry Audio Store. Primary servers and databases are hosted in the United States by DigitalOcean, AWS, and Braintree, all maintaining SOC 2 and ISO 27001 security certifications.
• StripeminorOthersPayment processor for handling billing information including payment card numbers and payment account details during purchases.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Spectrasonics: Long-standing premium virtual instrument developer (Omnisphere, Keyscape, Stylus RMX) serving professional producers and composers. Broad incumbent with overlapping high-end instrument-plugin market overlap, though its catalog leans toward original instruments and acoustic sampling rather than vintage synth emulation.
• KORG (KORG Collection): Major synth manufacturer offering the KORG Collection of software emulations of its own classic keyboards (M1, MS-20, Polysix). Same heritage-emulation category as Cherry Audio's M-series/PS-3300/SP-3300 products but with first-party rights and broader hardware ecosystem.
• Roland (Roland Cloud): Roland's virtual instrument division offers cloud-based emulations of its own classic hardware catalog (TR-808/909, Juno, Jupiter-8) — directly comparable products but with the strategic advantage of being first-party rights holder and broader parent portfolio reach.
• EastWest Sounds: Long-established sample and virtual instrument developer serving film, TV, and pro producers (Play, Opus, Hollywood Orchestra). Comparable for premium virtual instruments targeting professional composers — broader portfolio focused on orchestral/cinematic rather than synth emulation.
• Native Instruments: One of the largest music software incumbents (Komplete, Massive, Reaktor), serving the same music-producer and sound-designer customer base. While not a vintage-emulation specialist, it competes broadly for the same plugin dollars with deeper financial resources.
• IK Multimedia: Italy-based music software and hardware company offering sample libraries, amp simulations, and instrument emulations (SampleTank, Syntronik). Comparable for vintage synth emulations (Syntronik line overlaps with Cherry Audio's catalog) and broad music-producer customer base.

Direct peers

• u-he: German boutique plugin maker known for Hive, Repro, Diva, and Bazille — directly comparable for high-fidelity DSP modeling of vintage analog synth sounds, similar indie operating model and product-led GTM aimed at the same producer demographic.
• XLN Audio: Swedish plugin/sample developer producing Addictive Drums and XO drum machine. Comparable for its drum-machine and instrument products (matches Cherry Audio's KR-55C, CR-78) and similar boutique-to-mid-size plugin-market positioning.
• FabFilter: Dutch boutique plugin maker renowned for best-in-class mixing/mastering effects and Twin 2 synth. Comparable as a small, indie, craft-driven software developer with premium positioning and product-led growth; Cherry Audio's Galactic Reverb and Filtomika compete in adjacent effect categories.
• Arturia: French music technology company most directly comparable to Cherry Audio — produces meticulously modeled emulations of classic analog synthesizers (V Collection) plus hardware controllers, targeting the same vintage-emulation use case for music producers with similar $29-$399 pricing tiers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cherryaudiovst
• YouTubeyoutube.com/cherryaudiovst
• Facebookfacebook.com/cherryaudiovst
• Instagraminstagram.com/cherryaudiovst

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cherry Audio