Wok has introduced Cromina String Machine, a string synthesizer for Windows that’s a virtual recreation of the electronic strings sound of the 60s and 70s:

Solina, Crumar and Logan where the names, which made it first possible for bands to bring a string orchestra on stage or into the studio. The lush sound of these electronic keyboards stamped many songs of this era. And then an electronic musician from France connected one of those keyboards to a phaser and created the most famous electronic string sound ever.

You can preview the sound of Cromina below:

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Two design features are fundamental for this famous sound, which also made it impossible to construct a faithful copy with samples:

• the frequency divider circuit, that gave these keyboards polyphony
  with the disadvantage of a very static sound
• the chorus unit to overcome this with a heavy modulation

Although this plugin has it’s focus on the typical Solina sound (including a phaser and delay effect), it can produce a wide range of typical sounds by using the integrated equalizer, vibrato, envelope variations (including a piano envelope) and other tuning controls.

Wok Cromina String Machine is expected to be released at the end of April, 2010, as a Windows VST and to sell for 39 €.