CRB Uranus 1 VST is a free emulation of a rare 1970s Italian synth for Windows.
We’re used to emulations of vintage synths, like EightyEight by Morphoice, a free Roland Jupiter-8 emulation.
And we get some virtual instruments inspired by rare synths, like The Crow Hill Company’s Vintage String Synth, based on the Wersi String Orchestra ensemble-style synth from the 1970s.
This time, we’re sticking in the 1970s, but this plugin emulates a synth that’s bout as rare as it gets: the CRB Uranus 1.
The Uranus 1, developed by the CRB Electronica company in Ancona, Italy, in the mid-1970s, is a synth that very few people touched, with only five hardware units ever made.
The Museo del Synth Marchigiano teamed up with two men who know the Uranus 1 better than most: Marcelo Colò and Marco Molendi.
Marcelo was lucky enough to spend time with one original unit while he prepared to showcase it at fairs and trade shows.
The Uranus 1 is a polyphonic and polytimbral synth with eight oscillators, VCFs, VCAs, LFOs, and a built-in drum machine.
The oscillators and VCFs, etc., are split into two symmetrically arranged sets of four for the left and right hands.
I’ve never heard this synth before, and there’s not much audio or video to compare to the original, but I really like some of the sounds Marcelo produces in his demo video.
I like how it drifts, like an old analog synth, and doesn’t sound too contrived.
I also like the idea of arranging a sort of performance patch that combines rhythmic and melodic sounds.
As you can see, the interface is fairly close to the original hardware, which means it looks pretty daunting at a glance, but the symmetrical layout soon eases things.
I think a macOS version is coming, but for now, the CRB Uranus 1 VST is Windows-only (Standalone and VST3).
The plugin comes with ten presets and a user manual to get you started.
It definitely sounds interesting, and it’s different, so it’s worth checking out.
In other news, don’t forget you can claim an exclusive $10 discount on Orra EQ and Orra Press with the code BPB39.
Download: CRB Uranus 1 VST (FREE)
More:
- MKS Mixing releases DelayU-42, a FREE vintage-style digital delay plugin
- The Crow Hill Company releases FREE Vaults Vintage String Synth
Last Updated on July 6, 2026 by Tomislav Zlatic.
