Radikal Technologies Accelerator or DSI P12

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koenig
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Radikal Technologies Accelerator or DSI P12

Post by koenig »

I am in the process of renewing my rig and I am considering yet another instrument, in addition to the Solaris.

My first thought was the DSI Prophet 12 which seems to be a very capable instrument. I had a chance to play on one a couple of times at my local music store and I must admit I liked what I heard and saw. There are lots of knobs and is there anything I have learned over the years is that I tend to not be as fiddling if there are no knobs to turn...

Then I read about the Radikal Technologies Accelerator (apparently built by the same chaps who build the Solaris) and was rather intrigued: firstly I always like a dark horse (hence I got the Solaris) to a mainstream mass produced item, but there are also other similarities that struck me such as having a very dedicated and enthusiastic person running the show.

But not so many knobs - more of a Blofeld feeling to the interface.


One of the main reasons for getting the Solaris was John. Seriously. A guy with a pedigree and a place in the synth history really wanting to do his own stuff, in his own way under his own name. This can not go wrong.

Seems like it is the same thing with the Accelerator - there, the chap is named Jörg, rather than John, but the rest of the story rings a bell, so to speak.


Now, I can not buy an instrument purely because I like the philosophy behind the product, and I have tried to form an opinion. The problem is that the Accelerator seems to be rather more reclusive than the Solaris and there are not that many reviews, nor comparisons, that I can find.

Buying the Solaris was a leap of faith and getting an Accelerator seems to be another one. I am just trying to ease the jump and perhaps cushion the landing and hence this posting. Anyone want to share their experiences (or biased thoughts and ramblings) of the Accelerator, please?
koenig
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Re: Radikal Technologies Accelerator or DSI P12

Post by koenig »

I ended up with both… :lol:

They both complement the Solaris excellently and I have today a rig that I am both proud of and very content with. I don't think that there is anything out there that I would buy today, with the sole exception of a Schmidt Poly Analog, even if I had unlimited funds. And the Schmidt would then be just for the heck of it… :D
mrdan
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Re: Radikal Technologies Accelerator or DSI P12

Post by mrdan »

Hi koenig,

I'm on the group 5 waiting list and was also considering the Prophet 12 and Accellerator also. After playing the P12, I decided although it s an extremely capable instrument the general vibe was a little too metallic for my tastes so opted for the Modal Electronics 001 which I am extremely happy with. It has a warmth that I love.

I was wondering how you're getting on with the Accelerator? - how's the oscillators and filters in comparison to the Solaris? Any issues or major features you've encountered?



Thanks,
koenig
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Re: Radikal Technologies Accelerator or DSI P12

Post by koenig »

mrdan wrote: I was wondering how you're getting on with the Accelerator? - how's the oscillators and filters in comparison to the Solaris? Any issues or major features you've encountered?
I like the sound; it is more digital than the Solaris and, as I pointed out above, complements the Solaris well. I have yet to sit down and program the thing, I blush to disclose though.

Quite a lot of knobs (that double as buttons) and a matrix setup but there are also an awful lot of parameters and a menu system that is not fully documented, as far as I have gathered. There have been updates to the OS that are not reflected in the documentation... :(

There is this german chap, Jörg, who runs the show and in a sense the Accelerator and the Solaris share a common family situation - a very enthusiastic parent with limited resources and time. There are a fair number of bugs but no visible roadmap, so in that sense I would say the Solaris wins as John is very clear with what is going on.

For me was one of the most annoying bugs the MIDI implementation. I tried to use it as a master keyboard (there is a lot of support for that - impressive handling of different ways of storing and addressing patches on outboard equipment) but I had a very simple problem: I have an Origin that I had connected to the Accelerator and I could never be sure if I could play it or not. No sound meant reboot...

Once I got the P12 I moved the Origin to that one and I can tell you that Dave Smith knows his way around MIDI, that is for sure (which is no wonder since he invented the thing). No problems at all. If this is a problem with the MIDI on the Accelerator or the Origin or a combination, I don't know, but once on the P12 everything worked as expected.


The keybed of the Accelerator is not as good as the one on the Solaris (which is the best I have tried) but better than the P12. To be frank: the P12 is a bit finicky to the touch and would have, in my opinion, deserved a better keybed. Still, it is a lovely machine.

And here's the rub: the P12 (as the Solaris) sports lots of knobs so if that is your thing, I think you would love it. The way you assign modulation is rather clever for instance: press and hold "assign mod source", fiddle with a control, press and hold "assign mod destination", fiddle with a control and you are done. Neat-o!

K
mrdan
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Re: Radikal Technologies Accelerator or DSI P12

Post by mrdan »

Hi, thanks for the reply.

Yes I like the demos I've heard of the Accellerator. To me it seems to have a slight nod towards Quasimidi, which is hardly surprising considering Jörg's past employment as sound designer for them.

I agree about the Prophet keyboard. I was unable to determine which action they are using. There are posters on the DSI forum who say it is Fatar, but DSI support didn't answer my question and their documentation doesn't seem to mention. It certainly is not the same as the Fatar TP9 in my Modal 001, which feels very robust.

Personally I prefer the filters on the Pro 2 to the Prophet 12, but that's another can of worms :D although DSI do specifically state that the Pro 2 has a Fatar action.

I'm a huge fan of the Fatar TP8S, it's one reason why I refuse to get rid of my VIrus TI2. Such a lovely feel, and I like the dullness of the keys. Has a real quality feel to it.

I can see my future purchases being a DSI (Pro2 or P12), Jupiter 6, and either Macbeth Micromac or 3 Moog Mother 32's. From the Soalris demos I've heard, they will fill in any gaps quite nicely!
mrdan
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Re: Radikal Technologies Accelerator or DSI P12

Post by mrdan »

Just a quick update....

Had my Solaris for about 6 months now. It's solved my synth lust!! What a fabulous piece of kit.

I'm sure the Radikal is superb too. And DSI makes great stuff for sure. The Solaris is a beast that more than satisfies my needs :)

Happy synthing!!!

mr d
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