Red Sound Darkstar XP2 (2000)
8 voices polyphonic synthesizer

 

Desktop Virtual analog synth module - a revamp previous version DARKSTAR MK1 with a new grey design and some minor enhancements.

DESKTOP MODULE optional rackmount kit (5 units height) model "Rack-02". The main panel features a segment display, a control joystick, a rotary encoder 15 knobs, 8 pads and 22 buttons.

Rear panel terminal connectors are:
- input for external signal processing
- Midi interface
- jack stereo out
- headphones

Power supply 9VDC external PSU +)- 800 mA.

TECH Main core based on H8/3002 family (16/32bits) + dedicated audio DSP ADSP-2185 - Analog Devices. XP2 synthesis is based on VA physical modelling generates 8 voices polyphony, DAC is based on Analog devices AD1881A.
An unused socket labeled "software conversation socket" probably for "conversation kit" the vocoder.

STRUCTURE 2 detunable oscillators per voice:
- OSC1: progressive from saw to square waveform with variable width.
- OSC2: is much more complex with same progressive OSC1 waveform plus two special modes:
formant + sinewave mode.
Oscillators can be ringmodulated in this way: OSC1 > OSC2
Also a noise generator with 3 colors pink/ white/ blue.

Hear formant and sync Hear rectangle width range Hear OSC progressive waveshape Hear Sinewave TONE

PERFORMANCE the 8 voices polyphony can be assigned to 5 parts each with individual settings:

- keyboard zone assignment - Midi channel - panning stereo - gain volume - pitch transpose - monophonic mode (8 glide modes) - aftertouch to filter - aftertouch to LFO

VECTOR the joystick can be used to control different parameters in real-time:

- vector mode mixes between volumes section - filter cutoff and resonance amount - ringmodulator ratio ringmod

FILTER digital 2-poles resonant filter features 3 modes: lowpass, highpass and bandpass.
Special keyboard filter tracking at 25, 50, 100, 150%.

HEAR XP2 FILTER

ENVELOPE up to 2 EGs with quite free routing:

EG1 EG2 OSC1-2 amplitude hardwired - OSC1-2 pitch yes yes OSC1-2 width yes yes filter resonance yes yes

 

LFO up to 2 interchangeable delayed digital modulators (shapes: ramp, triangle, square, sine, pulse, sample-hold and random). Modulators can be retriggered at notes, synched to external Midi clock at various dividers from 1/8th beat to 4 bars.
LFO Destinations are:

- OSC pulse width - OSC amplitude - OSC pitch - stereo panning - filter resonance HEAR LFO

EFFECT a digital chorus is included with variable rate/depth.

HEAR digital CHORUS

MIDI all parameters are mapped to Midi CC# and the knobs transmit also this controller.

MEMORY
- 64 RAM slots.
Patches and performances can be only saved to Midi exclusive dump.

Left - the XP2 motherboard - Click on pic to magnify -

 

EDITOR not much softwares has been released for this module but the "Dark Star Editor".

 

RELATED FAMILY:

	Darkstar classic MK1- first version version with different design. mk1 vs XP2 differences: Mk1 features RCA instead of Jack, no headphones, lacks the chorus and special SINEWAVE mode (for OSC2).
	ELEVATA is another VA from REDSOUND VIDEO

 

AUDIO DEMO

Factory demo PadLFO Sequence 1 Sequence 2 (filter) Sequence 3 (formant) Sequence ALESTE MSX Bass Vintage Pad filtered Robot PWM Bass with LFO Speedup 303esh Bass quite normal Detuned synched Chill chords Drone? House organ Sequence (another) Weird prodigy Weird resonance trick Commercial mellow pad raw

raw oscillator raw osc ringmodulation raw osc lfo sync raw osc part 2 bass droning pan slicer dog darkstar bark FX bubbling FX ringme Horror panning TEST: OSC progressive waveshape TEST: Sinewave TONE TEST : formant and sync TEST: 3 noises OSC2 TEST: Sinewave + sync TEST: ringmod TEST: rectangle width range TEST: filter TEST: LFO range on pitch + shapes TEST: chorus test

VIDEO SELECTION vid1 vid2 vid3 with Korg electribe ER1

 

hi res pic

MANUAL

-XP2 SERVICE MANUAL -FREE sample set

original brochure

original advert

Red Sound Darkstar XP2 FOR SALE CHECK OUT EBAY OFFERS