via this auction"The Spectralis is more than a synth module with sample-playback and virtual analog sound engines. It''s also a sophisticated drum machine, step and pattern sequencer, and 10-band filter bank.
I first became aware of the Spectralis more than three years ago, just as the German manufacturer Radikal Technologies was pinning down the final details of its design. It sounded fantastic on paper: a digital synthesizer with analog filters, a fixed filter bank, user multisampling, and independent step and pattern sequencers, all in a performance-oriented tabletop module with loads of hands-on control. It promised to be the mother of all groove boxes, but was it too ambitious to be true? During subsequent NAMM shows I was able to see it, touch it, and hear it in action. I liked what I heard, and it appeared to deliver on its promises. At the very least, I knew that Radikal was on the right track.
The Spectralis is the brainchild of Jörg Schaaf, who was instrumental in developing synths for Quasimidi and has recorded and performed with electronic-music superstar Klaus Schulze. The Spectralis is a self-contained production workstation with features that make it attractive for live performance as well as studio use. Like most workstations, it can be used by itself, connected to other MIDI instruments, or installed as part of a computer-based system.
Although the Spectralis has now been shipping since February 2005, its operating system is a work in progress, with new features arriving in dribs and drabs. I downloaded two minor updates while I was writing this review. Since August 2006, the only official operating system has been update 097."
