MicroKorg XL+ vs Radias

cpcohen · Post by **cpcohen** » Mon Jun 30, 2014 12:08 am

I understood (maybe mis-understood) that the XL+ had "a Radias synth engine". But the XL+ has polyphony of 8, Radias has polyphony of 24, I think.

Simple question:

I'm playing two-handed on the my microKorg XL+ -- bass line, and melody / harmony, just using the DeepBell patch (single timbre, long built-in decay).

. . . I'm running out of polyphony! I can hear notes terminate before
. . . they should.

Would the Radias be an improvement?

Complex question:

. . . Just how similar are the two synths, in their underlying sound-generating architecture?

Thanks --

. Charles

OpAmp · Post by **OpAmp** » Mon Jun 30, 2014 8:24 pm

Hi,

I don't own a Radias, but here is my opinion.

The Radias and mKXL(+) are based on the MMT engine (Multiple Modeling Technology). Basically it means that the software building blocks of both boards are more or less the same. E.g. if you compare the possible parameters to configure the oscillators - they are very much the same.
However they differ significantly on how these blocks are combined to the full engine of the board. E.g. the Radias supports maximum 24 notes polyphony, 4 timbres per patch and an insert effect per timbre, whereas the mKXL(+) have only 8 notes of polyphony, 2 timbres per patch and no insert effects.

I would say that patches on the mKXL(+) can be replicated quite straightforward on the Radias. Vice versa, it will not always be possible, at least not without giving in some things. This is because the engine of the Radias simply allows much more complex patch structures.

Now on polyphony. The Radias has 24 of them instead of 8. However the manual seems to suggest a more complicated voice assignment algorithm for the Radias than in the mKXL(+). It simply contains more warnings about parameters that may reduce the available number of voices.
However, the Deepbell patch is quite simple. So yes the Radias would help in your case. But you still may run out of voices, depending on how fast you play compared to the long release time. You may consider to reduce it a bit without impacting too much your playing.

Have fun.

OpAmp · Post by **OpAmp** » Mon Jun 30, 2014 8:41 pm

Just been thinking. What you also can try: Reduce the release time and use the delay effect to mask a bit the note cutoffs and extend the notes virtually a bit (independent of polyphony). Just an idea to experiment with...

cpcohen · Post by **cpcohen** » Mon Jun 30, 2014 10:32 pm

OpAmp wrote:Just been thinking. What you also can try: Reduce the release time and use the delay effect to mask a bit the note cutoffs and extend the notes virtually a bit (independent of polyphony). Just an idea to experiment with...

That did the trick!

With a faster release, the dropouts are much less audible. But the sound of the patch is still good.

I'm not used to working with a synth, where _everything_ is under my own control. Thanks for the hint.

. Charles

PS -- I'll leave the Radias alone. I'm 69 years old. I think there's enough in the MK XL+ to keep me busy until I die.

OpAmp · Post by **OpAmp** » Tue Jul 01, 2014 7:24 pm

Hi,

Glad to help you out. Fine to hear that you still enjoy making music using synths!

And yes, in the beginning the number of tweakable parameters is overwhelming. But that is part of the fun for me. Searching for some cool patches...
Indeed, it will keep you busy for a while. The Radias offers even more of these parameters... Maybe one day, you still want to buy a second hand Radias...

Cheers!