When Radikal Technologies released the Accelerator in 2011, they were chasing something most digital synths hadn't quite nailed: a sound that felt genuinely warm and organic despite being entirely software-based. The result was a flagship instrument that still holds up as one of the more ambitious polyphonic synthesizers ever built, packed with features that reward deep exploration.
The Accelerator is an 8-voice digital synthesizer with a 61-key weighted keyboard, expandable to 32 voices through optional DSP modules. Each voice runs three oscillators with sweepable waveforms, phase modulation, time linearity modulation, and ring modulation between oscillators 2 and 3. You get two multimode filters per voice, six envelope generators, four LFOs, a three-band parametric EQ, and an additional noise source with independent filtering. The real magic lives in the modulation matrix, which offers 32 slots to route 50 sources to 91 destinations per part, plus six global mod sources and destinations. There's also a 32-step sequencer per part, a programmable arpeggiator, and four FX busses handling distortion, modulated delay, phaser, Leslie simulation, chorus, and reverb. The keyboard includes velocity and aftertouch sensitivity, and here's the quirky bit: an internal accelerometer lets you modulate parameters by physically moving the synth around.
The Accelerator earned respect in the community for its sound design depth and the sheer amount of real-time control available. The mod matrix became legendary among users for enabling incredibly complex, evolving patches. Some found the interface dense and the learning curve steep, but those who invested the time discovered a synthesizer capable of everything from lush pads to aggressive, modulated textures. The dedicated patch select buttons made it genuinely performance-friendly despite its complexity, and the lightweight build meant it was actually portable for a 61-key synth. With 500 sound memories, 300 performance memories, and 100 performance chain slots, you had plenty of space to develop a personal sonic library.
