Not on eBay of the day: Technos Acxel

There was one of these on eBay a while ago, but I think the guy set the starting price too high.
 

a guy was selling one for $10000 last year... :(
 

I'm having real problems getting the controls on my PPG Realiser to alter the harmonic levels on the Technos Acxel. Anyone else with this setup got any tips on how to get these synths working together?
 

obvious fix is to give to me ... for free ... yeah ... thats it
 

The Solitary is looking a mite dusty in the pics. I wouldn't let my $10,000 contraption get that dusty. I'd shine it with a fine chamois, chanting my own name, over and over.

Anyway, this thing looks like a pimped-out EML Polybox, and it actually uses MIDI which is surprising. I thought it was an older model.

I also love how this most gadgety of gadgets has the nerve to display "THINK MUSIC, NOT TECHNOLOGY" right in its LED display.
 

Don't expect to find one easily. Only 39 sold... and I was the beta tester and Product specialist for Technos in Quebec. I've also been legal administrator in the bankrupcy of Pitechnos. Historicaly, there have been so many software revisions made in an attempt to solve the many problems we had with it that you may end with missing features from one revision to another. Thus, one synth may be different from any other unit...

I talked to the guy who wanted 10,000$US on Ebay and I doubt he has sold it. I have lost his trace though. All in all, the Acxel is a cool thing but it is so deep that it is almost out of reach of the average programmer even if it can produce instant unheard sounds : Most users would never find the way to produce exactly what they have in mind, thus leaving luck and hazard play the creative role.

Jean-Pierre Pineau
 

Technos Acxel is presently sold in swedens here is site of the shop http://www.jam.se/
 

The one in stockholm is in very nice condition,i think i have to go and give it a gentle hugh again now.mmm
 

Hello all Acxel lovers!! ;-)

If you are interested in having one of the very few Acxel's (if it's not the only one) that has 768 ISC's (3 times more than the normal, basic configuration with 256 oscillators) - send an email to technos_acxel@yahoo.com!

It really opens up a lot of sonic possibilities having all those oscillators!!

Just as an example, the resynthesis functionality has support for up to 1024 ISC's, so the complexity and usefulness of the sound created/produced after analysis really add a new dimension to the whole resynthesis functionality when you have 768 ISC's (Intelligent Synthesis Cells)!

Also, it makes a great difference to have polyphony even when the sounds are very complex (could have 3 voices with a complex sound that uses 256 ICS's, not just one - or 6 voices with a 128 ISC sound, instead of only 2).

The alternative, sampling the sound using a software or hardware sampler, loses all the unique, dynamic possibilities the Acxel offers, including intuitive, MIDI controlled morphing between two different sets of used-defined amplitude levels and/or frequencies for all or some of the ISC's, using key velocity, for example - one of the unique features that is a part of what makes the Acxel special.

But yes, with all that power under the hood it's also possible to have one, very complex sound generated with 768 oscillators!

This system also has 8 outputs and a software revision to make use of all of them. The multi-output support really makes a difference, especially to create great "stereo sounds", where maybe the odd harmonics go in one speaker and the even ones in another - or using "macro chorus", gradually detuning 64 oscillators or more per voice - alternating between left and right speakers.

Or using real-time time compressing/expansion to create great stereo effects (time compression/expansion can be controlled with MIDI, as with many other things).

Anyway, this, my big Acxel system, is up for sale now (I sold my small Acxel system to Jam in Sweden) –and it’s really something extra (the small system that Jam has does not have multi-output support).

It’s in excellent condition and it also has a full flight case. In fact, the Solitary is permanently contained in, and has always been protected by, a flight case on wheels (it's easy to remove the wheels - done in a second or two), so it’s very practical to move (the Solitary could be separated from the flight case easily if desired).

The original price for this system was $40,000 (that’s what I paid), but that was for a full blown system (1024 ISC’s), but since then I left one card with Pierre Guilmette, the genius behind the Acxel – and since I no longer are involved in music or audio production anymore, I sort of forgot about that card.

But since Pierre is not only a technical wizard, but also a great person in every way, I have no doubt that it would be possible to retrieve that card too.

So if you’re interested in buying a truly unique, creative and wonderful piece of audio equipment, send me an email with an offer to technos_acxel@yahoo.com!! ;-)

The system is located in Europe and will maybe end up on Ebay, but because I want a quick sale I’ll consider any serious offer. So maybe it won’t end up on Ebay.

The system (standard 256 ISC system) that Jam has for sale is priced at 39.900 SEK (approx. USD 5,900 or approx EUR 4,275 - on 11th September 2007), so if you’re serious about buying my big system – you’d have to be willing to pay more.

Because they have put a very fair price on their system. In fact, I’d say that it’s a real bargain at that price.

But fortunately for any Acxel lover, my system will be an even better deal for anyone who wants the full nine yards - the full Acxel experience! ;-)

So get your wallet ready and let this Acxel give you lots of fun while you’re creating magic in your audio and music creations!! ;-)