Dtronics DT-RDX-V2

Der Yamaha Reface DX selbst ist schon ein feines kleines Teil, welches wegen seiner Größe sicherlich oft unterschätzt wird.

Vom Klang her, kommt der Reface DX schon sehr nahe an das Vorbild aus den 80er Jahren. Trotz den „nur“ 4 Operatoren und 8 Stimmen, stimmt klanglich einfach alles.

Um Klänge zu basteln, ist der Reface DX, gegenüber seinen großen Geschwistern von damals, schon fast luxuriös ausgestattet. Die Touch-Fader und das Display lassen die FM-Synthese besser nachvollziehen als je zuvor.

Trotzdem ist es immer noch umständlich, sich für Veränderungen im Klang, erst durch die Menüs zu wühlen.

Hier kommt der DT-RDX-V2 ins Spiel. Die Potis und Knöpfe machen einen direkten Zugriff auf alle Parameter des Yamaha Reface DX möglich. Dieses sogar, wenn gewünscht, für alle vier Operatoren gleichzeitig.

Es muss jeder für sich selbst entscheiden, ob sich die Anschaffung des DT-RDX-V2 loht.

Für mich jedenfalls, hat sich der DT-RDX-V2 gelohnt. Schneller und komfortabler kommt man am DX Reface nicht zu guten Ergebnissen.

Außerdem macht das „Schrauben“ an dem Controller großen Spaß.
Der DT-RDX-V2 hat in der Version V2 jetzt auch einen MIDI-Merger eingebaut und lässt sich so ganz einfach in jedes MIDI-Setup integrieren.

Der DT-RDX-V2 ist nicht ganz billig. Die Verarbeitung und der deutlich verbesserte Workflow am DX Reface, rechtfertigen den Preis für den Controller aber auf jeden Fall.

This programmer cannot be not attached to the Reface DX without 3 screws, which are not included in the box! You pay 350€ for this thing, but they do not include the 3 screws required to install it. Why?

Quote from the manual: "Installation of the programmer onto the REFACE is simple and requires no tools".

This is a lie.
You absolutely need tools and you also need to buy screws. An installation manual on their own website describes the procedure, as well as including outrageous statements about how installing the programmer may void the warranty of the programmer. That's right, the mere act of installing the programmer "may" void the warranty according to the company who made it.

The regular manual says nothing about the screws, but instructs you to "slot them together with gentle pressure". The screw holes on the bottom of the Reface are much wider than the pins of the programmer, so you may as well try to hold two rocks together in mid air and expect them to "slot together". Maybe if the pins of the programmer had rubber fittings or similar, to make ANY sort of connection between it and the Reface, then it might just work, but as sold it absolutely does not work as described.

Other negatives:

The included reface midi cable hardly fits in the reface. You have to push it so hard that you worry if you will break something, and you must guess if it is actually connected or just stuck half way in between.

The same midi cable has to cross over or under the midi-in cable for no apparent reason. Why not position the midi-in somewhere else?

The text above the potentiometer for adjusting operator frequency spells "course" and not "coarse".

Potentiometers are used for all controls, even when it makes no sense and obviously should have been a toggle switch or a rotary switch, e.g. to select frequency mode.

Adjusting "feedback" on the reface itself seamlessly goes from saw to sine to square, but on the programmer there is a potentiometer for toggling between saw and square, and another pot to choose amount. Why not have only one potentiometer and make it work exactly like the Reface, instead of introducing another (and much worse) concept?

The huge DTRONICS logo on the back is bright orange and looks completely out of place. Obviously should have been white or teal to match the reface. Not a biggie, but if the programmer had not been so bad, maybe it would not have bothered me as much that it looks ugly...


It is very strange that the second edition of a product can be this flawed.
Not recommended.