Audio Cookbook’s John Keston let us know about a post he’s put up sharing his thoughts on “The Internet’s Most Reviled Synthesizer”, the Red Sound Dark Star.

He writes:

Despite a glowing review from Sound on Sound on arrival, the instrument didn’t quite take off and was discontinued, along with its younger sibling the DarkStar XP2, after just a few years in production.

Even more curious than that is the amount of vitriol amassed for the DarkStar on forums all over the web. I could go on, but suffice it to say that “piece of shit” was among the milder comments.

So why bother trying to make use of an abandoned device that broad swaths of the community dismiss while more zealous members condemn? Well, digging a little deeper led me to discover that although the instrument does have its shortcomings it also has its strengths and at least a handful of people seem to appreciate the character and flexibility of the DarkStar.

He goes on to outline the most common complaints about the Dark Star, offer his take on them and then highlight some of the rare synths strengths. Check out his post and see what you think!

He also created some audio demos of the Dark Star, which you can preview below or via his SoundCloud page:

Was the Red Sound Dark Star a victim of terrible presets? Could it be a diamond in the rough? Leave a comment and share your thoughts!