I think an interesting contest could be had between the Prophet 12 and the 002. The designers and owners of both boast that these instruments and their digital oscillators have achieved sonic wonders that make analog oscillators blush. I would love to see and hear the two parties compare their instruments. And if one excels in some way or another, I'd like to understand exactly why that is. The discussion would obviously come down to much filter talk, but again, I'd like to follow it.
On the face of it you'd think they'd be quite similar given they are both digital oscillators into analogue filters, but you'd be wrong. They sound completely unlike each other.
Turns out they have completely different oscillators and completely different filters.
The P12 has mathematically generated waveforms that go into a DAC, the 002 uses NCOs that effectively speed up or slow down the DAC to generate different pitches.
The P12 has the well known Curtis filter, the 002 has a variable slope ladder (read Moog) filter.
The P12 is the more versatile of the two with all its mad modulations, but thats not to say the 002 is a slouch. It is also a very versatile synth.
They can both go from analogue to digital but the P12 can go further to a very pure digital, harsh if you want it.
The 002 has a more vintage digital sound, which has a different character, the only other synth I have like it is the Tempest with it's VS waves.
The P12 analogue side is similar to the P08 with better low end and the addition of drive. You can also do the same tricks as the P08 to get better sounds.
The 002 analogue side is ...beautiful. While many of the waveforms sound are obviously digital, the sawtooth just sounds like an analogue sawtooth. Put that through a ladder filter and you can't lose.
The 002 does have a strange output stage with 6 voices hard left, 6 hard right. It's easy to work around or even use creatively but a lot of people don't like it.
Tone wise I personally say the 002 wins. It just sounds so good, and does so pretty much all the time.
That's not to say the P12 is bad, it is also capable of some very good sounds.
Of course, both have their detractors, they both have their own character and not everyone likes them.
I like both and have no plans to get rid of either.