Prophet-5 | |
---|---|
Manufacturer | Sequential |
Dates | 1978–84, 2020– (Prophet-5) 1977,[1] 1981–84, 2020– (Prophet-10) |
Price | US$3,995 (Rev 1, 2) US$4,595 (Rev 3) US$3,499 (Rev 4, 5-voice, 2020)[2] US$4,299 (Rev 4, 10-voice, 2020)[2] |
Technical specifications | |
Polyphony | 5 voices (Prophet-5) 10 voices (Prophet-10) |
Timbrality | Monotimbral (Prophet-5) Multitimbral (Prophet-10) |
Oscillator | 2 VCOs per voice |
LFO | 1 |
Synthesis type | Analog subtractive Analog FM (Poly-Mod) |
Filter | 4-pole resonant low-pass |
Attenuator | ADSR envelope (2) |
Aftertouch expression | No on Rev1 to Rev3, Yes on Rev4 |
Velocity expression | No on Rev1 to Rev3, Yes on Rev4 |
Storage memory | 40 patches (120 patches on later units, 200 patches on the Rev4 iteration) |
Effects | None |
Input/output | |
Keyboard | 61 keys (Prophet-5 (all versions), Prophet-10 (1977, Rev 4)) Double 61 key manuals (Prophet-10 (1981-84)) |
Left-hand control | Pitch and modulation wheels |
External control | CV/Gate Proprietary serial interface MIDI (Rev 4 only) |
The Prophet-5 is an analog synthesizer manufactured by the American company Sequential. It was designed by Dave Smith and John Bowen in 1977. It was the first polyphonic synthesizer with fully programmable memory.
Before the Prophet-5, synthesizers required users to adjust controls to change sounds, with no guarantee of exactly recreating a sound. Sequential used microprocessors to allow users to recall sounds instantly rather than having to recreate them manually. The Prophet-5 facilitated a move from synthesizers creating unpredictable sounds to producing "a standard package of familiar sounds".[3]: 385
The Prophet-5 became a market leader and was widely used in popular music and film soundtracks. Between 1978 and 1984, about 6,000 units were produced across three revisions. In 1981, Sequential released a 10-voice, double-keyboard version, the Prophet-10. Sequential introduced new versions in 2020, and it has been emulated in software synthesizers and hardware. Sequential also released several further Prophet synthesizers, such as the Prophet '08.
Reid 1999
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