Sequential Prophet-6 49-Key 6-Voice Polyphonic Analog Synthesizer

Manufacturer’s Description

Vintage with a Modern Twist

The Prophet-6 is Dave Smith’s tribute to the poly synth that started it all—the Sequential Prophet-5. But it’s not simply a reissue of a classic. Rather, as Dave puts it, “It’s the result of our effort to build the most awesome-sounding, modern analog poly synth possible.” The Prophet-6 takes the best qualities of the original Prophet-5—true voltage-controlled oscillators, filters, and amplifiers—and adds enhancements such as studio-quality effects, a polyphonic step sequencer, an arpeggiator, and more. The result is pure, unadulterated analog tone with the stability and reliability of a state-of-the-art modern synth.

Classic Tone, Classic Vibe

Central to the warm, punchy sound of the Prophet-6 are its two newly-designed, discrete voltage-controlled oscillators (plus sub-oscillator) per voice. Continuously variable waveshapes provide the tonal palette with triangle, sawtooth, and variable-width pulse waves. There are two discrete filters per voice—a four-pole, resonant, low-pass inspired by the original Prophet-5 filter, and a two-pole, resonant, high-pass filter. Voltage-controlled amplifiers complete the all-analog signal path.

Dual Effects

The dual effects section provides studio-quality reverbs, delays (standard and BBD), chorus and phase shifter. While the effects themselves are digital, with 24-bit, 48 kHz resolution, a true bypass maintains a full analog signal path. There’s also an independent stereo distortion effect, which is 100% analog.

Poly Mod and Poly Step Sequencing

Also present from its classic predecessor is a Poly Mod section, with enhancements. True to the original, modulation sources are filter envelope and oscillator 2 (both with bi-polar control). Destinations include oscillator 1 frequency, oscillator 1 shape, oscillator 1 pulse width, low-pass filter cutoff, and high-pass filter cutoff. Another welcome reprise is Unison mode, which features configurable voice count (1-6 voices) and key modes. The polyphonic step sequencer allows up to 64 steps and up to 6 notes per step. You can create sequences polyphonically, with rests, and sync to an external MIDI clock. The full-featured arpeggiator can be synced to external MIDI clock as well.

Easy to Program

The knob-per-function front panel offers instant access to virtually all Prophet-6 functions. Included are 500 permanent factory programs and 500 rewritable user programs. Toggling off the Preset button enables live panel mode, in which the sound of the Prophet-6 switches to the current settings of its knobs and switches. In this state, what you see is what you hear.

Easy to Play

All of this awe-inspiring sound is packed into a four octave, semi-weighted keyboard with velocity and channel aftertouch that’s an ideal combination of portability and power for the project studio or the gigging musician.

Specifications

Oscillators

• Two newly designed, discrete VCOs per voice
• Continuously variable wave shape (triangle, sawtooth, pulse, square) per oscillator
• Pulse width per oscillator
• Hard sync: oscillator 1 syncs to oscillator 2
• Triangle sub-octave generator (oscillator 1) per voice
• Low frequency mode (oscillator 2)
• Keyboard tracking on/off (oscillator 2)
• Oscillator slop amount for increased tuning instability, from subtle to extreme

Mixer

• Oscillator 1 amount
• Oscillator 1 sub-octave amount
• Oscillator 2 amount
• White noise amount

High-Pass Filter

• Two-pole, resonant, high-pass filter per voice
• Bi-polar filter envelope amount
• Velocity modulation of envelope amount
• Keyboard tracking: off, half, full

Low-Pass Filter

• Four-pole, resonant, low-pass filter per voice, inspired by the original Prophet 5 filter
• Filter can be driven into self-oscillation with the Resonance control
• Bi-polar filter envelope amount
• Velocity modulation of envelope amount
• Keyboard tracking: off, half, full

Filter Envelope

• Four-stage (ADSR) envelope generator

AMPLIFIER ENVELOPE

• Four-stage (ADSR) envelope generator
• Velocity modulation of envelope amount

LOW FREQUENCY OSCILLATOR

• Five wave shapes: triangle, sawtooth, reverse sawtooth, square, and random (sample and hold)
• Clock sync (internal or external MIDI clock)
• Initial amount
• Mod destinations: oscillator 1 frequency, oscillator 2 frequency, oscillator 1 and 2 pulse width, low-pass filter cutoff, high-pass filter cutoff

POLY MOD

• Sources: filter envelope (bi-polar) and oscillator 2 (bi-polar)
  Destinations: oscillator 1 frequency, oscillator 1 shape, oscillator 1 pulse width, low-pass filter cutoff, high-pass filter cutoff

AFTERTOUCH

• Source: channel (mono) aftertouch with bi-polar amount
• Destinations: oscillator 1 frequency, oscillator 2 frequency, LFO amount, amplifier envelope amount, low-pass filter envelope amount, high-pass filter envelope amount

CLOCK

• Master clock with tap tempo
• BPM control and display
• MIDI clock sync

ARPEGGIATOR

• Selectable note value: 16th note, 8th note triplet, 8th note, dotted 8th note, quarter note
• One, two, or three octave range
• Up, down, up/down, random, and assign modes

SEQUENCER

• Polyphonic step sequencer with up to 64 steps and rests

EFFECTS

• Stereo analog distortion
• Dual, 24-bit, 48 kHz digital effects, including: reverb (room, hall, plate, spring), delay (full bandwidth digital delay and emulated bucket brigade), chorus, flanger, phase shifters, and ring modulator
• Delay sync
• True bypass maintains fully analog signal path when digital effects are off

PERFORMANCE CONTROLS

• Full-sized, semi-weighted, 4-octave keyboard with velocity and aftertouch
• Backlit pitch and mod wheels
• Spring-loaded pitch wheel with selectable range per program (1 to 12 semitones up and down)
• Transpose controls for an 8-octave range
• Hold switch latches held notes on
• Polyphonic glide (portamento)
• Unison (monophonic) mode with configurable voice count, from one to all six voices, and key modes
• Preset switch: when off, the front panel is live; what you see is what you hear

PATCH MEMORY

• 500 user and 500 factory programs in 10 banks of 100 programs each
• Direct program access, including Prophet 5-style single-button access to the current set of 10 programs

IN/OUT

• Left/mono and right audio outputs (2 x 1/4” phone jack)
• Headphone output (stereo, 1/4” phone jack)
• MIDI in, out, and thru ports
• USB for bidirectional MIDI communication
• Low-pass filter cutoff expression pedal input
• Volume expression pedal input
• Sustain footswitch input
• Sequencer start/stop footswitch input

POWER

• IEC AC power inlet for internal power supply
• Operates worldwide on voltages between 100 and 240 volts at 50 to 60 Hz; 30 watts maximum power consumption

PHYSICAL SPECS

• 32.3” L x 12.7” W x 4.6″ H (82.0 cm x 32.3 cm x 11.7 cm)
• 20.0 lbs (9.5 kg)
• Walnut end panels and trim