Dave Smith Prophet 12 soundscape - The way is broken

[@audiooddball]

Dude you rock. I love this stuff. These are very healing sounds and ambience for me. Thank you.

[@MIDERA]

Thanks!

[@cortical1]

Nicely done. I'm a huge fan of the P12. When it came out, Dave said it was his favorite synth he had made to date. I personally love the sound because it's an alternative flavor. I love chocolate but I don't want chocolate every single time.

[@MIDERA]

Yeah, it is very different from a lot of things I have. I think Dave was wrong, but obviously it was his opinion. I think it’s just too tame in too many ways and doesn’t really take me to crazy places like I’d like. I’d say the P5/P10 are the most interesting. He managed to make it go all over the place with just a few techniques, it seems like the perfect synth to me, although the virus ti is still my favorite synth.

[@cortical1]

@@MIDERA Well, Dave can't be wrong about what his own favorite is. Sounds like you just have a different favorite. I certainly understand that. 👍🏻

[@MIDERA]

@@cortical1 Ha, well, that's why I said it was his opinion. I completely disagree with him, if only because he really made sure it stayed within its comfort zone too much. I know he 'can't be wrong' about his opinion... But I think he is wrong about it being DSI's best.

[@literacypolice]

​@@MIDERANice piece! I disagree, however, that DS was staying within his comfort zone when he made the P12. In terms of architecture, features, and sound, it was quite different and innovative, and remains pretty different from a lot of synths even now. When he said it was his all time favorite he specifically said that was because he was trying new things and to push boundaries. Cheers.

[@MIDERA]

@literacypolice do you have one? The P12 is very tame. The FM and AM are very difficult to go crazy with. Sounds just distort rather than become musical. They also used some sort of filtering to remove aliasing, but that makes it less clear, and muddier. The poly evolver, on the other hand, can go absolutely crazy. Had the P12 been a PEK with 12 (or 6 voices) with wave shaping and the UI of the P12, it would have been amazing.

[@pearin_music]

Wow awesome sound ❤️ the prophet is such a beautiful instrument

[@MIDERA]

I agree. Thanks :)

[@jemmonstube]

So glad to see you still have the P12! It’s one of my faves, so I’m always selfishly looking to hear more.

[@MIDERA]

I gotta make more with it. It’s a good synth.

[@derrickaf1]

Your music is always interesting...revealing a depth to the instrument and perhaps the artist:)! My P12 was one of the first batches sold and I play it or touch it for inspiration daily. It will never leave my studio. God rest Mr. Dave Smith. Thank you...

[@MIDERA]

Thanks!!! I am releasing a second one too - and you may have actually posted on that video, but I had to take it down and reupload it due to an error syncing audio and video! I think my P12 is among the first batches too! But I didn’t buy it from DSI, I bought it second hand from someone who claimed they picked it up from the store/warehouse in California.

[@chris_economou]

Peaceful and moving, lovely sounds for this early morning.

[@MIDERA]

Thanks :)

[@thesrabbit]

Beautiful

[@MIDERA]

Thanks man :)

[@sjh3217]

I sold my P12 module, partly because I was moving to my parents' basement and had no room for it anymore, partly because it came out before MPE did and I wanted to buy an MPE controller with the money from the sale (my Push 3). I don't regret losing it much since I didn't use it much, but the times I did......maybe I should have waited to sell just so more people can learn why it was one of the best synths of its era.

[@MIDERA]

I don’t really think it’s one of the best of its era. It’s got a very good interface, probably the best interface of all synths I’ve used. However, it just sounds… flat to me. Doesn’t really have a smooth sound at all, harsh to my ears. That said, it’s an ok synth that you can do a lot of strange things with, so in that respect, it is nice. I’m not sure I’d want the module version but I have heard it’s pretty good as well.

[@oscarvanderburgh9915]

@@MIDERAreally? I have the module, but it doesn’t sound flat at all. However, it needs careful patching to come alive. But when it does… it does it best.

[@blush_response]

how do you feel about P12 vs Poly evolver?

[@MIDERA]

That's such a complicated question. They are so incredibly different. 1) The Poly Evolver has a MUCH better build quality. It feels like a luxury flagship synthesizer. It has a responsive aftertouch too. The P12 has a junky keybed. It feels ok, but it just doesn't have the same presence. 2) The sound of them is very different. On the P12 you can move between waveshapes, but the few that it has are kind of boring IMO. The PEK has like 100+, but you can't move between them. It seems like Dave Smith would start from scratch and just make entirely different products with entirely different and odd choices in the design, instead of evolutions. 3) The UI of the P12 is near perfect in a synthesizer, if you want absolute modulation capacity. It is done correct. It is done well. The PEK does not stand a chance in this area - it has an ok UI, a 'normal' UI. That said, if we look at the Prophet 10 UI, it is actually way more interesting because it's so simple, yet it can go to completely different worlds without needing a mod matrix. That one, in my opinion is the best synthesizer out there. So which one would I rather have? I prefer the sound of the Poly Evolver - and yet, I find myself coming up with more interesting sounds with the P12, maybe because it's more inviting, maybe because you can just do different things more easily? I don't know. The 4 voice limitation of the PEK is to be considered as well. Just yesterday I posted the PEK video, and I actually don't like it at all. Maybe I just wasn't in the mood to do this stuff then. If someone asked me which is the better synth...... I don't know. I think they're a little too different to qualify that question. I've tried to sell my PEK a few times. I haven't tried to sell my P12, but I will say, I think I'd keep the P12. The only reason I'd for sure want to keep the PEK is because I feel it is a little more of a collectors piece. I know that didn't really help - so if you (or anyone else) wants a more defined answer, I can give that too.

[@driftlessgeardemos]

this has some really classic DSI filter sounds to it. Angular and buzzy when open, and the ability to be smooth and plucky when closed down. And finally that resonance that is kind of out of bounds past 6 on the knob, lol.

[@MIDERA]

Yeah - hah, that is 'that' filter. I think it sounds best on the P08 though. They definitely tweaked it with each version, and it just sits best with the P08. P12, it's ok. Buzzy is the best word to describe it though.

[@nicgrey3022]

MAGICAL 👌

[@MIDERA]

Thanks :)

[@CaseJams]

Thanks mane! This one was epic🎉

[@MIDERA]

Thanks!

[@RabbitintheMoon]

instead of thinking of the synth as analog,, it's an fm/analog hybrid.... very unique...

[@MIDERA]

Well, yeah, it's not an analog - for me, I try to think "does this synth take me to where I want to go or not." Normally, it does not. It's ok. But it's not my favorite sounding synth.

[@keybeardist]

It’s nice to see you vibing with the P12. I know you weren’t sure about it at first, are you warming to it now? I, uh, traded mine for a Polybrute in the end. Do miss it but sometimes it’s good to move on.

[@MIDERA]

That’s really funny…. My friend offered to trade his polybrute for my P12 just yesterday. We were planning on a temporary trade for now. I figured why not. So I made this video before we did it.

[@Blurillaz]

sounds very scapey

[@MIDERA]

Thanks!