Sequential Prophet-6 Tweaking - Daniel Fisher

Get the Prophet-6 6-Voice, Polyphonic Analog Synthesizer here: www.sweetwater.com/store/detai...
Audio demonstration begins at 1:20
Daniel Fisher, Sweetwater's synth guru, explores the vast sonic landscapes of the Sequential Prophet-6 polyphonic analog synthesizer. Fisher focuses on sound examples in this video, with 25 minutes of component review and sound design by our master synthesist.
0:00 - Intro
0:13 - Prophet-6 Overview
1:18 - Prophet-6 Oscillators
6:07 - Low Pass Filter
7:01 - High Pass Filter
7:39 - LFO to Oscillator
8:53 - LFO to Amp
10:16 - Square Wave LFO to Pitch
10:43 - Random LFO to Low Pass Filter
11:40 - Stereo Analog Distortion
12:24 - Slop Amount
13:42 - Unison Choices
13:53 - Chord Mode
14:26 - Extreme LFO Modulation
15:37 - Envelope to Pulse Width
16:08 - Envelope to High Pass Filter
16:27 - Stereo Chorus
17:17 - Stereo Phaser
18:03 - Prophet-6 Delay
18:21 - 9 Minutes of Real-time Performance
27:36 - Thanks for Watching!
Note: This unit was hand-signed by Dave Smith himself at GearFest 2015.
#danielfishersweetwater

[@blkbird]

The man was pretty much floored emotionally by the end of the video. You can hear it in the final speech. The demo was out of this world. It seems like such a small thing to say... but thank you. Really, thank you.

[@prod.cipher]

19:45 - 20:15 gave me shivers. Beautiful.

[@spumpy3996]

This synth can not make a harsh sound. Everything sounds so warm, even the super-resonant stuff. Wild.

[@christiancortezmusic]

one of the best demo's i've seen for this synth so far

[@anequationforhappiness5843]

+Christian Cortez yes, yes YESSS

[@electroluxia]

The Prophet-6 is exactly what I'm looking for. Gorgeous.

[@nonahyobusiness8063]

Glad to see Dave Smith gets it - giving us full access via knob-per-function allowing the instrument to be a PERFORMANCE machine! (one of the things that made the classics - CS80, OB series, P-5, SEMs, etc - sooooooooooo creative, flexible, musical, desirable... you know!)

[@anequationforhappiness5843]

can't believe how many of these patches just sound so good

[@rednax3333]

I must say Daniel- the way you have with these instruments is something else! 🤯 Every time I watch one of your demonstration videos I’m floored by how you wield these synths... its an inspiration! Your love for your craft and the instruments you use is obvious 😃👍 Thanks for sharing your skill and talent with us, man!

[@sweetwater]

Hi Jason, thank you for your kind words. We really do have a lot of fun here. Thanks for watching!

[@MrTPF1]

Pretty amazing piece of gear. Thanks for the demo Dan!

[@daniws1972]

Beautiful

[@anequationforhappiness5843]

thanks so much for this demo! Finally someone showing us useable sounds not intellectual jerking off experimental stuff. I'm a newbie at sound design and this will really help me make sick patches from scratch.

[@setphaser]

Oh my god I learnt so much I didn't know I could do with this synth!

[@neilbarbu]

Nice seeing you jamming again! Also saw the Moog 33 jam too Thanks to Mrs. Shenckel

[@Shred_The_Weapon]

Having had a chance to get my hands on this model, I can attest to how awesome it is. Only having 49 keys is really no setback, especially with that awesome touch sensitivity and aftertouch.

[@philmason9653]

Very cool, fun to watch I want one!

[@samtune9987]

Great Presentation 👍🙏

[@JosephAkins]

Thanks for an inspiring and educational video for Prophet 6 users. I wonder if a different camera angle would have been even better? Placing the camera overhead so the viewer can look down at the panel, form Daniel's viewpoint, might have been even better.

[@DntBuyTheHype]

That was pretty sick

[@emiliomurillo20]

great teaching

[@Ponchy]

Amazing as always. Signed by Dave Smith damn....

[@delicateear]

Nice, Daniel, I remember you from the K2000 days when I used many of your patches in the Analog Synth bank for the Kurzweil. =) Glad you are still up and running, keep at it!

[@SPAZZOID100]

The K2000 needed knobs.

[@oc101289]

would love to have one in my future studio along with a prophet 08 \12 next to my access virus ti 2 which i currently own

[@hfugmann]

AWESOME

[@setphaser]

Play it in person you will fall in love. The filter you'll hear it tuning to harmonics which is heavenly. Plus it's self resonant so you can play it as a sine wave oscillator. Go watch Doty's video on the two filters.

[@supravista]

Someone commented that the filter cutoff is steppy. Thoughts?

[@setphaser]

supravista I think doty's comment on that says it all. I have NO issues with it, this is such a powerful synth, there's just a smorgasbord board of options to hand. My critical brain turns to "toy store" brain and I just have fun every time. And I'm usually really really finicky about gear.

[@supravista]

setphaser Right on. I do appreciate all the options and knobs to twiddle, but if I'm getting some analog I want an analog filter that isn't steppy. I changed my direction. I'm pretty sure I'm going to get the Elektron analog 4. Great sound an great step sequencer. I do love the prophet 5. I use the Artuia soft emulation. I'll just get a controller for that when I'm itching for the proph

[@SPAZZOID100]

supravista It’s not steppy.

[@EverettDudgeon138]

Still my favorite synth in my collection bar none.

[@savageparasyte76]

I like looking at things I cant afford on youtube videos @.@>

[@mackmccord3743]

Me too until Eye can afford. Just speak it into existence.. trust me. Eye have no job and Eye have a minimoog model d reissue, Moog Matriarch and from what my brain and ears tell me this will be next after Eye buy my 4 track recorder

[@johnadams5489]

When I want to hear the capabilities of a synth, I listen to Daniel Fisher's demo/review. When I want to know the short comings of a synth AFTER his review, I listen to Nick Batt at Sonic State. Nick doesn't trash synth companies, but he does mention short comings or when sounds are not so great. I really enjoyed their review of the Novation Peak and these two Gentlemen had very positive things to say about the Peak. I have been looking for a synth with 3 full featured Oscillators, like the Peak. Not just two oscillators, or two oscillators with an FX oscillator. I also like the fact that Peak is a desktop synth. I already have a KB to use for a controller. I am not interested in buying a P6 because I already own a Prophet 5 and it still works, 37 years after I bought it. The P6 has capabilities the P5 does not have and sounds like a solid investment. It costs a lot less than what I paid for a P5 back in 1981.

[@Fan4club]

If one gets just the synth module version of prophet 6 - can you attach a larger 72/88 size keyboard to it? Thank you!

[@mybiggrin]

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE DO THIS FOR THE REV 2!!!!

[@Funkbutterfly]

I am having a lot of fun learning synthesis with this beast by playing in the "live" mode. Took me a little while to dive in, but now I'm constantly playing it whenever I have time. I wish it had a screen but I guess that is against the ethos of this instrument. Pads are really beautiful. Bass is not bad but yeah the moog is better for that. Have not scratched the surface of polymod yet. The board feels really nice to play. Sweetwater is the best for customer service, but I gotta give a shoutout to proaudiostar for always having awesome deals on keyboards, especially for black friday.

[@johnadams5489]

Funkbutterfly I have done business with both Sweetwater and Proaudiostar. There are a large number of customer complaints at the BB Bureau about Proaudiostar. Apparently what they sell as "open box' product does not arrive in salable condition. You won't have that problem with Sweetwater, but you will pay MAP for it. From what I understand, the sales people are straight commission. That's a tough gig in such a cut throat industry.

[@synriser6742]

Signed by the MAN himself.

[@4darin5]

add an extra $1000 for that signature

[@SPAZZOID100]

4darin5 worth it.

[@TheGuitaristChannel]

Thinking of buying one. How are the pots? Good quality or loose and wiggly?

[@GJCurlyJefferson]

At 2:35 do the last notes on that gliss all sound the same or am I going deaf?

[@samknaak]

12:15... that sound is pretty crazy cool

[@michaelelsasser9725]

Sam Knaak Oxygene14 JMJ ;-)

[@TheOmanJam]

6:11 That's it!

[@GooshManew]

I want!

[@auxorion]

Gotta appreciate all those bleep bloops in the beginning. Demos always neglect the bleep bloops.

[@prongpraison8463]

Still don’t know if I should go for rev 2 or prophet 6....

[@doctorvortex979]

Prophet 6

[@NyakzOTSD]

this is probz like $3000 .. sounds dope

[@solounusuariomas5574]

skchalivetlnd 5600 dollars in México u_u

[@keyboardresource]

Why doesn't Sequential LLC just start making Prophet 5's again? It's what people want. Why reinvent the wheel? Korg made an ARP 2600 and it sold out immediately. Their Odyssey (mini and full) and MS-20 (mini) are also big sellers.

[@rosscogiordano1796]

Funny you should say this! :)

[@michaelbauers8800]

Why don't detuned oscillators on a Motif sound like that, I wonder. Maybe it's my imagination.

[@SPAZZOID100]

Apples & oranges

[@synthesizerhome2041]

+Michael Bauers because this is real analog

[@Bronco541]

+James Reeno apples AND grapes

[@javiceres]

Michael Bauers Going beyond the expected workstation haters words, one reason is that AFAIK the oscillators in any sample based instrument are retriggered with each key press, on synths like the P6 (and also on a proper VA) they are running free all the time. That explains it just a bit. Then the analog summing of the signals at various stages, including the filter stages (LPF + HPF in the P6) probably have a lot to do as well.

[@SPAZZOID100]

Synthesizer Home VA’s can do it and they are digital.

[@fnersch3367]

Looks familiar. I have a Prophet-10.

[@hokkym.6348]

Is it an fm synth?

[@kiko1935]

No, it's an analog subtractive synth

[@tydeentetuota5514]

これ、こうてもうた。 （Ｉ ｂｏｕｇｈｔ ｉｔ）

[@mann7825]

&>< ( Me Too!!! ) .😂🤣😂🤣

[@luismmusictube]

It's my dream to have such a machine to make music someday:)

[@ProdWoo]

6:21 is basically the opening sound to Let it Happen by Tame Impala kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y5bHZ4ibedVkm80

[@sweetwater]

Hi ProdWoo. Or, it's a 1-5-8 power chord with a resonant lowpass filter opening up. Thanks for watching! -_Daniel_

[@livelaughfucksocietyjudah4737]

"God am I enjoying my job!!"

[@sweetwater]

It's twew! It's twew!

[@3dfiction]

synchron please if musician

[@kaostrip]

really strange white noise with saw or square LFO on osc pitch (even at low rate)

[@philippzaininger8422]

4:12 Vulfpeck anyone?

[@AlainHubert]

@6:51, horrible stair stepping on filter cutoff when manually tweaked. Unacceptable in 2016, especially with today's inexpensive and high resolution ADC technology, and for an instrument at that price point. Common Dave, get with the times and put 16384 values on those pots, after all, that's only 14 bits worth of data per knob ! (still compatible with MIDI CC using NRPN)

[@KILLAGORILLA7000]

+AlainHubert Couldn't agree more

[@AlainHubert]

NOT. You obviously have never used a fully analog synthesizer before. The filter cutoff knob is supposed to allow you to vary the filter frequency cutoff point very precisely, without ANY steps. Moreover, taken from the Prophet 6 user manual itself: "Cutoff: Sets the filter’s cutoff frequency". There's no mention, whatsoever, of semitones steps anywhere for that knob.

[@AlainHubert]

I've used a Prophet 5 and it has only 64 steps for the filter cutoff (due to the limitation of the technology of the day). I also used the Prophet 08 which offers 163 steps for filter cutoff. The Prophet 6 has slightly more than that (165), but it's still not enough. BTW, none of these knob resolutions correspond to semitones intervals. Where did you get this Semitone Steps for the cutoff filter frequency idea anyway ? There's no mention of that anywhere in any DSI or Sequential Circuit documentation. It's the filter cutoff we're talking about, not the oscillators (which have such a knob, it's called "frequency" and is indeed configured as semitones steps)!

[@AlainHubert]

That's a pretty lame excuse for a poor design... What if I want a filter cutoff frequency that is between two semitones ? I can't get it, is that it ? Ask any analog synthesizer enthusiast if he, or she, wants steps in knobs and the answer will be an unequivocal NO.

[@chicbonaise163]

Unacceptable in 2016??? video was published Published on Oct 15, 2015

[@janvanderwegen01]

oeps, no more sound! what di I do? turn some knobs? sh*t, still no sound ! ok, some waves to calm down :-) if planned, great, if not, save of the day! :-)

[@pinkjoys1127]

To bad it goes out of tune with drifting vcos daily the ob6 stays in tune if you don't like drifting vcos Dave said at namm16

[@gunnargrindvoll4390]

im sitting here with a prophet 12, and im having more fun playing on a synth app i dowloaded for my pad. they must be doing something wrong, it doesnt att all sound good,

[@javiceres]

Gunnar Grindvoll Or may be it's you

[@johnadams5489]

Daniel says this P6 has Discreet components. Is that true? Isn't the Curtis Filter on a chip? That's not quite the same thing.

[@benjoray]

The prophet 6 does not use a Curtis filter

[@johnadams5489]

@@benjoray That's correct. In their videos all they say is their filters are discreet filters, a low pass and a high pass filter. No name.

[@SPAZZOID100]

John Adams My p5 has curtis chips and sounds warmer than the p6.

[@johnadams5489]

@@SPAZZOID100 I own an original Prophet 5 Rev 3.2 that I bought brand new in 1981. I agree. the Prophet 6 has a lot more high end, but lacks the bottom end of the Prophet 5.

[@SpacehotelMusic]

@@johnadams5489 The filters are a *discreet* recreation of the Prophet 5 Rev 2 SSM filters (though they are not really the same - not as liquid - but the new SSM chip remakes (SSI used in the Pro 3 and possible future poly) are closer ), they are not like the Curtis chips at all (the ones either in the rev 3+ or the modern DSI stuff like '08 etc). I've owned a P6 and currently an OB-6 (which is even nicer), the VCOs are discreet also. I also had a Prophet ('08) REV 2 with the curtis PA chips and it sounded weak.

[@JoelBouchillon]

The keyboard is out-of-tune by a 1/2 step.

[@BillyBatsonMarvel]

Man I need a rack version but with ALL the top portion in check.

[@BillyBatsonMarvel]

***** you busting my chops, right? Thanks for the forum link but it's just convo about a rack version.

[@BillyBatsonMarvel]

***** I couldn't see the image yesterday, but i left the page open and today it appeared :-). I search the forum like crazy yesterday and the KZbin links are Pranks, so I thought that u were ball busting. lol Here;s a direct link for others to view: imgur.com/r/synthesizers/zHowMzl

[@badewannenluchs2701]

+Billy Batson It's coming! www.davesmithinstruments.com/product/prophet-6-desktop/

[@BillyBatsonMarvel]

Badewannenluchs DUDE!? I just creamed myself. smfh... Talk about, ask and thou receive. HOLY MOLY!!! P6 (www.davesmithinstruments.com) module. Plus my new Engine (www.socialentropy.com/engine/?page_id=346)? MAN! Fun times ahead...

[@TheOmanJam]

+Billy Batson Looky here: www.davesmithinstruments.com/product/prophet-6-desktop/

[@FortheSoulFtS]

This guy knows the stuff, the proof is the amount of beer he is drinking!

[@SharedVision333]

Why do the majority of his synths sound so thin?

[@herrfriberger5]

+Lemure333 It depends mainly on the configuration (alias "patch" or "programming") used, not the synth itself.

[@javiceres]

Lemure333 Because they allow you to go much higher in the cut-off freq on the LPF so your ears fool you

[@SPAZZOID100]

Pocketful Of Fog thin??

[@quarkyzarky]

Moog Sub 37 sounds way better.

[@herrfriberger5]

+quarkyzarky In what aspect(s) exactly?

[@dvdny]

...and Korg Minilog, DeepMind 12, etc. The DSI's always sounded flat to me, plus, the ones I play in GC always seem to have firmware issues. Maybe that's why you don't see a lot of people play them live. You can't trust 'balky'.

[@onathanj]

Haha. Nice joke;-)

[@SPAZZOID100]

quarkyzarky that is a monosynth.

[@SPAZZOID100]

Dreux Donelan ??????

[@DIGITALSCREAMS]

Four things that need to be done to make this a classic polysynth: 1) 61 Keys 2) 8 Voice 3) Audio input 4) Full range tuning of oscillators and filter (as opposed to chromatic 'steppy' scale) That's all he needs to do - then his prophet reincarnation will go down in history. Alas, it probably wont happen and we will have a 'nearly there' product.....which is much favoured by all the manufacturers these days

[@SPAZZOID100]

DIGITALSCREAMS incorrect!!!

[@SPAZZOID100]

DIGITALSCREAMS 1) BULLSHIT 2) BULLSHIT 3) BULLSHIT 4) BULLSHIT

[@NyakzOTSD]

just looked at the price... $2799.99 lol. I wasn't far off

[@SPAZZOID100]

Did u think it would be $500??

[@gordonbennett7931]

+feralapple and you will probably go through 5 minilogues during the life span of one prophet 6.

[@TAG-rq7ii]

Hardly worth the 2k asking price...

[@SPAZZOID100]

TAG ????????