Prophet REV 2 Sonic LAB Review

We're taking a look at the Prophet REV 2 form Dave Smith Instruments. The successor to the Prophet 08.
Available in 8 and 16 voice versions.
Try our 3 Filter MAX4Live Synth: bit.ly/wavejunction
Subscribe to Sonicstate on KZbin for new content!
bit.ly/SonicYTSub
Watch Sonicstate's Exclusive Series:
Sonic LAB: bit.ly/SonicLab
Meet The Makers: bit.ly/SonicMakers
Sonicstate Performances: bit.ly/SonicPerformances
Sonic TALK Podcast: bit.ly/SonicTalk
NAMM 2017: bit.ly/SonicNAMM2017
Website: www.sonicstate.com
Twitter: #!/sonicstate
Facebook: / wwwsonicstate
Instagram: / sonicstateuk
Podcast/iTunes: goo.gl/4uOFA5

[@AnalogMonoxide]

Oh, and thanks as always for the lovely reviews. I love watching these even for gear I already have, just to listen to you poke it and talk about it. Always entertaining, and usually very informative/educational too.

[@JaredNichols909]

I love this keyboard. So versatile and fun to program. Thanks for the nice review, Nick,

[@sunsetcadet60]

I couldn't wait for the Sonic LAB review... came in the mail yesterday. So good.

[@KordTaylor]

I do love watching Nick’s reviews I keep going back and watching whenever I’m considering a purchase.

[@idngafaa]

dude, i have ta turn you to 3/4rs of the speed to catch some of your sermons, but absolutely not in a bad way. nick you are the absolute king! apologies for not being able to keep up, but you give the clearest advice i could ask for. cheers! :D

[@ek999]

Thanks for the review Nick, I was unaware of the expander kit you could buy for the 8 voice version.Game changer for me as it means I can get my hands on an 8 voice early and save for the voice expansion in the mean time!!!

[@DrBuffaloBalls]

I've been waiting months for this review, now I can finally enjoy it!

[@rodrigolaporte274]

Ohhhh I was waiting for this review!!!!!!! Thanks!!!

[@trentmiller6123]

Brilliant as always!! Easily my favorite synth reviewer. Keep up the good work!

[@garyturner5204]

Mine also! Nick does such an awesome job, every time!

[@jakedooom]

That was brilliant. Thanks Nick and Sonic State. And thanks to comments below for useful extra info…

[@Tranzphonic]

so.. you could in fact make two patches slightly detuned and LAYER them to get double the oscillators!!!

[@earlsfield]

Yes, it is completely bi-timbral. You can edit two patches in any way you want, also play them independently. Even sequence them in different tempo if you want.

[@chrisstrobel3439]

Still a great synth all these years later.

[@lunamisynth6051]

Great review guys, spot on as always!

[@jayunito]

I love my Rev2. Endless possibilities and sits well within the mix.

[@stefpir]

having it in the mix is like adding honey on a peace of bread ♥️

[@noiselabproject9659]

Picked up an 8 voice one in October after having gone down the Mopho box, Tetra and then Mopho x4 polychained to Tetra Rabbit hole first. Very happy with it and made some very warm pad/string patches for it too ! Also 16 voices is by no means essential especially if you mostly want that old school trad analog sound

[@sandwich-breath]

"Sing song harmonics... so you can take a drink" Me - takes a drink

[@vtxpony]

I love my Rev2, which I bought last year. The sound sits nicely in the mix with my band; great for comping and for leads. I ended up buying some 3rd-party programs that really brought out some of the classic Prophet sounds that I thought were missing in what was shipped. I appreciate this review, as it helped me decide on the purchase.

[@MrBluesDeville335]

Hi mate, would you mind sharing the name of the programs that made you happier with the Rev2 ? I am considering that synth and would be interested in these informations !

[@vtxpony]

@@MrBluesDeville335...Hi: I added these patches from AnalogAudio1 and am very happy with them! kzbin.info/www/bejne/iYXEeYyMor91n5o

[@MrBluesDeville335]

@@vtxpony many thanks !

[@monsterjazzlicks]

Geo Synths.

[@alexpick2028]

one of the best demos ive ever seen! thanks man : )

[@EarmonkeyMusic]

Nice review Nick. I always have to tell myself "you don't need this." My favorite part of all your reviews is when you play. Always so musical.

[@AdamTheAd-vanc3d]

Wow a very extensively featured ladened polyphonic badboy. Love the wavemixing. Great review Nick .

[@jacksprat3009]

I'm completely new to Synths and "thinking" of buying one. Like another poster here, I couldn't keep up with all the info, but did managed to get a bit of it. Enough actually, to understand 50% more than I did. Most complete demo I've seen. Thanks a bushel.

[@l0riz624]

bought the Prophet REV2 with 8 Voices a couple Months ago.... When i first played it, it was like i was in Heaven, that machine sounds so damn good!

[@CommunityGuidelines]

Loved that multi-tracked bit at the end. Nick, if you want to upload a bonus video featuring more sounds, patches, and improvisations, I think we'd all enjoy it.

[@johnconway698]

by far the best most informative look at the Rev 2. Great job

[@factckzone7533]

I've been watching a lot of Rev2 videos trying to glean all that I can from them. I'm treating this Sonic Lab vid like a tutorial. Thanks! I really wanted an OB6 but there's no way I could afford it without selling a lot of my other gear. I got my Rev2-16 less than a month ago and I'm very happy with it. I have a long, long way to go to learn its many capabilities as I'm new to synthesis or making my own sounds. I have over 20 years of experience using factory presets with all my other gear and I've produced enough music to burn 4 CD's. But now I feel grateful to have the opportunity to play the Rev2 and discover what I can do with it. I also own the Deepmind 12 and so far it pairs nicely with the Rev2 in my little studio.

[@sw_909]

How do you feel 7 months on? Gassing again for an OB6 or happy with the Rev? I ask because Im in the same position - really want an OB6 but its an investment

[@HotStrange]

Why have you only been using presets for 20 years?

[@errorkit]

4 Audio CDs? in 20 Years?

[@synriser6742]

Got it today. It's an amazing synth with lots of capabilities. Sounds great and love the keyboard. Got it hooked up on my digitech Polara for more greatness.

[@saxmidiman]

Great review Nick. Does sound fantastic. I also really really enjoyed the little piece at the finish. Keep up the good work, it is appreciated in the NorthWest US! Peace!

[@dominicstocker5144]

You can actually sync the LFOs up so that they are in the same phase on all voices: You select key sync, go into unison with all voices, press any note, reverse step 1 and 2 and there you go.

[@bugeyedmudafuka2]

Ha this actually works! I have a mopho x4 and was trying to recreate a patch i made on a soft synth years ago. Had a square LFO on the oscillator mix. Could never get it to sync correctly. Tried multiple ways, using the sequencer etc. Eventually wrote in midi CC to achieve it. This bloody works perfect. Thanks you good sir! How the hell did you figure that out? The manual never mentioned this!

[@dominicstocker5144]

bugeyedmudafuka2 Glad to hear that this benefits you, you’re welcome! I think that I found it on the Sequential Forum. Lots of nice tips there, there even is a whole thread which only contains tricks for the REV2, might be the case for the Mopho too!

[@sawlfo]

@@dominicstocker5144 by any chance do you have any idea if this would work on a prophet 12?

[@Racingheartrecords]

It sounds really great. The split mode is nice to have.

[@thelantern9075]

I’m hoping to add this enchanting sounding instrument to my studio this month.

[@seeyouintheeighties]

Wooden Penny how are you finding it

[@peew_peew_peew]

Thanks for another brilliant review

[@timmbrockmann959]

I can confirm the solid build quality; my double keyboard stand crashed to the floor with the new Rev2 and a Matrix-6 falling on top of it. All working fine

[@Nachtdwaler]

straight up nightmare fuel

[@daemonelectricity]

My palms started sweating reading this comment.

[@timmbrockmann959]

@@Nachtdwaler true haha.."funny" also how it happened; I had my backpack leaning against, which got tangled up on the handle of the K&M key stand... so I grabbed my backpack and "booom"

[@stephenroldan5107]

Did your heart stop working for a second?

[@ghavinga]

Nice review Nick, thank you.

[@MarshalArnold]

Sounds pretty awesome!

[@laokoon303]

Nick always whips up some beautiful tunes/tones - the ending here is just haunting,,,

[@Dolores5000]

Fantastic review I still need this synth!!!!

[@TorBruheim]

Best review so far on this synth. It all comes down to how this synth is programmed. The factory presets could have been better, but some of the sounds created by people out there sounds great, and this synth has a huge potential.

[@lstlvls2521]

Quite. That last patch is gorrrrrgeous.

[@monsterjazzlicks]

I'm finding the factory presets to be much better than I originally thought!

[@thomaskolb8785]

Never really been a huge fan of some of the previous DSI synths (like the Mopho X4), I was a bit reluctant trying out the Prophet REV2, but what a lovely synth this is! I get it into all my track now. The atmospheric pads are breathtaking. Thank you for the review Nick!

[@HotStrange]

I think the Mopho x4 sounded great but was a bit pricey when you consider this is only $500 more if you buy new. Even less used.

[@BeachPresent]

@@HotStrange I have Mopho and Prophet 8 . Together they can work as one synthesizer and that's cool too. But Rev 2 is generally something with something. Now I'm thinking of selling my Prophet and buying a Rev 2. I also have Prophet 2000. Very cool sampler with a great analog path. Strange as it may seem, even these ultra-low frequencies do not sag there. I have Mopho and Prophet 8 . Together they can work as one synthesizer and that's cool too. But Rev 2 is generally something with something. Now I'm thinking of selling my Prophet and buying a Rev 2. I also have Prophet 2000. Very cool sampler with a great analog path. Strange as it may seem, even these ultra-low frequencies do not sag there. I wonder what they think about Trigon-6.

[@KordTaylor]

Your reviews are so rock. Thank you so much Nick!

[@NimrodScott]

"Sing song harmonics....you can take a drink here if you are playing the drinking game" . Right on Nick!

[@TheGuitarus]

Love this channel. Thank you for everything you do.

[@PureAmbientDrone]

Great review as always. I had the p8, the rev2 seems to be a much higher step up from it.

[@quarkyzarky]

It is, the wave shaping, sub osc and new osc slop make a big difference to the core tone. I wasn't into the '08 but love the Rev2 and now own one.

[@crackaspaz]

Mate I love your stuff. Your delivery is spot on. Somehow you balance the talking with actually explaining what we need to know, and it's clear you've taken the time to know the kit intimately. You certainly know your shit. It's very appreciated. Keep up the good work.

[@peterkadarmusic9728]

That multitracked piece at the end was seriously cool.

[@ChristineLeeMusic]

Can't wait to get this soon so our band can do 80's cover and integrate the sound to our modern original tracks. Nothing sounds like a Prophet/Sequential synth.

[@Charlyaraya]

Any thoughts now? should I get it ?

[@BURG]

nice one as always, thanks for the review !

[@jedisid]

Lol I was just searching for a review on this and you guys go head and drop one on us.

[@j0kerface]

aw yiss! looks like the next big purchase for me

[@SebastianBeyer]

One of the best synth ever made!

[@jakedooom]

it certainly looks good even 2 years later.

[@SomethingTVTV]

really?

[@three-leggedcat6241]

Beautiful sounds and playing, Thanks.

[@MattGreerMusic]

I think this is probably going to be my next board.

[@nessrecords]

I love that he knows his drinking game catch phrases.

[@WillisZzz]

Diggin that background tune!

[@frankscassi4960]

The unipolar LFO is such a great feature, kinda overlooked by a lot of players

[@blankspace0000]

First couple of patches where AMAZING

[@naoyukisasanami]

Great demo contains everything I want to know

[@shookstylez]

Hi Nick, awesome review. thank you so much..!! I am really curious about your Korg Prologue review. Will you review this synthesizer? Hope so!

[@Symmetry77]

I'm interested in getting one, my main concern is whether or not there is an option to have the synth replicating whatever the knob positions are at any given time, like on the prophet 6 you have a preset button which reverts the synth to whatever the knobs are doing. Does anyone knows this please

[@hiddenagenda1779]

I wish you'd write a booklet or something on the Rev 2. Your review is great but I need something more like a desk reference. I find the Sequential is mostly very general and vague. Keep up the great work Nick!

[@HomeCinemaJunkie]

I for one love the DSI sound. It just fit so good in a mix. Probably who so many producers use them...

[@Allenbass7]

For sure. It seems like analog harmonic qualities in a refined polyphonic form. Love that.

[@MBEG89]

Spot on, always have my rev2 in anything I do.

[@arnefackel5532]

@@Allenbass7 That is why I thought of buying it. Could you give me advice? Actually im looking for that warm analog sound that many people miss in the rev 2 (as they describe it as "cold" sounding). But the point of fitting in the mix better AND having so much ways to manipulate the sound are really making me struggle to make a decision. Would recommend the rev 2 or do you have something different in mind? (I'm from Germany, excuse some mistakes!)

[@Supremeteamcaptain]

@@arnefackel5532 it’s not cold at all. It CAN be cold, but it can be warm. People saying that never sat down and turned the cutoff to 0, and the envelope at a high positive and dialed in key tracking. That’s how you get warm

[@Rolanoid]

That beautiful outro reminds me of those short ambient pieces Depeche Mode put on their earlier albums.

[@Sam9wilson9]

intro sold me

[@Momiyama808]

Awesome outro Nick.

[@hristiangeorgiev5236]

Thank you for a really insightful review of this machine. That first pad in the beginning of the video that you play - its outstanding. Is it from the firm presets of the synth or you programmed it?

[@vuuvovuuv]

looooove the disasterpeace vibes at 3:21 and the outro

[@petercampion9028]

so good!

[@movax20h]

If LFOs are per voice, and you can route LFOs to affect parameters of the FXs, then which LFO is selected to affect it? There are only two FXs input channels (for two layers / split keyboard, and possibly overlayer layer).

[@JansKanaal]

Nice one, Nick! You might want to have a look at the Pro 2 as well. This rev2 is great, but the Pro 2 is a truly awesome beast of a synth. Would love to see your take on that one!

[@fednance2837]

great video! cheers!

[@erikjacksonvibes]

If Nick ever made an Ambient album it would be amazing!

[@HotStrange]

Erik Jackson pretty sure he has

[@Opss56]

“Lots and lots of different sauces here” @ 25:51

[@TheParanoidAndroid79]

@@Annie-zd7mx I refuse to believe it was "sources". "Sauces" is objectively better. ;)

[@louisrmusic]

19:29 With a... what ?

[@bartondisplay]

Brilliant.

[@nathankirklambo1986]

Sounded like he had a random LFO in his brain for a second.

[@wafflestoast5228]

Nathan Lambertson It’s just oscillator drift lol

[@QuietmindYoga]

😂😂😂

[@MRWIZE]

LOOOOOOOOOOLLL IM DEAD!!

[@UTSONUT]

thanks for the review as always Nick, you're such an awesome musician that your reviews are always a pleasure to watch (hear i should say), have you had a chance to play a prophet 6? which one do you like more Prophet 6 vs Rev 2 .....i understand the technical differences, but just in terms of sound which do you like more? the p6 has VCOs and a different filter simulating the prophet 5, the p6 does not have curtis filters.....much less modulation possibilities but a very pristine sound....

[@digitaldiezel5870]

I've also been waiting for a "Nick Review" for the P6. Still holding a candle for that one...Until then I just replay the Marc Doty vids every month or so to get my in-depth review fix, lol.

[@johnnydiamondsmusic1673]

I have the 8 voice. Amazing machine.

[@daniel6959]

Hi, is there any difference between Dave Smith Rev2 and the one with “sequential” name on the right hand side ?

[@liamquinn]

@@daniel6959 no :)

[@kierenmoore3236]

@@daniel6959 SEQUENTIAL logo looks cooler 😎😉

[@Shmynkellbonkenstein]

Beautiful intro! Cool machine

[@CmathTV]

DSI Needs to port the reverb of the REV 2 into the OB-6 and P6

[@tomphillpotts]

Build quality seems good at first, then after a while the pots start wobbling about. Really alarming. But this video gave me some new ideas about how to use the modulation so thanks for another great video.

[@JimPIckins]

It's funny because I sold my original 08 because the sound was lacking. This one to me sounds much improved and I'm excited to get one again

[@adrianschinoff2896]

Same here!

[@Mattieval]

So, you could use layering of two near identical patches as a way around the lack of poly unison mode?

[@koreanfriedchildren]

6:02 well I was waiting for when Nick would drop the good ol PWM praise 😂🤪

[@CoventGardenbeats]

I believe it's an archaic sounding board but your lead on minute 22:50 & 23:00 is quite marvelous "extraordinary"

[@smartwerker]

Back to Sequential now. Yes!

[@Deeplycloseted435]

The display is a step in the right direction. I despised the older DSI screen. I must admit though, the screens on things like Waldorf Blofeld/Pulse2 greatly enhances the user experience IMO. Having that visual feedback.....I like it.

[@laxiton]

What about the screen/gfx on the DSI Pro2?

[@quarkyzarky]

Agreed. Not only does this black OLED with white writing suite the analog aesthetic better than an old style LED/LCD screen, blending in with the black paintwork and keeping you mostly focused on the physical controls, it also happens to be pin sharp, very clear/bright writing and you can see it from a long way away very clearly even if it's not a massive screen. I'm glad it's NOT a massive screen, it's great to have such a powerful analog synth (that needs a screen due to that power) that abstracts it away somewhat so it still feels pure. They don't feel so pure with an LED screen.

[@kyleserafin9616]

Does it weird anyone else out that it's literally the Mini/Monologue screen on a $2k synth, minus the oscilloscope? Readout > no readout, for sure, just strange when compared to the likes of the Blofeld or Elektron's Digitakt with their graphical envelopes.

[@Deeplycloseted435]

Kyle Serafin true...it looks very similar.

[@TheEdwin73]

yes if only the Blofeld had this 'knob-per-function' interface, it has far greater sonic diversity (wave tables&samples and also very extensive mod matrix), but getting there is frustrating compared to the Rev2...but then again it would also probably sell at 3 or 4 times as much, price wise if it actually did had a lot of knobs like this synth.

[@ArkturusMusic]

That opening patch is absolutely beautiful, thanks for making me want to sell off my kidneys!

[@redirishmanxlt]

Does the mod matrix allow for 8 assignments on both layer A and layer B, or do the mod assignments split? In other words, do I end up with 4 or 8 mod slots per layer?

[@naturecollision]

is the pedal CV low pass filtered? when feeding it cv it flattens out at around 20hz or something on my p6 and ob6

[@eltouristoduo]

Won't the LFOs all work in midi sync if you turn clock sync on but keep key sync off?

[@matthewc.reynolds]

Can anyone with experience give me some advice on whether this is worth purchasing? I am fairly new at synthesis and have been playing mostly piano/epiano/organ in my band. I'm looking to potentially swap out my Nord Electro 4 for the Rev2. Is this a manageable synth for a beginner or should I look elsewhere?

[@bond4177]

Review the Prophet 12 next!

[@johnnyraphaell]

The Filter isn't fat. But it has a musical sound, that no other synth has in thes style. its transparent, dynamic, beautiful highs. its the best in a mix with Guitars. this is why its one of the most sealed synths of all time.

[@2112jonr]

Sealed?

[@monsterjazzlicks]

Sealed??

[@kierenmoore3236]

🦭 🎹 🦭 🎹 🦭 ???

[@johnnyraphaell]

Haha sealed😂 i mean sold

[@BTsMusicChannel]

I am looking for a synth that has multiple LFOs that can be routed individually to oscillators so I can modulate them in different ways. It is starting to narrow down to Rev 2 or Peak.

[@kierenmoore3236]

❤️ Rev2 or Summit ❤️ (or both, lol). 16-voice beasts …

[@Superlover]

OMG this machine sounds great!

[@RenoFriends]

How can I see, for example on my iPad, the wave of the sound that is played as it can be seen on this review? Would be nice to have more on screen feedback 👀

[@RundFyrkant]

is it possible to load Tetr4 sounds in to the Rev 2?

[@synthman2000]

He' great. I'm sold. I've waited 40 years to own something like a Prophet-5.

[@Jnoir.]

Prophet 5 rev 4 is here

[@Freddy_VHS]

So can the modulation source and destination buttons be used on all knobs?

[@tomysmolic]

If you have to chose between this one and Moog sub 37, what would you chose.I know they are different type of synth but just want to hear other opinion

[@XDanimalzX]

Rev2 no question about it. I have a sub37 and would trade it for REV.2 8 voice

[@adammilburn8855]

Great review as ever Nick but something wrong with your video export methinks - blurry/frame blending, and low res even at 1080p...

[@sonicstate]

+Adam Milburn I had some corrupted footage that I had to transcode. Not all the shots though. Sorry about that. But ran out of time for a reshoot

[@pocketknifearmy]

I'm so amazed that those LFO's don't sync. The Poly Evolver couldn't do it, and now 15 years later it still isn't there. That's weird isn't it? For such an instrument. Sounds are ace, by the way. The effects really add to the joy as well. Thanks for the informative review :)

[@MilesBader]

Yeah, much as I love and respect DSI, their synths always seem to have a few odd quirks which seem almost like oversights (i.e., they would be handy and wouldn't cost much to add)...

[@kierenmoore3236]

You can sync the LFOs … see the very first comment, above …

[@Rhuggins]

Love your reviews, you always help me to make an educated buying decision when it comes time to buy synths :) any plans to do the prophet 12? seems like a beast of a synth. cheers.

[@Aditya-K-Balu]

Thank you so much for sparing your time for us in reviewing this wonderful product of Sequential. Could you also please review the Prophet 12 module or the Prophet 12 Synth as well? Thanks in advance.