The Official Sequential/Oberheim Forum
SEQUENTIAL/DSI => Prophet => Prophet '08 => Topic started by: Sacred Synthesis on October 06, 2015, 07:15:06 AM
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This thread provides recordings of music made at least primarily with the Prophet '08 for all to hear.
This is my YouTube channel Prophet '08 playlist:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kg-DxSDMk2c&list=PL-CSFEgC2tTydFcvrBITryRPZHg4tUde5
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@Sacred Synthesis: I find this one of your best recent Prophet 08 pieces being both very modern and very classical at the same time:
https://youtu.be/eoogGOR_B90
And this mixed Prophet 08 and Evolver piece have a very fine melancholic mood:
https://youtu.be/Ug9POscpln4
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Thanks, DslSynth. It's funny - I actually don't like the first piece. I think it's a lousy improvisation, but I posted it anyway as a demonstration of a sound. It's actually a difficult sound to work with. Because of the release time, the eight voices are used up quickly, which results in very unappealing pops as notes are re-assigned. This patch is a good argument for twelve or even sixteen voices. It certainly made me think of the Prophet 12.
Regarding the second piece - it's so easy to achieve the melancholic. Whereas, joy requires such an effort, as if you're fighting all the elements to get there.
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Maybe there are a little room for improvement but the sound and mood are just spot on. Keep it! And make a better one some day.
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This thread would have to include Marc Melia's unique all-Prophet '08 music:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCp3BE5B2j-s3YxJmpryoK7A/videos
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I'm back! It's nice to see an official forum for DSI.
Sharing an old piece made with the P08:
http://youtu.be/ePn2D2YJ9ow
Cheers!
Igor Cristo
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Welcome back, Igor! I do like that piece of music, as you know. Now keep up the installments.
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Count me in on this forum, too ;)
Here's something I just recorded without worrying about perfection too much:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2PhRhkABlw (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2PhRhkABlw)
Chopin's Preludes Op. 28, № 4; I tried to come close to the sound of the FEZ soundtrack ("Continuum") without adding effects besides the old Lexicon reverb or editing.
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Excellent, SQS! And a sound like a rich responsive harpsichord with a piano sustain pedal.
I'm listening to this over and over. You should re-use this patch; it's spot-on. I love the last chord - so beautifully grave.
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Thank you!
I guess this kind of sound is the one I tried building the most — piano-like with a touch of harpsichord, yet wholly synthetic sounding. This appears to be my best result yet, which is curious considering its relative simplicity as compared to my other attempts (not every LFO or modulation slot used).
Interestingly, the low polyphony of the Prophet '08 was just sufficient for this piece, which I did not expect. The reverb sure helps here, but does not overwhelm.
Now I need to get back to the real piano again, before the Prophet becomes all I play ;D
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That's right. Go do your scales and arpeggios without the help of an arpeggiator!
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A double congratulations, SQS. DSI has posted your video on their social media. Hopefully Matrixsynth will pick you up as well.
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Wow! And here I was wondering where the hundreds of views were coming from…
I'm honored ;D
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And watch your subscribers increase, too. Now that they know of you, many will continue visiting your page. The pressure's on!
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What's maddening is that this is the one video into which I put the least effort in making… Just two takes, no real lighting setup and I'm even wearing my sweater instead of something approriate.
Not to mention that I recorded this rather spontaneously (the idea came with this thread) and before I was really "done" with that song (notice the clumsiness).
Still happy, though; thanks DSI! 8)
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It doesn't look or sound at all thrown-together. The piece is refreshingly simple, though not simplistic, and it has a natural rubato that seems intentional.
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[…]and it has a natural rubato that seems intentional.
;D ;D ;D
Yes, it's all intentional, but I'm not fully agreeing with all these intentions yet, which is what I mean by being done with a song. I'm not yet set on one interpretation of this piece and still play it differently, trying out things.
EDIT
To sum it up: my piano teacher would kill me if she heard it ;)
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I'm a bit mindblown that all examples of this $2k synth are basically just pads and A/B comparison to vintage gear on YouTube. I love all the Secret Synthesis pieces but I might have to record something to expose the flexibility of the P8 :)
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Welcome back, Igor! I do like that piece of music, as you know. Now keep up the installments.
Thank you! It's good to be back!!
I'm going to be back with some videos... and music! I just need to get my things back in place. Played with the 08 today, and had a very good time.
Count me in on this forum, too ;)
Here's something I just recorded without worrying about perfection too much:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2PhRhkABlw (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2PhRhkABlw)
Chopin's Preludes Op. 28, № 4; I tried to come close to the sound of the FEZ soundtrack ("Continuum") without adding effects besides the old Lexicon reverb or editing.
I love Chopin! It's my favorite composer, and I do play a lot of his compositions, including the one I like the most, Ballade No 1. I've been playing classical piano since I was 12, and began my Chopin study with 18. It is very hard to get beyond where I was at 20-21... Stay playing the same way ever since - not enough time to study, work, play synths, you name it.
Congratulations on your performance! Beautiful sound, nice playing, amazing piece of music.
Cheers!
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I love Chopin! It's my favorite composer, and I do play a lot of his compositions, including the one I like the most, Ballade No 1. I've been playing classical piano since I was 12, and began my Chopin study with 18. It is very hard to get beyond where I was at 20-21... Stay playing the same way ever since - not enough time to study, work, play synths, you name it.
Congratulations on your performance! Beautiful sound, nice playing, amazing piece of music.
Cheers!
Thank you very much!
It's interesting how we share almost exactly the same piano/Chopin timeline, give or take a year :D
I'm very grateful that I'm fortunate enough to still continue taking piano lessons, which really is a big deal. Right after I recorded the above piece, I tried another Chopin composition which I haven't touched in a year. Textual uncertainty aside, I found that I do play it better now than I did a year ago, which surprised me! So once I've practiced enough to eliminate mistakes I'll put it up here, with a similar sound (still working on the precise values, this one needs more bass).
Looking very much forward to seeing more videos from you ;)
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Love the variations of sound you can get from the P'08. There is always something that will fit in the production after some "knobbing" around so here's my multi-track synth pop contribution specially made for this forum today.
100% of the source sounds are from the P'08. I made all the patches myself except for the sci-fi:ish sound and snare drum, those I found in a sysex bank dump online.
https://soundcloud.com/lnetzel/dsi-prophet-08-multi-track-demo
You will hear synth basses, self resonating stuff, sid/chip, drums, pads, effects, fm (using audio mod) etc.
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I'm a bit mindblown that all examples of this $2k synth are basically just pads and A/B comparison to vintage gear on YouTube. I love all the Secret Synthesis pieces but I might have to record something to expose the flexibility of the P8 :)
I actually agree with you. The Prophet '08 is a very flexible instrument and can do far more than just pads, and I'd love to hear others stretching its powers. But considering that YouTube has countless videos of synthesizers being tweaked ad infinitum, making every imaginable sound and effect, I thought that producing pure music of a classical type, breathing with a somewhat free-rhythm, rather than bound to the strict tempos of drum machines, would be a refreshing change. Another objective was to keep the recordings clear of all other sounds other than the few I was using, so that people could get a clean and exacting listen to the tone of the instrument; this is one of the reasons the pieces are on the lengthy side and tend to develop the sound a bit, at least by opening the filter. Related to this, I also deliberately avoided multi-tracking, producing instead all the music in live performances. And as a personal project, I wanted to see if the Prophet '08 could produce digital-like pads, and thus, cover more than just the usual analog territory. I made with the Prophet '08 the sort of synthesizer music I wanted to hear, but couldn't find elsewhere. And I've had no interest in vintage imitation or emulation; God knows a retro-ish reproduction of the 70's/80's is the last thing that interests me.
By no means did I intend my recordings to be definitive sound demonstrations of the Prophet '08; sonic variety or complexity was never my intent, but only traditional musicality. My interest was never to impress people with sound design, but purely to provide - dare I use the words - beautiful music made with an instrument that is so often used to make ugly noise. I realize those last two words could bring a barrage of criticism, but I'm obviously expressing an opinion and explaining my reasonings.
Although I do spend some time designing non-musical sounds on the Prophet '08, it's more as a programming exercise that I don't bother to record, since they would only add to what is already a mountain of online material.
And by the way, for those who remember, my YouTube channel grew directly from a rather heated forum thread called, "Quality Musical Demonstrations, Please!". What I had asked of DSI, I decided to try to do myself.
So, feel free to contribute your own material on the Prophet '08 and post it here.
Here is a YouTube link to a talented guy who does lots of sounds and effects with the Prophet '08:
https://www.youtube.com/user/xyloxophonic/videos
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So, feel free to contribute your own material on the Prophet '08 and post it here.
Here is a YouTube link to a talented guy who does lots of sounds and effects with the Prophet '08:
https://www.youtube.com/user/xyloxophonic/videos
Well I did, in the post before you :)
Thank you, I think that user's channel and a few of your videos actually were the ones that made me get a P8 in the end. I was so tired of people going "it's not a Prophet 5 wioth VCO bla bla bla" and hearing brassy riffs from 80s hits that I was about to go for another synth for a while but finally heared some other sounds.
I've been a happy P8 owner now for 5 months and love exploring it. I did get to mess around with a P6 the other day and sure it's cool too but the P8 is a better fit for me me.
Another really nice video that pushed me over was this ambient jam by Mitch Wiseman:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upew84_M70Y
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I did get to mess around with a P6 the other day and sure it's cool too but the P8 is a better fit for me me.
Now there's a surprising opinion. Could you elaborate?
The video that most influenced me towards choosing a Prophet '08 was this one (almost from the first note):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6oS6J2sToZM
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Now there's a surprising opinion. Could you elaborate?
Sure, but these things are subjective so it's not the truth for everyone.
The first thing that hit me was that my hands really missed the extra octave on the P6. That came as a surprise for me but then I also realized playing patches with a long releases resulted in note stealing. I usually play a chord with my right hand and one or two base notes with my left hand. That is very noticable on the P6 so the lack of those two voices from the P8 really matters to my style of playing. I couldn't find any split/stack setting on the P6 but that would be even worse + I really like the stack/split function on the P8. Then I wanted to get into the creation of sounds and I've seen Dave in NAMM videos talking about "no menu diving" so I expected this to be very easy. On the P8 I feel the layout of knobs is extremely intuitive but the P6 had these "alternative" buttons instead that didn't resonate well with me. I just didn't get a grasp of where to start at all and felt a bit "Meh".
The P6 is clearly deeper/bassier sounding and I asume it is because of the VCOs but I honestly feel the P8 is a better fit for me as a package. I can create patches with it pretty fast but and it also invites me to perform with it, such an important combo.
Yes, the Inside Synthesis part 1 and 2 are great videos indeed.
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Interesting points. There's a lot to think about in your post. Thanks.
Because of its small size, I would always look upon the Prophet 6 as a left hand or right hand instrument.
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Oh its would be easy to spoil you guys in a fraction of a second! Five octaves, eight to twelve voices, four lfos, four envelopes, 16 modulation slots, analog filter feedback, two sound layers and same analog electronics as Prophet-6. Even with newly designed DCO's it would surely beat Prophet '08 if it had the new filters.
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You forgot keyboard split! I would go for such an instrument in an instant. If DSI could beat the Prophet '08, I'd happily make the switch and never look back. I'm not affixed to the P08 in any weird way. It's just the best instrument for now.
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Well layers means having both stack and split. So not to worry! ;-) Could top it off with digital oscillators as well to approach that dry Evolver I have been fabulating about over the years. Prophet 12 and Pro2 are such machines just without the analog oscillators.
Look forward to hear other users Prophet '08 work!
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Oh its would be easy to spoil you guys in a fraction of a second! Five octaves, eight to twelve voices, four lfos, four envelopes, 16 modulation slots, analog filter feedback, two sound layers and same analog electronics as Prophet-6. Even with newly designed DCO's it would surely beat Prophet '08 if it had the new filters.
Just throw some FM in there with proper keytracking as well :)
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More a sound demo than "Prophet '08 Music": a demonstration of the Laser Harp patch [1], approximated on the P'08 with Lexicon reverberation as the only effect. This is one of my oldest patches, made not long after I started using the Prophet back in 2009, but I recorded it just now because I saw this "Laser Harp Challenge" on another forum.
Prophet '08 Sound Demo: Laser Harp (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8qS1Klt5_w)
[1]originally a preset on the ELKA Synthex, used in Jean Michel Jarre's Rendez-vous.
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Wow thanks, Strange Quark Star! Its one of my favorite synthesizer sounds and it actually sounds fairly close! Did you use layers? Wonder if it can be recreated on a Mopho? Look forward to the recipe and/or sysex dump! ;)
He is an example with the original Elka Synthex along with some explanation of the sound structure:
https://youtu.be/zaYkgY5_toE
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Thank you! Yes, it's one of my favorites, too. Such a deep and faceted sound.
Mine does not use layers but achieves its intensity through 4-voice retuned unison, which could be difficult on the Mopho. Maybe the Mopho's feedback and a good external chorus can make up for it? I also did not use PWM as the original Synthex patch did, so perhaps you can come closer by more careful programming.
Anyway, I'm currently editing a video tutorial in the style of my old microKORG one, hopefully I'll be done today!
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Maybe the Mopho's feedback and a good external chorus can make up for it? I also did not use PWM as the original Synthex patch did, so perhaps you can come closer by more careful programming.
Way cool with the video. Have to say that my sound design skills are somewhat limited. When you say chorus I was immediately thinking Evolver. Its an interesting sound design challenge. Maybe we could get Razmo involved here? . o O ( me lazy )
Anyway here is the original culprit: https://youtu.be/1oXXmaH2Ghs
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Look forward to the recipe and/or sysex dump! ;)
Here you go:
Tutorial: Laser Harp on Prophet '08! (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kohXSEdVU5Y)
A step-by-step video tutorial. Have fun!
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Here you go:
Tutorial: Laser Harp on Prophet '08! (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kohXSEdVU5Y)
A step-by-step video tutorial. Have fun!
Awesome, this is the first tutorial on programming the P08 I've seen and it's detailed, nicely explained and well executed. A big thank you!
... should we start up a programming tutorial thread? (I know I will bring up the old FM topic soon if noone else does :))
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Awesome, this is the first tutorial on programming the P08 I've seen and it's detailed, nicely explained and well executed. A big thank you!
Thank you very much! I'm glad you liked it.
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Nice blend of sound SQS . I always enjoy hearing the classical players showcase that element of synthesis.
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I just heard these amazing examples of the P08 on this YT page. This synth continues to amaze me!
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQHAT10ONw_ikqNuyvJhjng
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I just heard these amazing examples of the P08 on this YT page. This synth continues to amaze me!
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQHAT10ONw_ikqNuyvJhjng
Thanks for posting, it's cool to see something in the nu disco genres from this. I've felt it can deliver basically EVERYTHING when it comes to sound sources for that genre and he shows it.
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The first thing that hit me was that my hands really missed the extra octave on the P6. That came as a surprise for me but then I also realized playing patches with a long releases resulted in note stealing. I usually play a chord with my right hand and one or two base notes with my left hand. That is very noticable on the P6 so the lack of those two voices from the P8 really matters to my style of playing. I couldn't find any split/stack setting on the P6 but that would be even worse + I really like the stack/split function on the P8. Then I wanted to get into the creation of sounds and I've seen Dave in NAMM videos talking about "no menu diving" so I expected this to be very easy. On the P8 I feel the layout of knobs is extremely intuitive but the P6 had these "alternative" buttons instead that didn't resonate well with me. I just didn't get a grasp of where to start at all and felt a bit "Meh".
The P6 is clearly deeper/bassier sounding and I asume it is because of the VCOs but I honestly feel the P8 is a better fit for me as a package. I can create patches with it pretty fast but and it also invites me to perform with it, such an important combo.
You've summed up beautifully my own feelings towards the P6. I'm not a natural keyboard player. I'm untutored and it's my third (or even fourth) instrument, but even I feel the restriction of the missing octave. I also like sounds with long releases and the note stealing is something I hit upon all the time with it, whereas it's rarely a significant issue for me on the P08. I guess it is our own styles of playing that make it so.
I love the filter on the P6 but miss the modulation enormously. Despite having VCOs, poly-mod and improved slop I struggle to make it sound as unstable or alive as my P08. I have to use the (admittedly pretty good) inbuilt phaser and chorus effects to get much movement into the sound. All it takes is a little delay and/or reverb to make the P08 sing.
The P6 is clearly a very good synth with a lovely basic tone but anyone saying that it makes the P08 redundant or worthless has no idea what they are on about. They're so different.
BTW, loving everyone's contributions to this thread. I'm in awe of how skilled you all are as musicians. :)
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Those were more excellent thoughts on the discussion. Thanks, Fuseball. I'm all ears right now regarding the topic.
I'm up and down over the Prophet 6, although the existence of a module version is a new mark in its favor. For me, the P6 would primarily be a left hand instrument for chords or a right hand part-time monophonic instrument. Although it would replace a four-voice Poly Evolver Keyboard I now have for sale, it would be an enhancement to my set up - as is the second PEK that it would replace; it wouldn't be a fundamental. But in light of all the comments I've read and the videos I've watched, the P6 does seem to offer a rare bona fide analog sound that really can't be found outside the vintage market, and this is primarily the reason I would choose one - for that coveted richness and warmth. I would also use its sawtooth lead patch a great deal, in the presumption that it's among the very best available. (My first choice for this sound would have been the Korg Arp Odyssey, but that's another mini keys story.)
I couldn't agree more, though, with the concerns and limitations that Fuseball and Inetzel have mentioned. The fact is, while I can obviously (painfully) fathom replacing one PEK with a P6, I couldn't imagine replacing a Prophet 08 with one. The latter has become for me nearly the perfect synthesizer. If Dave would create a P08 with four oscillators, ten voices, a high pass filter, longer envelope times, and a few onboard effects, then I would positively have the perfect synthesizer. Which means, the P08 is already quite close.
When I decided to put my four-voice Poly Evolver Keyboard up for sale (I still have another PEK and a PER), I decided to test my convictions. So, I put away the Prophet '08s and set up only the Evolvers. For about a month now, I've been playing an all-Evolver set up and making all-Evolver recordings. This is all just to make sure I'm ready to let go of a Poly Evolver Keyboard. Hence, my YouTube videos are presently all-Evolver. In doing so, I've come both to like and dislike the Poly Evolver more than before. The worst of it has been that I don't have the Prophet 08s to compensate for the Evolver's weaknesses. The other night, I needed something so simple as a string patch for a high sustained note - something a Prophet 08 could have provided quite well. Don't even try this with an Evolver. It requires four oscillators, and in the upper range the digital aliasing is just terrible. It will work only if the mix covers the discordant noise. As I was working I actually thought, "This instrument completely fails at this," - something I've never thought while using the Prophet 08. As a result, I abandoned the musical idea altogether and recorded, instead, a night of digital pad improvisations. Rather than pursue a musical idea, I had to follow a musical instrument. For better or worse, this is not how I like to work.
So, the P08 for me is a rock-solid staple instrument. It's flexible enough, although not extremely so. Contrary to this, the Poly Evolver Keyboard is a special interest type instrument. It does some unique things exceptionally well. It's digital pads are so beautiful. But it's also surprisingly limited, and it fails at some very basic synthesizer duties. One has to be prudent and realistic when using one.
My point here is that the Prophet 6 probably should be considered to be a PEK of another color. For many of us, it could not serve as a base instrument; it lacks the size and flexibility in basic features, such as modulation and voice count. Its limitations have to be realistically considered, but so should its many musical strengths, first and foremost of which is its gorgeous analog tone. Hence, it's an enhancement to an already stable set up. For me, in no way could it replace a Prophet 08. It could compliment one, though; and as an analog-sound enthusiast, I would in no way consider this to be a redundancy, but rather, a bit of variety in the analog sound domain.
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I agree as well.
Although my wife doesn't understand it ::), the P08/P6 combo works perfectly for me. 8)
Now if I could get my Pro-One serviced I'd really be straight. Of course I was drooling over 2 Prophet T8's I saw on ebay yesterday...
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That's a good and valid comparison of the P6 and PEK's strengths and weaknesses. I can see how the P6 could work wonderfully for you as a right-hand instrument. The tone from it is remarkable and it suits lead sounds better than anything else I have played. The unison mode, with its selectable number of voices, panning and detune make it easy to construct beautiful soaring leads, particularly with the combination of sawtooth and that filter. I don't think you'll be disappointed with the instrument's sound at all. It makes a formidable mono-synth.
For some reason I expected the P6 to excel at pads (probably because I love the sound of many made with the P5) but, in my opinion, pads are the thing it's weakest at and where I feel the P08 really comes into its own. If I try to program the P6 with the same mindset that I have with the P08, I get frustrated by the limitations. When I stop thinking so much about what I'm doing and just 'play' the controls then I get great sounds.
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I didn't mean to imply I would use the Prophet 6 entirely as a monophonic instrument; I would use it as both a mono and a poly synth. I certainly wouldn't pay such a price merely for a mono synth, nor replace a PEK with something so limited. The P6 would have to be very capable in the polyphonic department as well. My main concern there is with the limited modulation, since my constant practice is to combine pulse width modulation, subtle filter sweeps, and vibrato all at the same time and at different rates and depths. I guess we've been spoiled by the Prophet '08! Nothing less can now satisfy.
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I didn't mean to imply I would use the Prophet 6 entirely as a monophonic instrument; I would use it as both a mono and a poly synth. I certainly wouldn't pay such a price merely for a mono synth, nor replace a PEK with something so limited. The P6 would have to be very capable in the polyphonic department. My main concern there is with the limited modulation, since my constant practice is to combine pulse width modulation, subtle filter sweeps, and vibrato all at the same time and at different rates and depths. I guess we've been spoiled by the Prophet '08! Nothing less can now satisfy.
Absolutely. It has to work as both mono and poly synth for myself also. The mono side of things was an unexpected bonus for me and few people have sung it's praises for the unison implementation. It's still first and foremost a poly though.
All the modulations you mention are the things I have to let go of, the P08 methods, when programming sounds on the P6. My P08 sounds are full of very subtle modulations and going back to just a single LFO has been quite a creative challenge. I find the P08 quite mathematical in that regard. I know what each modulation will do and program it accordingly. The P6 is less predictable in that fixed modulation (LFO & envelopes) and poly-mod combinations throw up some unexpected results. Sometimes beautiful and inspiring but also sometimes a bit of a mess. :D
Of course, it might just be that I'm nowhere near as familiar with the P6 yet and that programming knowledge will come with time.
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Nice blend of sound SQS . I always enjoy hearing the classical players showcase that element of synthesis.
Thank you! I'll do my best to record more of these soon.
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Just sharing a little impromptu I've made last weekend.
Just using my P08 and a reverb pedal (EHX Cathedral), with an ambient feel to the whole thing.
https://youtu.be/Mc0EVn9KMBc
I hope you enjoy it! Cheers!
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Nice meditative piece, Igor.
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As a former Prophet '08 owner and hopefully a future Prophet-6 owner, I think it basically all comes down to features vs. sound - and I don't mean that in a simplistic way. You can't replace the quantity of features of the Prophet '08 with a Prophet-6. If you want many modulation options, the Prophet-6 is not for you. If you want beefier and more direct oscillators (VCOs vs. DCOs makes a difference here) and what they call "instant gratification," it's the Prophet-6. And although the latter is far less complex in terms of modulation paths, I'm still amazed by the plethora of sounds the factory patches alone consist of (whether they are to my taste or not).
Don't get me wrong, I like the sound of both and mainly sacrificed my Prophet '08 in favor of a Prophet-6 because of purely practical (i.e. financial) reasons. If I could have afforded it to keep the '08 at the same time, I would have done so. On the other hand it was clear to me from the very first moment I laid my hands on the Prophet-6 that I eventually have to get one. I don't perceive the switch from the '08 to the 6 as an upgrade though. It's not that I would say the Prophet-6 is more of a Prophet than the '08. It's just that I got my modulation-heavy needs already covered with the Evolver and the Pro 2. And to me the Prophet-6 is a nice counterpart to these two - sound-wise and, even more so, programming-wise. With some tweaking you can still make it sound like a crazy modular synth or whatsoever. The choice would be a lot tougher if I had to choose between the '08 and the 6 as the only synth I could own. In that case the '08 would probably a wiser choice.
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I've been thinking a lot about the Prophet '08 versus the Prophet 6 and trying to come up with a realistic and entirely practical judgment. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong about the following, since I don't yet own a Prophet 6.
Two things strike me as difficulties on the Prophet 6. For those of us whose hands (and feet) are nearly always busy playing their own musical parts, first, the means of changing programs is impractical. Sure, it's not a problem to change to another sound while playing if that sound is in the same bank. But changing to a sound in a different bank requires two hands - something that is simply impossible during a performance, unless I can grow a third arm. Second, since the modulation wheel is set to permanently control the LFO depth, adding delayed vibrato to a note - again - requires a second hand. The Prophet '08 has that very handy third envelope that can be used to create a nice exacting delayed vibrato. This is ideal for a person who is the sole performer, since the program itself can be designed to do the work of two hands.
Are there any alternatives or tricks for getting around these two difficulties?
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Well, it's not that the preset change on a Prophet '08 is a "one click affair" either as long as not all the sounds you need are placed next to each other. So you need some time there too. - Hence the Playlist feature on the Prophet-12 and Pro 2. But yeah, if you are not only dialing in lower numbers, you either need two hands or at least one more step on the Prophet-6. You can add vibrato though via Aftertouch if you set it to LFO AMT. No extra hand needed.
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That's true - the Prophet '08 has a less than ideal means for changing programs. (I've always preferred the Poly Evolver's keypad.) But you can still change it with one hand, and if you're quick, you can scroll from #1 to #127 in only a few seconds while you're still playing. So, it's a tad awkward, but still manageable.
As for the delayed vibrato - that's true, after touch is available on the Prophet 6. I'm glad you reminded me of that, because I forgot about it. I've stopped studying the instrument and only listen to videos of it now. But it is difficult, while you're playing with the other hand (and both feet), to make a perfectly smooth and evenly gradual delayed vibrato using after touch. That's what I've found, anyway, and it's the reason I generally never use it. How is the after touch on the Prophet 6? On the Poly Evolver Keyboard it's quite abrupt; it's much smoother on the Prophet '08. On the P6, is it easy to make a very smooth introduction of modulation?
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Nice meditative piece, Igor.
Thank you! :)
Off-topic: I don't understand why this forum is so quiet. It's great to have an official forum!
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Off-topic: I don't understand why this forum is so quiet. It's great to have an official forum!
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Indeed very quiet. But I don't think the DSI owners were expecting to look here for another forum. Obvious as it probably should have been- I didn't look here either. It wasn't till forum member Strange Quark Star tipped me off this forum had started.
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And I, in turn was directed here by Sacred Synthesis ;)
Perhaps DSI should send out an email to registered users (Ⅰ didn't get anything), but then the influx of new people may be *too* much for this forum? I don't know.
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Don't worry, guys. Things are going according to plan. DSI intended to inform only a small number of people about this forum so as to have a chance to work out any problems, as we've seen them do. Soon they'll be advertising the forum in a broader way and we'll see many more people joining. We're only at 174 members right now. With a larger number of members and who knows what at winter NAMM, I expect things will liven up here.
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Hey guys
Here's a track I made with my Pro 2 modulating my Prophet 08 via the CV input. The bass is the Pro 2 but everything else is the P08. This was recorded in one big swirling and sprawling pass with a touch of verb on the P08. :)
https://soundcloud.com/trevorrefixmervyn/wired-tired-inspired
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Hey guys
Here's a track I made with my Pro 2 modulating my Prophet 08 via the CV input. The bass is the Pro 2 but everything else is the P08. This was recorded in one big swirling and sprawling pass with a touch of verb on the P08. :)
https://soundcloud.com/trevorrefixmervyn/wired-tired-inspired
Nice! I really dig the sounds, reminds me of Skinny Puppy and that's always a good feeling :)
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Nice! I really dig the sounds, reminds me of Skinny Puppy and that's always a good feeling :)
Thanks for taking the time to listen and post! I've never actually listened to Skinny Puppy but they've been on my "list" for a long time. Where's a good place to start?
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Thanks for taking the time to listen and post! I've never actually listened to Skinny Puppy but they've been on my "list" for a long time. Where's a good place to start?
Not relevant for this thread but I've PM:ed you with tips!
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Greetings. This is my first post. I bought my Prophet '08 about five weeks ago and love it.
As I had read before getting it, I haven't found many of the presets to be very useful in their original forms, but I've already edited or written quite a few that I'm now very happy with. Although I've been playing synthesizers since the '80's, including a MiniMoog, it's been a long time since I've done real synthesizer programming... and perhaps I never really was that great at it. I've been watching tutorials on programming and still have a lot to learn. I want to mention that I was very pleased to find the tutorial by Strange Quark Star. Although it's not a sound that I was familiar with, it gives a lot of insight into programming the '08. I would really love to see more of these tutorials, perhaps one of your Vangelis sounds like your Blade Runner video? I'm also a fan of Sacred Synthesis and have watched all of your videos too. I'd love to see some tutorials on how you get your wonderful sounds.
Regards,
-Jason
Strange Quark Star
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Tutorial: Laser Harp on Prophet '08! (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kohXSEdVU5Y)
A step-by-step video tutorial. Have fun!
[/quote]
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Thanks, Jason. I don't intend in the near future to produce any programming demonstrations. Strange Quark Star has me on that, and I agree, he's done an excellent and a clever job. But I do usually include sound design notes below with each piece of music.
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Greetings. This is my first post. I bought my Prophet '08 about five weeks ago and love it.
Welcome! Have fun ;)
I want to mention that I was very pleased to find the tutorial by Strange Quark Star. Although it's not a sound that I was familiar with, it gives a lot of insight into programming the '08. I would really love to see more of these tutorials, perhaps one of your Vangelis sounds like your Blade Runner video?
Thank you! I actually have a patch on my Prophet '08 that tries to emulate the Blade Runner Blues lead sound. It's also one of the first patches I made and I have been refining it from time to time over the years, though it still does not sound quite right (I guess it never will). Still, I wanted to do a tutorial in the style of the other one, but need a bit more practice and preparation for that since I don't want to do a hack job on one of the dearest pieces of music/synthesis to me.
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Thanks for your quick responses.
Sacred Synthesis, I have enjoyed reading your notes on your sounds. I've wondered if there is a way to employ your panning methods to a live sound, and yet I only have a single Prophet. I've considered picking up a Tetra as a way of increasing polyphony, but I don't think that will help in getting the effects that you are so good at. I do use reverb and/or delay, which of course helps a lot. Your videos are among the best advertisements for Prophets '08's that I have found.
Strange Quark Star, I would imagine that getting the Vangelis Blade Runner Sound will always be a work in progress... even if you had a CS-80! But from the very first '08 Wagnerian sound, I knew that the '08 would do a much better job with it than most keyboards. I would encourage you to share what you have. Although I didn't use the Prophet, I have a cover "live" version of Five Circles that perhaps I will share. I've thought about re-recording it now with the Prophet. I'm also planning to attempt to work on a patch for Keith Emerson's GX1, which I think the Prophet could do well.
Best regards,
-Jason
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The limitations of using a single Prophet '08, or a P'08 with a Tetra, are obvious. The only down side of the sounds I've created is that they require a pretty penny.
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improvisation
... I love that synth ;-)
https://soundcloud.com/sylvain-alias-leo/peformance-prophet-08
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Two Prophet '08 pieces from the same session:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUoOJxpa3sM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PKz3qwN1-0
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Hi*
Prophet Does Dub
Prophet 08 with a wee bit of FX
https://soundcloud.com/ewangibb/dub1 (https://soundcloud.com/ewangibb/dub1)
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Here are the first two singles from our new EP that we used the prophet on.
https://soundcloud.com/iusandwe/trigger-1
https://soundcloud.com/iusandwe/fences-1
J
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A patch demonstration:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYWO2bX9C20
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A patch demonstration:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYWO2bX9C20
That was really great!
J
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Thanks!
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A patch demonstration:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYWO2bX9C20 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYWO2bX9C20)
SS,
How many of those P'08s do you own? :)
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A patch demonstration:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYWO2bX9C20 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYWO2bX9C20)
SS,
How many of those P'08s do you own? :)
2 1/2...so far. 8)
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2 1/2...so far. 8)
My obvious next question... Why not 2 and a P6 module, or some other variance -- are you doing live performances making use of all 24(?) voices?
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Shaw -
Of everything I've looked at and listened to, the Prophet '08 is still my preference, and I don't see any reason for getting another instrument when my current one is doing exactly what I need. And yet, as I expand it, it does even more. So, my approach with the P'08 is to use one or two module versions controlled by one keyboard version. But I don't ever poly chain them together to increase the voice count. Eight voices is just enough for me. Rather, I MIDI them together, so as to create an immense stereo multi-timbral eight-voice instrument. I'm not into using many medium-sized instruments, but just two or three large-scale instruments. I realize this seems bizarre to some folks, bit it's what best serves my style of music.
The sounds I regularly use just couldn't be produced by a single Prophet '08, nor by any other synthesizer I'm aware of. Some folks complain that the P'08 is thin-sounding, but this only allows it to be multiplied without sounding overwhelmingly thick and clumsy. I don't think you could as effectively do this, for example, with a Memory Moog, whereas the P'08 is just perfect for this sort of layering.
That said, I probably will, sooner or later, add a VCO instrument - perhaps a Prophet 6 or a Moog if it seems certain it will provide a more raw analog character.
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Shaw -
Of everything I've looked at and listened to, the Prophet '08 is still my preference, and I don't see any reason for getting another instrument when my current one is doing exactly what I need. And yet, as I expand it, it does even more. So, my approach with the P'08 is to use one or two module versions controlled by one keyboard version. But I don't ever poly chain them together to increase the voice count. Eight voices is just enough for me. Rather, I MIDI them together, so as to create an immense stereo multi-timbral eight-voice instrument. I'm not into using many medium-sized instruments, but just two or three large-scale instruments. I realize this seems bizarre to some folks, bit it's what best serves my style of music.
The sounds I regularly use just couldn't be produced by a single Prophet '08, nor by any other synthesizer I'm aware of. Some folks complain that the P'08 is thin-sounding, but this only allows it to be multiplied without sounding overwhelmingly thick and clumsy. I don't think you could as effectively do this, for example, with a Memory Moog, whereas the P'08 is just perfect for this sort of layering.
That said, I probably will, sooner or later, add a VCO instrument - perhaps a Prophet 6 or a Moog if it seems certain it will provide a more raw analog character.
I totally get it. I may get a P6 or OB6 module for the same reason. Or a P08 module for that matter.
I'll probably get a P08 just for variety. Or Maybe an old Matrix 1000. I always loved that unit's sounds.
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They're all fabulous instruments. I'd love to try a Prophet 6, but I'd probably couple the keyboard with a module in the usual way. The same would be true with a Prophet 12. Because it's so expensive to do this, I have to choose my instruments carefully. But the P6 is definitely a superb instrument that has my interest.
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They're all fabulous instruments. I'd love to try a Prophet 6, but I'd probably couple the keyboard with a module in the usual way. The same would be true with a Prophet 12. Because it's so expensive to do this, I have to choose my instruments carefully. But the P6 is definitely a superb instrument that has my interest.
Fortunately, I've run out of space for all but desktop units. I combined two three-tier stands to make A 5-tier Stand, but the 5th tier is really only big enough to accommodate a desktop unit or two.
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A dreamy piece for an abandoned house:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z93pkyyz_zk
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This piece uses a new patch.
I'm passing on a story I wrote that was meant to be accompanied by the music and pictures below. A little late summer fun.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCXDGjMjUoI
Who’s Playing the Piano?
My wife and I recently took a drive through the southern Berkshires. It was an uncomfortably hot and humid afternoon, and our car windows were rolled down, since our air conditioning had long ago stopped working. (You see, we’re both musicians.) At some point late in the day, we came upon what seemed to be an old abandoned camp of some type. The buildings were faded and dilapidated; doors were hanging and windows broken, and graffiti marred a wall or two.
Struck by the mystique of the lonely place, we decided to pull over and take a few pictures. As we walked around one building – a reddish house that we imagined had belonged to the camp manager – we noted that a large field in the backyard had been over-taken by the woods. We also found a small cluster of apple trees beside the house. The trees were gnarly and obviously hadn’t been pruned for many years, yet we noticed they still bore a small crop of Macintoshes.
As we stood directly across the street from the house, discussing how best to balance the building and a nearby stonewall for the perfect picture, we noticed a soft cryptic sound that hadn’t been audible only a moment ago. We froze for a moment at this new and unexpected accompaniment. At first it seemed like wind chimes, and then perhaps the whimsical song of a Catbird. Our minds searched for a calm rational explanation for the sound. But as our ears adjusted to the faint and muffled tones, we realized that it was, without a doubt, music – piano music – coming from within the house. I looked at my wife and nervously asked,
“Who’s playing the piano?”
Since it was by now late afternoon and long shadows had overtaken the homestead, my wife, pretending that all was normal, prepared to take the first pictures. It seemed best to use a flash in this shadowy setting. She squinted to center the house and wall in the tiny frame of her camera, and then snapped the first photo. The purple flash lit up the face of the building to a far greater degree than we had expected. Together with the yellow light of the setting sun behind us, it reflected in the windows and created an otherworldly blinding blend of natural and unnatural light. It was almost alarming. And at that instant, the piano music ceased. The unexpected silence was even more unnerving than our first recognition that someone was making music inside this crumbling long-abandoned house. For now we knew that whoever was inside was aware of our presence, and we had rudely interrupted their piano playing with our picture taking.
By now, the two of us were in a panic and feeling or imagining a stranger’s suspicious eye upon us. Regardless, we still wanted to get a few more pictures of the place. The several buildings across the street were irresistibly cryptic in their hard-wooded setting, and overgrown with decades or more of grasses and shrubs, as nature reclaimed her lumber. We hurried up the road perhaps a hundred feet, and my wife snapped a few more pictures of the other structures – a small shack, the main cabin, and an immense barn. The cabin, which resembled a plain dormitory type of structure, seemed to have once received a half-hearted renovation, including a turquoise coat of paint. We noticed a few large windows and two doors that did not at all match the age of the building, but no more. The renovation was begun and then quickly dropped, for some tantalizing reason. Perhaps the renovator preferred instead to play the piano in the house across the street.
With the taking of the last picture, we exhaled our relief and quickly returned to our car. I pulled out of the small grassy lot, turned the car around, and began to head home. But my wife suddenly held out her left hand in front of me and whispered, “Wait. Stop the car. Turn it off.” I stopped in the middle of the road, put it in park, turned off the engine, and listened. I feared to hear what she heard. Yes, it was piano music – the same piece, the same Alberti Bass and minor melody – only now it was coming from the turquoise cabin. But how could that be? There were no signs of life here, no worn paths or freshly cut grass, but only unkept acres and empty collapsing buildings. My wife, looking straight ahead, with eyes wide open and lips hardly moving, asked the unwanted question:
“But who’s playing the piano?”
I started the engine again, frantically pressed the gas pedal all the way to the floor, and we slowly drove away.
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:o . o O ( ghostbusters )
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Well Sacred Synthesis, judging from the boarded up windows in the pictures looks like you were hearing ghosts playing. But are you sure your blue-tooth ear piece didn't somehow patch into your youtube page while you were exploring the grounds ;)
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Every detail of the story was true...except the piano music. :P I thought I'd add that just for fun.
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Very inspiring, Sacred Synthesis! I've been down the Prophet 6 road, drooling and fiddling, nervously checking my bank account. But, I soon realized that there's not much I need except my 08 and imagination, there's just so much you can do with it and listening to your youtube improvisations opened up a lot more, thanks! Here's an album I recorded in 2011 which features only my Prophet 08 except for some leads performed on a Moog Voyager Old School. It's pop and it's in Swedish but the Prophet is international. ;)
https://open.spotify.com/album/139WfPoK83eutS01s9FFct
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Thanks, Aproduktion. I'll give a listen to your music later.
What I've come to appreciate in the Prophet '08 is its precision, the ability to get a sound tailored just right. I don't know what is the case with other synthesists, but I design sounds, not at all by experimentation, but by a clear sonic idea I already have in my head. Sound design is not like wondering around until you stumble across something you happen to like. I'm at the opposite pole of that approach. Rather, sound design is like searching for a place you know is out there because, in some sense, you've mentally seen it. Therefore, I need precision in a synthesizer. I don't like what I've heard others say about the P6 and OB-6, that the parameters move by larger and less exacting increments. And then, there's the paucity of modulation. And on and on. I don't mean to criticize these other instruments that many folks love, because I have no doubt they're superb. But the P'08 is unique in that, although it's relatively simple, it isn't simplistic. And it does offer wonderful precision. Hence, when I go a-searching with it, I always find what I'm looking for. For me, and for many of us, it's just the right instrument.
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I purchased a Prophet 8 earlier this year. I had gotten tired of waiting for a back ordered Minilogue and changed my order to a MophoX4. I liked the MophoX4 so much that I decided that to upgrade to the Prophet.
In the track below I used my Prophet 8 for the panning chords (Wagnerian patch I think). The lead is a Moog Little Phatty.
https://soundcloud.com/brian-schiller-3/sept16drumjam
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Inspired by Sacred Synthesis' own Prophet '08 videos. I explored a similar route. Prophet '08 sounds x nature shots.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKXGtslQXcM&t=56s
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I've been working on some other musical projects of the organ type, so I thought I'd post this example - an Advent Chorale set by Bach. It uses a pipe organ "registration" with a reed "stop" that is produced by three Prophet '08s MIDI-ed together.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOGl_-tEPpE
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This hymn uses a carillon patch I developed this week. It's a classic example of the sort of additive synthesis on a subtractive synthesizer that I've mentioned on this forum. It does not use Hard Sync, but is a careful combination of dissonant pitches, a bright filter, percussive envelopes, and a touch of the Prophet '08's envelope Delay.
By the way, this recording shows why I like the Lexicon MX300's reverb so much. It's very natural sounding; it sounds as if it's meant to be. Some of the reverbs that are very popular today sound sooooo gorgeous that, in my opinion, they get in the way of the music. They have more attraction than the music itself. The Lexicon, by contrast, is much more humble. It adds beautiful reverb, but without drawing attention away from the music and to itself.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhfQf5KO10g
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That was a great patch and some beautiful playing. Thanks for creating it!
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Thank you and you're welcome. That was my DX7 imitation!
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Prophet '08 killed the FM star. Very nice!
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Thanks, Paul. So I've spent thousands of dollars on analog synthesizers to achieve a thin digital sound. What's so strange about that? ;D
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Thanks, Paul. Now who said the Prophet '08 couldn't sound digital? So I've spent thousands of dollars on analog synthesizers to achieve a thin digital sound. What's so strange about that? ;D
I wouldn't say that the sound you've created sounds thin. It's harmonically complex and just right for what it's supposed to be. As for emulating digital sounds on the Prophet '08: That was in fact one of my favorite exercises on it. LFOs at audio rates in conjunction with keytracking can be your friend in that regard. Pushing the modulation options beyond the usual applications while still maintaining musicality in terms of tonality, can make for lots of interesting sounds, which don't indicate immediately whether they've been created on a digital or analog synth. That has always been an aspect about the Prophet '08 I liked a lot.
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The nice thing about the patch is that all the tonal qualities are achieved by the tuning of oscillators. That leaves the LFOs free for adding additional effects. So, I added a little panning and a touch of vibrato to make it shiver just a tad.
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So the Prophet '08 have hereby been declared a Virtual Digital!? ;)
Nice track, Sacred Synthesis. Very impressive sound synthesis. Have to say though that I am on the second listen of Improvisation LXXIII today while writing this.
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Thanks a lot, Dslsynth. That's the nice thing about owning an instrument for a long time - you continue to dig deep and further stretch its capacity. As opposed to continuously buying the latest thing. At this point, my Prophet '08 is like a faithful old dog - kind of slow and shabby, but also familiar and friendly.
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Yeah you know its the advantage of longer term connections: familiarity! ;)
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…
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So so cute, with those little brown cheeks...the synthesizer I mean.
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Pawthesizer or Barkthesizer!?
And not a word about the Sinthesizer!
;)
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The Prophet '08...unleashed.
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Yeah and see what happened: it sounds like a FM synthesizer now!
. o O ( goodie free monday )
. o O ( the analog leash )
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So the Prophet '08 have hereby been declared a Virtual Digital!? ;)
I think the term "virtual digital" has actually been used within a slogan for the Schmidt synthesizer.
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So so cute, with those little brown cheeks...the synthesizer I mean.
Its scent controller is outstanding.
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Another example of the Carillon patch:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zET_3dynsQ
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Happy Holidays to all! I recently found this forum and I'll post my musics here! While not made with entirely Dave Smith Instruments, at least two were designed by him. These songs feature a Prophet '08 and a Korg Wavestation SR. I wish I could actually find a Prophet VS, that would be amazing. If it was working and at the same price I paid for the Wavestation, I would probably have an aneurysm from the excitement. As it is, Vector Synthesis on the Wavestation is an interesting concept, and can be very rich and complex. I hope you all enjoy it!
Bell Singer - Featuring the P'08 as the backup melody (So whirly!)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xx3tx0qzI34 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xx3tx0qzI34)
Stars So Bright - P'08 plays the classic trumpet sound
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjueGbrGV-g (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjueGbrGV-g)
Anna's Journey - This patch is somewhere between a flute or a trumpet?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=052EflXW3CU (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=052EflXW3CU)
The Greatest Gift - This one features the P'08 as the Bass, the Melody (Sample and Hold Pad), Piano (organ?) sound, and Horn section
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZmPnEgYtF8 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZmPnEgYtF8)
Merry christmas and Happy New Year!
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Thanks for posting the wimichae, the more DSI music posts, the better. :)
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Another example of the Carillon patch:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zET_3dynsQ
Is a carillon referring to those hand bells people play at Christmas or is it a keyboard type thing? For some peculiar reason I cannot find this patch on my PO8. Maybe I recorded over it, wasn't in my editor either.
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Is a carillon referring to those hand bells people play at Christmas or is it a keyboard type thing? For some peculiar reason I cannot find this patch on my PO8.
The patch is not from DSI; it's mine. I designed it just last week. ;D
The choice of the name "Carillon" may be a tad imprecise, but it's close enough. The sound is a cross between several tuned percussive instruments, including hand bells, but I settled with carillon.
Here's a video of a guy playing the instrument:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RarsphZl1b8
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Sacred Synthesis, that video of the carillon is crazy. I had no idea the size of these instruments. Your patch really captures it.
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Thanks, Soundquest. Yes, it's much easier to play a Prophet '08 carillon than a real one! But I'd say, playing a real carillon is a great way to work our your frustrations.
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You're right. The P-08 is much easier to play! I had a chance to play this on one time. At university of denver. It's a blast to play. I you already have some skill on piano, the skill transfer works fairly well.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_KgT43WIpY
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It's not unlike the organs of old. Originally, the instrument was worked by pulling large levers that opened the pipes to a flow of air, somewhat similar to the levers of a carillon. Back when men were men, even in the cases of musicians. ;D
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Happy holidays all! I got a FAB distortion pedal for X-mas, and I was wondering what it would do to the filters with resonance up at about 40% on the Prophet 08. I put this little diddy together, and I thought it sounded great! Simple, snappy, dirty, really tonically beefy. I also used the virtual-distortion on the Ultranova for some of this. I used the basic bank 1 program 11 MOONSTER patch, and adjusted the resonance and panning depth in unison to provide such a wiiiiiide field. I think the filters on the Prophet 08 can be really aggressive, I suppose it is all a matter of taste. Every time I make a bass sound I am so drawn to using it in 2-pole mode for some reason. Enjoy! 8) 8) 8)
https://youtu.be/EGnVUARMLVM
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An all-Prophet '08 improvisation using a PWM pad and contrary motion:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWYw8b8fsWk
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Not full pieces of music yet, made a sound demo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PE48wZMK1ow
Next time to use it to make a full track.
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It's nice to see a new Prophet '08 demo; I watched it yesterday and again today. I think we like some of the same progressive music.
Was the final "OB8" sound based on a preset or did you do it from scratch?
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It's nice to see a new Prophet '08 demo; I watched it yesterday and again today. I think we like some of the same progressive music.
Was the final "OB8" sound based on a preset or did you do it from scratch?
Thanks! That was one I did myself. Yes I like the prog stuff. Can't play like any of those guys though :)
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Hey hey
I wanted to share one of my newer Texture & Light tracks, "Heart Throb". It starts out as a pretty up beat synth pop track and then shifts into more of a somber electronic shoegaze-y thing.
https://soundcloud.com/textureandlight/07-heart-throb (https://soundcloud.com/textureandlight/07-heart-throb)
The Prophet 08 is handling the main synth line in parts one (2 layers) and the lead arp line in part 2.
Most of the drums are coming from a Tempest FYI.
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First demonstration of my three-unit Prophet '08:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IotEYek6gv4
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Wow- What a sublime sound!! Perfection.
You say: "three simultaneous octaves of pulse width modulation." Does that mean that a single note is playing three octaves at the same time, with quieter amounts of the upper and lower octaves... like a three oscillator synthesizer?
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Thanks, Jason.
Yes. By "three simultaneous octaves" I mean that the oscillators are tuned to 16', 8', and 4' pitches, to use organist terms. So, every note sounds three octaves at the same time; and yes, the lower and upper octaves are softer than the main octave.
When you play the lower end with double octaves...oh boy, it arranges the furniture!
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First demonstration of my three-unit Prophet '08:
Very nice piece. Its hard to believe that its only four notes played at any one time. Impressive!
Very nice winter scenery too. We haven't gotten too much snow this year so nice for scenic views to supplement the great music.
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Thanks, Dslsynth. The pictures are always taken by my wife on our walks. The woods never look so beautiful as they do immediately after a snowstorm when the sun first comes out and the new snow is still clinging to every limb and branch.
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You can tell your wife that she takes great photographs, Sacred Synthesis. Oh and the forest does look really pretty in early spring when captured as near infrared monochrome images! ;-)
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Thank you. I'll happily tell her.
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@Sacred Synthesis. Listened to the track. It is amazing! You mentioned in another post that you thought the filter should have been opened more. I don't agree. The filter in the track was spot on.
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Thanks, JDT. I think the last 1 1/2 minutes would have reached a higher peak with just a bit more from the filter, but in general, I'm happy with the piece and the patch. You should hear it from a stereo, though. Yikes.
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An example of the Prophet '08's playing a Bach Chorale:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zj6Ot-8HLKw
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Fantastic!
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Thanks, JDT. Just a demonstration of the nice organ sound the Prophet '08's can produce. The only aspect I'm still not satisfied with is the pedal sound. It needs to be quite a bit more prominent and clear.
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It's more than that. There's a real passion in that recording.
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It's the very noble spirit of the music. There's goodness within it. It edifies you, makes you better.
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I think you're minimizing the participation of the performer who's bringing the life to the music. :)
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https://youtu.be/_STlv75ywew
This is my most recent post on Youtube I call "Clocks." Seems like time just slips away from me when I am programming this synthesizer! I have made just about 64 patches on it and I love programming it! I have had it for just about 4 years now, and I still run across interesting sounds from it. Most of the magic in this song was done by recording the Prophet 08 on my MPC-1000 and overdubbing it, with some MIDI-fied drums and Ultranova on top. Best part is combining the Prophet 08 with a Lexicon which I got for X-mas! I am stoked to be using 90's technology! Now if only I had a REV-2 with 16 voices AND the digital effects onboard! Sigh. I'll have to do with what I have!
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Re2t5MTxaPQ
Something for everyone's prophet attuned ears, down the electro pop route. Pads and chorus bass lines provided by our trusty little musical workhorse, with some MS-20 thrown in for good measure.
@Sacred Synthesis Just had a listen to your P08 x3 brass track, beautiful sounds and composition, haunting. love it.
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Thanks, Komino. You have a fine voice - very smooth and lyrical.
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Thank you, you're too kind. But I also shared the wrong one, my bad...
That one did have some P08 sounds, but this one's more obvious:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9NVkmjQZfo
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Komino, Nice video production.
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A Bach Chorale:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9K0yYx09XA
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Right on, does sound like church :)
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Thanks, Soundquest.
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For the purpose of comparing the sawtooth solo patch of the Prophet '08 with that of the Prophet 12:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88sA7HG9fiA
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Prophet '08 Soft Strings:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JfRD8tXH56w
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Absolutely beautiful. I commend you. On your talent. Musically, and as a musical synthesist. And for staying calm in the swirl of personal desire and dissimilar arguments.
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Thanks, Dsetto.
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Marce Melià has composed and recorded another amazingly skillful and beautiful Prophet 8 track: https://youtu.be/nRnXKatHB-Y
Wonderful, makes me feel very humble and shows me there is a so much more to learn ;-). Nice.
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I'm thoroughly fascinated with Marc's work and example. I love even the idea of some one drawing so much out of a single instrument. While the rest of us whine that our synthesizers can't do this and can't do that, and therefore, we can hardly use them with their limitations, this guy produces multiple minor masterpieces with one Prophet '08 and a few pedals. A model synthesist.
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Prophet '08 Soft Strings:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JfRD8tXH56w
Fantastic, such Angelo Badalamenti vibe! Care to share the P08 patch?
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Marce Melià has composed and recorded another amazingly skillful and beautiful Prophet 8 track: https://youtu.be/nRnXKatHB-Y
Wonderful, makes me feel very humble and shows me there is a so much more to learn ;-). Nice.
Can't quite spot what pedal that is, some looper I guess. You know what brand and model?
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I don't know what the pedal is that Marc uses. You can ask him through Youtube. He does respond.
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I don't know what the pedal is that Marc uses. You can ask him through YouTube. He does respond.
The looper pedal is the updated (DigiTech) version of the classic Lexicon JamMan: https://digitech.com/en/products/jamman-stereo; the pitch effects are the modeled (BOSS) version of the classic Roland RE-201 Space Echo (tape delay with spring reverb): https://www.boss.info/us/products/re-20, as seen in the video here: https://youtu.be/6YAz8oa4ZoI.
Not sure as to the mixer....
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The Prophet 08 features heavily in work by James Blake and Radiohead pretty much sine it came out, here are just a couple of examples
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZvMEvxGu51k
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFTLxkMmY4M
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Prophet '08 Bi-Timbral Soft Ethereal Pad:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQWeynwxPWQ
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Marc has created a new track for the '08:
https://youtu.be/aOqtODbIJxc (https://youtu.be/aOqtODbIJxc)
It blows my mind what he can do with a single '08 and some effect units.
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I don't know how anyone could possibly squeeze even a single note of music out of that lousy outdated bare-bones piece of vintage junk called the Prophet '08. I sit at the thing, and it's like, there's nothing to work with here. Only eight voices, no onboard effects, no waveform modulation, no sub oscillator, minimal LFO's, a clumsy wall-wart, a tacky font, and worst of all, an old-fashioned display with characters that hardly tell you a thing. The two instruments sound totally dissimilar because they are totally dissimilar, with the Rev2 sounding far superior even on identical patches with no effects. There's just no placing the Prophet '08 next to the Rev2. Utterly different beasts. Unrelated. Even opposites. Black and white, night and day, up and down, backward and forward, old and new, cat and dog, amphibian and reptile.
I mean, who could possibly work with such a primitive instrument as a Prophet '08? Well...yeah...I suppose a musician could, but.... :o
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I don't know how anyone could possibly squeeze even a single note of music out of that lousy outdated bare-bones piece of vintage gear called the Prophet '08. I sit at the thing, and it's like there's nothing to work with. Only eight voices, no onboard effects, no waveform modulation, no sub oscillator, minimal LFO's, a clumsy wall-wart, a tacky font, and worst of all, an old-fashioned display with microscopic characters that hardly tell you a thing. The two instruments are totally dissimilar and they sound totally dissimilar, with the Rev2 sounding far superior even on identical patches with no effects. There's just no placing the Prophet '08 next to the Rev2. Utterly different beasts. Even opposites. Black and white, night and day, up and down, backward and forward, old and new, cat and dog, amphibian and reptile.
I mean, who could possibly work with such a primitive instrument as a Prophet '08? Well...yeah...I suppose a musician could, but.... :o
Ha ha, very funny. :) If you go on like that I have to get myself a second hand '08 module as well. Build these wonderful layers of sound, you so excel in.
What can I say, I came very late to the DSI party. Should have started 30 years ago. But all the fun is in the here and now. I wish I could play as well as Marc, he is amazing. Just gotta keep trying and practicing.
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Aw, I'm just having a little sarcastic fun, noting how quickly we turn against what once was considered so good, but now is considered so bad, due to the newest thing that is considered so great. Regarding the Prophet '08, you'd think it was completely unrelated to the Prophet Rev2. I find it amusing and a little exasperating to see the latter flattered at the expense of the former. Can't they both be considered great?
A year ago or so, I was about to buy a brand new Prophet '08 Keyboard. Since I've been so happy with the instrument, I intended to buy a new unit for the long haul, assuming that a physically new instrument with new components would last a bit longer than my oldest unit. Then DSI announced the Prophet Rev2. So, I simply switched from the idea of a new Prophet '08 to that of a new Rev2. It's a matter of having some version of the Prophet '08 to last for years into the future.
I could be perfectly content with either instrument because I love the sound and features. And the strongest argument I have for getting a Rev2 is about getting a new Prophet '08, a Prophet '08+. As the name says, a Prophet Rev2 is a revision of the Prophet '08.
And by the way, if DSI does produce a Poly Evolver Rev2 of some sort, do you know what will be said about the old PEK? Yup. "What a lousy outdated bare-bones piece of vintage junk. How did we ever endure it?"
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Doesn't this defy any common gear logic? I always thought that which is discontinued immediately becomes more desirable and is considered to sound better, warmer, and generally more pleasing. ;D
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I guess the Prophet '08 and Poly Evolver Keyboard have to be long retired before they can attain a certain coveted status - maybe twenty years or so. Then everybody will want one. They'll be called in shorthand "Rev1's," if that makes any sense. ;D
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I guess the Prophet '08 and Poly Evolver Keyboard have to be long retired before they can attain a certain coveted status - maybe twenty years or so. Then everybody will want one. They'll be called in shorthand "Rev1's," if that makes any sense. ;D
Hehe, makes a lot of sense. I think the Evolvers have already reached that status though. I've read a fair amount of posts here and elsewhere about its unique sound and that people would like to see it revisited.
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Hehe, makes a lot of sense. I think the Evolvers have already reached that status though. I've read a fair amount of posts here and elsewhere about its unique sound and that people would like to see it revisited.
True. It seems fame has come easily for the Evolver, but the Prophet '08 will have to take the long road.
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Btw, Marc Melià finally released a whole album of "Music for Prophet":
https://lesdisquesdufestivalpermanent.bandcamp.com/album/marc-meli-music-for-prophet
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Great! Thanks for the link.
I've been meaning to ask Marc if he intends to switch to the Rev2. He does respond to messages sent through YouTube.
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I know I've had wonderful results with my Rev2 in " '08 mode". I.e., when all used features are found on an '08. I can't help think that a wall wart would entirely kill my vibe, though. :)
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Moinmoin,
I will keep my P'08 for two reasons:
- violin players won't part with their Stradivari for a new instrument, either 8)
- Yes, there are restrictions, but those in front of the keys seem to be more relevant...
Only the opinion of
Martin
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Exactly!
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Improvisation LXXXI:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6NYMd2INI-U
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My most recent piece is called, "Triumph of the Ancients" I just can't seem to let go of that Prophet '08 Horn!
https://youtu.be/Ml8YvUXilCE
It was made using the Prophet 08 and my Lexicon MPX 100 adding a touch of reverb. Using the Mod Matrix with source set as keynumber, destination as OSC1Freq, and depth set to 1, I detuned OSC1 in fine tuning to -30 so as to emulate the behavior of VCO's. I really like that detuned-floaty sound that comes in and out of phase for the initial horn, that slowly gets brighter and brighter until it goes overboard with the de-tuning. I think it sounds more similar to a bagpipe. The only time I used the Ultranova was in some bells I used in the arpeggio in the "chorus" of the song. The other bells were a Prophet 08 patch. I used my Roland MT-32 for the Timpani and the Snare. Recorded live into my MPC1000 and then normalized.
All clips featured are from archive.org. They are public domain films and are freely downloadable to whoever wants them. The original titles are, "Our Mr. Sun" and, "Why explore space?" Why indeed when there are so many problems on this planet? Perhaps it gives perspective.
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Wimichae, I agree with how that progressive detuning gives a bagpipe sound. Long live PO8!
PS>interesting video too.
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An improved version of a previous Christmas piece:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vbuQL0_kwU
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Sacred Synthesis,
Again, really like the the flute sounds you get out of the PO8 i.e. @2:30. I know you organists can play multilayers at once. Is that all really recorded "live" @4:00min?
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Yes, 100% live. It's a challenge, because I have to change programs and add delay while the left hand is playing those arpeggios, and it's difficult to keep the notes perfectly even. There isn't a single recording on my channel that is otherwise.
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Again, really like the the flute sounds you get out of the PO8 i.e. @2:30.
Sacred Synthesis,
Any tips on that solo patch? It seems more hollow than a typical square wave.
This may be my favorite recording of yours. I love the patches, especially the lead tones.
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Jason,
Thanks. I appreciate your comments because I worked hard to get the sounds just right for that piece of music. The square lead consists of the purest setting on the pulse width range, which, to my ears, is at "48". At "50" I can hear partials starting to creep in. Other than that, it's a simple patch using the usual Output B stereo arrangement on a single instrument, with a nice slow attack, a quick release, a fair amount of glide, and delayed vibrato. The glide amount is set to suit the largest interval in the melody, so as to sound like a smooth grace note and not an overly synthetic pitch sweep. The attack rate is set to allow for a gentle quality that still allows for the necessary phrasing of the tune. And I can't say enough about a relaxed delayed vibrato; it's an essential component in giving a patch a natural nearly acoustic quality. So, as usual, everything is meant to serve the music and not to impress anyone with programming prowess.
I attribute the quality of the patch also to the fact that the Prophet '08 has a fine square tone.
By the way, how are you liking your Rev2?
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Thanks for the tips. I'll have to play with it again. Yes, the subtle vibrato makes a big difference. It sounds like you have the amount at 1 and then use the EG to lower it a bit more? I've listened to the track quite a few times- a great combination of things, especially with such a great melody.
I'm loving the Rev2! I've adjusted to the smaller screen and the new method for checking the original setting of a parameter. I still prefer those functions/features on the '08, but I don't really think about it much anymore. I've now sold both '08's and was planning to purchase a Rev2 module to go with my keyboard version. In the meantime, I have been using all four outputs to get the full stereo sound. It sounds great, but of course, when set up this way, I can't use the second layer/splits. So why haven't I bought the second Rev2 yet? I don't know. I'm also kind of thinking about a monophonic synthesizer. The clicking/pop seems to have been reduced in the Rev2 (compared to the '08), but it's still there. I think if Moog had a module version of the MiniMoog Model D, I would purchase one. The keyboard length of the D is too short, but I love the sound. I have to say the Artisan Trentasette looks very interesting.
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Thanks for the tips. I'll have to play with it again. Yes, the subtle vibrato makes a big difference. It sounds like you have the amount at 1 and then use the EG to lower it a bit more? I've listened to the track quite a few times- a great combination of things, especially with such a great melody.
I often do that, but I didn't in this case. The LFO Amount is set to "2" in the third envelope and the sustain is at full, so the vibrato actually isn't trimmed back when a note is held.
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I'm loving the Rev2! I've adjusted to the smaller screen and the new method for checking the original setting of a parameter. I still prefer those functions/features on the '08, but I don't really think about it much anymore. I've now sold both '08's and was planning to purchase a Rev2 module to go with my keyboard version. In the meantime, I have been using all four outputs to get the full stereo sound. It sounds great, but of course, when set up this way, I can't use the second layer/splits.
Yes, that's the flaw in the method. Using the B Output wreaks havoc on all your other programs. And if you process each layer differently, as I do, then you also get imbalances in layer volume levels. That was, in part, my reasoning in having two Prophet '08 Keyboards. It's too complicated to continuously go back and forth with the output set up, so I leave the top instrument in that set up permanently, which makes an excellent mono synth, but at a poly synth price tag.
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Yes, that's the flaw in the method. Using the B Output wreaks havoc on all your other programs. And if you process each layer differently, as I do, then you also get imbalances in layer volume levels. That was, in part, my reasoning in having two Prophet '08 Keyboards. It's too complicated to continuously go back and forth with the output set up, so I leave the top instrument in that set up permanently, which makes an excellent mono synth, but at a poly synth price tag.
Thanks for the LFO tip!
I think you'll really like being able to program a different effect into each layer of the Rev2. It quickly makes most patches better. I also think you'll like being able to vary the width of all the waveforms, especially given how much you utilize waveshape modulation with pulse/square waves. The sub oscillator is also a nice addition; I like to dial in just a touch in order to add a little thickness to leads.
As I said, I'm using the B outputs, and so I adjusted most of my patches to put the same patch on both layers, which sounds fantastic. I'm trying to decide how much I miss having that extra layer and whether or not I need to get a Rev2 module. Most of the time I don't miss the extra layer, but of course that's a big feature to be without. At this point, I value the stereo spread more than I miss the extra layer.
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Got around to firing up the PO8. Still so pretty. A sequence I was doing on it inspired the song. Actually this is a DSI sampler:
Intro shimmer is P12 with a Pro 2 pad. 0:45 Timpani on P12. 0:58 Oooh voices is P12 with faint Pro choir. 1:38 piano is P08 along with horns,pad, whistling. 2:30 P-12 pad climbing. 3:00 sequence on P12 ...... Then finally P08 back in at 3:38.
https://soundcloud.com/wavescape-1/emergence
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This is a leftover from a previous session. Just the typical musical exercise.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKVs53-H0ZU
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hi all,
just wanted to add two tracks, that where mainly PRO 08... The first is utilizing a "live" player polyphonic sequence... it give that little nice shifting timings... on top a few add on sounds all from pro 08 (and a few beat sounds)
https://soundcloud.com/aminormatter/a-minor-matter-autumn-repitions
and a track that was also played live into the DAW (and then edited out the best parts... a friend played a violin on top (not the best take here... have to come back to it)... and i added a few "percussion" with made of a recorded case of a trombone opened and closed rythmical :;-))
https://soundcloud.com/aminormatter/a-minor-matter-seven-lor2-demo
have a nice week
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Pulsefreqenz,
How do you do the "scratchy sound" that starts ~1:30 on the first track. I listened thru headphones and I liked the stereo spread.
The basses sounds great on the second track. I like 'em both.
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Hey everyone, my band is called I, Us, & We. We recorded and produced everything ourselves in my bedroom on an MBOX 2 with an ancient Mac Pro. All synths are hardware (specifically a prophet 08 on this one), all drums are triggered by a Trapkat. Song was mixed and mastered by a guy in London. Any questions or comments feel free.
The song is called Easy. It's the first single from our new EP. Second single is out September 21. We have some more music on all providers if you're interested.
https://soundcloud.com/littleassembly/i-us-we-easy (https://soundcloud.com/littleassembly/i-us-we-easy)
or you can listen on your platform of choice here: littleassembly.lnk.to/easy
(http://littleassembly.lnk.to/easy)
Thanks for listening,
J
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Mystery:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rods-iHD7JQ
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Hello all, here is my most recent Prophet '08 creation. For me the horn sound always sits front and center; maybe that will change in the future! ::) I really like that Vangelis horn sound the CS-80 made for Blade Runner and Chariots of Fire. This was made with 2 sawtooth DCO's mixed at 64. In the mod matrix I set the source as keyboard the destination as Oscillator 1 Frequency and the amount set to 1. I then fine tuned Oscillator 1 about -25 to -30, and setup the filter and amplitude envelope to taste for the sound of a trumpet. I played with the oscillator drift so I could get the phasing sound of the two coming in and out of phase and hovering for a while to play with the harmonics. I was really pleased with the result!
The rest of the song was made with the Ultranova on the 1/8th note bass, an EMU proteus 2000 for the drums with gated reverb to add punch, and a Korg Wavestation playing sweeping wavy chords in the background.
Thanks for watching!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUI3KhZw87A&t=206s
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whimichae, yes , that does sound like the Vangelis horns for sure.
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Moinmoin,
yet another P'08 piece of music, maybe not the usual stuff.
Sounds over groove, recorded live and from 1:50 it's pure P'08 (an old Transcendent 2000 before)
https://final-virus.com/audio.html scroll down to "Prodigy". I don't know why my band outvoted me with this name, and yes, this site is up to now only available in German, we will change that soon. You may of course listen to those other pieces of music...
Martin
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Martin.
Very funky groove. Sounds like you've got a tight band.