SSM based Prophet 6 Filter

[battlekat88]

Synthtopia recently reported that the folks from the former Solid State Micro (SSM) recently formed a new company "Sound Semiconductor" With SSM's former CEO Dan Parks running the firm.  On that companys website they have in the background what looks to be a DSI synth.  Is the SSI2144, an Improved (SSM2044) being used in the prophet 6 or did DSI create there own from scratch?  I love the sound of my P6 no matter what it has, im just curious? 

http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2017/04/21/new-company-sound-semiconductor-reissuing-classic-ssm-chips-for-synths/

http://www.soundsemiconductor.com/

[eXode]

Well, first of all the SSM2044 is a completely different filter from the SSM2040 that the Prophet 5 rev 2 used, and also the Prophet 6 is based on.

The SSM2044 was used in the Korg Mono/Poly, PolySix, and I believe at least one of the PPG Wave revisions to mention a few.

[dslsynth]

And to quote wikipedia: "SDS5: SSM2044 - 1x per module".

This is good news. Hope "someone" takes up the challenge!

[DavidDever]

On that companys website they have in the background what looks to be a DSI synth.

Even more interesting that it's an OnChip/Curtis-sourced IC that's used in the Mopho SE/x4, so I'm not sure why they'd use that as a background, unless....

[dslsynth]

Even more interesting that it's an OnChip/Curtis-sourced IC that's used in the Mopho SE/x4, so I'm not sure why they'd use that as a background, unless....

Maybe because the image was available and permission was given to use it?

Anyway, would be cool if that filter would be used in future DSI products. Or who knows who else could be temped to make polyphonic synthesizers with it?

[battlekat88]

I thought the Prophet 5 Rev. 2 filter was a 2040.  Anyhow, My question still is: Is DSI using this companies filter chips in the Prophet 6 or making there own?  Im guessing by now the SSM2040 patent has expired?  Thanks for the responses!

[DavidDever]

I thought the Prophet 5 Rev. 2 filter was a 2040.  Anyhow, My question still is: Is DSI using this companies filter chips in the Prophet 6 or making there own?  Im guessing by now the SSM2040 patent has expired?  Thanks for the responses!

No SSM2040s used in the range presently AFAIK.

[soundxplorer]

Anyhow, My question still is: Is DSI using this companies filter chips in the Prophet 6 or making there own?

I thought the P6 filters were a discrete op amp design, i.e. not on a chip. Essentially the same design as a 2040 but using discrete parts, kind of like what some Eurorack modular companies are making.

[Robot Heart]

Correct, the Prophet-6 filters are discrete, not identical to but based on the 2040.

[battlekat88]

Thanks for the input from everyone!  That clears it up for me!

[MoogieBoogieMan]

This post is a year old, but I believe the SSI2044 is used in the new Prophet X!

[DaveP6guy]

Wow, I had not heard of this. Dave Smith said in one of more of the original intro videos to the Prophet-6, probably the NAMM show ones for instance, that the new P-6 filter (VCF) was "loosely" based on the original SSM filter of the early Prophets. I'm pretty sure that it is discrete electronics and not a "chip" like the old SSM2020s. I guess each P6 voice card is like the OB6 voice cards with all the stuff for one voice on each card (VCO, VCF, VCA, etc). Looking on YouTube at Carson's DSI tour which is really great by the way, he shows the inside of the OB6 and picks out one of the voice cards, blue things with TOM OBERHEIM in big letters printed at the top of each one. So cool. I think somebody mentioned (Dave Smith?) somewhere else that they are discrete surface mount electronics. The voice cards are quite small.

I agree with the original poster - the P-6 filter sounds gorgeous to me too and seems to be so easy to adjust, enought wildness to make the speakers bounce - but not too much to make them fall off their stands.

Solid State Micro (SSM) recently formed a new company "Sound Semiconductor" With SSM's former CEO Dan Parks running the firm.  ...  Is the SSI2144, an Improved (SSM2044) being used in the prophet 6 or did DSI create there own from scratch?  I love the sound of my P6 no matter what it has, im just curious? 

http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2017/04/21/new-company-sound-semiconductor-reissuing-classic-ssm-chips-for-synths/

http://www.soundsemiconductor.com/