Can I use the prophet for midi like this?

Can I use the prophet for midi like this?
« on: January 15, 2018, 01:44:49 PM »
hey guys,

I'm pretty new to hardware synths. Been playing software synths in my live set for awhile now.
I just got a prophet Rev2 and I love it.

What I would like to be able to do is use the prophet as a midi controller and also use it's onboard sound.

I know that I can send and receive midi, so I could layer my software synths on top of the prophet tone. Or I could turn off local control and switch midi channels and only play soft synth, or only the prophet.

But could I for example, make a midi loop for the prophet to play and have it continue to play while I switch channels and play a separate software line over top, all using the prophet keyboard?

Hope that made sense

Thanks!

BTW I'm using Ableton 9

Gerry Havinga

  • ***
  • 401
  • Really enjoying creating sounds and composing.
    • For the love of electronic music
Re: Can I use the prophet for midi like this?
« Reply #1 on: January 15, 2018, 11:00:08 PM »
hey guys,

I'm pretty new to hardware synths. Been playing software synths in my live set for awhile now.
I just got a prophet Rev2 and I love it.

What I would like to be able to do is use the prophet as a midi controller and also use it's onboard sound.

I know that I can send and receive midi, so I could layer my software synths on top of the prophet tone. Or I could turn off local control and switch midi channels and only play soft synth, or only the prophet.

But could I for example, make a midi loop for the prophet to play and have it continue to play while I switch channels and play a separate software line over top, all using the prophet keyboard?

Hope that made sense

Thanks!

BTW I'm using Ableton 9
Welcome! It's fun playing with hardware synths :).

At the end of last year I created my first track with 100% hardware synths only, using the computer as a sequencer (Bitwig) to sent MIDI notes and modulation controls. My goal for this year is to completely abandon the computer for song creation and performance.

Using multimode (this is a global parameter setting) you can use the Rev2 as two synthesizers, each addressable on the base midi channel (also a global parameter setting) and next channel up (+1).

You program layer A for the base midi channel and layer B for the other. If you have an 8 voice Rev2 you can play 4 notes on each channel (8 when you have the 16 voice version).

I have used the Rev2 on several tracks now, for example layer A plays a lead or pad sound and layer B does the bass. Works very well and sounds wonderful.
DAW-less and going down the Eurorack rabbit hole.

Re: Can I use the prophet for midi like this?
« Reply #2 on: January 17, 2018, 06:26:38 AM »
hey guys,

I'm pretty new to hardware synths. Been playing software synths in my live set for awhile now.
I just got a prophet Rev2 and I love it.

What I would like to be able to do is use the prophet as a midi controller and also use it's onboard sound.

I know that I can send and receive midi, so I could layer my software synths on top of the prophet tone. Or I could turn off local control and switch midi channels and only play soft synth, or only the prophet.

But could I for example, make a midi loop for the prophet to play and have it continue to play while I switch channels and play a separate software line over top, all using the prophet keyboard?

Hope that made sense

Thanks!

BTW I'm using Ableton 9
Welcome! It's fun playing with hardware synths :).

At the end of last year I created my first track with 100% hardware synths only, using the computer as a sequencer (Bitwig) to sent MIDI notes and modulation controls. My goal for this year is to completely abandon the computer for song creation and performance.

Using multimode (this is a global parameter setting) you can use the Rev2 as two synthesizers, each addressable on the base midi channel (also a global parameter setting) and next channel up (+1).

You program layer A for the base midi channel and layer B for the other. If you have an 8 voice Rev2 you can play 4 notes on each channel (8 when you have the 16 voice version).

I have used the Rev2 on several tracks now, for example layer A plays a lead or pad sound and layer B does the bass. Works very well and sounds wonderful.

This isn't what the OP asked!

You can use the REV2 as a controller by turning off Local in the global menu, then you can select the REV as a controller on any of the track in Ableton live while still using it as a sound source. Hope this helps.
Synth Arsenal - Access Virus TI Polar, Moog Sub37, Nord A1, Nord Wave, DSI Prophet REV2, Roland TR8, Ableton Push 2

Gerry Havinga

  • ***
  • 401
  • Really enjoying creating sounds and composing.
    • For the love of electronic music
Re: Can I use the prophet for midi like this?
« Reply #3 on: January 17, 2018, 07:00:07 AM »
hey guys,

I'm pretty new to hardware synths. Been playing software synths in my live set for awhile now.
I just got a prophet Rev2 and I love it.

What I would like to be able to do is use the prophet as a midi controller and also use it's onboard sound.

I know that I can send and receive midi, so I could layer my software synths on top of the prophet tone. Or I could turn off local control and switch midi channels and only play soft synth, or only the prophet.

But could I for example, make a midi loop for the prophet to play and have it continue to play while I switch channels and play a separate software line over top, all using the prophet keyboard?

Hope that made sense

Thanks!

BTW I'm using Ableton 9
Welcome! It's fun playing with hardware synths :).

At the end of last year I created my first track with 100% hardware synths only, using the computer as a sequencer (Bitwig) to sent MIDI notes and modulation controls. My goal for this year is to completely abandon the computer for song creation and performance.

Using multimode (this is a global parameter setting) you can use the Rev2 as two synthesizers, each addressable on the base midi channel (also a global parameter setting) and next channel up (+1).

You program layer A for the base midi channel and layer B for the other. If you have an 8 voice Rev2 you can play 4 notes on each channel (8 when you have the 16 voice version).

I have used the Rev2 on several tracks now, for example layer A plays a lead or pad sound and layer B does the bass. Works very well and sounds wonderful.

This isn't what the OP asked!

You can use the REV2 as a controller by turning off Local in the global menu, then you can select the REV as a controller on any of the track in Ableton live while still using it as a sound source. Hope this helps.
Ah nice when local is switched off, you still can use the Rev2 as a MIDI controller. Thanks for correcting me here. The manual says something like this:

"13. Local Control: Off, On— When on (the default), the keyboard and
front panel controls directly affect the Prophet Rev2. When off, the
controls are transmitted via MIDI but do not directly affect the “local”
synth (that is, the Prophet Rev2). This is primarily useful for avoiding
MIDI data loops that can occur with some external sequencers."

@SporeSynths: Perhaps you could explain what you mean with "switching channels" . In multimode, with local on, you can still use the Rev2 as a controller and play the keyboard (as long as you don't run out of notes and create a loop  :).
DAW-less and going down the Eurorack rabbit hole.