What to buy with Prophet 12? (cable and gears)

What to buy with Prophet 12? (cable and gears)
« on: April 04, 2018, 08:08:44 AM »
Hello,
I'm making a list of stuff to buy with the Prophet 12. I would like to know what i will need to use the synth, list the things you normally know you need after some time using it. I just want to order all in one package.

I already have Midi cables and a sustain pedal. Please help me with this items and suggest me the things i missed.

In my list:
-  jack cables (any preference? stereo, mono, balanced, shielded...)
-  expression pedal (i really don't know what to buy... suggestions?)
-  reverb pedal (bigsky or other one?)
-  software to manage and create presets.

Thank you in advance.

Re: What to buy with Prophet 12? (cable and gears)
« Reply #1 on: April 04, 2018, 10:27:39 AM »
Hello,
I'm making a list of stuff to buy with the Prophet 12. I would like to know what i will need to use the synth, list the things you normally know you need after some time using it. I just want to order all in one package.

I already have Midi cables and a sustain pedal. Please help me with this items and suggest me the things i missed.

In my list:
-  jack cables (any preference? stereo, mono, balanced, shielded...)
-  expression pedal (i really don't know what to buy... suggestions?)
-  reverb pedal (bigsky or other one?)
-  software to manage and create presets.

Thank you in advance.

You'll likely get a bunch of answers that will all work.   I use TRS balanced cables and never had any performance issue on the dozens I own..  A "cheap" EV expression pedal, Big Sky and Lexicon 200- but mounted by my mixer, not on floor.  I don't need software with the keyboard model.  It's a well laid out interface.  My only minor complaint is switching back and forth between layer A and B in that you need to be careful to know what layer you are on.  I use an excel sheet to track all my patches on all my synths.  I like this tool because If I want to find "pipe organ" or whatever, I just search for that and it searches for all the instruments at once returning their storage bank and number.  There's 400 user slots to use on P12.   I bought a Arturia Keystep in case I want to sequence the P12.  Neat little relatively inexpensive tool for any synth, but not really needed   I will say that the P12 appeggiator's ability to edit notes and install rests between them makes it behave like a sequencer of sorts.  Quite nice.  Have fun :D
Sequential/DSI Equipment: Poly Evolver Keyboard, Evolver desktop,   Pro-2, Pro-3, OB6, P-12,
 

https://Soundcloud.com/wavescape-1

Re: What to buy with Prophet 12? (cable and gears)
« Reply #2 on: April 04, 2018, 03:11:58 PM »
Thank you for the answer!
It will be a lot of FUN  8)

Re: What to buy with Prophet 12? (cable and gears)
« Reply #3 on: April 04, 2018, 05:55:18 PM »
If you are using it in the studio, don't skimp on the cables.  Cheap cables transmit noise.  It becomes really noticeable if you multi-track.  I use Mogami Gold cables.  Expensive but worth it.  Try to limit the length to 10ft if possible for your setup.  Shorter the better.  However, I have used 20ft Mogami with decent results.
Jim Thorburn .  Toys-  Dave Smith: Prophet 5, Rev 4; Prophet 08; Pro 2; Prophet 12 module; EastWest Orchestral soft synths; Yamaha S-90; Yamaha Montage 8, Yamaha DX-7; KARP Odyssey; Ensoniq ESQ-1.  All run through a Cubase DAW with a Tascam DM-24 board.

Re: What to buy with Prophet 12? (cable and gears)
« Reply #4 on: April 04, 2018, 06:21:16 PM »
The outputs of the Prophet 12 are unbalanced, so you can save a tiny bit by purchasing the appropriate TS cables instead of TRS.
SEQUENTIAL | OBERHEIM

Re: What to buy with Prophet 12? (cable and gears)
« Reply #5 on: April 04, 2018, 09:35:45 PM »
Thanks Robot Heart.  I did not realize that a TRS cable could function as a balanced cable. 
Jim Thorburn .  Toys-  Dave Smith: Prophet 5, Rev 4; Prophet 08; Pro 2; Prophet 12 module; EastWest Orchestral soft synths; Yamaha S-90; Yamaha Montage 8, Yamaha DX-7; KARP Odyssey; Ensoniq ESQ-1.  All run through a Cubase DAW with a Tascam DM-24 board.

Re: What to buy with Prophet 12? (cable and gears)
« Reply #6 on: April 04, 2018, 11:43:59 PM »
Thank you all for answers. I will receive it next week!

Re: What to buy with Prophet 12? (cable and gears)
« Reply #7 on: April 05, 2018, 02:09:41 AM »
I opted for a sustain pedal and 4 stereo pedals (I used Boss but don't recommend them).I use 2 for the outputs A and B (I'm running in quadraphonic) and the other 2 as expression pedals - one advantage of 4 pedals the same is that if one fails you can still operate. I don't use any other sound gear (apart from 4 speakers) as my P12 sounds are what I want, so see no point in reverb etc.
 I realise that most people don't want Quad, and want to sound like someone else, so I am probably a bit extreme, but I have written 240 Quad voices and I like to show them off Raw.

Re: What to buy with Prophet 12? (cable and gears)
« Reply #8 on: April 06, 2018, 11:19:57 AM »
I opted for a sustain pedal and 4 stereo pedals (I used Boss but don't recommend them).I use 2 for the outputs A and B (I'm running in quadraphonic) and the other 2 as expression pedals - one advantage of 4 pedals the same is that if one fails you can still operate. I don't use any other sound gear (apart from 4 speakers) as my P12 sounds are what I want, so see no point in reverb etc.
 I realise that most people don't want Quad, and want to sound like someone else, so I am probably a bit extreme, but I have written 240 Quad voices and I like to show them off Raw.

Chaparral,  What do you mean by "written 240 quad voices"- do you mean patches?   I have some interest in surround sound recording and would be interested if you could share any examples.  But I'm thinking you might just be referring to quad in a live setting format perhaps.   Have you recorded any quad yet, and if so, using what method?   I'm just curious because I had messed around with this in Audacity with some success.  My discouragement though is mainly that unless you were using a 4 speakers (or in my case 5 speaker) arrangement for playback, and it was played instead just as normal stereo, the mix balance seemed off to me.  So unless I would create both surround-sound and stereo mixing environment in my studio, it's pretty tough to have an interchangeable recording mix that could be used in either fashion.

Sequential/DSI Equipment: Poly Evolver Keyboard, Evolver desktop,   Pro-2, Pro-3, OB6, P-12,
 

https://Soundcloud.com/wavescape-1

Re: What to buy with Prophet 12? (cable and gears)
« Reply #9 on: April 07, 2018, 02:10:59 AM »
Yes, sorry I'm not big on synth language. I have been using the word "voice" for years. With my Prophet 12 (Cassandra) I treat parts A and B as components of an overall voice which I output to 2 stereo volume pedals allowing me to alter the relative balance of volume between the parts. One of the things I sent to the two effect pedals (same type as the volume pedals as the Boss ones do both volume or expression) is panning changes so parts of the voices are (sometimes) mobile between 4 channels (AL,AR,BL,BR).

I don't record to computer - I grew up with mono tape recorders in the 70s and prefer a dedicated digital multitrack recorder with no pesky compression. The Akai multitrack (Maurice) has a stereo effect send so I output the four synth channels from the Akai's main outputs plus the effect sends - to 4 powered speakers. Ideally I would like 2 speakers in front L+R one behind and one overhead in the Michael Gerzon style, but I lack the money and infrastructure and am too old (61) to be lugging all that gear around.

I took this equipment out on my Pilgrimage project 3 years ago to 7 Ancient churches and a Cathedral (I am not religious, but those places had fantastic acoustics) and made a series of 4 channel recordings, but sadly there is no commonly used Quad format, so I mostly release stereo mixes.
 It gets complicated - because I was improvising to a time based score I can mix together parts of different performances from different churches - this is one of my favourites - https://soundcloud.com/andy-15-3/beuno-mary-goes-canterbury

For a (50 min) whole live performance (if you have the patience of a saint!) https://soundcloud.com/andy-15-3/01-st-beunos-clynnog-fawr

Re: What to buy with Prophet 12? (cable and gears)
« Reply #10 on: April 20, 2018, 07:43:17 AM »
 Chaparral, thanks for explaining.  Neat idea to get the sound you want (using the churches).  I do hear the presence.
Sequential/DSI Equipment: Poly Evolver Keyboard, Evolver desktop,   Pro-2, Pro-3, OB6, P-12,
 

https://Soundcloud.com/wavescape-1