End of the Prophet 12!

[Sacred Synthesis]

Dslsynth just gave me the bad news.  Woe, woe!  A classic is coming to an end.

https://www.sequential.com/2018/11/prophet-12-limited-edition/

Such a masterpiece, and I only got a taste of it.  Such is life. 

I do hope Sequential will have a worthy replacement for it.  The nature and price of the Prophet X/XL leave many of us behind.  I hope something P12-esque is forthcoming to fill the ($) gap between the Rev2 and the PX.  And I hope it's BLUE!

[Tarjeijazz]

The P12 will live on in all of our homes! I will never sell it! I love it so much. It has taught me so much on my synth journey. It wasmy second synth thank you P12<3

[Sacred Synthesis]

Good for you.  Hold onto a classic.

[Gomjab]

Wow.  Farewell!  I got a great deal on an open box P12 module this year. I love the sound but pine for those physical controls on the keyboard version.  Alas I’m out of space and money for any more big ticket items.

I assume the module is also discontinued?  I saw no mention of it in press release.

[Sacred Synthesis]

I had only one month with a Prophet 12, and I realized my negative assessments of it were all wrong.  Mea maxima culpa.  It sounded so much better in my little music room than on all the video demonstrations I had watched over and over.  A lesson learned. 

The next obvious question is, What about the Pro 2?  Sequential has given it some tender loving care recently, which perhaps is a sign it will be around for a while.  But these instruments tend to be moved around in groups.

[SandyS1]

I'm sad it's ending, but I'm also glad I got one.

I do hope the LE looks better in person than it does in that photo...as it is it's not giving me any regrets about having the standard color scheme.

Then again, lots of things look and sound better in person.

[dslsynth]

My understanding is that the Prophet 12 hardware architecture do not match the architecture of their current products (P6 and on) and that Prophet Rev2 were made using their current DSP/FPGA approach thereby essentially doubling the number of voices for the same price.

So maybe they are working on an updated version with more voices at a better price? A Prophet 16 with voice architecture elements from the Pro 2 voice could be "quite interesting".

Time will tell!

[Tarjeijazz]

I didnt know you finally got a P12 Sacred! Congrats!! It is such a monster right? It just continues to amaze me as i find more and more things to do with it!

What magic have you discovered the time you have spent with it? Any thoughts to share?

[dslsynth]

The next obvious question is, What about the Pro 2?

Maybe Sequential have something to say on this?

[Sacred Synthesis]

I didnt know you finally got a P12 Sacred! Congrats!! It is such a monster right? It just continues to amaze me as i find more and more things to do with it!

What magic have you discovered the time you have spent with it? Any thoughts to share?

I wish!  I only borrowed a Prophet 12 for a month.  My intention was to finally buy one, but I'm not in a good way these days, so I'll have to let this one go.

[Tarjeijazz]

Aha! I see.

Same with me. I shouldnt have bought that Pro 2 some time ago. But then again, awww yeaahhh!

[Sacred Synthesis]

Yes, that little Pro 2 is one mighty monster.  I would definitely have gone for it, if only they had made a module version as well.  But not to get off topic here.

[Tarjeijazz]

I wonder if the discontinuation of the P12 is due to poor sales, or because sequential is planning a new type of synth that will fill the gap that the p12 now leaves.....

[dslsynth]

Yes, that little Pro 2 is one mighty monster.  I would definitely have gone for it, if only they had made a module version as well.  But not to get off topic here.

What one can say about the Pro 2 - besides it being an amazing voice architecture with a great UI - is that its an expensive voice. I am sure it can be done more affordable these days using their DSP/FPGA approach. So I would not be too surprised to see it being discontinued at some point in the future to be replaced by an updated design. In fact I would hope that will happen at some point. But so far lets see what happens and if Prophet 12 receives a worthy successor. One could suspect it to be Rev 2'ed!

[Sacred Synthesis]

I wonder if the discontinuation of the P12 is due to poor sales, or because sequential is planning a new type of synth that will fill the gap that the p12 now leaves....

The company usually discontinues one instrument when they've got something else ready to replace it.  If I remember correctly, we went from the retirement of the Poly Evolver Keyboard pretty quickly to the announcement of the Prophet 12, and from the Prophet '08 to the Rev2.  And now that the Prophet X/XL are available, out goes the P12.  But it would be hard to imagine another new instrument is ready.

[proteus-ix]

So maybe they are working on an updated version with more voices at a better price? A Prophet 16 with voice architecture elements from the Pro 2 voice could be "quite interesting".

Knowing Dave, I'd put my money on a Prophet 24 if that's the strategy.  I'm guessing it's going to be a P12 / PolyEvolver lovechild.

[proteus-ix]

But it would be hard to imagine another new instrument is ready.

But it's not hard to imagine it will be ready to announce at NAMM and ship May-ish...  around my birthday. 

[Sacred Synthesis]

Knowing Dave, I'd put my money on a Prophet 24 if that's the strategy.  I'm guessing it's going to be a P12 / PolyEvolver lovechild.

 

[LoboLives]

I knew this would happen. The P12, as amazing as it was (as is the Pro 2 and Mophox4), was a bit behind the rest of their catalog. No sequencer, no digital effects, etc. If anything, I think this is great news because I see something just as good, if not better coming next that will likely blow the P12 out of the water, be it a digital oscillator/analog filter synth like the P12 was or something more along the lines of the Poly Evolver with its analog AND digital oscillators. Regardless I see the next synth having linear FM, VS wavetables, dual effects, sequencers and maybe even multitimbrality and I think that all the current P12 owners will gladly rush out to get.

[Tarjeijazz]

I wonder if the discontinuation of the P12 is due to poor sales, or because sequential is planning a new type of synth that will fill the gap that the p12 now leaves....

The company usually discontinues one instrument when they've got something else ready to replace it.  We went from the retirement of the Poly Evolver Keyboard pretty quickly to the announcement of the Prophet 12, and from the Prophet '08 to the Reve2.  But the Prophet X/XL are brand new, so I can't imagine what's next.

I do feel that sequential has taken a slightly more comercial approach ever since the p6 (not that im an expert on economics or synths, just a feeling). While the focus previously was more on the inovation of the "symbiosis of technology and art" (does my quote make sense)?

I hope i dont come over as rude or anything, i could be wrong, and i love sequential from the bottom of my heart. I have been texting more with sequential support the last month than with my girlfriend, so......"..."...

Anyway,
If there is some truth to my assessment then i would asume that the next synth will be a kind of powerhouse in the vein of the moog one, with a ton of the traditional synth specs (filters, voices, lfos etc), or maybe they will issue out something more affordable like Korg does with the minilogue and the volca series. The prophet x is such a big synth and investment that im unsure they will release another huge beast as their next instrument. Concerning the idea of making smaller and more affordable synths alla Korg, i think it would mean a pretty big change in how the company works internally related to marketing and support, in addition to the sequential brand. I dont know :p

I think we will see more of what i described above and not some new and crazy instrument that pushes the envelope(generatorlolz) on synthinovation.