No more MOPHO either

LoboLives

No more MOPHO either
« on: February 15, 2019, 03:01:47 PM »
Looking at the latest instruments page on Sequential’s website it seems all that remains of the P12 is the module...also...the Mophox4 synth is missing as well...hmmm I knew the Mophox4 would be on the chopping block anyway as it’s quite a few years behind Sequential’s current catalog of synths but surprised there was no announcement of it being given a send off. Maybe we might get two new synths in the works from Sequential? Something larger 5 octave scale and maybe a smaller three octave synth? Maybe my idea for a Pro 4? Lol

Re: No more MOPHO either
« Reply #1 on: February 15, 2019, 03:22:21 PM »
Looks like early Spring cleaning. The modules have gone as well.

LoboLives

Re: No more MOPHO either
« Reply #2 on: February 15, 2019, 03:57:08 PM »
Looks like early Spring cleaning. The modules have gone as well.

Hmmm makes one ponder.

Sacred Synthesis

Re: No more MOPHO either
« Reply #3 on: February 15, 2019, 05:13:32 PM »
Two of the modules are still in the store.  But the Mophox4 is a significant omission.  I'm glad to see the series retired, but I hope something of a similar size replaces it. 

And the next to go will be the...Pro 2?
« Last Edit: February 15, 2019, 05:16:18 PM by Sacred Synthesis »

Re: No more MOPHO either
« Reply #4 on: February 15, 2019, 05:19:59 PM »
And the next to go will be the...Pro 2?

Then my collection of vintage synths will grow.  ;D

Sacred Synthesis

Re: No more MOPHO either
« Reply #5 on: February 15, 2019, 05:59:55 PM »
And the next to go will be the...Pro 2?

Then my collection of vintage synths will grow.  ;D

Woe, woe!  Isn't it unfortunate to unintentionally fall into the vintage instrument pit?  I've had every intention of owning only in-production instruments; but one-by-one, my synthesizers have been retired by their makers.
« Last Edit: February 15, 2019, 07:15:56 PM by Sacred Synthesis »

Shaw

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Re: No more MOPHO either
« Reply #6 on: February 15, 2019, 06:11:42 PM »
And the next to go will be the...Pro 2?

Then my collection of vintage synths will grow.  ;D

Woe, woe!  Isn't it unfortunate to unintentionally fall into the vintage instrument pit?  I've had every intention of owning only in-production instruments; but one-by-one, they've been retired by their makers.
Sequential will continue to service it.  No worries.
"Classical musicians go to the conservatories, rock´n roll musicians go to the garages." --- Frank Zappa
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Re: No more MOPHO either
« Reply #7 on: February 15, 2019, 06:33:04 PM »
And the next to go will be the...Pro 2?

Then my collection of vintage synths will grow.  ;D

Woe, woe!  Isn't it unfortunate to unintentionally fall into the vintage instrument pit?  I've had every intention of owning only in-production instruments; but one-by-one, they've been retired by their makers.

Hehe! I don’t feel like I’m falling into any pit, though. It’s just the way the cookie crumbles. The Pro 2 still feels relatively fresh to me, not only because of the latest update but simply because it’s a deep synth. And I’m fairly certain that P12 or Evolver owners, for example, would say the same. Plus: Sequential synths have a relatively long lifespan compared to some products by other manufacturers or even some well-known synths from the past. But I admit that it was weird to see the P12 being discontinued because around the time I got into Sequential or rather DSI, it was not only their newly announced flagship synth, but it also seemed to mark the beginning of phase 2.

Shaw

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Re: No more MOPHO either
« Reply #8 on: February 15, 2019, 06:50:13 PM »
The Pro 2 still feels relatively fresh to me, not only because the latest update but simply because it’s a deep synth. And I’m fairly certain that P12 or Evolver owners, for example, would say the same.
Dilly, dilly.


The P12 continues to afford me new sonic ground as I continue to experiment with it.
« Last Edit: February 15, 2019, 06:55:53 PM by Shaw »
"Classical musicians go to the conservatories, rock´n roll musicians go to the garages." --- Frank Zappa
| Linnstrument | Suhr Custom Modern | Mayones Jaba Custom | Godin Multiac Nylon | Roland TD-50 | Synergy Guitar Amps | Eventide Effects Galore |

Sacred Synthesis

Re: No more MOPHO either
« Reply #9 on: February 15, 2019, 07:20:25 PM »
But I admit that it was weird to see the P12 being discontinued because around the time I got into Sequential or rather DSI, it was not only their newly announced flagship synth, but it also seemed to mark the beginning of phase 2.

That's exactly how I feel, too.  It seemed like a different company that produced the Prophet 12.  Afterwards, things had a different quality, even on the forum.  The miniscule DSI that produced the Evolver/Prophet '08 lines seems rather distant from the Sequential of today.  We could probably dwell on this theme for quite a while.
« Last Edit: February 15, 2019, 07:22:56 PM by Sacred Synthesis »

Re: No more MOPHO either
« Reply #10 on: February 16, 2019, 02:26:36 AM »
But I admit that it was weird to see the P12 being discontinued because around the time I got into Sequential or rather DSI, it was not only their newly announced flagship synth, but it also seemed to mark the beginning of phase 2.

That's exactly how I feel, too.  It seemed like a different company that produced the Prophet 12.  Afterwards, things had a different quality, even on the forum.  The miniscule DSI that produced the Evolver/Prophet '08 lines seems rather distant from the Sequential of today.  We could probably dwell on this theme for quite a while.

They grew quite a bit since the early days, particularly in terms of released products. When I put together a collage of all DSI instruments that were released up until the PX was announced for the transcribed and translated version of the interview I did with Dave last year (see below), I was quite surprised to see it all on one page. Quite an achievement for such a relatively small company.

chysn

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Re: No more MOPHO either
« Reply #11 on: February 16, 2019, 09:22:49 AM »
For me, 2010-2011 was the Year of the Mopho. It's hard to believe it was that long ago, and that the last of its line is just now being discontinued.
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Sacred Synthesis

Re: No more MOPHO either
« Reply #12 on: February 16, 2019, 01:27:54 PM »
Anybody feeling nostalgic for the older instruments?  Probably not...just me.  I would have been happy with a tiny group of people who produced and maintained a small line of synthesizers.  I know, I know....

I realize Sequential is much more proficient now at dealing with problems, bugs, and OS updates, and that seals it for most people.  But I tend towards the smaller, simpler, more boutique experience. 
« Last Edit: February 16, 2019, 02:32:25 PM by Sacred Synthesis »

chysn

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Re: No more MOPHO either
« Reply #13 on: February 16, 2019, 02:31:19 PM »
Anybody feeling nostalgic for the older instruments?

Oh yeah, definitely. Not so much the Desktop Evolver, because I never really got along with it, but I feel some nostalgia for the old Mopho Keyboard. I've sometimes mused about getting a Desktop Mopho, but it really wouldn't fit into my system, and with my current Marie Kondo attitude toward everything.
Prophet 5 Rev 4 #2711

MPC One+ ∙ MuseScore 4

www.wav2pro3.comwww.soundcloud.com/beige-mazewww.github.com/chysnwww.beigemaze.com

he/him/his

Sacred Synthesis

Re: No more MOPHO either
« Reply #14 on: February 16, 2019, 02:44:42 PM »
Yes, I had the Mopho Desktop, too.  I loved the whole Prophet 08-derived line.  Easy to use, sounded and looked great.  The Tetr4 stands out my mind.  I hated to see it go. 

Re: No more MOPHO either
« Reply #15 on: February 17, 2019, 04:57:37 AM »
Anybody feeling nostalgic for the older instruments?  Probably not...just me.  I would have been happy with a tiny group of people who produced and maintained a small line of synthesizers.  I know, I know....

I realize Sequential is much more proficient now at dealing with problems, bugs, and OS updates, and that seals it for most people.  But I tend towards the smaller, simpler, more boutique experience.

By industry standards, Sequential is still a quite tiny company. The boutique status didn't really change that much in terms of the company's actual size. Even a small company like Moog is still way larger by comparison. But of course the designs became more streamlined, refined, and diversified over time just as much as the target market became more specific, not in terms of musical styles, but in terms of instrument categories, which in turn was a byproduct of how the market developed in the most recent years.

When Dave returned with the Evolver, it seemed like a completely carefree endeavour. It was before the big wave of analog resurgence hit the mass market and when many customers were less dogmatic about certain preferences. The Evolver reflected that openness by the combination of different analog and digital features and being very much its own thing (of course all Sequential instruments are its own thing, but I'm referring to this attribute within the context of certain consumer expectations here). It had its ties to the past, but it was not classifiable by certain trends or fashions because those didn't exist yet to the same degree as they do today. The nostalgia that used to characterize particularly the electric guitar market hadn't hit the synth market to the extend we're now used to.

I still do think, however, that the Evolver remains Sequential's primeval soup. There are still traces of that design in the PX, and before that it obviously influenced the architecture of instruments like the P12 and the Pro 2, the Tempest, the Mopho, and the Tetra. It was the basis for the first analog-only offspring Prophet '08 and its mod matrix philosophy still essentially shapes the flexibility of all current instruments with the exception of the P-6 and OB-6.

Sacred Synthesis

Re: No more MOPHO either
« Reply #16 on: February 17, 2019, 11:53:21 AM »
The Evolver was the perfect instrument for Dave to begin his new enterprise with, and it certainly was a glance to the past.  It wouldn't surprise me if it still resonates with him as a heartfelt reference point of sorts.  Nor will it surprise me if he pays his respects to it with some sort of creative gesture, say, just before he retires. 

This whole company began with an Evolver.  That can't be said about any other synthesizer.  But, of course, within that Evolver, a Prophet '08 was lurking. 

Sacred Synthesis

Re: No more MOPHO either
« Reply #17 on: February 17, 2019, 03:47:21 PM »
On second thought, the Prophet 12 Module is still listed on the Sequential website, so I would expect that to be the next instrument to be retired, rather than the Pro 2.

Re: No more MOPHO either
« Reply #18 on: February 17, 2019, 04:28:17 PM »
The next in line are most definitely the P12 module, the Pro 2, and the Tempest. In the NAMM interview with Nick Batt Dave indicated that "some sort of drum type of thing" based on the PX engine sounds like a good idea, albeit signaling that it definitely won't be what they're doing next. So maybe the prospective Tempest retirement depends on the date such an instrument would be developed or released.

As for the P12 module and the Pro 2: That might also depend on whatever they're currently working on and whether that covers some sort of hybrid approach that isn't covered by the PX, something that shares more of the P12 and Evolver DNA. Since it seems unlikely to me that they do another mono synth again, it could also be that the legitimacy of the Pro 2 will be (re-)boosted in a way that was unforseeable at the time when it was originally released, meaning: It may stay around a little longer independent of the P12 as their only mono synth left.

LoboLives

Re: No more MOPHO either
« Reply #19 on: February 17, 2019, 10:21:43 PM »
The next in line are most definitely the P12 module, the Pro 2, and the Tempest. In the NAMM interview with Nick Batt Dave indicated that "some sort of drum type of thing" based on the PX engine sounds like a good idea, albeit signaling that it definitely won't be what they're doing next. So maybe the prospective Tempest retirement depends on the date such an instrument would be developed or released.

As for the P12 module and the Pro 2: That might also depend on whatever they're currently working on and whether that covers some sort of hybrid approach that isn't covered by the PX, something that shares more of the P12 and Evolver DNA. Since it seems unlikely to me that they do another mono synth again, it could also be that the legitimacy of the Pro 2 will be (re-)boosted in a way that was unforseeable at the time when it was originally released, meaning: It may stay around a little longer independent of the P12 as their only mono synth left.

I think Dave realizes the mono synth market is over saturated which is likely why the AS1 was done in the format it was and through a partnership with a larger company. I still say 4 AS1 engines under a single synth hood would be awesome. Four mono synths in a single box, each with their own memory, effects, arpeggiator  and sequencer. The Pro 4. Lol

I do agree though, the next Sequential synth is likely going to be more along the lines of P12 or Evolver. Can’t really see another analog synth from Sequential yet. While a bigger VCO based bi timbral synth would be nice, I think Dave is more interested in trying something new rather than have is catalog be plagued with overlapping features/sounds. The only thing missing from Sequential’s current catalog is a wavetable based synth or FM based synth. They have pretty much everything else covered.