Chysn's Gear Rant Thread...

[Sacred Synthesis]

I'd say start with a Prophet 5 and work your way down!

Anton called it! I bought a Prophet 5.

If I’m lucky, it’ll arrive next week.

Wow.  Congratulations.  You're in the major league now.

[LPF83]

Anton called it! I bought a Prophet 5.

Congrats!  My Rev4 is my "ooops, house just caught fire, what to carry out first?" synth.

[chysn]

I’ve missed two Prophets. There was one at a Grand Rapids music store for $900 in 1991. I was a student and couldn’t afford it, so I got an Akai AX-73 (which I did adore).

There was a Prophet 10 at the music store I worked at in 1997, we were asking $1700. I was a massively underpaid retail clerk and couldn’t afford it.

So now maybe this is my midlife crisis. Instead of a sports car or an affair, right? There’s no crisis here, though. Just a considered adjustment to how I want to make synthesizer music.

I’m going back to using notes.

[LPF83]

I’ve missed two Prophets. There was one at a Grand Rapids music store for $900 in 1991. I was a student and couldn’t afford it, so I got an Akai AX-73 (which I did adore).

There was a Prophet 10 at the music store I worked at in 1997, we were asking $1700. I was a massively underpaid retail clerk and couldn’t afford it.

So now maybe this is my midlife crisis. Instead of a sports car or an affair, right? There’s no crisis here, though. Just a considered adjustment to how I want to make synthesizer music.

I’m going back to using notes.

On the other hand, fast forward to 2043, when the Rev4 is not only no longer in production, but going for $35k on Reverb.com.  At least you won't be saying "I should have listened to my midlife crisis".

I have LOTS of regrets about gear I never bought, yet zero regret about the gear I have bought (because I was always able to sell it if it didn't work out, usually for a gain, later on).  Some say that the key to optimizing life happiness is minimizing your regrets, so there ya go

[Shaw]

So now maybe this is my midlife crisis. Instead of a sports car or an affair, right? There’s no crisis here, though. Just a considered adjustment to how I want to make synthesizer music.

My 2¢, if you can afford it and it makes you happy, get it.


Life is too short.  Enjoy it.

[chysn]

I'd say start with a Prophet 5 and work your way down!

Anton called it! I bought a Prophet 5.

If I’m lucky, it’ll arrive next week.

Wow.  Congratulations.  You're in the major league now.

Thanks! Wait… when was I not in the major league?! 

[Quatschmacher]

I’m going back to using notes.

Pick up the Yoricktech LFE and you can enjoy patch names and a bunch of extra fully-integrated modulation possibilities.

[chysn]

I’m going back to using notes.

Pick up the Yoricktech LFE and you can enjoy patch names and a bunch of extra fully-integrated modulation possibilities.

There's nothing I enjoy about patch names. All my Pro 3 patches are called "Basic Program." Otherwise it looks cool.

I was previously considering a MIDI appliance of some kind that allows modulation sequencing and/or arpeggios. I've done this before with Arduino using UART or serial I/O from 80s computers. It wouldn't be much of a stretch to expand this to LFOs, and into a standalone box. I never considered LFOs being part of it.

[Quatschmacher]

I’m going back to using notes.

Pick up the Yoricktech LFE and you can enjoy patch names and a bunch of extra fully-integrated modulation possibilities.

There's nothing I enjoy about patch names. All my Pro 3 patches are called "Basic Program." Otherwise it looks cool.

I was previously considering a MIDI appliance of some kind that allows modulation sequencing and/or arpeggios. I've done this before with Arduino using UART or serial I/O from 80s computers. It wouldn't be much of a stretch to expand this to LFOs, and into a standalone box. I never considered LFOs being part of it.

Ah ok. What did you mean my “making notes”  then? I assumed writing down patch numbers as an aide memoire. Or did you mean musical pitches?

[chysn]

I’m going back to using notes.

Pick up the Yoricktech LFE and you can enjoy patch names and a bunch of extra fully-integrated modulation possibilities.

There's nothing I enjoy about patch names. All my Pro 3 patches are called "Basic Program." Otherwise it looks cool.

I was previously considering a MIDI appliance of some kind that allows modulation sequencing and/or arpeggios. I've done this before with Arduino using UART or serial I/O from 80s computers. It wouldn't be much of a stretch to expand this to LFOs, and into a standalone box. I never considered LFOs being part of it.

Ah ok. What did you mean my “making notes”  then? I assumed writing down patch numbers as an aide memoire. Or did you mean musical pitches?

Oh! Ha. I meant in my music. Do re mi. For a few years, I didn't really use notes in my composition. I worked hard to stamp out the concept of melody. Now I'm swinging back to using notes!

[chysn]

Yeah, Prophet 5 is more-or-less out of the picture. […] I really want an arpeggiator. I really want effects. I can't get around that.

Anton called it! I bought a Prophet 5.

That's the spririt! 

Welcome to the P-5 club.

Thanks! I really sort of vacillated between Trigon-6 and P5, so the actual purchase represents sort of a snapshot in time. It could easily have gone the other way. My thinking that day was sort of along these lines:

* I'm not going to buy a $3600 instrument very often. Maybe never again. So when am I going to have another chance at a Prophet 5?

* My current scenario involves keeping my Pro 3. I don't have room for two keyboards, but I'm going to figure that out. Maybe a two-tier stand. But Pro 3 has an arpeggiator that sends MIDI, and it has effects, and one non-stereo audio input pre-effect. (I think the reason Pro 3 has only one audio input is so you can plug a Prophet 5 into it.)

[Paul Dither]

Thanks! I really sort of vacillated between Trigon-6 and P5, so the actual purchase represents sort of a snapshot in time. It could easily have gone the other way. My thinking that day was sort of along these lines:

* I'm not going to buy a $3600 instrument very often. Maybe never again. So when am I going to have another chance at a Prophet 5?

* My current scenario involves keeping my Pro 3. I don't have room for two keyboards, but I'm going to figure that out. Maybe a two-tier stand. But Pro 3 has an arpeggiator that sends MIDI, and it has effects, and one non-stereo audio input pre-effect. (I think the reason Pro 3 has only one audio input is so you can plug a Prophet 5 into it.)

You may also use the Prophet’s CV (including the VCF input) and Gate connections with the Pro 3. While fairly basic compared to what the Pro 3 is capable of, they still provide a means of interaction between the two instruments.

Beyond that, the beauty of the Prophet-5 really lies in its simplicity, its core sound and the size of the keyboard model’s controls.

[Quatschmacher]

I’m going back to using notes.

Pick up the Yoricktech LFE and you can enjoy patch names and a bunch of extra fully-integrated modulation possibilities.

There's nothing I enjoy about patch names. All my Pro 3 patches are called "Basic Program." Otherwise it looks cool.

I was previously considering a MIDI appliance of some kind that allows modulation sequencing and/or arpeggios. I've done this before with Arduino using UART or serial I/O from 80s computers. It wouldn't be much of a stretch to expand this to LFOs, and into a standalone box. I never considered LFOs being part of it.

Ah ok. What did you mean my “making notes”  then? I assumed writing down patch numbers as an aide memoire. Or did you mean musical pitches?

Oh! Ha. I meant in my music. Do re mi. For a few years, I didn't really use notes in my composition. I worked hard to stamp out the concept of melody. Now I'm swinging back to using notes!

Aha, got it. Misunderstanding on my part.

Enjoy the Prophet; it’s lush.

[chysn]

You may also use the Prophet’s CV (including the VCF input) and Gate connections with the Pro 3.

Yes, CV was yet another mark in favor of P5. Even though I’m getting out of modular, I can use CV. I am slightly annoyed that it uses 1/4” jacks, but that’s a nod to tradition and adaptation is easy.

[chysn]

D'oh!!

[chysn]

UPS is breaking my heart! They gave me a delivery window of 2:00 to 4:00. I had to see my sons at their high school robotics tournament, but I rushed to be home by 1:30. And UPS had come and gone.

I managed to schedule a pickup at the UPS depot after 7:00. So... what am I going to be doing tonight?

[Sacred Synthesis]

 I hope you're the type of person that can get up in the morning after only two or three hours of sleep! 

Even more than movies and junk food, synthesizers are made for the wee hours.

[chysn]

I hope you're the type of person that can get up in the morning after only two or three hours of sleep!

Nope, not really! And unfortunately, the boys need to be at the school at 7am tomorrow.

I finally picked my Prophet 5 up at UPS a few hours ago. First impressions are, it oozes quality. The knobs are solid, the wood is gorgeous. I love the immediacy of the panel mode. I spent some time making and saving sounds. I know there's a key combo to make a "basic sound," but it's hardly necessary, as it's easy to just dial something in with the panel.

I think that a Pro 3 will be a great companion for a Prophet 5. It's got the arpeggiator and effects, both of which can be used by the Prophet 5. Pro 3 has the super-complex modulation that I'll often want. And I've got five different filters between two synths.

I spent quite a bit of time A/B-ing the Rev 1/2 (Rossum) and Rev 3 (Curtis) filters. I expected to like one better than the other. But instead, my preference depends on the sound. The difference between them isn't that subtle, and it's going to be great to be able to have both available.

I should start going through the factory sounds. This was definitely the right call for me.

[chysn]

End of the first week with the Prophet 5!

I haven't touched my Pro 3. At all. But that's probably to be expected. I'll introduce them to each other soon enough. I still have some space issues, and I'll probably wind up having to stack them on a single stand.

I think it's safe to say that the Prophet 5 is the best synth I've ever owned. Back in the 90s, when I stayed in my music store after close day after day to play around with a two-manual Prophet 10, I observed that it had a huge sound space despite not having that many knobs. The parameters are a perfect balance of focus and capability. The size of the knobs, the placement of them, the feel of them, makes this instrument a pleasure to play and tweak. Oh, and look at.

Say what you want about the general concept of reissues... Dave Smith's best possible decision was to reverse his position on a fourth revision. It's something the world needed back in 2020, and it was done right, without compromise.

I should have some music soon. I'm making sounds now, and getting music into Finale.

[Manbird]

End of the first week with the Prophet 5!

I haven't touched my Pro 3. At all. But that's probably to be expected. I'll introduce them to each other soon enough. I still have some space issues, and I'll probably wind up having to stack them on a single stand.

I think it's safe to say that the Prophet 5 is the best synth I've ever owned. Back in the 90s, when I stayed in my music store after close day after day to play around with a two-manual Prophet 10, I observed that it had a huge sound space despite not having that many knobs. The parameters are a perfect balance of focus and capability. The size of the knobs, the placement of them, the feel of them, makes this instrument a pleasure to play and tweak. Oh, and look at.

Say what you want about the general concept of reissues... Dave Smith's best possible decision was to reverse his position on a fourth revision. It's something the world needed back in 2020, and it was done right, without compromise.

I should have some music soon. I'm making sounds now, and getting music into Finale.

So pleased to hear you're so pleased! I don't mean this in a snobbish way at all, but the Prophet 5 is very much an "if you know, you know" creature. Looking forward to a round of sounds from yer!