I’m a huge fan of what Sequential has done with the Prophet X. Turning samples into fodder for synthesis with the immediacy of a classic knobby, subtractive synthesizer? Brilliantly done.
I just wouldn’t think of it as a replacement for a classic sampler or workstation, nor really for a traditional analog synth. As a hybrid it’s a wonderful complement to more established instrument categories and IMHO it should be approached as such.
thanks.
interesting wiew. not having tried it in person, my main concern are related to the digital oscillator, are they really usefull ? Do you find ant good use blending sample oscillator and synth oscillator ?
and regarding the sample oscillator, is the raw material so good and fresh to stay inspiring for years or will become "old" quickly has happened to other "rompler" (of course i know the Px is much much more the a traditional rompler/workstation).
thx
I only have the Prophet X for a few months now, but I cannot see myself ever get bored with the factory samples alone. The Atmosphere and Cinematic sections themselves have a different sample under every key and there are many instruments each in those sections. Just as an example. I have used one of the Atmosphere samples, adjusted it a semitone up (thanks Tim!) spread it over the keyboard, adjusted the start/end of the sample and the start/end of the loop section then assigned an LFO to slowly move the center of the loop ....... This created a real interesting and very musical bass patch (you can hear it on my Soundcloud, live test number 14: Live014 Ambient magic - its the bass start at the beginning and throughout the track).
I have started to install some of my own samples into the user part, 50Gbytes of space will keep me going for more than a few years. I do own an old Akai S5000 and I have attempted to create a kind of hybrid monster (S5000 through Evolver filters), but the workflow and effort killed all the fun. I only wish the P X had 128 note polyphony and ability to stack voices up to 32+ levels like the S5000

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Oh I almost forgot to mention the wave table samples at the beginning of the Synth section ........ Blew me completely away.
With regards to combining the digital oscillators with a sample, the sine wave adds "meat" to the patch, this works often really well (not always). I have created a patch with just the saw oscillators and added some filter drive, this (in my ears) already sounds great. Combining some of the 8Dio and (available through this forum) other synth oscillator samples with the digital oscillators (saw, super-saw and pulse) can create a massive, speaker blowing patch, wonderful.
Did I mention the stereo filters! And the left and right cutoff can be independently modulated, oh man, pure stereo heaven.