External Polyphony for the pro2

[Mr.Dezent]

Hallo Freunde!

Been playing Piano growing up, bought an OP1 a year ago and just recently the PRO2.
I love it with all my heart, not wanting to miss this immediacy of Sound Alteration and Modulation it offers me with the mod matrix and the touch sliders which is unique to it.
So I´m looking to extend the voice count of it, while not minding the Paraphony nor the limitation of 48keys, i just want to be able to play more than 4 note choords. Is it the most obvious to add a prophet 12 module?
Ofc I´d like to be cost efficient here as well, so i dont rly need more LFO´s or delay´s just the voices rly.
How compatible is my desire with Propeht 6 or OB 6 modules? I heard about the PRO12 hardware emulation from Creamware/Sonic Works as well, anybody got experience with that?

I read through the forum trying to find answers, but i always feel like missing crucial knowledge (maybe to some obvious steps of thought) but again its my first hardware synth, any help would be much appreciated!

Love from Germany!
Alfred

[Paul Dither]

Hi Alfred,

There is no way to expand the polyphony of the Pro 2 because it doesn't have a poly-chain option. While the Prophet 12 is certainly related to the Pro 2, it has a slightly different engine (different filters, different mod matrix, no sequencer, etc.), so you couldn't even use it for expanding the Pro 2's number of voices in theory because the Prophet 12 is not identical to the Pro 2. You could of course use the Pro 2 to simply control a Prophet 12 module via MIDI, but I think that's not what you're after. The same applies to all of the other synths you've mentioned. They're all different instruments.

[Mr.Dezent]

Thx for the reply!
I was actually refering to using the pro2 as a midicontroller for lets say the Prophet 12 to exploit its 48osc as the sound source, but feed the audio through the pro2 filter and modulation madness.

So the follow up question would be if it´s possible to have the keyboard, pitch- and modwheel control the Prophet 12 while the Sequencer is still doing its own thing (not for notes but only parameters).

So can the pro2 simultaneously control a different device while still processing incoming audio?

[Paul Dither]

You can use a Pro 2 to control a Prophet 12 module via MIDI. You can also process the audio of the Prophet 12 through the Pro 2. Keep in mind, though, that the Prophet 12 has stereo outputs and the Pro 2 only a mono input, so you would have to change the Prophet 12's output settings accordingly. Also: if you want to drive the Prophet 12 output through the Pro 2's signal path, the articulation will be monophonic, no matter how many voices the Prophet 12 has. There will, for example, only be one shared filter envelope for all the notes you play.

What you can't do is combining the front end of the Prophet 12 with the modulation matrix of the Pro 2. Only the outcoming audio of the Prophet 12 can be processed with the Pro 2.

[Mr.Dezent]

To sum this up in my mind:

YES: the Pro2 can send Commands through Pitch, Aftertouch, Velocity via the Keybeyd, but also Slider Position, Slider Pressure, ModWheel and Pitchwheel through midi to the module.
YES: It can receive and process the Audio triggered by those Commands while still sending them to the Module

UNCLEAR: while the things above are happening the Sequencer can run independently from the Keys (with: Gate Source: Ext.Audio and PlaySource:Sequencer) modulating Delay Times or emulating a filter envelope

So If I keep the VCA open using DCOffset or GateSource:ext.Audio articulation shouldnt be monophonic, since I
won´t trigger the Pro2 envelopes but only modulate with the Sequencer/LFO´s.

In the End the pro2 is supposed to have simultaneously these two functions: midikeyboard and signalprocessor
without one of the Functions interfering with the other

Thanks for clearing things up for me so far!
Hopefully my FollowupQuestions get clearer as well?!
PS: Went to Thomann yesterday to try this and they didnt have a Prophet12 Module ready for me to play at the time.

[Paul Dither]

UNCLEAR: while the things above are happening the Sequencer can run independently from the Keys (with: Gate Source: Ext.Audio and PlaySource:Sequencer) modulating Delay Times or emulating a filter envelope

Technically, yes.

In the End the pro2 is supposed to have simultaneously these two functions: midikeyoard and signalprocessor
without one of the Functions interfering with the other

Yes, you should be able to use it as a MIDI controller and a sophisticated stomp box at the same time.

[Mr.Dezent]

Well thats great then, will confirm a deal i got on the prophet 12.
 thanks so much Paul!

[Catfax]

I've been messing with this idea with an old akai sampler.. basically sample a more complex fm sound I make with the pro2 and have the option to play it polyphonic. Its pretty great and the lo bit rate on the sampler adds a lot of character and really comes to life in the filters.