Pro 3 Sonic Character

[Sacred Synthesis]

I've been listening to the demos of the Pro 3 more and more, and I have to admit that I'm warming up to the particular sonic character of this instrument.  In some cases, it reminds me of the Evolver, but in many others, it strikes me as having a classic analog tone, even Moogish - warm and immense.  I'm glad Sequential gave us a mono synth and stepped back for a moment from the big bucks units that it's been knocking out.  And I could imagine a mighty poly synth emerging from this design.  I only wish that littel keyboard had at least another half octave.  But the sound is exquisite. 

Oh, and a module version would be superb.

[guyaguy]

The first demos emphasized some of its abrasive tendencies but it really is quite the chameleon. All three filters are first class examples of their type—the exact opposite of the “master of none” syndrome. The VCOs can be nice and thick and the shape mod offers some surprising waves. Since both shape and shape mod are continual, modulation lets you get quite a range even without the lovely wavetables. And the gain stages make for lots of variety in timbre. Pre filter levels matter a LOT in filter response on this thing. It’s easy to be wooed by all of the other features as well but it’s probably my favorite Sequential synth sound wise.

[OceanMachine]

The first demos emphasized some of its abrasive tendencies

That's exactly the adjective I thought of when I saw the title of this thread. The videos I've seen thus far make it seem like an industrial powerhouse. 

[Sacred Synthesis]

Yes, I've also heard a ton of noise from this instrument, but I've gotten use to this routine with new synthesizers.  You have to listen "in between the lines" to get a sense of the instrument's musical potential.  I hear a wonderful immensity in the lower registers.  But in other ways as well, the Pro 3 sounds pleasantly shocking.

[guyaguy]

I think it was the same thing when the MatrixBrute and Sub37 came out. Everyone thought they could only do abrasive tones because of the initial demos and gain stage features. But turn down the gain, back off the Osc levels and resonance, and you get some lovely creamy tones on all of these synths. Having said that, the Pro 3 is also perfect for NIN, EBM, and Autechre sounds!

[OceanMachine]

I've found the MatrixBrute to have an abrasive quality every time I've used it. Just as I've found the more current Roland digital drum machines to sound like hard plastic no matter what. Some instruments are jacks of all trades, yet some do in fact have specialties that will not allow it to be shoehorned into doing something else no matter how hard you try to wrangle it. I've found that out the hard way many times with instruments I've bought over the years and even recently. I've certainly never found the master of all or even remotely expect to. 

[Sacred Synthesis]

I've found the MatrixBrute to have an abrasive quality....

Same here.  The Matrixbrute is just the size I'd like to have, but it sounds unusually harsh to my ears.  But not the Pro 3.

What I'm interested to see are the P3 bug reports.  I tend not to consider a Sequential instrument until it's been out for a full year, the problems have benn reported, and the most important fixes/updates have been made.  So far, the P3 is looking good, but I expect the reports will start coming in and it will need updates soon enough.

[guyaguy]

The MxB’s Steiner and brute parameter can make the sound aggressive. But the ladder can smooth things out nicely. But the Pro 3’s ladder is richer to my ears. I prefer using the MxB for crusty and wavefolder tones.

[Sacred Synthesis]

Yes, it all comes down to how the fortunate owners are using an instrument.  It can result in a mischaracterization of a synthesizer, as happened with the Prophet 12.  But those of us who do not have large music stores nearby have to start somewhere, and it's with those YouTube videos.

[guyaguy]

Yes, it all comes down to how the fortunate owners are using an instrument.  It can result in a mischaracterization of a synthesizer, as happened with the Prophet 12.  But those of us who do not have large music stores nearby have to start somewhere, and it's with those YouTube videos.

Yeah that’s why I made my “Vintage patches” demo. I knew there would be tons of mellower tones in the Pro 3 but there weren’t many audio examples of it!

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLslIh-N3WouE9-00VwfNiU3Xg0GLzB63Q

Plus doing demos is a good way to get familiar with a synth quickly!

[Sacred Synthesis]

It would be helpful if someone created a demonstration showcasing the Pro 3's sweet, warm, and gentle side.  This could include a number of pure single-oscillator patches. 

[OceanMachine]

The MxB’s Steiner and brute parameter can make the sound aggressive. But the ladder can smooth things out nicely. But the Pro 3’s ladder is richer to my ears. I prefer using the MxB for crusty and wavefolder tones.

I'm aware of the parameters on the Matrix like the metalizer; regardless it has a stiffness that immediately wears on my ears. I'd also like to make clear that the term abrasive is, concerning my meaning, equivocal. In the case of the Matrix, it was meant in a pejorative sense. In the case of the Pro 3, it still sounds cool for a certain intent, albeit one that can easily be wearing. I've also heard a few beautiful BoC-ish bits and bobs that seem to be coming from the paraphonic mode. Unlike the Matrix, I've not had the chance to get my hands on it, but I assume it's well capable of a plethora of looks. 

Btw, I don't think you linked the correct video showcasing what you intended. Here's the video of yours that you alluded to:

[Sacred Synthesis]

The more I listen to this instrument, the more I think a stereo polyphonic version could be the new Poly Evolver Keyboard.

[guyaguy]

The MxB’s Steiner and brute parameter can make the sound aggressive. But the ladder can smooth things out nicely. But the Pro 3’s ladder is richer to my ears. I prefer using the MxB for crusty and wavefolder tones.

Btw, I don't think you linked the correct video showcasing what you intended. Here's the video of yours that you alluded to:

Whoops I'd forgotten to put that video in the playlist that I linked to. Just added it. Thanks!

[Paul Dither]

While the Pro 3 can certainly act like a chameleon and is able to cover many sonic territories, two things stood out for me while getting to know it during the sound design stage: One is the already mentioned abrasive quality, the second one its pleasant analog character. Not only the return of the Grunge parameter made me think of the Evolver quite often. The Pro 3 is certainly capable of creating the sort of aggressive sounds that lend themselves well to genres like industrial, just like the Evolver. Albeit I'd never say that they sound the same, they certainly share a unique sonic identity in that direction. Of course the major difference lies in the signal path: The Evolver offers a stereo signal path from the frontend to the outputs while the Pro 3 is mostly a mono instrument in that regard (minus the stereo effects and the stereo output signal).

While the full stereo signal path is an ingredient that makes particularly the Evolver's analog side sound more dynamic and alive compared to identical sounds created on a Prophet '08 or Rev2, the Pro 3 provides the breathing quality of analog sounds even without the extension of a full stereo signal path. To me it felt like the VCOs were loosened a bit, maybe just like it was done on the OB-6. I can't verify whether this is what actually happened, but I never really felt the urge to make much use of the slop parameter if I wasn’t going for something like lo-fi sounds. There always seemed to be enough movement between the analog oscillators by default or at very low slop settings.

Although two of the three really musical analog filters of the Pro 3 are similar to the Pro 2’s filters, the Pro 3’s overall sonic character differs quite a lot from the Pro 2. Both might share quite a lot of similar features when it comes to elements like the sequencer, for example. But when it comes to the core sound I’d describe the Pro 2 as more polite than the Pro 3. Adding sound design tools like the Pro 2’s linear FM capabilities to the equation, I would also say that the Pro 3 can’t replace the Pro 2 and vice versa. The similarities aside both synths share on their front panels, they are actually quite different beasts sonically. So much so that it makes perfect sense to use both for the sake of variety.

[guyaguy]

To me it felt like the VCOs were loosened a bit, maybe just like it was done on the OB-6. I can't verify whether this is what actually happened, but I never really felt the urge to make much use of the slop parameter if I wasn’t going for something like lo-fi sounds. There always seemed to be enough movement between the analog oscillators by default or at very low slop settings.

Init patch has Osc Slop set to 5

[Paul Dither]

To me it felt like the VCOs were loosened a bit, maybe just like it was done on the OB-6. I can't verify whether this is what actually happened, but I never really felt the urge to make much use of the slop parameter if I wasn’t going for something like lo-fi sounds. There always seemed to be enough movement between the analog oscillators by default or at very low slop settings.

Init patch has Osc Slop set to 5

Yes, I know. It's a comparatively low setting, though, that still provides plenty of movement - a bit more than I initially expected.

[OceanMachine]

To me it felt like the VCOs were loosened a bit, maybe just like it was done on the OB-6.

Folks tend to blow this out of proportion for some reason. The most I noticed in that regard is that the OB-6 module I had went straight up out of tune on multiple occasions, whereas my P6 keyboard never has. Quite possibly due to the smaller form factor generating more internal heat and the temp calibration having to work harder... The vents on the back of the module should have alleviated most of the difference, but perhaps not quite enough to offset the size difference ... or it simply could have been my particular unit. If you watch this video, you'll see that the biggest difference is not the movement, but the shapes, most notably that the OB-6 features a reverse saw and also that the oscillators sound buzzier overall.