Please help me with deciding which synth to buy.

Please help me with deciding which synth to buy.
« on: September 11, 2020, 09:52:55 AM »
Hi guys, this is my first post on the forums.

I have the OB-6 (desktop module), PRO 3 and the Prophet 12 (desktop module).

I would like to add either the Rev2-16 or the Prophet 6 to my setup. Sure I mean, I don't need another synth, but I would like to add another synth with a keyboard, and these two are the ones I am deciding on.
I've been watching as much Youtube videos as possible to try to decide what to buy, since there is nowhere around where I could try any of them. The (very) few music stores anywhere around here (southern Sweden) don't carry any DSI/Sequential instruments as far as I know, so I'm buying through Thomann.

I know the P6 and the OB-6 share some similarities as well as the P12 and Rev2 can sound similar as still being different types of synths, with the P12 having all digital oscillators.
Which would be less overlapping to my current setup when it comes to pure sound? I'm not a good sound designer myself yet, but I know there's more modulation options on the Rev2 and that the P6 is more limited when it comes to sound design, but I know that the P6 sounds smoother, fatter and more vintage and probably better in a way.
While I find my OB-6 to sound fantastic, I can find 6 voices sometimes limiting and a bit annoying when pads for example gets cut off, so getting the P6 would put me in the same position when it comes to that and the Rev2-16 having more voices even while having 2 sounds stacked would be better.
At the same time, I am mainly using my synths for recording and not playing live, so maybe the 6 voices on the P6 is not that limiting even if I would use it for some live playing in the future.

Both the Rev2 and P6 sounds great in their own ways and many times the Rev2 can come quite close to the P6 as far as I've heard on videos.
Gah, I don't know. I can't get both and while there's still a different in price between them, the P6 is not THAT much more expensive than the Rev2-16.

If anyone got this far and has any input on what to get, I'd be happy to hear it.

Thank you.  :)
OB-6, PRO 3, Prophet 12, Prophet 6, Prophet REV2

LPF83

  • ***
  • 1437
Re: Please help me with deciding which synth to buy.
« Reply #1 on: September 11, 2020, 11:21:14 AM »
Hi guys, this is my first post on the forums.

I have the OB-6 (desktop module), PRO 3 and the Prophet 12 (desktop module).

I would like to add either the Rev2-16 or the Prophet 6 to my setup. Sure I mean, I don't need another synth, but I would like to add another synth with a keyboard, and these two are the ones I am deciding on.
I've been watching as much Youtube videos as possible to try to decide what to buy, since there is nowhere around where I could try any of them. The (very) few music stores anywhere around here (southern Sweden) don't carry any DSI/Sequential instruments as far as I know, so I'm buying through Thomann.

I know the P6 and the OB-6 share some similarities as well as the P12 and Rev2 can sound similar as still being different types of synths, with the P12 having all digital oscillators.
Which would be less overlapping to my current setup when it comes to pure sound? I'm not a good sound designer myself yet, but I know there's more modulation options on the Rev2 and that the P6 is more limited when it comes to sound design, but I know that the P6 sounds smoother, fatter and more vintage and probably better in a way.
While I find my OB-6 to sound fantastic, I can find 6 voices sometimes limiting and a bit annoying when pads for example gets cut off, so getting the P6 would put me in the same position when it comes to that and the Rev2-16 having more voices even while having 2 sounds stacked would be better.
At the same time, I am mainly using my synths for recording and not playing live, so maybe the 6 voices on the P6 is not that limiting even if I would use it for some live playing in the future.

Both the Rev2 and P6 sounds great in their own ways and many times the Rev2 can come quite close to the P6 as far as I've heard on videos.
Gah, I don't know. I can't get both and while there's still a different in price between them, the P6 is not THAT much more expensive than the Rev2-16.

If anyone got this far and has any input on what to get, I'd be happy to hear it.

Thank you.  :)

There is one guy's general opinions (mine) at this thread https://forum.sequential.com/index.php/topic,4618.0.html.

The Rev2 would definitely scratch the itch for more polyphony, its really good at strings, pads, and when the 16 voice version gives you two 8-voice synths, there is a lot you can do with it.  The Prophet 6 would remind you of your OB-6 in some ways, and not so much in others.  A second OB-6 would give you polychain capability for 12 voices, though I usually find 6-8 per layer to be enough and have never needed more.. two many voices can get messy, especially for a thick synth like the OB-6.

To my ears, both the Rev2 and Prophet 6 capture that "Prophet sound", albeit in slightly different ways.  I never feel I get "that Prophet sound" out of the OB-6, which makes sense because I'm looking for the Oberheim sound out of it (which it delivers).   The Rev2 is really versatile, with lots of modulation options as you said.

Although I'm a BIG fan of the P6, and feel like every analog poly owner should own one. 
« Last Edit: September 11, 2020, 11:23:58 AM by LPF83 »
Prophet 10, OB-X8m, Prophet 6, OB-6, 3rd Wave, Prophet 12m, Prophet Rev2-16, Toraiz AS-1, Pro 2, Virus TI2, Moog SlimPhatty, Hydrasynth desktop, Korg Minilogue XDm, Roland JP-8080, Roland System-8, Roland SPD-SX SE / Octapad, Maschine, Cubase/Ableton/Akai MPC

Re: Please help me with deciding which synth to buy.
« Reply #2 on: September 11, 2020, 11:34:31 AM »
Considering you already have the OB-6, I would go with the Rev2. 

16-Voices and Bi-Timbral means you can create complex layered sounds with different timbres per layer and still have 8-voices in the stack mode.   Alternatively, you can use the Stack to hard pan a single sound left and right on layers with small offsets to parameters and achieve a huge, binaural stereo field (ala Poly Evolver, Super 6 and some others)  Or you can use it in Split mode if you're playing live and want separate bass and pad, string or lead sounds.

Further, the Rev2 offers one of the most feature rich and versatile poly/gated sequencers on the market, with four lanes of polyphonic sequenced modulation.   If you want evolving, animated sounds, or do advanced things like Voice Modeling, the Rev2 can do things that no other synth on the market can.    Also, in general, the sound engine for the Rev2 is among the best on the market... lots of envelopes, lfos, and a very respectable 8 slot mod matrix in addition to all the hard coded mod sources.   The only synth on the market that is more versatile is the Moog One at roughly 4x the cost. 

From a sound design and versatility standpoint, the Rev2 is an amazing choice... I wouldn't trade mine away even for a more expensive OB6 or P6.   Also, if you don't already have a good 5-octave, 61-key keyboard, the Fatar keybed is fantastic on the Rev2... worthy of being a master keyboard.



OB-X8, Pro 3, P6, Rev2, Take 5, 3rd Wave, Deepmind, PolyBrute, Sub 37
Sound Sets:
https://sounddesign.sellfy.store/
Free Patches:
https://www.PresetPatch.com/user/CreativeSpiral

Re: Please help me with deciding which synth to buy.
« Reply #3 on: September 12, 2020, 12:32:35 AM »

There is one guy's general opinions (mine) at this thread https://forum.sequential.com/index.php/topic,4618.0.html.

The Rev2 would definitely scratch the itch for more polyphony, its really good at strings, pads, and when the 16 voice version gives you two 8-voice synths, there is a lot you can do with it.  The Prophet 6 would remind you of your OB-6 in some ways, and not so much in others.  A second OB-6 would give you polychain capability for 12 voices, though I usually find 6-8 per layer to be enough and have never needed more.. two many voices can get messy, especially for a thick synth like the OB-6.

To my ears, both the Rev2 and Prophet 6 capture that "Prophet sound", albeit in slightly different ways.  I never feel I get "that Prophet sound" out of the OB-6, which makes sense because I'm looking for the Oberheim sound out of it (which it delivers).   The Rev2 is really versatile, with lots of modulation options as you said.

Although I'm a BIG fan of the P6, and feel like every analog poly owner should own one.

Thank you for the link and reply.

I am leaning mostly towards the Rev2 and as far as I've heard through all these Youtube videos, I think it will complement my other three DSI/Sequential synths that I mentioned, pretty well. It's just nice to get some feedback. :)
OB-6, PRO 3, Prophet 12, Prophet 6, Prophet REV2

Re: Please help me with deciding which synth to buy.
« Reply #4 on: September 12, 2020, 12:57:48 AM »
Considering you already have the OB-6, I would go with the Rev2. 

16-Voices and Bi-Timbral means you can create complex layered sounds with different timbres per layer and still have 8-voices in the stack mode.   Alternatively, you can use the Stack to hard pan a single sound left and right on layers with small offsets to parameters and achieve a huge, binaural stereo field (ala Poly Evolver, Super 6 and some others)  Or you can use it in Split mode if you're playing live and want separate bass and pad, string or lead sounds.

Further, the Rev2 offers one of the most feature rich and versatile poly/gated sequencers on the market, with four lanes of polyphonic sequenced modulation.   If you want evolving, animated sounds, or do advanced things like Voice Modeling, the Rev2 can do things that no other synth on the market can.    Also, in general, the sound engine for the Rev2 is among the best on the market... lots of envelopes, lfos, and a very respectable 8 slot mod matrix in addition to all the hard coded mod sources.   The only synth on the market that is more versatile is the Moog One at roughly 4x the cost. 

From a sound design and versatility standpoint, the Rev2 is an amazing choice... I wouldn't trade mine away even for a more expensive OB6 or P6.   Also, if you don't already have a good 5-octave, 61-key keyboard, the Fatar keybed is fantastic on the Rev2... worthy of being a master keyboard.

Thank you for the reply.

Yes, the Rev2 seems feature rich, as I feel my Prophet 12 is as well and thought that maybe they would clash, since I feel that the Prophet 12 though being digital can touch a lot of the same areas, but at the same time they obviously are different. :)

And after watching videos I also feel that the Rev2 does come pretty close many times to the same territory as the P6 and I have for example watched Starsky Carrs video comparing the two.

Since I mainly use synths in my home studio, I have the N-I Komplete Kontrol S61 mkII, which has a great keybed (and which I use to play my OB-6 and P12 modules), but since I might use the Rev2 (which I'm mostly leaning towards getting) for playing live in the future it's good to know that it also feels good to play.

And if I get the Rev2 now, I might "need" the P6 next year anyways, because I guess you can never have too many synths, just not enough room for them or not enough money to get them, haha. :)
OB-6, PRO 3, Prophet 12, Prophet 6, Prophet REV2

Re: Please help me with deciding which synth to buy.
« Reply #5 on: September 12, 2020, 09:14:37 AM »
I Just got my Rev2 recently and absolutely loving it.  Although It is only my second synth(traded in my overall also very cool prologue for it)  Seems you have been around the block a bit with synths but I would say you'll be very happy with it.

Jason

  • **
  • 214
    • Bandmix
Re: Please help me with deciding which synth to buy.
« Reply #6 on: September 12, 2020, 12:00:56 PM »
Be sure to check out VCM, which gets the Rev2 closer to the vintage feel of the Prophet 6... as do Luke Neptune’s patches. I would love to see a Starsky Carr style shootout between a Prophet 6 and a Rev2 with Creative Spiral’s VCM.

https://forum.sequential.com/index.php/topic,3449.0.html

Re: Please help me with deciding which synth to buy.
« Reply #7 on: September 12, 2020, 01:06:56 PM »
Thank you for the reply.

Yes, the Rev2 seems feature rich, as I feel my Prophet 12 is as well and thought that maybe they would clash, since I feel that the Prophet 12 though being digital can touch a lot of the same areas, but at the same time they obviously are different. :)

Yeah, the P12 and Rev2 both excel at sound design.  I used to have a P12, but sold it after I got Rev2.   The big upsides of the Rev2 are:  Analog oscillators, 16 voices rather than 12, and the 4x16 gated sequencer which can be used to create complex modulated motion, or used for Voice Modeling to purposefully design in per-voice variance to better capture classic synth character.   

Thanks for the shoutout, Jason, regarding the Voice Modeling.   @enghell - definitely check that out, as it allows you to dial in classic analog poly synth character, and also works great for modeling acoustic ensembles (brass ensembles, wind, strings, and pad sounds with a realistic variance in tuning per voice and the associated natural phasing)

And after watching videos I also feel that the Rev2 does come pretty close many times to the same territory as the P6 and I have for example watched Starsky Carrs video comparing the two.

Since I mainly use synths in my home studio, I have the N-I Komplete Kontrol S61 mkII, which has a great keybed (and which I use to play my OB-6 and P12 modules), but since I might use the Rev2 (which I'm mostly leaning towards getting) for playing live in the future it's good to know that it also feels good to play.

Hah... I'm in the same boat.  I used my Rev2 as master keyboard until I got a KK S61mkII - which is a great keyboard with perfect feeling aftertouch... and the integration with KK instruments is awesome.  I feel like the S61mkII is a 10/10 in my eyes for synth keyboard feel, and Rev2 is a 9/10. 

And if I get the Rev2 now, I might "need" the P6 next year anyways, because I guess you can never have too many synths, just not enough room for them or not enough money to get them, haha. :)

Gotta catch 'em all.   As long as you're inventive with racks/stands and vertical usage of space, it's really and endless pursuit.   

OB-X8, Pro 3, P6, Rev2, Take 5, 3rd Wave, Deepmind, PolyBrute, Sub 37
Sound Sets:
https://sounddesign.sellfy.store/
Free Patches:
https://www.PresetPatch.com/user/CreativeSpiral

LPF83

  • ***
  • 1437
Re: Please help me with deciding which synth to buy.
« Reply #8 on: September 12, 2020, 03:04:17 PM »
Be sure to check out VCM, which gets the Rev2 closer to the vintage feel of the Prophet 6... as do Luke Neptune’s patches. I would love to see a Starsky Carr style shootout between a Prophet 6 and a Rev2 with Creative Spiral’s VCM.
https://forum.sequential.com/index.php/topic,3449.0.html

With my Rev2 and P6 side-by-side, I think one can approach the overall oscillator thickness of the P6 with the Rev2 and VCM without much problem.  The real difference between the two synths is felt in the filters, it's like night and day difference.  A good way to demonstrate this is to do what I call the "Daniel Fisher Test" :)..   Take 1 OSC to its lowest frequency (C0), turn the resonance up, and sweep the filter, and there's an oh-shit moment there on the P6.  It's sort of putting the filter under the microscope, and since the filter tends to define a synth sound more than oscillators, it helps get a fingerprint of a synth.

At the same time that says nothing about the "musical capability" of one vs the other, it's just one comparison.  I only mention it because in videos like Starsky's, while his comparisons are valid they don't paint the complete picture.
Prophet 10, OB-X8m, Prophet 6, OB-6, 3rd Wave, Prophet 12m, Prophet Rev2-16, Toraiz AS-1, Pro 2, Virus TI2, Moog SlimPhatty, Hydrasynth desktop, Korg Minilogue XDm, Roland JP-8080, Roland System-8, Roland SPD-SX SE / Octapad, Maschine, Cubase/Ableton/Akai MPC

Jason

  • **
  • 214
    • Bandmix
Re: Please help me with deciding which synth to buy.
« Reply #9 on: September 12, 2020, 08:43:05 PM »
Interesting. The different filters are like different favors of ice cream or gelato- all delicious but different. So if one were able to use a P6 filter with the DCO’s of a Rev2 utilizing VCM, would/could it sound pretty darn close to a Prophet 6?

Re: Please help me with deciding which synth to buy.
« Reply #10 on: September 13, 2020, 12:53:36 AM »
I Just got my Rev2 recently and absolutely loving it.  Although It is only my second synth(traded in my overall also very cool prologue for it)  Seems you have been around the block a bit with synths but I would say you'll be very happy with it.

That's awesome! :)

I'm mainly a guitarist, but I've owned synths since my teens, so on and off for 35 years (yes, I'm old), though never really used them for electronic music (I'm also mainly into extreme metal) earlier on, just for some more common synth flavour, and never getting into actually programming them. Though this year has been the year where I have put down all money (except for rent, food and those things) into filling my home studio with synths instead of more guitars and am slowly diving further into making electronic music.

But thank you, I most probably will get the Rev2 and I'm sure I'll enjoy it immensely. :)
OB-6, PRO 3, Prophet 12, Prophet 6, Prophet REV2

Re: Please help me with deciding which synth to buy.
« Reply #11 on: September 13, 2020, 12:54:51 AM »
Be sure to check out VCM, which gets the Rev2 closer to the vintage feel of the Prophet 6... as do Luke Neptune’s patches. I would love to see a Starsky Carr style shootout between a Prophet 6 and a Rev2 with Creative Spiral’s VCM.

https://forum.sequential.com/index.php/topic,3449.0.html


Thank you for that info and link. :)
OB-6, PRO 3, Prophet 12, Prophet 6, Prophet REV2

Re: Please help me with deciding which synth to buy.
« Reply #12 on: September 13, 2020, 01:28:54 AM »
Thank you for the reply.

Yes, the Rev2 seems feature rich, as I feel my Prophet 12 is as well and thought that maybe they would clash, since I feel that the Prophet 12 though being digital can touch a lot of the same areas, but at the same time they obviously are different. :)

Yeah, the P12 and Rev2 both excel at sound design.  I used to have a P12, but sold it after I got Rev2.   The big upsides of the Rev2 are:  Analog oscillators, 16 voices rather than 12, and the 4x16 gated sequencer which can be used to create complex modulated motion, or used for Voice Modeling to purposefully design in per-voice variance to better capture classic synth character.   

Thanks for the shoutout, Jason, regarding the Voice Modeling.   @enghell - definitely check that out, as it allows you to dial in classic analog poly synth character, and also works great for modeling acoustic ensembles (brass ensembles, wind, strings, and pad sounds with a realistic variance in tuning per voice and the associated natural phasing)

And after watching videos I also feel that the Rev2 does come pretty close many times to the same territory as the P6 and I have for example watched Starsky Carrs video comparing the two.

Since I mainly use synths in my home studio, I have the N-I Komplete Kontrol S61 mkII, which has a great keybed (and which I use to play my OB-6 and P12 modules), but since I might use the Rev2 (which I'm mostly leaning towards getting) for playing live in the future it's good to know that it also feels good to play.

Hah... I'm in the same boat.  I used my Rev2 as master keyboard until I got a KK S61mkII - which is a great keyboard with perfect feeling aftertouch... and the integration with KK instruments is awesome.  I feel like the S61mkII is a 10/10 in my eyes for synth keyboard feel, and Rev2 is a 9/10. 

And if I get the Rev2 now, I might "need" the P6 next year anyways, because I guess you can never have too many synths, just not enough room for them or not enough money to get them, haha. :)

Gotta catch 'em all.   As long as you're inventive with racks/stands and vertical usage of space, it's really and endless pursuit.

My sound designing skills are so far pretty poor, but I hope to get better with time. I haven't even really scratched the surface of the P12 yet, since I've only had it for a pretty short time but it seems deep and full of possibilities when learning it and I like it very much so far.
The Voice Component Modeling seems very interesting and I ended up on your website and I will probably buy the soundset you have for the Rev2, when I've bought the synth, since it sounded great.

Great to know that the Rev2 feels good to play as well. And yeah, I think I saw the S61 mkII in your VCM video. :)
It sure feels really great and the integration with the N-I software is top notch.

And I am thinking back and forth on what to do but I think I have set my mind on the Rev2. I mean, like I said I might get the P6 down the road as well, who knows? But I was playing around in Cubase last night and recorded a song and while the OB-6 sounds just amazing, sometimes it tends to take up a lot of space in the mix, so maybe adding a P6 as well that is pretty fat, will sonically not be the easiest. But then again, I don't have to use every single synth I have in every single song... or do I?..  haha. :)

But yes, fitting synths is a challenge in a bedroom home studio. I have a 3 tier stand from K&M and a 4 tier from Jaspers (and I have the P12 on a laptop stand on my desk) and if I get the Rev2 (which I most probably will) I'll fill up the Jasper stand. Can't fit another stand in here, so I have to be done... :)
OB-6, PRO 3, Prophet 12, Prophet 6, Prophet REV2

LPF83

  • ***
  • 1437
Re: Please help me with deciding which synth to buy.
« Reply #13 on: September 13, 2020, 05:16:27 AM »
Interesting. The different filters are like different favors of ice cream or gelato- all delicious but different. So if one were able to use a P6 filter with the DCO’s of a Rev2 utilizing VCM, would/could it sound pretty darn close to a Prophet 6?

I believe if both synths had the exact same filter, it would align the sound profiles of each synth more closely than, for example, keeping same filter on both but replacing DCOs with VCOs... but.... lots to consider here.

Starting with an init patch, out of the box and leaving filters out of it, if I add a small amount of slop on the Rev2 and just start repeatedly tapping a C major chord, the two synths will sound pretty close, and with minor tweaks they can sound almost identical.  When I start playing additional chords, varying the rhythm, etc. they differences between the two start to become more apparent.  There are so many variables involved in the equation of what gives a synth their exact sound profile, but I feel that overall, the filter has a more extensive "multiplier" effect than any other single variable.  Then, we have all of the various parameters that can impact the filter, and their specific implementation. 

In this video is a good example of how something as simple as differences between ADSR implementations (in this case logarithmic versus linear attack) can impact what our ears here as the final output from a synth:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ka-adPiHOss




Prophet 10, OB-X8m, Prophet 6, OB-6, 3rd Wave, Prophet 12m, Prophet Rev2-16, Toraiz AS-1, Pro 2, Virus TI2, Moog SlimPhatty, Hydrasynth desktop, Korg Minilogue XDm, Roland JP-8080, Roland System-8, Roland SPD-SX SE / Octapad, Maschine, Cubase/Ableton/Akai MPC

Jason

  • **
  • 214
    • Bandmix
Re: Please help me with deciding which synth to buy.
« Reply #14 on: September 13, 2020, 07:07:25 AM »
Interesting video. It’s great to have the perspectives of people who have these different instruments side by side. Thanks.

Re: Please help me with deciding which synth to buy.
« Reply #15 on: September 14, 2020, 06:52:35 AM »
Nice, :) it's a good synth to start programming with, it can do a lot and is very intuitive to use, good luck with the synth studio :)

Re: Please help me with deciding which synth to buy.
« Reply #16 on: September 19, 2020, 06:16:51 AM »
Nice, :) it's a good synth to start programming with, it can do a lot and is very intuitive to use, good luck with the synth studio :)

Thank you.  :)
OB-6, PRO 3, Prophet 12, Prophet 6, Prophet REV2