The prophet-5/10 reissues are amazing. I love mine and I love the new OS with split/stack.
Even though it is a pretty faithful reissue, I think it would be great to have the option of a negative filter envelope.
Is this possible since the envelopes are software?
Maybe the user could toggle between + and - by a button combo, something like preset + keyboard tracking button?
Just spitballing here, but I think it'd be great.
Bumping because I still think this would be a great (and totally non-invasive) feature.
That would be great. I guess a bit of a challenge is to find an easy to access and memorizable button combo. And probably more importantly a visual feedback indicating that a given program is utilizing a negative filter envelope.
My suggestion would be to hold the filter rev button and briefly press the filter key tracking button to toggle the +/- sign of the filter envelope. As a visual feedback the filter rev LED of the currently selected filter could blink when the filter envelope modulates the cutoff negatively. In addition the filter envelope button LED in the poly mod section could blink as well when activated. (Needless to say, the envelope setting needs do be saved/recalled per program.)
This isn't a bad idea, however pressing and holding the filter rev button is for resonance compensation (Hold filter rev + use 1-8 to set level of resonance compensation). Additionally, this same philosophy is used for note priority (Press and hold KEYBOARD of OSC B, then use +/- buttons to set note priority. The same philosophy is also used for setting the pitchbend range -- hold FREQ A button in wheel-mod section, +/- buttons to edit.
I think the better idea would be to stick with this philosophy, since it's a simple button combination (best to keep it as simple as possible on a synth like the prophet) -- Press and hold the filter keytracking button, then it could display + or - on the display indicating the filter envelope polarity. Adjust simply by using + and - buttons.
I didn't think about a LED blinking to indicate if a patch has a negative filter envelope enabled. This isn't a bad idea, though you could also probably tell its polarity by listening. I agree in any case that the filter polarity should be saveable/recall-able per patch.
Regarding the button combo I see your point. Regarding the visual feedback I think that’s kind of important (at least for me). The filter envelope depth of a given program may be subtle and not easily identifiable. Especially in a live or stressful recording situation when you plan to perform with the envelope depth it’s reinsuring to know what’s going to happen at first glance when grabbing the knob. After all, a negative filter envelope is quite a “behavioral change” compared to the original Prophet.
I can understand. One way to get immediate visual feedback could just be pressing and holding the keyboard filter tracking button and seeing if the display shows a + or -, otherwise I'm not sure. Perhaps a blinking led could be good, or if there was a LED behind the keyboard tracking button, maybe it could either be illuminated or not, depending on the filter envelope polarity state. Maybe there could be an option in globals page 3 to enable or disable a visual feedback option for the envelope polarity state.
A negative filter envelope is a behavioral change to the original prophet 5, certainly, but to me there's no reason it shouldn't be implemented today, since the envelopes are digital. IMO, it would only enhance the sonic possibility of the prophet. I can't see any negative drawbacks whatsoever.
The OBX didn't have negative filter envelope polarity either, but it's a fantastic addition in the OBX8.
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