Multiple LFOs in Prophet 10?

Multiple LFOs in Prophet 10?
« on: May 26, 2023, 02:11:49 PM »
Mostly a curiosity question about the internal architecture...

I noticed in my newly acquired Prophet 10 desktop that since you can layer or split two programs, each with their own LFO settings, both run simultaneously. Intrinsically, this tells me that the Prophet 10 literally has two LFOs (versus the one LFO the Prophet 5 has). This surprised me as the feature to add layers and splits came after the initial hardware was released. This makes me think one of two things:

1. Sequential always planned to release the layer and split features, and so had two hardware LFOs initially, but just didn't have it ready at launch.

2. The Prophet 10 is much more literally two Prophet 5s, and has two parallel sound generation paths. This has interesting implications as it may mean when in 10-voice mode (not layered or split), both LFOs are running and which one you get depends on the voice. Which means they could be slightly different -- because analog. Given it is an LFO, I doubt this would be discernible in practice -- but still interesting.

Anyone know?

chysn

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Re: Multiple LFOs in Prophet 10?
« Reply #1 on: May 26, 2023, 03:42:50 PM »
It's more accurate to say that the Prophet 5/10 has one LFO per voice.

If you were to open up a Prophet 5, you'd see a big PCB split into five identical sections. Each of these represents a complete voice. Each voice has one LFO, two filters (the Rossum and the Curtis), two oscillators, etc. A Prophet 10 or expanded 5 would have two such boards. So the synth architecture does not change with a Prophet 10. There's still one LFO per voice. Stack and split just determine how these voices are allocated. Saying there are two LFOs per voice is like saying that there are four oscillators per voice; neither is the case.
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Re: Multiple LFOs in Prophet 10?
« Reply #2 on: May 26, 2023, 04:26:21 PM »
It's more accurate to say that the Prophet 5/10 has one LFO per voice.

Actually it would be more precise to say that there is a single LFO per sound card effecting all 5 voices on that card equally. Since the P10 is equipped with two sound cards you have a single LFO per layer/split.

That said, you can get the effect of a LFO per voice by setting oscillator B to 'Lo Freq' and assigning it via the 'Poly Mod' section, thus utilizing oscillator B as a polyphonic (per voice) LFO.
« Last Edit: May 26, 2023, 04:34:05 PM by Starkstrom »

LPF83

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Re: Multiple LFOs in Prophet 10?
« Reply #3 on: May 26, 2023, 04:39:16 PM »
That said, you can get the effect of a LFO per voice by setting oscillator B to 'Lo Freq' and assigning it via the 'Poly Mod' section, thus utilizing oscillator B as a polyphonic (per voice) LFO.

One of my favorite features is to use only OscA, but in poly unison mode, detuned for that 2 oscillator density, then use B as another LFO.
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Re: Multiple LFOs in Prophet 10?
« Reply #4 on: May 26, 2023, 04:54:14 PM »
I'm pretty sure the LFOs in the Prophet (like the envelopes) are digital/software generated. So probably wasn't too much of a stretch to split the one global into 2 separate for stacks/splits.

Re: Multiple LFOs in Prophet 10?
« Reply #5 on: May 27, 2023, 06:39:30 AM »
It's more accurate to say that the Prophet 5/10 has one LFO per voice.

Actually it would be more precise to say that there is a single LFO per sound card effecting all 5 voices on that card equally. Since the P10 is equipped with two sound cards you have a single LFO per layer/split.

Yes, that is what I meant by option 2... and indeed if I had dug a little deeper, that would have been clear that it was true, since you can add a voice expansion card to a Prophet 5 and get the same functionality as a Prophet 10 (https://www.sequential.com/product/prophet-5-voice-expansion-card/) all with the same OS update.

As for there not being an LFO per voice, that seems very clear as the LFO is not affected by polyphonic aftertouch per-voice, but per-layer/split (unlike the filters which are per voice and are affected by polyphonic aftertouch).

Re: Multiple LFOs in Prophet 10?
« Reply #6 on: May 27, 2023, 06:44:36 AM »
One of my favorite features is to use only OscA, but in poly unison mode, detuned for that 2 oscillator density, then use B as another LFO.

That's.... brilliant. What a great idea!

Now, if only I could route the aftertouch to oscillator B poly mod level as an option, I would be all the way there.

Re: Multiple LFOs in Prophet 10?
« Reply #7 on: May 27, 2023, 09:09:09 AM »
One of my favorite features is to use only OscA, but in poly unison mode, detuned for that 2 oscillator density, then use B as another LFO.

That's.... brilliant. What a great idea!

Now, if only I could route the aftertouch to oscillator B poly mod level as an option, I would be all the way there.
Yorick Tech LFE will do that for you.

Re: Multiple LFOs in Prophet 10?
« Reply #8 on: May 27, 2023, 02:03:56 PM »
Yorick Tech LFE will do that for you.

Interesting device... However, it is still limited to what the Prophet exposes via MIDI. Currently all the LFOs and such there would be global, as the Prophet 5/10 does not expose per-voice parameters to tweak. If a firmware update ever introduces MPE support like the Prophet 6 (that would be awesome), then that would totally work -- without even needing Oscillator B to be the per-voice LFO... Still it is a great hardware extension to do global program-level modulation of pretty much everything.

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Re: Multiple LFOs in Prophet 10?
« Reply #9 on: May 28, 2023, 01:33:27 AM »
How do you think about it first.  You know, I think I did that yesterday.  playing the many modulations, and LFO speed up slow down, mixing and syncing and pushing all the buttons.  Rolling the wheel..  So much to do.  Hit a peak around 1:30:00 - 2:00:00.  I had some brilliant prophet sounds yesterday during my 2 hour drum practice.  Posted the video on Bitchute about an hour ago.  OP I have just to say you have to always think of the number of voices.  I am not sure I quite understood it when I bought the device.  Well I probably did, but it's clear now.  10 voices for 10 fingers.  10 voices for volume and power unison.  10 voices is wonderful to have. 

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