But the Prophet 12 is a Prophet 12 and not meant to be either a second Poly Evolver or a surrogate for the Prophet '08. Being a hybrid synth it doesn't indicate that it needs to sound exactly like any fully analog synth by definition. In fact, one could ask, why it should excel at analog sounds in the first place, because if it was meant to do so, it would have been released with the according oscillators anyway. So I couldn't even understand those who would be offended by those people who are saying that it doesn't sound analog enough.
You're right, I completely agree with you. The Prophet 12 is a Prophet 12, and not a this or a that. But if you'll trace the instrument from its first release - including the advertising - you'll find endless claims that it can sound just as analog as any other pure analog instrument, except, perhaps a Model D. Such claims have been everywhere, and I'm sure you've followed many of these colorful debates on the other forums. You can find numerous videos that are supposed to prove that this is the case. In fact, there's a P12 demonstration on YouTube that I recently listened to with great interest that made just this claim. My response after carefully listening to it was that it made one of the best cases as to why this is
not the case.
Now, you and I will have to have a gentleman's disagreement on one thing - the claim that listening to online demonstrations cannot give you a reasonably accurate sense of an instrument's tonal character. I say, Oh yes it can (But, of course, I'm referring to high quality recordings, not those done with a cheap phone mic.). I've bought every instrument I've owned as of late on nothing other than YouTube videos. I haven't played a single instrument in a music store for decades. I can listen to many Prophet '08 videos and know for certain that it has just the sound I want. The same is true for the ARP Odyssey. And I can listen to Voyager videos, and then Model D videos, and tell there is a striking difference between the two synthesizers. True, it's not 100% accurate, but it's more than enough to assess an instrument. And so, I can listen to Prophet 12 demonstrations - and even more - I can listen to
many of them
repeatedly, and get a fairly accurate sense of the tone. Sure, trying one in a music store would certainly be helpful, but it's not necessary. Besides, I've looked and looked, in vain.
The Prophet 12 is what it is. It clearly doesn't suit some of us analog enthusiasts. And to show what a progressive, futuristic, moving-forward, up-to-speed, modernist sort of guy I am (
), I'm more than ready to look towards a forthcoming instrument. I know very well what my musical needs are, and I'm not looking for a thrill from either a new or an old instrument; I'm simply trying to find the synthesizer that will best fulfill those needs.