Music & Demonstrations

[Sacred Synthesis]

You should know better than I, since you had a Prophet 12 and I haven't!  Honestly, my ear has become so accustomed to stereo that any poly synth that has a mono signal sounds terribly dry, stiff, and lifeless to me.  I figure the Prophet 12 hasn't been given a fair chance until it's been heard in either a six or twelve voice stereo configuration.  That's my last hope for this instrument.  No matter the sound shaping capabilities and sonic resources of an instrument, the mono signal kills it for me.

David, I don't think you've ever elaborated on your opinion of the P12. 

[slashy]

Thanks, Glyn!

And yes, the user soundbank idea is great. A separate thread might make it easier to find though. We could just name it "Patches and User Soundbanks."

This will be a very good idea

[Paul Dither]

Thanks, Glyn!

And yes, the user soundbank idea is great. A separate thread might make it easier to find though. We could just name it "Patches and User Soundbanks."

This will be a very good idea

It's over here: http://forum.davesmithinstruments.com/index.php/topic,94.0.html

[Soundquest]

A few sequencer riffs.  Pro 2 sure has it's own sound.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKSa8oVmotY&feature=youtu.be

[Soundquest]

Three DSI's here working together:

Pro 2- controls and plays sequence.   OB6 -all the weird squeaks,"talking", pitch bends and guitar.  PO8- pads.   Korg EMX drum machine, acoustic cymbal.  And my favorite- a tin cup with a little water in it for the poing sound pops ~ 1:50.

https://soundcloud.com/wavescape-1/foam-stuff

[Trevor Refix]

Here's my newest Texture & Light track: https://soundcloud.com/textureandlight/leaningin

Pro 2 is doing the sub bass and the lead lines.

[Sacred Synthesis]

A very interesting and practical bit of advice from Chris:

https://youtu.be/fe6o_ZHQg2E?t=2m

I'm still of the contrary opinion that simply adding tuning effects and inconsistencies fails to make a digital synth sound analog.  The end result, to my ears, is still a digital sound but with tuning inconsistencies.  All this achieves is an imitation of a flaw of old analog synthesizers.  I don't want the flaws of analog, but only its strengths; nor do I want to program away a primary strength of digital, which is its ability to perfectly maintain tuning and oscillator beating rates, both when you hold a single note as well as when you compare a low note to a high note. 

In my opinion, it's analog warmth or nothing, totally regardless of tuning.

[Soundquest]

I placed this here but I guess it'd be just as appropriate in the OB6 section. 

Pro 2 - main sequence and flute (at beginning).    OB6- pads and growls (OB6 can really get some mean growls).   Simmons electric drumset.

https://soundcloud.com/wavescape-1/machine-talk

[soundxplorer]

A very interesting and practical bit of advice from Chris:

https://youtu.be/fe6o_ZHQg2E?t=2m

I'm still of the contrary opinion that simply adding tuning effects and inconsistencies fails to make a digital synth sound analog.  The end result, to my ears, is still a digital sound but with tuning inconsistencies. 

I agree with you about the tuning. I used to program slop/detuning on a lot of my Pro 2 patches, and I think it can still be useful for monophonic sounds, but I use a lot less now. For paraphonic sounds I've recently started varying the Osc Shape parameter more instead, like this:

All 4 Osc set to the same waveform in para mode, with no detuning at all. Slop at zero.
Osc 1 Shape value: 35
Osc 2 Shape value: 7
Osc 3 Shape value: 15
Osc 4 Shape value: 0

I think this helps the digital waveforms a lot, just providing some variance between each note without sounding out of tune.

[Soundquest]

Pro 2 doing most of the sequencing work, but I also use it to trigger the OB6 sequencer for some neat combinations.  OB 6 is the plucky strings throughout.  I dusted off the Doepfer Dark Energy and used it for some fm- bells and such.  The deep nearly subsonic bass (probably hard to hear on this format) is the Pittsburgh Foundation 2.

https://soundcloud.com/wavescape-1/rat-race

[Pulsefrequenz]

yes, agree.. one of thousand nice technics, but if you want analog, add analog... i recently bought the roland System 510 module... AMAZING... the square wave is such a charming warm and controlled analog oscillator and it perfectly integrates into the pro 2 sound.... now that is analog warmth (and a third filter on top :-))

A very interesting and practical bit of advice from Chris:

https://youtu.be/fe6o_ZHQg2E?t=2m

I'm still of the contrary opinion that simply adding tuning effects and inconsistencies fails to make a digital synth sound analog.  The end result, to my ears, is still a digital sound but with tuning inconsistencies.  All this achieves is an imitation of a flaw of old analog synthesizers.  I don't want the flaws of analog, but only its strengths; nor do I want to program away a primary strength of digital, which is its ability to perfectly maintain tuning and oscillator beating rates, both when you hold a single note as well as when you compare a low note to a high note. 

In my opinion, it's analog warmth or nothing, totally regardless of tuning.

[Quatschmacher]

Thanks for sharing this, Paul. It’s certainly making me take a hard look at the Pro 2. I’ve been thinking about getting a poly but I really enjoyed playing the Pro 2 in a shop recently.

A rather lengthy part 5: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjl2gTx_ElA

Enjoy!

[Sacred Synthesis]

He's good when he's under pressure. 

[Mr.Dezent]

So happy to be able to post some tracks of my babysteps with the pro2!

this one is rly just a loop with the Pro2 providing a whalish lead and choords which dissolve into a mushy, comforting mess using the character section
https://soundcloud.com/themrdezent/comfort-of-matrix

this one features a sequence letting the filters sing and some feedback dialed in to provide a "bass" ?!
Lead on top provided by a CasioCT430 put through the Pro2delays, sampled and played back chromatically with the op1.
https://soundcloud.com/themrdezent/facts-of-re

All "production" is done on the OP1 and a ZoomH5. Track hasn´t seen a Computer until the Upload.

 I appreciate any critique!

[Soundquest]

One last stop to the saloon before leaving for good.

Main sequence, steam engine, wind, horse, bugs, flies and whistling is all Pro 2.
Train whistling, bell and bar patrons is Modor NF1
Padded horns /choir is Novation Summit.
Ragtime Piano is P-12- credit to Sue Keller for playing the midi track used for the ragtime piece inclusion.
Acoustic snare and HH.

https://soundcloud.com/wavescape-1/leaving-loreena

[Soundquest]

I was messing around with the Pro 2 delays and had this little pattern going.  Love pairing this instrument with the OB6 as they compliment each other nicely.  Pro 2's limitation on the one  amp envelope when you are using it paraphonically trims off a bit, but for nice effect.  Pro 2 capable of some powerful bass.  The harpy sound and the "voices" are OB6.   Strymon BigSky verb.

https://soundcloud.com/wavescape-1/you-get-it

[Soundquest]

Another pairing of Pro 2 with OB6.  Pro 2 really has a unique sound bolstered by the paraphonic architecture.  A tad of panning here and 30ms delay on one mixer channel gives some nice stereo effect.

 https://soundcloud.com/wavescape-1/crystal-realm

[Soundquest]

This instrument pairing is my favorite.  I guess this could just as easily be placed in the OB6 forum section.  I had this really neat Pro2 patch with all kinds of ebb and flow to it-so I wanted to share.    I played five segments each a little different, then I went back and added some pads and such.  Generally there is no more than two or three tracks (about as live as I get) .  I played the left on the Pro 2 and right on the OB 6 with a plucky patch.  This makes the meat of it.

https://youtu.be/ps5etCe90IE