The History Of The Prophet Synthesizer

This video, via Alex Ball, is a collaborative history of the Prophet synthesizer.

It features the Prophet 5, Prophet 10, Pro-One, Prophet 600, Prophet T8, Prophet 2000, Prophet VS, Prophet 3000, Prophet ’08, Prophet 12, Prophet REV2, Prophet 6, Prophet X  and more.

Video Summary:

One of the most interesting stories of the synth world is that of Dave Smith and Sequential Circuits. I decided to try to tell some of it via their flagship series, from the Prophet 5 in 1978 to the Prophet X in 2018.

With the help of a dozen other people who were incredibly generous and equally excited by their instruments, this film is the result: The History of the Prophet Synthesizer. Massive and heart-felt thanks to all of these awesome Prophet people, this film would be very short without you!

9 thoughts on “The History Of The Prophet Synthesizer

  1. Very cool! My old live setup included 2 Pro Ones, a Prophet 600
    and a Prophet 5, I got to use a Prophet 10 in the studio
    back in the day. Great video!

  2. I hope that Dave will bring back the NEW PROPHET VS at least 32 voices soon, otherwise ……….. I build it at home.

    Please DAVE reborn the synth that really took an important step in the history of synths, practically and the only one missing from the old S.C.I.

    I hope my prayers are heard, I have been waiting for years …………

  3. Ah, that beautiful T8/Synclavier keyboard with polyphonic aftertouch!! I wish DSI would make more great keybeds like that – instruments like the P’08 support poly pressure but there is a shortage of keyboards to generate it (I’ve used a CME Xkey37, KMI QuNexus, and Animoog on the iPad, but none of them are full-size/full-travel keyboards.)

    Hopefully the adoption of MPE will usher in a new era of polyphonic expression keyboards!!

    1. Yes! I’m anxiously waiting for the release of the new KMI Pro 4, which was the primary reason for my purchase of the Novation Peak: 8 voice polyphonic aftertouch controlled by a 49-note keyboard!

  4. I like the ad showing a commodore 64. 😉

    Ah, I wish the modern Prophets were fully multitimbral like the Tetra. I kind of want 4 Tetras in a box.

  5. For a really in-depth history of Sequential Circuits I recommend the fantastic book “The Prophet From Silicon Valley” by David Abernethy. It’s a joy to read and there are lots of fun and interesting anecdotes from notable Prophet users

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