DSI Prophet 8

[DocT]

A few late night P'08 sounds (with Stylus drums):

http://www.trippler.net/files/p8/p8t.mp3

[Dubby_Wubby]

Hi I'm looking into buying this synth and have got a couple of questions.

Right I have some gear to sell to finance the purchase of the synth, but selling the gear will only get me to £1000. I initially wanted a Alesis Andromeda, but because they have been discontinued I didn't want to pay £2000 for a 2nd hand one after reading all the problems that plague the thing.

Anyway I stumbled upon the P08 the other day just browsing the internet. I'm really loving the vibe of the keyboard version, so I had an idea. I thought about selling my Virus TI 61 note keyboard version to get some extra cash, getting the keyboard version of the Prophet 08 and getting a 2nd hand Virus Snow for my Virus sounds.

I just love the look of the keyboard version of the prophet 08, but had another thought the today and decided it was a stupid idea (agree???) because the Virus TI keyboard action is a thing of beauty (I read its made by fatar), its a nice master keyboard and I doubted that the Prophet 08 has as nice a keyboard action. Also, the snow is limited in polyphony and hardware controls. It was a bad idea.

So I started looking at the Prophet module, which I didn't like the look of at first. But financially it makes perfect sense. But I have a few questions about the module.

Firstly, I take it the module can do everything sound-wise that the keyboard version can do, nothing it compromised from a hardware point of view?

Secondly, I'd be using the Virus TI keyboard to play the sounds of the virus. I'm wondering would aftertouch be able to be sent to the P08 accurately i.e. If I wanted aftertouch to control a parameter of the P08 would MIDI be able to handle that? I've heard that MIDI can bottleneck really easily sending aftertouch data. I've also read that the TI can only send monophonic aftertouch, so would I be missing out on some possibilities sound-wise because of that?

Thirdly, similar to above would a keyboard controlling the module be 'compromised' in anyway compared to the keyboard P08?

Cheers.

[Byrthfood]

I have the module and yes it can do everything the keyboard version can do. Definitely go for the new potentiometer version because the older knobs are c**p and so is the Soundtower editor (for me at least). I don't think you will have problems with aftertouch but I am pretty sure it isn't polyphonic anyway.

[atticus]

I was just listening to DocT's fantastic demos again and wondering if a Tetra really is literally half a Prophet08. DocT's demos seem to have slightly more effective bass sounds than the ones I've heard out of the Tetra so far. Could anyone with both machines let me know their opinion as I'm about to go for one or the other. Cheers.

[pflosi]

the tetra is more than half a p08 - it also has 2 suboscs (1 and 2 octaves down) per voice, and a feedback path. the p08 lacks those.

polyphonic aftertouch would be great. I only know like 3 synths that do this: CS80, rhodes chroma and Prophet T8. and some waldorf synths... the andromeda manual says it can receive it over midi, but it's not implemented, so not working (though one can kind of "fake" it with proper programming, since all modulations are per voice)

[Soundwave]

the tetras interface is near usless in multi mode and for a couple of hundred quid more you can get a nice used 08 module with loads of knobs

[pflosi]

yes, that is very true....

[Soundwave]

just had my 08 against my mates Memorymoog and Xpander

VCO's The MM has a slightly brighter upper mid but the 08 is a close 2nd with 'slop' on max the Xpander sounds duller than the 08 although very similar.

Filter the 08 has a much better higher frequency response and a more controlled/calibrated range than the MM, the resonance is very similar on both but the MM does have that grainy, warm pre filter overdrive although this isn't often desirable on many polyphonic sounds. I have to say I prefer the 08's filter to my old Pro1 and although a filter overdrive would be a bonus ole Dave has set the input level just right for most sounds and has a silky smooth quality that's had to dislike. The Xpander's filter is a different kettle of fish altogether and retains than brash Oberhiem edge which for me is the machines virtue.

Envelopes the 08 wins hands down here as it's noticeably sharper than both the MM and Xpander (which is very sloppy in comparison) although the decay/release slopes on the MM has a more instrument like quality which isn't a good or a bad thing just different.


Stacking the 08 in full unison dare I say had a much richer sound than the MM unison which was quite a shock to my friend although the stereo spread did help add a lot of depth.



All in all the 08 is a very well crafted analogue poly that can easily hold it's own with the best of them, the build quality my not be as lush as say the newer Moogs but this would most likely add a substantial cost and luxury that I can live without. I also like the endless encoders, ok they feel a little on the loose side but the ones on my Elektron are almost the same and I find the catch method of programming with pots very annoying. The mod sequencer, 4x mod matrix, synced LFO's and parameter ranges finer than the ole 127 make this synth a no brainier for those who want the vintage analogue sound without the vintage reliability hassles or stupid collector/investor prices plus a few modern tweaks to go a little more beyond.

A mulitmode filter and filter overdrive/feedback would make this the near perfect polysynth but one can ever have everything. I would also like to compare it to an A6 one day.




(maybe I should have posted this in the buyers guide )

[Stab Frenzy]

polyphonic aftertouch would be great. I only know like 3 synths that do this: CS80, rhodes chroma and Prophet T8. and some waldorf synths...

The SQ-80 does as well doesn't it?

[pflosi]

don't really know, I was thinking of (strictly) analog synths...

[Push-Pull]

The SQ-80 does as well doesn't it?

Yes, I confirm that.
And the Ensoniq EPS and ASR10 too...

[gd]

Soundwave thank-you so much for your review and comparison - I can only go by memory of playing the MM from the early 80's and it also had some severe tuning issues. I am planning on picking up a Tetra to chain with my P08. I have a feeling that adding the sub osc. will add a lot to the sound character that I am missing from time to time. I would also like to add an hp filter to the P08.

[memory cords]

Soundwave thank-you so much for your review and comparison - I can only go by memory of playing the MM from the early 80's and it also had some severe tuning issues. I am planning on picking up a Tetra to chain with my P08. I have a feeling that adding the sub osc. will add a lot to the sound character that I am missing from time to time. I would also like to add an hp filter to the P08.

@gd

I'm pretty sure that the Tetra's sub oscillators and feedback functions are unavailable when you connect it to a Prophet '08. Both the Tetra's and the Mopho's extra features are not compatible with the Prophet '08. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

Personally I feel that the sub oscillators and the feedback in Mopho/Tetra voices add a huge amount to the sound, much thicker and more powerful than the Prophet '08's voices.

[MPS]

I think that I may go for the new mono keyboard and add a Tetra later for a 5 voice synth with some knobs.

[gd]

@gd
I'm pretty sure that the Tetra's sub oscillators and feedback functions are unavailable when you connect it to a Prophet '08. Both the Tetra's and the Mopho's extra features are not compatible with the Prophet '08. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

I thought that that would happen only if using P08 patches on the Tetra. I guess I was more talking about using midi for some sounds and not just polychaining them for extra voices using the same P08 patch.