First encounter with a Prophet 5... slightly underwhelmed...

[sensorium]

If it'd been a Rev 1 or 2 P-5, we wouldn't be having this discussion.

I've had both a Rev 2 and a Rev 3. You obviously have not. The difference is virtually non-existent.

[otto]

I liked the P5 a lot but I personally don't place it's value as high as the current market rate, simple as that. I thought there was enough overlap with under-rated P600, that even with it's shortcomings made it hard to justify the huge price difference. I've already gushed about the OB-8 in another thread and maybe I'm just an oberheim man and didn't know it. What I do know is that if prefer the added features the OB-8 has versus the few that it is missing when compared to the P5. I also know it does a fine job of overlapping into prophet territory as well as doing its own thing. If they were the same price I would still rather have the OB-8 (but the P5 is still a nicer looking synth which no doubt adds to its appeal).

[BoxPhenom]

This is an interesting discussion guys.

I have a Jupiter 4 as my only polysynth (the Omni II is a string synth for me, although it can pull thin pads too).

I also have a Pro-One which I love, the sync sounds are lovely and I couldn't live without them. I somewhat doubt that polyphonic use of that would be very useful for the music I make, electronic disco. Patrick Cowley did use the P5 a lot and made some amazing stuff IMO.

I often wonder what my next polysynth will be, I had the chance to buy a cheap Memorymoog Plus recently, I turned it down because of reliability and maintenance concerns but I now regret it a little, the sound was so beautiful I almost cried. It seemed though that maybe the thickness of the Moog might not have that useful in my music, which is mostly stacked monophonic melodies.

What would be your suggestions?
One thing I'd love to do is compare the Jupiter 4 and 8 to see what I'm missing and what the 4 does "better"

I see that Ob-8s don't go for quite as much as I'd have expected and that seems like a good choice to give me some great sounds without ovelapping too much with what I have, would you agree?

[7Hz]

One thing I'd love to do is compare the Jupiter 4 and 8 to see what I'm missing

Probably missing the J6, best of the lot

[sensorium]

It seemed though that maybe the thickness of the Moog might not have that useful in my music, which is mostly stacked monophonic melodies.

You can disable voices and turn oscillators down in the mixer section when you don't need/want the "thickness".

[matia]

One thing I'd love to do is compare the Jupiter 4 and 8 to see what I'm missing and what the 4 does "better"

Really, there isn't much of a comparison. None of them sound like each other and a Jupiter 4 will never sound or feel like a Jupiter 8. I've used all the Jupiter's including the MKS 80 and each one is a different synth. Currently in the studio we have a Jupiter 8 and a Jupiter 6. They sound completely different from each other. The MKS 80 sounds closer to a Jupiter 6 with some really hard edge that the 6 doesn't have. The Jupiter 4 always had this really vintage vibe, like very 1970's sounding. The Jupiter 8 is a class in itself, generating sounds that really, only it can do in the way that it does

-matia

[clusterchord]

If it'd been a Rev 1 or 2 P-5, we wouldn't be having this discussion.

I've had both a Rev 2 and a Rev 3. You obviously have not. The difference is virtually non-existent.

i had friend's rev3 and still have my rev2. (he has both revs now as well). so we will have to agree to disagree.

cheers

[lhm1138]

If it'd been a Rev 1 or 2 P-5, we wouldn't be having this discussion.

I've had both a Rev 2 and a Rev 3. You obviously have not. The difference is virtually non-existent.

I've played the Rev 1. From what I've heard of rev 3 demos, there's a huge difference. The SSM filters sound radically different from the CEMs. IMO of course.

Check yourself, foo!

[Sir Ruff]

I often wonder what my next polysynth will be, I had the chance to buy a cheap Memorymoog Plus recently, I turned it down because of reliability and maintenance concerns but I now regret it a little, the sound was so beautiful I almost cried. It seemed though that maybe the thickness of the Moog might not have that useful in my music, which is mostly stacked monophonic melodies.

haha... you're a better person than me (and probably a few of us) if you could turn down a synth for the honest (and realistic) reason that it wouldn't fit in your music.... (I would've just bought the MMoog and worried about actually using it later! )
I also don't tend to do big chord based stuff, but that has never stopped me from wanting to play that big brass/sweep sound that old, expensive polyphonic analogs tend do so well (particularly of the oberheim ilk). It seems that kind of polyphonic pad/sweep that would be de rigueur for electronic disco as well..

an ob8 might be your gateway synth into that kind of sound...

[Automatic Gainsay]

"Thin" usually translates (for most) as:

1. Not Moog
2. Possessing a high pass or band pass filter
3. single-osc
4. Not what I expected
5. Possessing less functionality than I wanted

[guitarsandsynths]

"Thin" usually translates (for most) as:

1. Not Moog
2. Possessing a high pass or band pass filter
3. single-osc
4. Not what I expected
5. Possessing less functionality than I wanted

Following the DVD we now present AGs latest!!!
The Synth Dictionary - eloquently mellifluous and compact !

[analogholic]

Well, when I got my rev 3 (w Kenton-midi) I was a little dissapointed at first as well. I´m an Obielover...
Things got a lot better when I controlled it from my masterkeyboard, routing velocity to the filter, WOW !!!
Sounds WAY more musical. And yes, the polymod is awesome and unique.

I love its ballsy aggressive and a bit "dry" sounds for stabs, leads and basses etc, but that charachter won´t give you lush strings, which is the other way around with my Matrix-12, so they compliment each other quite well IMO.

The Rev 3 P5 is a beautiful synth no doubt, with strenghts and weaknesses as most other synths.
I´d love try a Rev 2 as well.

[Leeroy Jenkins]

OH man, I love the Prophet-5! Not only is it the best looking analog synth ever made, but the sound is just fantastic. Mine is a rev 3.1. Super snappy EGs, so it's great for punchy, percussive type sounds. I also own an Oberheim OB-Xa and an OB-8. I don't spent much time comparing the two because they are simply different instruments that create differeny types of sounds. Synth comparison is silly by nature, sort of like guitar comparison. What's better, a Les Paul or a Strat? What's better, a Fender P-bass or a Ric 4001? Haha.. ridiculous.

Anyway, long live the Prophet-5!

[hfinn]

One of the things I love most about the P5 is how I can instantly get VERY Boards of Canada like tones out of it. Like this:



I have an entire bank of sounds that I programed that are just mellow weird sounds like that. I love it.

[MrFrodo]

So yesterday I went to visit a guy I know in Brooklyn, NY and we went to Main Drag Music. They had a Prophet 5 (v. 3.2) sitting there for sale, so I tried it out. Now this is the first time I've had my hands on the legendary Prophet, so my expectations were high. I already own a Rhodes Chroma and an OB-Xa, and I've tried a few other analog polys. I also have an SCI Pro One, which I think is great (third one I've owned). You'd think I'd have gotten to check out the P5 by now, but the opportunity never presented itself before (it's not like they have them at Guitar Center or anything).

Anyway, I sat with the thing for a good half hour or so, hit all the patches, tweaked the filter, resonance, envelope, etc... It was certainly nice, but... I don't know. I was just kind of like, "That's it?" How is this possible? Maybe my expectations had been built up too much. I mean, it was cool, but... I guess having the Chroma and OB-Xa as comparisons makes me a little jaded (or spoiled, maybe). It just seemed very tame, a little thin... definitely not a polyphonic Pro One. Could I have missed something?

That reminds me of my experience with one (I think it as a rev 3). Ironically, it was at Guitar Center. But, the disappointment was less in the characteristics you described and more in the fact that not all 5 voices worked (probably the reason the thing was there to begin with). I would've bought it, if I felt I could've had it repaired.