Mono Evolver KB vs Prophet 08

[mao]

I have bought a MEK some months ago and I really like it. Now a friend of mine is selling his Prophet 08 Rack and I would like to buy the thing. It's like new, good price... and nothing is better than buying from a real friend.

I know I wrote in a past thread that I liked MEK more than the P08 but now I spent enough time with his P08 and It seems to me that it covers and goes beyond the analog side of the MEK. I'm asking myself if this will drive me to sell the MEK. I don't use it's digital side too much but the idea of losing that feature keep me in doubt about selling. You know it's not easy like selling a Mopho for a P08.

I know that the best answer is "buy the P08, keep the MEK... wait and if it will be covered by dust well sell it", but I would like to know if you had a similar experience or what do you think about.

thanks in advance.

[rharris07]

I have bought a MEK some months ago and I really like it. Now a friend of mine is selling his Prophet 08 Rack and I would like to buy the thing. It's like new, good price... and nothing is better than buying from a real friend.

I know I wrote in a past thread that I liked MEK more than the P08 but now I spent enough time with his P08 and It seems to me that it covers and goes beyond the analog side of the MEK. I'm asking myself if this will drive me to sell the MEK. I don't use it's digital side too much but the idea of losing that feature keep me in doubt about selling. You know it's not easy like selling a Mopho for a P08.

I know that the best answer is "buy the P08, keep the MEK... wait and if it will be covered by dust well sell it", but I would like to know if you had a similar experience or what do you think about.

thanks in advance.

I have both, love the absolute h**l out of both and use both...especially together. To me, they're totally different beasts - other than just for the obvious reasons. I think if you pair the two and start playing with them together, you'll feel very happy that you kept the MEK. I typically use the P08 for bass, pads, strings and use the MEK for bass, leads, sfx...they mess very well together in a recording.

[mao]

you have both.... you use them both... you love them both...

that's a great info. Perhaps I need to test the P08 more in depth... side by side with the MEK. I hope to find and enjoy the differences because I really hate to sell synth I loved so much.

[rharris07]

you have both.... you use them both... you love them both...

that's a great info. Perhaps I need to test the P08 more in depth... side by side with the MEK. I hope to find and enjoy the differences because I really hate to sell synth I loved so much.

There are a couple of obvious preset similarities, but if you dive into either one just a little you'll find neither really replicate each other. They're both definitely identifiably dave smith instruments - but thats why we like them! Regardless, I have a feeling you'll enjoy both side by side. I even picked up a desktop mopho to sync up with my mek because i just like the interface and sound of DSI so much, and I can get all 3 to sound so different from each other that it doesn't sound like overlap or overkill.

[GuyaGuy]

I just recently got the Poly Evolver Keyboard (PE) after having had the Mono Evolver module and the Tetra. Not quite the same thing but...Before selling the Tetra I compared its oscillators with the analog ones of the PEK and Mono module and found them to be very similar. In fact, the DSI FAQ states that the analog oscillators and the filters (Curtis) are the same in the Evolver and Prophets. So it seems the whole DSI family shares this osc and filter section. So that makes the PEK a bit of a Prophet 04.

Having said that, they both have their own features--HP filter, feedback, wavetable, and hack on the PEK, arpeggiator, 8-voice polyphony, etc. on the P08. I was planning to purchase a Prophet 08 but the versatility and features of the PEK just won me over. The arps would have been nice but I don't feel like I'm missing the extra 4 voices of polyphony. Of course, it all depends on what features are right for you.

FWIW, you can get the Mono module for under $400 used (at least in the US) so that's always an option if you start missing the wavetable.

[rharris07]

I do think the only reason I'd get rid of my MEK is to get a PEK. Combining that with my P'08 would be quite a bad a*s sound I have no doubt. I've just gotta find one reasonably priced...

While they do share the same filters and oscillators - you honestly can keep them from ever sounding the same. It's very easy to get them to go in completely opposite directions with just a few knob turns.

[GuyaGuy]

I do think the only reason I'd get rid of my MEK is to get a PEK. Combining that with my P'08 would be quite a bad a*s sound I have no doubt. I've just gotta find one reasonably priced...

While they do share the same filters and oscillators - you honestly can keep them from ever sounding the same. It's very easy to get them to go in completely opposite directions with just a few knob turns.

I've not had the pleasure of playing a P08 but I'm sure it has things going on that aren't there in the PEK. But quite frankly, I'd rather not know about them for the sake of my bank balance.

[mao]

Thanks for your suggestions... I decided to KEEP my MEK... buy the P08 from my friend (because it's a really a good price) and next year I'll start looking for a 2nd hand polyevolver rack to use in midichain with the MEK.

[rharris07]

I've not had the pleasure of playing a P08 but I'm sure it has things going on that aren't there in the PEK. But quite frankly, I'd rather not know about them for the sake of my bank balance.

Believe you me, that is EXACTLY how I view the PEK!

Thanks for your suggestions... I decided to KEEP my MEK... buy the P08 from my friend (because it's a really a good price) and next year I'll start looking for a 2nd hand polyevolver rack to use in midichain with the MEK.

Not a bad idea at all, glad we could help in any small way. DSI synths are extremely addictive if you like their sound...it is really tough to move away from them and pick up something totally different. For me at least.

[sequentialsoftshock]

I could never replace a mono with a poly version of the same board... It's just not the same, even in unison/mono mode!

[rharris07]

It's just not the same, even in unison/mono mode!

You're right, it's a s**t-ton better!

[sequentialsoftshock]

It's just not the same, even in unison/mono mode!

You're right, it's a s**t-ton better!

Until you want to play a monophonic part; then you'll realize that a poly can't really act as a mono... At least not the same mono as an Evolver or Pro~One would be as the mono version instead of poly.

[pricklyrobot]

The purity of monophonic orthodoxy has been done to death on this forum, I feel I must make a plea to leave it in the tombs where it belongs.

Polysynths are good because they have lots of oscillators and play lots of notes; monosynths are good because you only need one hand to play, leaving the other free for...whatever.
Done and dusted.

[sequentialsoftshock]

The purity of monophonic orthodoxy has been done to death on this forum.

Really? I wasn't aware of that. I wasn't arguing "purity", I was just saying that playing a PEK in unison versus an MEK with identical patches will still be different than just an MEK because there will be more oscillators.

[monolith]

The purity of monophonic orthodoxy has been done to death on this forum.

Really? I wasn't aware of that. I wasn't arguing "purity", I was just saying that playing a PEK in unison versus an MEK with identical patches will still be different than just an MEK because there will be more oscillators.

I know what you're getting at. i'm inclined to agree too, but I sold my MEK recently because most patches I made left me wishing it was polyphonic. I'm gonna get an evolver again one day, but it will be the PEK.