Deciding between a Prophet 5 Rev 2 or rev 3 or??. Help!!

[davidfuego]

Hey guys, this is my first topic on VSE. I am saving to buy a Prophet 5 for my gear, but have not decided which rev if rev2 or rev 3 could be better for my music. I produce and make music for pop/rock and electro and compose music for movies, commercials plus have my own project which has a little depeche, Air, Vangelis sound in it and it is instrumental. I am a piano trained player also

I know that rev 2 has different components and readed that it´s sound is more "organic" to many, but some say that they are very unstable and components are really hard to get plus techs that could work on it. Is this true? I live in Colombia in SOuth AMerica and finding components is difficult however I have an Andromeda and it has behaved perfect since I bought and never regret it´s sound and beauty compared to the horror stories I read of a few. But on the other side there is Rev 3 which is more stable thanks to the chips but looses to some in it´s sound. Prices are a little different between both rev but it does not matter as long as Rev 2 is really resistant.

On the other side, I was deciding on a prophet 12 which I like, but everytime I listen to music made with the Prophet 5 I feel that the sound is more my taste plus I do not have a real Vintage in my studio which could be a nice addition and I definitely feel that the sound of a P5 really says something to me, however I do not have a Hybrid also and P12 could be just fine although not to good presets (Like ANdromeda which I have) but I know the possibilities could be endless thanks to it´s edit options. My gear includes: Alesis Andromeda, Roland Jd800, Minimoog Voyager SE, Waldorf XTK and Kawai Mp8.

So the question is pros and cons of rev 2 vs rev 3 or p12 better choice? I know that there is more threads about this, however not as much info as I thought.

[calyx93]

my vote would be to go for a rev 3.3. it will be easier to repair and find techs, the chips are easier to source, it sounds like a prophet 5 (the 12 does not) and it is very stable - oh, and it's got midi.

however, if you have the resources, by all means, source a rev 2 - again, if you have the resources. if the sound is THAT important to you, then do it.

this is the reason why after being somewhat satisfied with multiple microwaves and VSTs, i bought real PPG hardware. only you'll be able to answer whether the price and commitment will be worth it.

[ppg_wavecomputer]

[...] some say that they are very unstable and components are really hard to get plus techs that could work on it. Is this true? [...]

Yes.

It´s the stuff nightmares are made of. Unless you have twice the amount of money you´re prepared to spend on one (for spares and repairs, that is) and have a tech by your side permanently, I´d steer clear of the Rev. 2 -- the Rev. 3.2/3.3 can do quite the same job, with the differences in sound being minuscule (as I can vouch for from first-hand experience, playing a friend´s Rev. 1 and Rev. 3.3 side by side).

Even the Rev. 3 can be a pain in the arse when sourcing spare Curtis ICs. Yes, you can obtain them every now and them but they get closer to Unobtainium by the day.

Stephen

[Bitexion]

The chipset is different in the v2, so it's definately harder to get serviced. And the sound IS very similar, only anally obsessed fetishists will find much difference when isolating the oscillators and such.

Plus it has less patch memory too.

[Dr. Phibes]

Other than SSM/CEM thing, what is it that makes the Rev 2s so notorious upkeep-wise?

[phesago]

Not much really. Wine Country(despite whatever reputation they have) will service them. They used to refuse to touch them, but since the demand was so high they had no choice other than to do so. I mean cost is an issue, and some other techs wont touch them, but WC isn't as bad as people make them out to be. I enjoy talking to Dave, and he has good information for you if you have a old SCI.


But the real killer for me is midi. Gots to have dat midi.

[ppg_wavecomputer]

Other than SSM/CEM thing, what is it that makes the Rev 2s so notorious upkeep-wise?

Power supply issues and a generally flakey build quality. And there is one h**l of a lot of trimmers on the PCBs so that didn´t help calibration either.

Stephen

[synthparts]

Not much really. Wine Country(despite whatever reputation they have) will service them. They used to refuse to touch them, but since the demand was so high they had no choice other than to do so. I mean cost is an issue, and some other techs wont touch them, but WC isn't as bad as people make them out to be. I enjoy talking to Dave, and he has good information for you if you have a old SCI.

Greg Montalbano in Oakland (analogsynthervice.com) also works on Rev 1s/2s and will be much cheaper than WC and do an excellent job. He's the P-5 expert tech. He took my totally non-working Rev 1 and for a mere $200 got it completely working, in tune, and even factory presets loaded. It has been working great for several years now and is more reliable than most Rev 3s I've had...

[SeventhStar]

I am a Prophet 5 fan too. I've used the Arturia Prophet V emulator, but never played on a real one..

If I were going to buy one to actually USE regularly and record music with it, I would get a Ver 3.3 with the Midi interface.

If I only had enough money to purchase the synth, and had next to none left over for service and maintenance costs, which a 30+ year old synth will undoubtedly need, I'd probably go for a Prophet 08 or Prophet 12.

The Arturia Prophet is the best bang for the buck if one wants Prophet like sound with minimal expense and zero maintenance.

[Bitexion]

The arturia P5 emulator sounds pretty good, and the presets are pretty close to the original presets.

[celebutante]

The rev2 vs. rev3 thing has been pounded into the ground here and elsewhere, but IMO, it's one of those things where you would likely hear a difference in a strict isolated A/B environment, but in an actual song (remember those?), I doubt you'd hear much difference. The other thing that always makes me chuckle is that about 98% of the time you've ever heard a Prophet on record, it's likely a rev3 anyway- there are WAY more of them out there.

Now here's where I get a little snobby... I'd be the first to admit that a Prophet 08 is more reliable and does more than a P-5, but from a tonality/warmth standpoint, it can't a hold a candle to a P-5.

[analogsynthmuseum]

the prophet 5 rev3.3 is the synth of the 80s because everybody need midi to sync beatbox like linn so the 3.3 is a good choice for you, i have it in real with my linn LM1 !!!! the 2 funk machines

[Synthacon]

Greg Montalbano in Oakland (analogsynthervice.com) also works on Rev 1s/2s and will be much cheaper than WC and do an excellent job....

I always thought WC used Greg anyway??

Main issue is power supplies and internal build quality that has been mentioned.

My tech mentioned he had one that he repaired and the customer had not collected for years, I mentioned buying it.., his response was simply "Don't". Says a lot as my tech is amazingly good

I'd get a late 3.2 or 3.3 with MIDII and be done.

[Stab Frenzy]

Check post dates before replying people, if the OP hasn't decided in eight and a half months it's probably not worth replying. If they have decided, it's probably not worth replying.

[Steve Jones]

With Prophet 5's I work on the "Do you want to drive your vintage car or do you want to lie underneath it with a socket set each weekend?"

Rev 3.x is the way to go IMHO.