The great official thread of the Prophet-5

[iProg]

Dear VSE pals,

I've come to the conclusion that it is time to collect all the scattered but oh so valuable information and resources about the most classic of all polysynths, the Prophet-5.

Our best threads about it are:

Favorite albums featuring the P5:
http://www.vintagesynth.com/forum/viewt ... =1&t=61882

OB-X or P5 - Japan:
http://www.vintagesynth.com/forum/viewt ... =1&t=61455

mavertrons classic and immortal P5 rev.2 thread with info of many great P5 players:
http://www.vintagesynth.com/forum/viewt ... =1&t=42539

P5 used in Japan songs:
http://www.vintagesynth.com/forum/viewt ... =1&t=53890

Peter Gabriel and the P5 thread:
http://www.vintagesynth.com/forum/viewt ... =1&t=42739

Videos:

P5 Poly-sequencer No 2:


No 1:


David Sylvian playing Prophet-5 in hi-quality live performances with Japan:

Cantonese Boy:

Visions of China:

Swing and My New Career:

and of course,

PROFETTO FIVUH



The tribute site:
http://users.telenet.be/prophet-5/

With inspiration of these links and threads, please contribute with further interesting things regarding the P5. If you're not interested, don't complain or comment!

[iProg]

[sequentialsoftshock]

I'd be on that list now. And somewhere on there is the name of the person who owned my P1's originally...

[th0mas]

I'd be on that list now. And somewhere on there is the name of the person who owned my P1's originally...

Hate to break it to you but no one's on that list simply for owning a synthesizer...

[philip]

Such a nice structured topic,nice to be here.I DON't have a P5, but mayby this will push me to have one.

[sequentialsoftshock]

I'd be on that list now. And somewhere on there is the name of the person who owned my P1's originally...

Hate to break it to you but no one's on that list simply for owning a synthesizer...

Obvs.

[goom]

Ooo.. we can't have an Official Prophet 5 thread without the flexi disc demo record from 1978. Two P5 demos are on the disc; one by John Bowen, the other is by Dan Wyman:

[Alex E]

Some of the best synthesizers ever made came from right here in the Golden State.

[visceralvoids]

Certainly one of my favorite synths, even a broken one still sounds good to me. I believe Emu sourced the scanning keybed and other parts on eariler Prophet 5s?

[sequentialsoftshock]

Must admit... I'm kinda amused there's a thread for this. Also amused that no pedant has come around blasting this.

[iProg]

During the holidays, my new home studio will be finished (hopefully) and I will post some sounds from the P5. I've tried to recreate some of the patches from Tin Drum and Gentlemen Take Polariods, according to Micke's helpful list of P5 features.

Meanwhile, here are other inspiring videos:







These are all from the rev.3

The sounds in this clip are, on the contrary, from the rev.2 and they are just absurdly awesome!

[Micke]

Nice thread iProg

Here's a few more interesting things for your thread...

Dan Wyman's review of the Prophet 5 from the may/june 1978 issue of Synapse Magazine:
http://www.cyndustries.com/synapse/syna ... r78&pic=43

Sequential Circuits Prophet 5 and Prophet 10 "The Industry's First" ad, Synapse Magazine jan/feb 1978:
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_bYze_R6XM18/S ... 978_ck.jpg
Photo courtesy of Retro Synths Ads:
http://retrosynthads.blogspot.com/searc ... /prophet-5
(the site contains a ton of cool vintage synths ads and info)

Note that the original prototype Prophet that was shown at the Jan 1978 NAMM show was a Prophet 5. It's a myth
that the Prophet was originally designed as a 10-voice instrument, it just so happened that among the first orders,
there were some P10's. Among those who purchased single manual P10's we find names such as Joe Zawinul (whose
P10 was later returned to SCI in exchange for a P5), Pat Gleeson (x2), Dan Wyman (x2) and Denny Zeitlin.

I'm a big fan of Francis Monkman (ex Curved Air, SKY etc) and since he was a big Prophet 5 user I thought I'd post
a video of SKY performing Toccata back in 1980:


I realize this is playback but I don't recall ever seeing a keyboard player controlling a polyphonic synth (in this case
a Prophet 5 rev 1) from a harpsichord.

[fatherferal]

i sold my prophet5 four years ago and i really wish that i had not. nothing comes even remotely close. a friend of mine bought a dsi p-8 and to be honest, my nordlead 2 can get alot closer to the sound of a prophet5

[keb]

I once knew this friend of a friend, and one day we were talking synths (he plays and had a nice collection going) he was saying "oh yeah.. I've got this old Prophet 5 I don't really want anymore... hey tell you what, I'll fix it up [he was a bit of an electronics whiz who designed/built his own effects pedals and such] and I'll give it to you, you'll use it more than me." (He was known for being very generous to his friends... always buying dinner for them, spotting them cash, etc.)

...

Yeah, needless to say I lost contact with him and never got it... oh well! The one that got away.

[goom]

Hey Micke - Thanks for posting the Sky video. I'm a long time fan, and just spent the last few minutes watching the other vids on youtube. Great stuff!