Sequential Circuits Pro-One

very easy! granted, if you are new to analog synthesizers, you can only keep turning knobs and pushing switches and if you are an imaginative person, it should be intuitive. it was my first 2 oscillator synth. i was playing an arp axxe before the pro-one. it took me 15 minutes to get my bearings and about 5 hours (the first day) to get up and walk away from it!! only your your mind is the pre-set. once you have found a sound you like, you should write it all down. thats the only way to remember the great sounds you stumble apon. i never had a manual, just my basic understanding of old mono synths and listening to hawk wind and throbbing gristle!!

its mono, but what ever, this is a lead synth!! it has everything you'd expect from old synths.....except it has an arpegiator and a 40 note sequencer. most folks think the sequencer is a bit simple, but thats half the reason why its so nice to use!! its a quick and simple way to get sequenced sounds on the fly. the arpegiator is alright, just use the repeat function and you've almost got the same thing. the ability to use the modulation either direct or from the wheel is great! both mediums of use have different effects and intensities and allow you to use the modulation in different ways and if you like things to sound fucked up!! well, you got it! no midi, just good old no memory all analog!

ahhhh!!! the pro-one!! you know, i luv the old synthesizers. i own an arp axxe,a korg poly six and an eml 101 and a pro-one and i luv each of them for their own characters. the pro-one is just another beautiful creature.....you want the sound of playing pac-man back in 1980 while ripped on acid,lazer zaps,floating ghost like sounds?? maybe you would like the sound of groaning demons from outer space.......get some reverb, or some echo and let yourself freely soar thru all the potentials of this magical beast......oh yeah, and if you like that good old 80's style synth pop or rock or even hard electro inspired punk, the pro-one can do that as well. this synth is awesome!! enough said.

mine is very dependable!! i play in a band called lesser known neutrinos. you can hear our music on myspace.com if your interested. i occasionally use an eml 101 along with the pro-one, but mostly (for simplicities sake) i just rely on the pro-one. its light and changing settings is not as brainy as the eml can be when your playing live. its never let me down...

the company is long gone and well, i read about this place called wine country and aparently they work on sequential circuits synths?? i've read also some mixed reviews of wine country as well, but so far i have never needed any help with this synth.

well, if it were lost or stolen, i would cry a river of tears. i would want to replace it asap!! in terms of old mono sy nths and their ease of use and light weightedness, i'd like to have an arp odessy some day as well since it has the duo phonic mode.....but this pro-one is a rare mint jem. i bought it from a very expensive company called tone tweakers from yonkers new york. their products are alwase 100%% cleaned,re tuned,repaired,tested and re tested and probably one of the best,most trusted dealers in vintage synths. when i got mine in the mail it was as if it were brand spanking new!! most likely one of the finest condition pro-ones in the north east!! (for real). but you know, the market is overkill!! the prices for these things are out rageous!! if you find a perfect (and i mean really perfect) condition old synth, its worth the money considering if it does'nt need costly repairs. alot of times, someone buys an old synth for high dollar and you wind up spending another chunk of cash just geting it fixed. there are fine examples out there for reasonable working class prices, just be careful and know what to look for in terms of posseble damage......

With 2 oscllators for it's voice, a seperate ADSR for the 24db per octave filter & ampfiler which is all laied out, ( no pages of menus! )This synth is easy enough to get a feel for. The knobs and switches react in real time , the modulation routings take a bit of getting used to , but worth the time to figure out.

Having an on board sequencer & appreatior is a cool feature , but on this analog mono beast it's a welcome addition,( though limited in it's capaticty it works well ) , All front panel knobs , switches react in real time ! Adding multiple waveforms together - flick of a switch ! Modulation routings abound , PWM is fat enough to raise your LDL!

Though an mono beast from the late analog period, this synth does have the "prophet" sound .Not quite a synth for emulations exactly, but more geared toward individual expression . Tweaking all pramaters results in some very interesting timbres! With 2 ocs, 5 waveforms to choose from OR combine, 24 db per octave lowpass filter with seperate ADSR for the ampfiler , true pluse with modulation that will rasie your LDL it's so fat!

Iv'e had mine since 84 ! ( yes the orginal owner ) It has on occasion reacted to voltage fluctuations ( though easily adjusted )Have only used it outside a few times ( it's a temperal beast when left out in the sun ! )

Never had the need , im sure theres plenty of online help out there Winecountry seems to come to mind. But those Curtis chips inside are getting rare.

As this being my 1st synth , i would HAVE TO replace it ! Works well on it's own , it's discint sound only Sequiental had , a slice of fat old shcool synthsis. Though the keyboard isn't responsive to the players touch you quickly learn ways around it. Looks being as imporatnt as the sound this synth has both - ( nestled in between a Dx7II FD, JV1080, Wavestation SR,mc 505 ) it stands out .

very logical layout, knobs are quite well calibrated. fun to use. sequencer and arpeggiator are a BIG PLUS.

keyboard action is pretty horrid but not that much worse than on comparable mono synths of the 70?s (eg. korg ms-20). maybe i?ll have it modded.

as far as non-aftertouch, non-velocity monosynths with two moog-type wheels go, this is just fine.

due to slightly flimsy construction i would not gig it, but it appears to be serviceable and quite reliable.

haven?t dealt with them.

excellent mono synth, next to my (one osc) micromoog it sounds a little cleaner, more flexible. i prefer it over most other monos i?ve played.
the sound is more "analytic" but can be dirtied up with outboard. with moogs, you have to go with that moog sound, with this machine, you are more flexible to process it.
but, admittedly, if you want moogish rawness, get a rogue.
however, you will tire of most little moogs sooner than of a pro one due to its clever modulation options (with toggle switches between "direct" and "wheel" routings)

It's very easy to use as every parameter is right there on the front. You may find yourself trying to sort out which modulation source is routed to which modulation input and so on for a few seconds, but it gets easier with time.

The features are very good for an analog monosynth! A second LFO would be great though.

Soundwise it's pretty all-round. Aggressive basses, screaming leads and percussive sounds are its strength in my opinion, but it's good at many other things too

The keyboard (which is the J-Wire type) is pretty okay, not great but not unusable. The keys make a loud click sound when you press them but I never get double triggers or anything like that.

The sound quality is top notch. I haven't got much more to say than that it's just wonderful.

I don't know whether it's reliable or not yet since I got it the other day, but my unit seems pretty reliable. I calibrated it yesterday and now it keeps in tune very well, but I notice some tuning errors sometimes. It's analog, it's supposed to be out of tune a little! When it goes out of tune you barely notice it. I actually enjoy it.

If I were to bring it to a gig I would probably set up some sort of backup just in case. It seems reliable, but since I just got it I don't know whether it is reliable or not. I probably wouldn't need the backup...

well, wine country sequential might help you if you want spare parts or something.

I would probaby get a new one if mine were stolen. This is a really powerful monosynth and it looks really cool. Mine is in excellent cosmetic condition and I really enjoy looking at it. It's real eye candy. After it's calibrated it plays like a dream. I no time I can copy sounds of Yazoo and early Depeche Mode. I'm giving it a 9, because I don't know whether it's realiable yet.

Very easy to use since there is a knob or switch for every function. Tuning the beast was not easy but a tech with a chromatic tuner can have it tune in minutes.

Basically it was a single voice prophet 5. Monophonic with a 40 note step sequencer. Tons of modulation possibilities. I had a sample and hold added to mine by Gary Hull when he was my music store tech....before he moved on to E-MU and now his own company.

The CV inputs were also quite fun .... at least analog fun!

One of the hottest vintage monophonics around.

Mine is pretty much like new. It has been in storage for years now and the only thing it really needs is the power cord replaced and a tuning.

Not longer there. It worked perfectly while the company was in business.

May have to pull it out of storage an replace the cord and tune it. I have thought about selling it over the years but I never have. If the price was right I would part with it but I would probably be sorry I did.

Very easy to use interface good to learn on! and if you get stuck just keep tuning those knobs.

monophonic

simply amazing if you are after gritty sublow bass for drum and bass music this synth is the one!! Think "ed rush and optical's sound."

seems quite flimsy but it is very simple inside only one pcb and if it ever goes wrong most synth techies can sort it out.

none as said above find a knowlageable synth techie or learn to deal with it yourself.

if i were to loose this i would be out hunting down another one straight away this synth suits my needs perfectly

Easy to use, basic mono synth yet has a lot of options

Excellent features-sync, arpeggiator, CV/gate jacks for easy midi..

A single voice Prophet-5 pretty much says it all. Different from a Moog, Arp or Oberheim, more akin to the brighter, more aggressive digital-analog PPG character (Yaz for example). Not as fat as a Moog, but it's plenty thick and creates a different character that makes it just as good for a certain feel (lots of Industrial, like Skinny Puppy).

No problems, if you take care of it. Forget about the keyboard, just plug a midi box into the back..

One of the top mono synths along with Moogs, Arps and Oberheims; has an edge though because of it's top-notch sounds married with lots of features and easy usability in a contemporary setup.

Very easy to get a great sound from, fantastic modulation and routing for a hardwired board.

Keyboard action is clunky even with the J wire version I have, great to have a voltage selector switch 110/230v on rear saves changing transformer inside, useful if you are buying in from the US or selling to the US, arpeg and seq useful for rattling off little ditties, similar to the SH101 sequencer nice.

Best for synth sounds rather than emulating real instruments leave that to the digital boys, turn this throbbing beast up through a big PA and destroy continents with it! very unusual weird and frightening sounds can be cajoled from this fearsome animal!

If you regulary service your J wires and keep it dust free its pretty reliable, but the case is V flimsy so dont drop it or get a brain dead to chuck it in the back of your truck, treat it with respect and care and it will not let you down.

SCI long gone so no exp or of wine country, most analogue synth repair guys can sort the beasty out.

I would definately get another one if it were taken from me compared to my prodigies rolands and oberheimsI think it really has the flexibility and sounds to add a sparkle to your compositions like no other Ive played. Lookjing for a nice odyssey Mk11 or 111 to compliment my setup if anyone has a nice one to sell get in touch.

Very easy to use. A very good synt for you who are new in the analoge world. Easy to do good and usefull sounds direct. This is also a synt to grow with.

I is a normal monosynt with som cool modulation features. A small step sequencer and an arpeggiator. Just what we need and love. ;)

Very good sound, fat and big. And this is NOT a mono Prophet 5. Just as much as a Memory Moog is a Poly Mini Moog. I have tryed the Prophet 5 a few times and i think the Pro One is fatter in the bottom. But thats just my opinion.

The only thing that is bad with the PRO ONE is the key borad. Very cheap, poor and a plastic feeling. I dont use it in my home studio but i dont think is so good as a live synt.

What is support? ;)

Overall i LOVE and warship this synt. Probably one of the best monosynt i ever tryed. I run it with a Kenton Pro 2. I moastly use it for bases (and i got a Moog source) :). The Pro One fits very good in to my sound and my other synts. The synts i got in my homestudo are Roland Jupiter 8, Moog Source, Roland Sh-101, Tr-909 and a Clavia Nordlead 2. So if you are looking for a FAT and flexible monosynth the PRO ONE is your gear.

It's anal og. Verry easy to use. Twist the knobs. Irritate the neighbors with massive drones. Hey - it actually has a switch for "drone", literally. Watch out, La Monte Young. One caveat - the little pots you access with a little screwdriver through the front panel aren't the best - it can be fussy to calibrate (see the manual for calibration procedure).

Monophonic, wish the noise source could be filtered independently and that you could also use noise as a modulation source and that there was an LED light that blinked with the rate of the LFO and also the rate of the Oscillator B (which can be used as an LFO as well) but that's getting a bit ahead.. maybe I can get that stuff done custom sometime. What it does do, it can do very well. Intense sound modulation. If you get a membrane keyboard though, it sucks.

Grrrrrreaat sounds. Lots of fun. Really good for experimenting with sounds.

The membrane keyboard is terrible, some are J-wire versions. All-in-all you are better off with either triggering it externally or replacing the keyboard. I took out the original membrane version and replaced it with a MIDI keyboard, mounted inside the case where the original keys were. Now I love to play it because it's 100% reliable. Too bad I have a bunch of wires sticking out from the gate and CV inputs coming from a Kenton Pro SOlo MIDI to CV converter. Oh yeah, I also had to repair a factory installed ground loop.. I forget the website, but there are instructions for this online.. once this is fixed the output will be quiet as a whistle.

Sequential Circuits, of course, is no more. WHat's left is some guys who used to work for them that repair Sequential Circuits stuff in California. It will cost you, but I'm sure they do a good job, after all, they aren't cheap. Otherwise, learn to do it yourself.

I'd definitely track another down if it was gone. This is one of the few pieces of gear that I won't be selling. Ever. I think. Especially since I spent alot of time fixing it up to where it works great now. Better than any other Pro One, if I can say. I tell you what, offer me $2000 and I'll sell it to you, buy 2 more and fix those up just as nice.