Sequential Circuits Prophet 5

My Prophet-5 is Rev-3.2 and its a clean example. How does the presets sound? Well I just bought from WineCountry a casette with 200 programs and couldn't load them yet, but the first fourty whose patch settings are given in the manual sound very good and vintage. Editing patches is very easy except the oscillator frequency adjustment which is a bit tricky. Manual is also okay for me. Even though the oscillator frequency knobs are labeled with 10 steps that doesn't correspond to semitones, I'm giving my P5 10 here.

Well, the architecture is quite basic compared to today's standards, but still advanced enough to produce complex sounds even today. Cross-Modulation section is a big plus for nice effects. It has no built in effects, but a good reverb unit solves the problem. Mine has 120 patch memory, so it has enough one board storage capacity in addition to the casette storage. Mine was non-MIDI at the beginning, I tried the original factory MIDI kit, but it didn't work on me. We checked every instruction of installation procedure, but...Then I decided to improve my playing skills to record live :) which is still fine for me, because the instrument itsels is what counts the most.

Sounds coming out of CEM oscillators and filters are incredible. This thing is very organic and alive. Even with 'only' five voices, it is as phat and dense sounding as my A6. Its phatness, warmness, liveliness simply exceeded my expectations. I see it as the BMW of synthesizers. CEM sound has a very distinct character which is very complex and aggressive. It complemenets my A6 very well. They fortunately sound completely different which is a good thing for me. Cross-Mod section allows for very original sounds and every little tweak of the knobs results in totally awarding changes which are sometimes unpredictable. I believe a synth like this is a must have in your set-up and software emulations really sound lifeless compared to the real thing. The sound has a weight and inertia which is hard to find in emulations of any sort. Buy it and take good care of it :)

Mine is very reliable. I experienced an unsuccesfull MIDI retrofit operation. That aside, mine is very stable and work perfect. I purchased the survival kit from the Wine Country which is recommended. Be careful about the power supply and the memory battery. That's it.

Wine Country is extremely helpful in any problem. But there is no other source that you can rely on, maybe except your good technician. Still I give it 8 in this department.

I recommend this synthesizer to all vintage analog enthauiasts if it is in good shape and condition. It will bring your musical pieces extra sonic quality which is hard to get somewhere else. It is a gold, it is a diamond, so take good care of it. It is a lifetime partner.

I found the Prophet 5 rev 2 that i played so easy to get great sounds out of.
Editing Pre-Sets is very easy and you are spoilt for choice with all the knobs to play arround with. ITS ANALOGUE HEAVEN!!!!

The Polyphony is very good for such an old Synth and the Monophonic sounds are very deep and powerful.
The effects are not bad at all but are a bit basic compaired to today's standards. Only just over a hundred of Prophet 5 rev 3.2 (Prophet 5s with MIDI) were built so Prophet 5s with MIDI are increadebly rare and really expensive.

Lots of features for a Analogue Synth of its day and age (Late70s and early 80s).

When you turn the Polyphony on you reconise just about every pre-set from an 80s track. I swear i got the bassline of Thompson Twins 'Doctor Doctor!' and impressed everyone around me in the shop i was in. The Prophet 5 is really good at producing famous 80s sounds and i love its amazing Patches.

I have not a clue about the Prophet 5s reliabillity because the rev 2 P5 i played i did not own.

Customer Support is probebly rather bad because Sequential Circuits went dead years ago. If yor Prophet 5 needs servicing ether do it yourself if you know what you are doing or contact a shop or Synth Freak near you and see if they have spare Analogue Parts to service it with.

I love The Prophet 5 and swear to God i will own one whenever i get the money! Get this Synth if you can afford it because it has to be one of the best Analogue Synthes ever built!!!!

Using rev 3.2, considering the upgrade to 120 patches.
Everything is right in front of you. Manual is OK, but just fooling w/ knobs etc. will be productive. This is an AWESOME vintage synth.
It helps to call up one of the presets and then tweak from there.

5 note polyphony. You can get MIDI added, but I prefer to play or record live. Action is a little clunky but serviceable. Very logically laid out, and I like the unison feature, especially for basses and leads.

It's incredibly expressive. One of the few synths out there that can truly inspire one to compose, it be warm und phattt!!!
You'll love what it does to your mixes!

This will only leave my studio for a LOT of $$$ and then only if the gig is in a venue where the audience will appreciate it.

Support is something you'll have to line up for yourself, and you will need support/repair for a vintage analog synth like this. It's worth finding a tech who knows just what they're dealing with, and that has prior experience with Prophets. If at all possible, it's far better to drive to wherever than put this in a box and hope UPS,FedEx, etc. gets it right in terms of delivering it unharmed. If you have to ship it, it makes sense to insure it.

This is a musical instrument that happens to be a synthesizer, it's one of the all-time classic analog synths, and I'd rather save up $$$ and buy something like this than go with a software VA version. I'll glady trade some occasional glitches coming from a 25 year old axe like this for the sound the sound the sound.

I have a rev. 3.2 with factory MIDI. The presets are classic in 80's+ recorded music...Patch 32="Let's Go" sync, #21 is "Mannheim Steamroller" lead sound, etc.,etc...almost every one of the original 40 patches is a classic that can be found somewhere in recordings. Editing does not get any easier, even with the modern Virtual Analog beasts. Who needs a patch editor ?? The manual is straight-forward and simple...just like the P-5 itself !!

The action is fair by today's standards (compare it to the Virus KC, for example)...but it works. Effects ?? Sequencers ?? Mine was made in the early '80's, so these goodies were largely add-on effects, not built-in. But who needs them...they kind of take away from the nature of the beast. Mine has MIDI (which I never use). Take the Prophet for what it is...a very old, extremely beautiful, very cool piece of vintage gear which has to be treated with respect. For it's day, it was extremely feature laden...that's how I look at it.

This is where the P-5 shines...it is the king of the old analogs, in my mind even ruling over the Minimoog. It is just about as "obese" sounding as the Mini, yet polyphonic and with a memory. Even without velocity or aftertouch, it can be as expressive as any modern piece of gear, with a lot more charicter. Mine is very clean and clear sounding, with no noise other than what comes out of the noise generator.

Mine has been very reliable, and I have never had a problem whatsoever with it...but keep in mind that it's over 20 years old. Would I gig with it on a routine basis...NO (that's why I have a Virus KC and a Nord Lead 3. But it has a certain charicter that they don't have, although they are great in their own way as well.

Sequential is long out of business. I used to own 2 other 3.2 P-5's in the 80's, and Riley Smith at Sequential used to keep them happy for me (he's now at EMU I understand). I actually got my third P-5 from David Sesnik at Wine Country Productions, and I have found him to be as friendly and helpful as they come...and probably one of the most knowledgable Prophet people on the face of the planet. He will talk to you at length about Prophets ad nauseum if you are sincerely interested in them. If you're interested in getting one, call him and discuss your concerns...he's the man !!

If this one were lost or stolen, it would basically be irreplaceable. Mine is a collector's quality P-5...it should be in a museum where it could be played. I own a lot of quality pieces...Roland Fantom S-88, Nord Lead 3, Virus KC, Nord Electro, Korg BX-3, Hammond C-3 c 2-147 Leslies, Vox Continental, and a Yamaha YC-20...each one having a ton of merit. Even in this elite group of keyboards, the Prophet-5 stands out.

Very easy to use. Dials and switches, as it should be. Easy to make ultra-complex and thick analogue sounds. Some of the best (and most widely used) sounds in synthdom. The manual is laughably complex for such an easy synth to work with.

5 notes of poly 'aint much. Get round that and every thing else is there. Great poly-cross-mod. Even greater filter. The osc are gritty and always cutting edge. Also, capable of great warmth. Not the greatest, but not far off. I was not thinking of the minimoog either...rather the Roland JX10...now that's warm. The later..and better..revs have more features and control. Mine has a tremendously basic midi spec!

Wow! One of the most played and loved synths of all time. Just imagine how much pleasure the Prophet 5 has given the world. From classic rock, jazz, pop, new wave etc, to...well, the engine sound of the USS Enterprise, the 2nd generation. Filter sweeps, bass, leads etc..it's all there! THE number 1 analogue synth. Played more than even the Jupiter 8. Nb..nobody played the memorymoog when it came out!

OK if you leave at home. No gigging please. These synths are at least 20 yrs old. If treated well, a Prophet 5 will be a reliable synth. Only buy rev 3, of course. Revs 1 and 2 can be very unreliable whatever you do.

Wine County, of course. They are expensive but quick and professional. Only had to deal with them once, and that was to buy a tee shirt! I know others and they have been happy with their service. Lots of synth menders around, nowadays. All want to mend, or say they can mend a prophet 5.

To think these used to be cheap. The first one I owned I gigged to death. A rev 2..what was I thinking! I sold it for #400! Now they are very expensive and in demand all over the world. I have bought a rev 3.2 recently. It has been serviced and restored. This is a 'must-have' synth for any collector. Miles better than a minimoog, or a memorymoog or...well, anything really! Only the Prophet VS is better. I've had one of those for some years now. Wow! What a synth that is! You will love owning a Prophet 5. Only buy a good one off a reputable dealer. Some are being unloaded through the classifieds and ebay etc..with endless problems and trouble. To conclude, this is one of the great synths of all time.

Dan, below, is a nice but misguided gentleman. Saying something's "thin" compared to a mini's silly, sez nothing. Why is the Mini the arbiter? The P-5 can do things the Mini can't, and vise-versa, apples n' oranges, both great. Both the Memorymoog and P-5 are p-l-e-n-t-y thik, dude, and in the same league as a Mini. As a Memorymoog/Minis/P-5/SEM owner, can definitely say that all are great in their own way! One will be better in certain areas, another in others. P-5 strongest for edgy, highest-quality sounds/clarity. Dan - remove the wax n' take another listen. P-5 attack,sharpness,sonic complexity are all superior to a Mini, punch is comparable in different but similarly great ways. Apples and oranges. Chew on some in-your-face uncut P-5 bass curtesy early 80s "D-Train" records/CDs on the Prelude label and get back to me..

It's all there..

Great. The best. Only Moog compares. Period. See early 80s Prelude records/CDs by D-Train.

Excellent, if left in studio/home.

Various sources

Sublime. Fantastique.

I don't want to offend anyone, for I see a lot of silly bantering going back and forth between reviews. Nonetheless, I will say that I think that this synth is somewhat overated.

Don't know about presets, both prophets ( one a rev 2 the other a rev 3)I bought used. Editing patches is simple; the manual is basic. Overall it is very simple to alter sounds, since it is layed out nicely.

Basic synth features including 2 oscillators, typical VCF, VCA, LFO and 2 EG's (one for VCA, one for VCF). Also has a polymod section for X-mod and sync. Osc 3 can be used as an LFO as well. No effects, No MIDI, 5-Note polyphony; pure analog.

This is where I was largely diassapointed in this synth. Yes, it can make some nice warm sounds, but overall, they are on the thin side, especially compared to the minimoog. The sounds are "lazy" rather than snappy or punchy, if that makes any sense.

unfortunately reliability is not its best feature. My first prophet warbled out of tune then completely died. My second is currently warbling, and the filter responses are different for certain notes........quite an annoyance.

Out of Business

Overall, the Prophet 5 is probably the classiest-looking synth; it is simply beautiful. As far as sounds go, they just don't have that edge and reliability is an issue. There weren't too many other polyphonics at the time to compare it. The Oberheim from what I have heard sounds better (though I have never played one). The minimoog sounds much better albeit a monophonic synth. I would be sad if mine were lost or stolen, but I would not replace it, since I have had 2 now.

My other synths include Korg Trinity, Virus kb, Waldorf Q, Minimoog, Minimoog Voyager, Korg MS-20

Classic synth. Lush, sharp, powerful yet refined, unparalleled clarity..

Dependable, for home or studio. For gigging just bring the Waldorf/Nord.

Wine Country's so-so, unfortunately. Don't believe the rhetoric of previous reviewers such as Guarino, who doesn't know better..

Special, like many other of the earlier synths. The endless reviews that suggest that the new equipment's comparable sonically don't have a clue..

This review is based off of my revision 3.2 Prophet 5 (made in 1982) with a factory fitted MIDI retrofit. I purchased it in 1999 from a private player in San Francisco, California.

If you understand subtractive synthesis the Prophet 5 is easy enough, but still has a few tricks up its sleeve. Always worthwhile to program. Inventive programmers can create interesting sounds with little effort.

Actually saving the patch takes a few more keystrokes than one would like but, hey... this was the first synth with memories so what do you expect?

Manual is typical Stanley Junglieb, which is to say that it is well written and occasionally funny (although not as funny as old E-Mu manuals can be... see the Emulator I manual). Believe it or not having the manual is helpful to use the chromatic tuning and microtonal tuning possibilities on the Prophet 5--a highly underused feature that few analog synths have.

Polyphony is five non-multitimbral voices... which honestly is plenty. No effects whatsoever... heck, the original design is from 1977 so what do you expect?

There are a wide variety of Prophet 5 revisions: there were three major revisions of the Prophet 5: the original?and highly unstable?revision one featuring SSM chips, the much sought-after revision two that featured greater stability and the original SSM chipset. Finally, the revision three Prophet 5 featured re-designed internals and was re-tooled to accept the more readily available Curtis chips. Many consider there to be major differences in sound between the SSM based Prophets versus the revision three CEM Prophets. However, revision two Prophets are notably difficult to repair, impossible to MIDI, and in short order... so most Prophets you encounter will be revision three's.

If your Prophet 5 doesn't have MIDI yet get it installed. This is simply one of the most powerful analog synths ever made--and in many ways is the standard by which all polyphonic analogs are judged.

The Prophet 5 sounds amazing. Any complaints to the sound are pure operator or programming incompetence. You want fat bass? Check. Want punchy bass lines? Check. Want glistening strings? Check. Want some strange noises? Check. Want cheesy new wave? Check. Want ultra resonant tones? Check. Want those thick Moog sounds? Check. Rather go for those thin electronic ARP sounds? Check.

This board should only be in the hands of true players and musicians. It plays great.. it has a true musical factor about it. It makes you play better, and it feels great to play. It is also a great synth to employ real-time tweaking of the controls while you play.

Wise owls into strange sound effects will quickly learn that OSC B's main purpose in life was to act as a modulator in the PolyMod section of the synth. Switch it to LFO mode and then engage the LFO via the control wheel for crazy sounds. I have made some of the most ludicrous noises this side of an ARP 2600 on my Prophet 5... excellent, simply excellent.

How anyone that likes analog sounds remotely badmouth the sound quality of this synth defies explanation. Maybe they have a different standard of good sound than I do, but personally I think that they must be bereft of a clue.

The Prophet 5 rules.

Here's where the trouble sets in. Prophet 5 require some maintenance. When you get one make sure to have a reliable tech check it out and replace anything that is aging. Keep a careful eye on the power supply--it tends to waver over time.

I suggest yearly maintenance and calibration. I also suggest keeping it at home in your studio... you'd have to be nuts to drag an artifact like a Prophet 5 out to a gig or on tour. I also suggest adding additional heat sinks to help with tuning stability.

My Prophet 5 has had additional heat sinks added, rebuilt powersupply and other little secret tweaks. It runs like a tank with perfect tune after heating up (5-10 minutes).

Some people may groan about the maintenance, but if you have to have the best it's worth it.

Wine Country is NOT the only place to service your Prophet 5. A number of techs will service your P5 that are probably a lot more ethical. However, I would be careful to check references before shipping off a prize such as this synth to any stranger.

Contrary to popular opinion, a lot of people know how to service this synth. It was only THE most popular analog for a period of six years and one of the most popular synths of all time. People know about this things and they will be supported from now until the end of civilization I reckon.

I would rather have the Prophet 5 than a dozen lesser synths... the Prophet 5 will blow them all away. Maybe its not your sound or style, but compared to its peers--the OBXa, Jupiter 8, and Memorymoog--the Prophet 5 is head and shoulders above them, combining all of the great features of each.

The very concept of performing music without my trusty, loyal Prophet 5 is a ludicrous proposition. I can do more with this one synth than most people can with an army of virtual analogs, samplers, romplers and other pieces of audio garbage.

In the realm of analog synthesis nothing comes close in my opinion. There are different options on other synths, but nothing combines the great looks, intuitive use, strong sounds, versatility, musicality, and playability of the Prophet 5.

REV 3.0
The presets are decent, but programming your own sound is always EXTREMELY impressive..
The manual is very nerdily written--you don'
t really need it anyway!

5 voices of Polyphony (good enuff for me)
No built in effects (just add them in your mixdown)
It does NOT send pitch and mod data via Midi (who is going to use it as a controller--surely NOT me)
Overall, this is an extremely easy synth to use--very IMMEDIATE--great sounds in SECONDS!

THE BEST SOUNDS YOU WILL EVER HEAR/HAVE HEARD, HAVE COME OUT OF PROPHET 5's!!!!
The most cutting sounds ever!!! The sounds have PERSONALITY!! (unlike today's synths like Tritons, etc--which all sound like plastic casio cookie-cutter garbage--this is why you turn on the radio these days, and everything sounds like SHIT!!!___sooooo boring!!! Hip hop and R & B has been at a complete STANDSTILL for the last 7 years or so, thanks to, in part Korg Trinity's and Tritons!)

I've owned mine for about a year, and have NOT had any problems...

I'm sure it will fail eventually, but I knew that when I bought it!!

Wine Country in California is very helpful, and just about your ONLY choice to run to for help...

Talk to Mr. Sesnak...

I would love to own 3 of these, but I don't have the $$$ or the space...
It blows away the Nord, Novation, e-mu, STUFF--because it has a soul!!! It has PERSONALITY!!
Also, it has the fastest ATTACK of any synth around

Pick one up..you won't be disappointed!!!!!