Prophet-5

Prophet-5
A Prophet-10 Rev 4, a 10-voice version of the Prophet-5
ManufacturerSequential
Dates1978–84, 2020– (Prophet-5)
1977,[1] 1981–84, 2020– (Prophet-10)
PriceUS$3,995 (Rev 1, 2)
US$4,595 (Rev 3)
US$3,499 (Rev 4, 5-voice, 2020)[2]
US$4,299 (Rev 4, 10-voice, 2020)[2]
Technical specifications
Polyphony5 voices (Prophet-5)
10 voices (Prophet-10)
TimbralityMonotimbral (Prophet-5)
Multitimbral (Prophet-10)
Oscillator2 VCOs per voice
LFO1
Synthesis typeAnalog subtractive
Analog FM (Poly-Mod)
Filter4-pole resonant low-pass
AttenuatorADSR envelope (2)
Aftertouch expressionNo on Rev1 to Rev3, Yes on Rev4
Velocity expressionNo on Rev1 to Rev3, Yes on Rev4
Storage memory40 patches (120 patches on later units, 200 patches on the Rev4 iteration)
EffectsNone
Input/output
Keyboard61 keys (Prophet-5 (all versions), Prophet-10 (1977, Rev 4))
Double 61 key manuals (Prophet-10 (1981-84))
Left-hand controlPitch and modulation wheels
External controlCV/Gate
Proprietary serial interface
MIDI (Rev 4 only)

The Prophet-5 is an analog synthesizer manufactured by the American company Sequential. It was designed by Dave Smith and John Bowen in 1977. It was the first polyphonic synthesizer with fully programmable memory.

Before the Prophet-5, synthesizers required users to adjust controls to change sounds, with no guarantee of exactly recreating a sound. Sequential used microprocessors to allow users to recall sounds instantly rather than having to recreate them manually. The Prophet-5 facilitated a move from synthesizers creating unpredictable sounds to producing "a standard package of familiar sounds".[3]: 385 

The Prophet-5 became a market leader and was widely used in popular music and film soundtracks. Between 1978 and 1984, about 6,000 units were produced across three revisions. In 1981, Sequential released a 10-voice, double-keyboard version, the Prophet-10. Sequential introduced new versions in 2020, and it has been emulated in software synthesizers and hardware. Sequential also released several further Prophet synthesizers, such as the Prophet '08.

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference Reid 1999 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ a b "Prophet-5 Returns!" (Press release). San Francisco, California: Sequential. 30 September 2020. Retrieved 13 October 2020.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference Analog Days was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

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