MATRIXSYNTH: Sequential Circuits Prophet 5


Thursday, June 07, 2007

Sequential Circuits Prophet 5

Title link takes you to shots via this auction. Note the switches on the top right.
Details:
"Sequential Circuits Prophet 5, serial 0074 (Rev 1). There were only 182 Rev 1's made, many of which were returned to Sequential when the Rev 2 came out. Nowadays, there are probably less than a couple dozen working Rev 1 Prophet 5 keyboards in the world.

It's a fantastic sounding synthesizer - I've compared it directly with the Rev 3 (the majority of the Prophet 5's) and it's distinctly warmer and the resonance is more musical. It instantly recalls the classic soundtracks that the Rev 1 and Rev 2 keyboards were responsible for during the late 70's. It's a classy looking synthesizer as well. While there are a few scratches and marks, it's in remarkable condition considering it's 30 years old.

I had it serviced in August 2006: the battery was replaced, it was recapped, and had general maintenance performed. It's been solid ever since - I've kept it in a clean studio environment and have not gigged it. All 5 voices work, all knobs and buttons function, and all keys are responsive and extremely playable.

A previous owner modded it with 5 switches. These switches, along with the sequencer interface jacks, were disconnected at the recommendation of the service technician (they were interfering with the stability). The previous owner also added a cassette interface from a Rev 2, and it's working properly."

If anyone knows what the switches did, please comment.

Update on the mods:
"the CV/gate only control's voice 5. With this mod you can have each voice control (by the same CV/gate) .. so instead of getting a 2 OSC mono sound, you could get a 4 oscillator mono sound."

2 comments:

  1. I imagine the switches enabled or disabled (or "voice defeat" in the manual for my 3.3) the 5 individual voices. I think Suzanne Ciani had a similar modification to her P5.

    On later models, a combination of patch buttons were used for voice defeat.

    ReplyDelete

To reduce spam, comments for posts older than one week are not displayed until approved, usually same day. Do not insult people. For items for sale, do not ask if it is still available. Check the auction link and search for the item. Auctions are from various sellers and expire over time. Posts remain for the pics and historical purposes. This site is meant to be a daily snapshot of some of what was out there in the world of synths.

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