via this auction."Fresh, full black and white copy of original operations manual in 8-1/2 x 11 format."
Update via the comments: This is the Rev 1 manual up for auction. If you know how different the Rev 1 to the Rev 3 manual is, feel free to comment.
Update via Stephen in the comments:
"The rev1 and rev3 manuals are completely different. The rev 1 manual is made up of mostly patch sheets which use a different template than the later patch sheets. The later manuals, including the Prophet-10 manual, contain excellent descriptions of the digital/analogue hybrid synthesizer.
On the synths, rev1s could be modified with a rom/timing circuit update which stablized tuning (which became part of the rev2 design) as well as a cassette dump interface. Both of my rev1s have these two field mods. Neither the rev1, rev nor the first rev3 had a 'live' control panel in preset mode without the user hitting an 'edit' button. Live editing actually didn't occur until the rev 3.1 (not the rev 3.0). If you want to call the sequencer interface 'integrated midi' then that would be the rev 3.2. Dave and John call the sequencer interface spec 'Pre-MIDI MIDI'. The MIDI retrofit for the rev 3.2 and 3.3 (as well as the rev 3 Prophet-10) is basically a daughter card which can either be interconnected to the rom socket via a ribbon cable or by using socket with extra long solder tails. The rev 3.1 and earlier revs could not use this field mod. (Kenton has a solution).
Both the rev1 and rev2 have a number of SSM chips, but I wouldn't say they have a gazillon. 10 VCO chips, 5 VCFs, 5 VCAs and 10 EGs. The individual EGs, which have to be trimmed, really help give the rev1 and rev2 its unruly (as opposed to unstable) character. Of course the SSM filters are also equally notorious for that reputation. But this comes well after the fact. If you look back, or if you were there, you know that the Prophet-5 became successful because:
1. You could play 5 notes of the same patch
2. You could store your patch
3. It was $4500
Within a few years it became unsuccessful because:
1. You could play 5 notes of the same patch
2. It had a wood case
3. It was expensive "
You can download and print out the Prophet-5 Rev 3 manual from here.
This is the rev1 manual, not the rev3 listed on that site.
ReplyDeleteThanks. I updated the post to reflect that. Do you know how different they are?
ReplyDeleteUh, you can edit presets on the rev2 and rev3 but can't on the rev1. There's tape dump on the rev3 (and on modded rev2). There's no integrated MIDI on the rev1 and rev2. So pretty much nothing alike except they both have knobs and the same voice structure. Did I mention the rev1 and rev2 had gazillions of SSMs and the rev3 used CEMs and lots of 3080 OTAs?
ReplyDeleteThe manual, not the synth. : )
ReplyDeleteI'm curious if they are completely different or if the Rev 3 is more of an update to the Rev 1 manual with the deltas. It would be interesting if they were actually written by different people, had a completely different approach, etc...
The rev1 and rev3 manuals are completely different. The rev 1 manual is made up of mostly patch sheets which use a different template than the later patch sheets. The later manuals, including the Prophet-10 manual, contain excellent descriptions of the digital/analogue hybrid synthesizer.
ReplyDeleteOn the synths, rev1s could be modified with a rom/timing circuit update which stablized tuning (which became part of the rev2 design) as well as a cassette dump interface. Both of my rev1s have these two field mods. Neither the rev1, rev nor the first rev3 had a 'live' control panel in preset mode without the user hitting an 'edit' button. Live editing actually didn't occur until the rev 3.1 (not the rev 3.0). If you want to call the sequencer interface 'integrated midi' then that would be the rev 3.2. Dave and John call the sequencer interface spec 'Pre-MIDI MIDI'. The MIDI retrofit for the rev 3.2 and 3.3 (as well as the rev 3 Prophet-10) is basically a daughter card which can either be interconnected to the rom socket via a ribbon cable or by using socket with extra long solder tails. The rev 3.1 and earlier revs could not use this field mod. (Kenton has a solution).
Both the rev1 and rev2 have a number of SSM chips, but I wouldn't say they have a gazillon. 10 VCO chips, 5 VCFs, 5 VCAs and 10 EGs. The individual EGs, which have to be trimmed, really help give the rev1 and rev2 its unruly (as opposed to unstable) character. Of course the SSM filters are also equally notorious for that reputation. But this comes well after the fact. If you look back, or if you were there, you know that the Prophet-5 became successful because:
1. You could play 5 notes of the same patch
2. You could store your patch
3. It was $4500
Within a few years it became unsuccessful because:
1. You could play 5 notes of the same patch
2. It had a wood case
3. It was expensive
i have a 3.0 which has live editing. I also have rev1 and rev2 .. those require you hit the edit switches.
ReplyDelete