Sequential Prophet 10 REV4 versus Prophet VS Vector Synth: A not-so-detailed comparison and thoughts

video upload by MIDERA

"I had both of these side by side and figured it was now or never - do a brief comparison of the two head to head. What's interesting is listening to the Prophet VS filter afterwards it didn't sound so 'TB-303' like as it did when I recorded it. It sounded more tame. It was a bit depressing, but I guess that's part of what is important to hear - differences between what's recorded and what's heard live.

A few notes: if you listen on a phone, you really won’t hear ANY differences mention, lol. I don’t hear the aliasing on the PVS.

You can initialize the PVS patch as well holding enter and pressing zero. I didn’t do that here because it puts all 4 oscillators on using different waveforms, which isn’t really initialized for my purposes.

Also - I want to comment about something that annoys me. If I ever want to look up anything on the "Prophet VS" it comes up as thinking it means 'versus' so I hardly find any information about the VS.

What do you think about the two (P10 v PVS)?

MIDERA"

Once awake | Cirklon, Minimoog, Poly Evolver, Prophet 10, Machinedrum IDM electronic music

video upload by MIDERA

"Today I managed to find about an hour to write this track. I've been trying to find a reason to keep the Poly Evolver (although I don't seem to have any local folks interested), and so I figured the best way to do that was to use it in my songs and see how it does.

Sequentix Cirklon 2: Sequencing
Moog Minimoog: Bass
Prophet 10: Bells
Poly Evolver: Pads
Machinedrum MKII UW+: Drums"

The voice of nothing | Cirklon, Minimoog, Prophet 10, Poly Evolver, Machinedrum MKII Electronic IDM

video upload by MIDERA

"Today, before bed, I laid with my family on my bed, listening to the downfall of rain on the roof. I loved every second of it. My kids? It scared them for some reason. Undoubtedly, some day they will look back and think 'I can't believe I was so scared of that gentle rain on the roof... I missed the opportunity to just relax with my papa and mama.'

Of course, not a day goes by that I don't look back at the end of the day and wish I had been more present. Who knows what other adventures I'm missing out with them by being just so stuck in my head.

Well - as for this track, I was trying some new things, using the Machinedrum instead of the Nord Drum 2, and stacking the Poly Evolver and P10. I didn't really enjoy the experience of either. I know some people fill their rooms with synths and Jasper's stands, but I think it just kills the creativity. Maybe my constant unhappiness with my studio keeps me writing more and more?

I don't know.

Sequentix Cirklon 2: Sequencing
Moog Minimoog: Bass
Prophet 10: Bells
Poly Evolver: Pads
Machinedrum MKII UW+: Drums"

Wayward shift | Moog Minimoog, Spectralis 2, Prophet 10, Prophet 12, Nord Drum 2

video upload by MIDERA

"Another track with the Spectralis driving the synths.

Gear:
Moog Minimoog = lead/bass
Sequential Prophet 10 = Bass
Sequential Prophet 12 = Pads
Radikal Technologies Spectralis 2 = Sequencing, plucks, cello
Clavia Nord Drum 2

#minimoog #prophet10 #norddrum2
Uploaded March 25th, 2025"

Synth track: Spectralis, minimoog, prophet 10, prophet 12, Nord Drum 2 IDM electronic music

video upload by MIDERA

"I wonder... how does one increase views? I've been doing the same thing for years. Like 10+ years... and the longer I go, the fewer sales I have on each subsequent album, the fewer views, the fewer everything. I guess it's hard to change, maybe everything I do is the same.

Probably just a saturated market. Everyone out there is doing something."

Sequential Prophet 10 REV4 and Rhodes Piano | ambient improvisation

video upload by MIDERA

"My family and I went on vacation this week and had a great time. Some things came up at work and frustratingly, I feel I wasn't entirely as present as I'd have liked to have been. Kind of ruined a lot of things for me, but, despite that we had fun.

My oldest daughter, as usual, wanted a stuffy. We went to a store and she decided she wanted to wait to get something at a different place (because she usually liked the stuffed animals there. So later that day we drove down and - to her dismay - the new stuffed animals there were for little kids. We asked how she could tell, but she said she could. She did not want them. But we didn't have time to go back to the other place (since this was a restaurant and we were going to be eating dinner and the other place would be closed). I drove back up afterwards, looking for any place that might sell something similar, but nowhere did. The next day we knew a snow storm was coming in, a huge one. So she was very sad that we wouldn't be able to go back - but I was proud of her for two reasons: 1) She was able to hold off getting something now for the hopes of something better. 2) She didn't just grab something at the second place, because she knew she didn't want those. And although she cried and was very sad, she did not get something there. I was proud of her for that.

The next morning, we decided to go out in the storm and we did end up getting that stuffy for her. I got her something extra too because I was proud of her for waiting.

As for this track - well, I'm trying to see - do I really need that SX-240? Just because it's pretty? Basically, I have found the Prophet 10 actually does sound almost identical to the SX-240. As cool/nice as it is, I can't just keep all this stuff. There's just too much stuff here and I can make the same or better stuff without some of these synths in my studio.

Sequential Prophet 10 REV4
Rhodes Electric Piano MKI
Fractal Audio FM3 for FX"

Roland Jupiter 6 lush pads and Rhodes Piano soundscape

video upload by MIDERA

"I'm convinced the Kawai SX-240 should go, if only because I can trade for something else (Yamaha CP-70b?). But what can take its place that's already here? The Jupiter 6? The Prophet 10? The Prophet VS? They're all similar, but different. Guess that's why I stupidly have so much stuff. I can hear interesting tones from one that I can't hear in another. They're all interesting.

The Jupiter 6 surprised me here. I have learned some tricks about keeping the filter from sounding so harsh, and I think that's helped. It's for sure an unusual synth - and not entirely my favorite. In fact, I'd say generally the SX-240 sounds better (and looks better). I think the SSM2044 filters really make that synth shine, and nothing I have is like that. The Polysix had these filters but it never sounded as good. I think the Prophet 10 probably is the closest, but it also lacks reverse saw waves that I really like for LFOs. I don't know why they omitted those on the P10, but they did.

Track title: When our sighs collapse

Roland Jupiter 6
Rhodes Electric Piano
Fractal Audio FM3"

Unravel | Minimoog, Spectralis 2, Prophet 10, Prophet 12, Nord Drum 2 electronic music

video upload by MIDERA

"Got 5 hours of sleep last night. Had something frustrating happen (possible loss of $$$), not the worst thing in the world of course, just frustrating. After this track, I'll go back and see what else I can do with the Cirklon.

Moog Minimoog = bass
Sequential Prophet 12 = Main melody line
Sequential Prophet 10 = background chime sound
Radikal Technologies Spectralis 2 = sequencing and lead later in the track
Clavia Nord Drum 2 = drums
Native Instruments Raum = reverb"

The lies ahead | Moog Minimoog, Spectralis 2, Prophet 12, Prophet 10, Nord Drum 2 electronic

video upload by MIDERA

"I spent a part of the day rearranging my room... as I often do when I have the time. And when I was rearranging I realized just how little sense anything would make. I finally just set it up to explore 'How does the Spectralis fare compared to the Cirklon with sequencing.' And - well, I still think I prefer the Spectralis. I just write stuff faster. That doesn't mean this track sounds better than my last one (Crashing down) [posted here], but it was just a little more organic for me to write and quicker. It's hard to explain, although I suppose it's easy to explain when I think about the 14 years I've spent with the Spectralis. Of course, it's not perfect, it doesn't easily assign MSB/LSB for program changes (you can use cc's but it's a little awkward) and it can't do polyphonic step sequencing (which is actually awkward to do on the Cirklon).

Anyway - here it is. And listening a day after writing it, it’s too repetitive. I don’t like it. But I’ll share it anyway.

Spectralis 2: Sequencing and piano
Minimoog: Bass
Sequential Prophet 10: lead
DSI Prophet 12: Bells
Clavia Nord Drum 2: Drums
Native Instruments Raum: reverb"

Crashing down | Moog Minimoog, Sequentix Cirklon, Sequential Prophet 10, DSI Prophet 12, Nord Drum 2

video upload by MIDERA

"I was considering selling the Minimoog. Kept talking to friends about how I just didn't like it. I don't know why, I guess maybe it was like with the Prophet 10, where it's just a lot of money and it doesn't really seem to do anything that much better than what I already have. One of my friends said 'Well, have you tried sequencing it?' And no... I hadn't. I got the Minimoog when one of my cats died, then I rehomed my dog, and then my mom died. The whole next year (2024) I spent scanning photos in of my parent's. Only now have I started to get back into things. Well, I decided to try it out and wow, I really enjoyed it - the Minimoog sounds pretty amazing. So this is my first track with it sequenced.

I'm also working on trying to get more proficient with the Cirklon, and I've gotten a little hold on using it.

Parts:
Moog Minimoog: Bass
DSI Prophet 12: Bells
Sequential Prophet 10: Pads
Clavia Nord Drum 2: Drums
Sequentix Cirklon: Sequencing
Native Instruments Raum: Reverb"

Embrace of nothing | Sequential Prophet 10, Prophet 12, Nord Drum 2, and Toraiz Squid downtempo

video upload by MIDERA

"I finally scanned in over 7700 photos of my parents and their lives. It was so nice to see them again, happy, exploring. Somewhere in there it all changed, but they still looked and seemed happy. So many times I'd see a photo and just stare at it for a few minutes, as though I'd been hit by something. Like seeing them arrive at their first motel on their honeymoon. Or seeing photos from the 70s and then the 00s when they went to the same cabin. It was clearly a world that just hung so close to me, but I never saw it. By the time I could get to know them in this capacity - they were both gone.

Now that I have my studio back - I can finally start writing music again. I pulled out the Cirklon. As you can see, I didn't use the Cirklon here. My goodness that thing just antagonizes me at every turn. I know I need to give it more time, but after two days using it, I put it away and within an hour, I had something I was enjoying making and playing.

Toraiz Squid: Sequencing
Prophet 12: Bells
Prophet 10: Pads
Nord Drum 2: Drums"

Sequential Prophet VS soundscape | Another world

video upload by MIDERA

"I'm fighting the urge to sell this thing. I haven't yet figured out what is so great about it. Good filter (but the Prophet 10 has what sounds like the same thing). Cool ability to mix oscillators. That - that feels like it. I'm not sure I understand the appeal still. It might be on its way out. Maybe it's the mix of some pristine sounding oscillators (sort of DX7/JD800 style) with the analog filter that makes it so popular? I just don't know.

Strymon Volante for delay
Valhalla Supermassive for reverb
Sequential Prophet VS for sound"

DSI Prophet 08 soundscape - Move into the vacancy of tomorrow

video upload by MIDERA

"Well - As much as I loved the Prophet 08, I have sold it. I was planning to buy the Sequentix Cirklon and sold a bunch of stuff (however, no one from Sequentix or Rubadub, who sells it to folks in the US, will reply to my messages, and I find that a really tough pill to swallow to spend $2800 and have no replies - so I'm not sure I will buy one).

Anyway, I find it fascinating that I didn't like the Prophet 10 at first, but now I love it. I loved the Prophet 08 at first, but now... I decided to sell it. Like - I think it was great and all, but I feel like the P10 has it beat, just always so majestic. So... it doesn't really seem to fit in my studio anymore.

Strymon Volante for delay
Eventide Blackhole VST for reverb

#dsi #Prophet08 #strymon

Recorded June 17th, 2024"

Those left behind | Spectralis 2 and Sequential Prophet 10

video upload by MIDERA

"I received the email - I got to the top of the queue for the Cirklon. Why did I even sign up for it? I spent 3 years not preparing for it, just assuming some day I would have to make a decision, and now I'm here. What would it do for me I can't already do? My Spectralis does all I need, albeit, in maybe not the best way possible - but is there a best way? Sure, I can see the Cirklon does more, better, faster, but also maybe does things I don't care about.

I actually hate having a lot of gear hooked up. Slows me down. 3-4 pieces is good enough for me. If you can't make a song with only a few instruments, then I question whether you can make music at all (Ok, that's just me talking to myself about my own capacities - huge orchestras are built off of tons of instruments, I get it). What I make is simple, sad, and that's it. My music only speaks to me saying: some day - you will not be among the living and this music is being made to haunt those left behind.

I know the Cirklon is the 'best sequencer' out there... so maybe I just need to buy it and see for myself. I do know the Spectralis does stuff I really enjoy, like sequencing itself and other gear, using it as an FX processor to manipulate all sorts of things to the beat. Just a unique piece... I also know it so well.

Radikal Technologies Spectralis 2: Sequencing, Drums, Strings, Piano
Sequential Prophet 10: First sound you hear.
Eventide Blackhole VST: Reverb"

Sequential Prophet 10 REV4 soundscape - Tonight there are no dreams

video upload by MIDERA

"Today I went through documents that I found from my mother. Some of these things were cards she had written to my dad (Hallmark cards, with love underlined), and vice versa. I found her old drawings from when she was 4 to 6. My grandmother saved them. Seeing a '5 year old' version of my mom, drawing a picture of a snowman with red hair (my mom had red hair), it was... really hard to look at. Kind of thinking of the fleeting world we live in.

Some day - my kids kid could be looking at pictures that my kid drew when she was young, the way that I'm doing this now with my mother. It's just wild how fast it all goes.

My grandma had also saved a locket of my mom's hair from when she was 5. I guess it's the only part of her I still have... I don't know what to do with it, but I can't really throw it out either.

Anyway, this track was made in response to my Kawai SX-240 soundscape, because I didn't know if I could make anything quite as nice as that one, but I think I got close.

Strymon Volante used for delay.
Eventide Blackhole VST used for reverb."

Groove Synthesis 3rd Wave first impression and walkthrough

video upload by MIDERA

"A few notes: I think it's clear that the OS version on this unit is not current. I'll figure out what it is later and post it, but looking at the website it appears that it now has poly unison - something I wasn't able to use in the video. I'm also hoping it fixes whatever happened with 'Make Waves' where it crashed twice. I read up on it later and this is for recording incoming sounds to 'make waves' and was arming the input. However, I do think it should allow me to exit, so I hope other owners can chime in and say whether that's been 'fixed' (if there is indeed something off with what happened to me).

Again, please realize I basically spent zero effort looking into this before playing it. Think of this as your friend testing this out in the most likely way that you might do so yourself before using it.

Also note - that because I didn't spend any money on it (this is borrowed) it's very easy for me to be dismissive of certain features. If I pine after something for months and then get it, I usually feel like I can 'trick myself' into believing it's the most amazing thing in the world. Although - that's possibly not entirely accurate, because when I got the Prophet 10, I kind of hated it for how much I spent. I have grown to love that thing as a top 5 synth I've ever used... but when I don't put any money into it, I can see myself saying 'Well, cool, but what's the point?' And that sort of thing could give it a negative spin on something, especially when the only thing I know about it is that it's like a modern PPG.

I'm now sitting here wondering if I could have held the source and destination, LFO, and other buttons and twisted the controls to 'connect' things easier - that would be nice, but something that didn't occur to me during this first video.

No external FX used. I chose not to in this video because, well, it has FX."

Dave Smith Prophet 12 soundscape - The way is broken

video upload by MIDERA

"Onto my next synth for soundscapes series. The Prophet 12. Not really a synth I've thought about selling - or rather, I do think about selling it, but it's such a cool looking synth and does do a lot of interesting things. Of which, I probably did about 5-10%. That's the interesting thing about the Jupiter 6, you can kind of go anywhere within a few movements. On the Prophet 12 or Poly Evolver, you kind of need to think it through more.

Still - the Prophet 12 is one of the best laid out synths. I guess I'm still not sold on its sound.

Eventide Blackhole VST used for reverb."

Roland Jupiter 6 soundscape - Descent into a timbre of darkness

video upload by MIDERA

"This was a journey... There were many moments when I thought 'How is this occurring?' I would then try to manipulate something to determine how it happened. To be clear, I recorded this thinking 'I will be deciding tonight whether I keep or sell this infernal machine.' I honestly can't believe the breadth of the sounds I got out of it. My typical go-to comment about the Jupiter 6 is this: 'The Prophet 10 sounds the same, but better.' And unfortunately, that's just not true. The Prophet 10 just sounds like a warm soft blanket that always sounds good. The Jupiter 6 sounds like a cold wet towel, and you know what? Sometimes in a blazing hot summer day, that wet towel probably feels good. Plus, you're really not supposed to leave home without a towel, generally speaking.

I did notice some clipping. I couldn't tell at what point it was occurring because the Jupiter was set kind of quiet, but I'm guessing it was a mix of the filter resonance with some other bass-ridden sounds. I honestly can't be sure. You'll have to just accept that it happened and move on.

This video was so long that my camera gave up recording. It must have just gotten too tired, or bored. Or too tired because it was too bored.

Where does this leave me? Well, for now, looking elsewhere for instruments to part with (Futuresonus Parva and Ensoniq EPS are the first to go).

Eventide Blackhole VST for reverb."

Yamaha RS7000 as a pseudo-vintage lo-fi sampler synthesizer (sampling the Prophet 10)

video upload by MIDERA

"One thing I love about the Ensoniq EPS and Mirage is how lo-fi they can sound when you sample them at low sample rates (in the case of the Mirage, when you increase the amount of sample time, which I believe lowers the sample rate). It sounds so dirty.

Well - I think the RS7000 can do that too. You can sample it with a sample rate of 5 khz. You also have lo-fi effects (Master FX and regular FX)... and this is what you get (or rather, what I got).

Honestly, I was playing it against the EPS and I enjoyed using the RS more and thought it sounded just as good. What it does lack is synthesized loops and crossfading between two samples... which is a bit of a pity.

Sample came from Sequential Prophet 10
Added Eventide Blackhole VST for reverb"

Tomorrow comes too soon | IDM music

video upload by MIDERA

"I've been really pining after my old Nord Drum 2. I can't believe how much the prices have gone up over the last few years. I bought mine for $650 and it had all this extra stuff. Sold it for the same in 2019... now, they go for over $1000. I really just want to get it back, sigh. I don't know whether I will or not because that's just a lot of money. Been trying to see if my Tempest or Machinedrum can pull off the same sounds, but there was something weirdly organic in that Nord Drum 2 that I can't quite seem to get out of these. The Monomachine was actually much closer, but it can't exactly pull off that sound either.

I dunno. I know I don't need this stuff, and my studio already feels overwhelmed with gear. Well... who knows. It's a simple problem, which I'm glad of, after everything last year. I'll take it as a good problem to have and be thankful about it.

Gear used:
Radikal Technologies Spectralis 2
Sequential Prophet 10
Dave Smith Instruments Tempest
Eventide Blackhole VST for reverb"