Sequential Prophet-12 Synthesizer Module

Sequential Prophet-12 Synthesizer Module Overview

Overview by GAK

The fact that Dave Smith himself once proudly proclaimed the Prophet 12 to be his favourite synth speaks for itself. This incredible instrument harnesses the power of both digital and analogue synthesis, which gives it a unique voice amongst Sequential’s outstanding synth lineup that’s distinctly “Prophet” in nature. If you’re looking for a synth that’s easy & fun to coax sounds from while also being extraordinarily deep, you won’t be disappointed with the Prophet 12 Desktop.

Two Synths In One

At the core of the Sequential Prophet 12 Desktop’s sound is its hybrid voice architecture, which melds a high-definition digital front-end with a true analogue signal path output. The Prophet 12 features - surprisingly - 12-voices of polyphony, which can be used as two independent 6-voice synths when used in Split mode (two separate Layers divided across the keyboard) and Layer mode (two Layers stacked on top of each other) Each layer can also have its own Arpeggiator, which can create exciting polyrhythmic patterns. All this, combined with the individual stereo outputs for each Layer (the Layers are summed to one output when only one is used) makes the Prophet 12 a proper bi-timbral synth - two complete synths in a module that can fit into a backpack!

Versatile Oscillators

Every Prophet 12 voice features four high-resolution digital oscillators & a sine wave Sub oscillator, which provide an astounding level of sonic potential. In addition to the fat “analogue” waveforms, the Prophet 12 Desktop features 12 complex digital waveshapes (with interesting names such as “Meh”, “Buzzzz” & “Boing”) and 3 varieties of noise (red, white & violet). Each classic waveform’s shape can be altered with the Shape Mod control and when a complex digital wave is selected, you can blend & morph between three different types for rich wavetable textures.

Powerful Cross Mod

The Prophet 12’s oscillators also feature Sync, AM (Amplitude Modulation), Exponential FM and 4-operator DX-style Linear FM too. While the original DX synths were restricted to pure sine waves, the Prophet 12 can utilise its wide selection of waveforms to create truly unique timbres. If there’s a sound in your head that you’ve been searching for, the Prophet 12 Desktop can bring it to life.

Vintage Vibe

Because the Prophet 12 Desktop’s digital oscillators are powered by SHARC chips, their tuning is rock-solid - which lends itself well to AM/FM and makes the Prophet 12 a reliable instrument for live use. If you want to introduce some vintage wonkiness and VCO-style tuning drift, you can reach for the Slop knob. Slop works on a per oscillator basis, you can mix a drifting Sawtooth wave with a pristine wavetable.

Unique Character Effects

The oscillators then run into a Sequential’s unique Character effects section, which can radically or subtly affect the Prophet 12’s sonic flavour. There’s Girth (boosts lows), Air (boosts highs), Hack, (bit reduction), Decimation (sample rate reduction) and Drive (tape-style saturation). Whether you want to add some body & crunch to a Unison bass patch or transform the Prophet 12 into a glitchy & old-school digital synth, the Character section is at your disposal.

Juicy Analogue Filters

Providing the analog punch and warmth is the classic Curtis analog low-pass filter, which features both a self-oscillating 4-pole (for that quintessential Prophet sound) and 2-pole (more of a vintage Oberheim flavour) modes. To shave off the low-end to help the P-12 fit in a mix or for those Elka Synthex-style sweeps, you can invoke the 2-pole resonant high-pass filter.

Stereo Spread

Towards the end of the P 12’s impressive signal chain is the analog VCA (voltage-controlled amplifier) section. Here you can engage the Pan Spread, which gradually distributes the P 12’s voices across the stereo field. With this one parameter, you can dial in lush stereo width in an instant. Finally, we have a tuned Feedback circuit (perfect for introducing some sonic excitement), a stereo analogue distortion circuit (which go from subtle warmth to all-out grunge) and a 4-tap digital delay line. The per voice stereo delays can pull off the classic rhythmic pulses & ambient washes that you’d expect as well as expansive faux reverbs & modulation such as chorus/flanging when modulated.

Deep Modulation

The P12 Desktop is certainly no slouch when it comes to modulation, with 4 versatile LFOs per voice (with 7 waveforms to choose from, slew, phase offset & BPM sync) and 4 five-stage bi-polar envelopes (with looping and velocity sensitivity). The P12 Desktop’s sound really comes to life when you make the most of its nigh-on modular levels of flexibility. Not only are there 8 fixed-source mod routings, there’s also a totally customisable 16 slot mod matrix where you can patch 27 sources to 98 destinations. Practically everything on the P12 Desktop can be modulated and making assignments couldn’t be easier thanks to the dedicated Source & Destination buttons on the panel.

As a lot of the Prophet 12 Desktop’s modulation occurs on a per voice basis, it pairs beautifully with a polyphonic aftertouch-enabled controller such as the ASM Hydrasynth Keyboard/Desktop, the Ableton Push 2 and the Novation Launchpad Pro MK3.

Immediate Control

The way Sequential have designed the Prophet-12 module’s interface is a feat of engineering brilliance, as they’ve managed to make this synth’s sound engine immediately accessible within an ultra-compact form factor that’s also rackmount ready. All of the Prophet-12 module’s sound-sculpting sections are available with just the press of a button and all the parameters can be viewed via the crystal-clear OLED display.

Sequential’s Prophet 12 Desktop boasts a wealth of full-size connections within its rugged steel enclosure, including 5-pin MIDI (In, Out & Thru), stereo outputs for each layer, USB MIDI, 2 expression pedal inputs and a sustain pedal input. This means you can easily connect your controller of choice as well as sequence & automate the Prophet 12 from your DAW software.

The sheer amount of synth power and features that Sequential have packed into the portable Prophet 12 Desktop is astonishing. Like many have said before, the Prophet 12 is a sound designer’s dream synth and thanks to its intuitively designed interface, you don’t have to be Jean-Michel Jarre to create inspiring sounds.