Sequential Prophet XL

Sequential Prophet XL Synthesizer Overview

Overview by GAK

The Prophet XL makes its mark in the Sequential synth lineup with its bi-timbral sample & synthesis architecture and extended range keyboard. Combining high-resolution digital oscillators & rich SSI analogue filters with deep-sampled 8dio instruments, the Prophet XL presents a fresh and inspiring approach to synth design.

Premium Keyboard

Sequential have kitted the Prophet XL out with a high-quality, semi-weighted Fatar keybed. The Prophet XL boasts an extended keyboard range that’s reminiscent of the Prophet T8, with an expansive 76-key range. This beautifully expressive keyboard features velocity sensitivity and channel/mono aftertouch, allowing you to inject dynamic contrast and variation into your performances.

For quick adjustments and on-the-fly tweaks, you can reach for the 2 touch-sensitive sliders and tactile pitch & mod wheels. All of the Prophet XL’s performance features can be assigned to a wide variety of destinations with the deep modulation matrix. One of our favourite tricks is assigning a number of extreme parameter changes to the sliders, which allows you to dramatically shift the sound of a patch in an instant.

With the Prophet XL, not only do you have access to a groundbreaking synth from one of the greatest synth manufacturers of all time, you also have a top-notch master keyboard that you can use to control the rest of your hardware and software instruments.

The Prophet X is also available as a more compact alternative to the XL, with a smaller a 61-key Fatar keyboard.

Ready For The Road

The Prophet XL’s incredible sound engine and effortless knob-per-function interface is housed within a robust metal chassis and is crafted with Sequential’s exacting build quality. Like with any Sequential creation, you’re guaranteed a rock-solid and reliable instrument that continues to invigorate your music creation for years to come.

Just like its smaller sibling, the Prophet XL features one of the most exciting synthesis engines we’ve encountered in a long time. Not only can the Prophet XL pull off classic synth patches with ease, it can create virtually any sound you can conceive of thanks to its open-sampling capabilities.

<<Click here to learn more about the Prophet X’s features!>>

2 multi-sampled stereo instruments per voice with editable sample start, sample end, loop size, and loop center, loop on/off, sample reverse, sample stretch, bit-rate reduction, and sample rate reduction
Forward and forward/reverse loop modes
150 GB of factory-installed 16-bit, 48 kHz sampled instruments created by 8Dio
50 GB of additional storage for user-imported samples or 3rd-party sound libraries
High-pass and low-pass filter per instrument
Instrument 1 and instrument 2 delay as mod destinations

2 digital oscillators per voice with selectable sine, sawtooth, pulse, and supersaw waves. You can vary the shape of any of the waveshapes.
Glide (portamento): separate rates per oscillator; (samples can glide in Sample Stretch mode)
Hard sync

2 x analog 4-pole resonant low-pass filters per voice in 8-voice mode, 1 low-pass filter per voice in 16-voice mode, paraphonic filter operation in 32-voice performance mode
Digital high-pass filter in Effects section

4 loopable, five-stage (ADSR plus delay) envelope generators: Filter, VCA, and two assignable

Polyphonic step sequencer with up to 64 steps (6 notes per step), and ties and rests.
MIDI note output
Sequences can be copied between Layer A and Layer B

Four-stage (ADSR) envelope generator
Velocity modulation of envelope amount

4 LFO’s with key sync, phase offset, and slewing per LFO
Five wave shapes: triangle, sawtooth, reverse sawtooth, square, and random (sample and hold)

16-slot modulation matrix
28 sources
92 destinations
11 additional dedicated sources: mod wheel, pressure, velocity, breath controller, footswitch, LFO 1, LFO 2, LFO 3, LFO 4, Env 3, Env 4

Fully-featured arpeggiator with up, down, up+down, random, assign modes
Selectable note value: 16th note, 8th note triplet, 8th note, dotted 8th note, quarter note
One, two, or three octave range
Re-latching arpeggiation
Note repeat
Beat sync
MIDI note output

64 preset alternative tunings
Additional alternative tunings can be imported via SysEx

2 digital effects on each layer
Stereo delay, BBD delay, chorus, flanger, phaser, ring mod, vintage rotating speaker, distortion, high-pass filter, spring reverb, room reverb, hall reverb, super plate reverb

Master clock with tap tempo
BPM control and display
MIDI clock sync

Full-sized, semi-weighted, 76-key, Fatar TP/8 keyboard with velocity and channel (mono) aftertouch
Backlit pitch and mod wheels
Spring-loaded pitch wheel with selectable range per program (1 to 12 semitones up and down)
Transpose controls for an 8-octave range
Hold switch latches held notes on
Polyphonic glide (portamento)
Unison (monophonic) mode with configurable voice count

512 Factory Programs (4 banks of 128) and 512 fully editable User Programs with 2 layers (2 separate sounds) in each Program

MIDI In, Out, Thru
USB MIDI
Sample import jack for USB Stick
Main stereo audio output: 2 x 1/4″ phone (TS, unbalanced)
Output B stereo audio output: 2 x 1/4″ phone (TS, unbalanced)
Pedal/CV: responds to expression pedals or control voltages ranging from 0 to 5 VDC (protected against higher or negative voltages.
Volume: responds to expression pedals or control voltages ranging from 0 to 5 VDC (protected against higher or negative voltages.
Sustain pedal input: accepts normally on or normally off momentary footswitch.
Sequencer: accepts normally on or normally off momentary footswitch to trigger sequencer playback.
Headphone output: 1/4″ stereo phone jack.