digitl's Reviews

best sounding synth I have ever owned

Superlative. Magical. So easy to get amazing sounds (granted I have 35 years experience with synths). Richest, most complex sound textures. Get your cables ready.

nice but

I didn't fully click. Not immediate enough due to more menus than any synth I have ever seen.

Wonderful analog synth

I had a broken 50 year old version that I fixed up into a beautiful sounding synth. While the controls are a little different than modern analog synths (non-standard envelopes, for example), you just have to learn to play it the way it was designed. The bass and great sweeps on this track is the Minikorg. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETHBZJIbvRg

Never got excited.

I even had the Kiwi version whihc is much better than the original. Still, nothing special. I prefer the JX-3P. There is a VST for this that will give you pads.

Gig Machine

Great electric piano and organ sounds. Can also do experimental music if you tweak the ring mod and phaser controls to the max.

Analog Classic

I know it is one oscillator but you can create the sounds of two using the resonant filter. Has some real oomph.

Pure analog for covering the basics

This is a goog synth. Would be great if there were more realtime controls. I will have to check the mods for this since they add some MIDI CC so an offboard controller can sends signals too it.

Preferred Settings + Usage:

Great

It a DX 7 Mark II so you know it will sound great (better hardware and DAC resolution than original). Too bad it didn't have more storage and a volume knob! Still, classic sounds at the push of a button. I program it with software (Dexed - https://asb2m10.github.io/dexed/) and it is still a pain; however, there are soooo many free patches available you can find something to get you going.

Under-rated and far out

Good synth but tiny keyboard is not useful for a player. Programmer is interesting with the 8 stage envelopes- can shape sounds beyond other synths, but only in a limited way since just a few waveforms per digital oscillator are available. Still best bang for the buck out there.

Experimental CZ-101 track.

https://youtu.be/zgHFOBwzc3g

versatile polysynth

For virtual analog modeling, I like this the best. Better than the Ultranova and Blofeld. The dual filters add incredible expression to patches. Can be programmed to replicate many other synths because the architecture (3 oscillator) is so flexible. Decent FM capabilities, too.

Here is a track made only with the Virus B

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQv5KYiLWf0

Amazing

Does it all- really deep features. Not trivial to use right.

Really great sync

I cannot give it 5 stars since too hard to tune across whole range of keyboard. A classic, though, and so easy to use.

What can it do? Listen to this!

https://youtu.be/aL6hAgW-S4E

Just getting started

Since it is a digital version of a digital synth with software from the original creator, should be very accurate.

have to rebuild it still!

have to rebuild it still! Once done, will be very cool duophonic synth with a wicked filter.

Super lo-fi machine

Have to be dedicated to use. Great 8-bit sampling. The SoundProcess OS turns it into a 4 OSC digital synth with analog filters. Keyboard is not very good and you have to deal with floppy disks (or buy sample disks from me!)

Here is what Sound Process can do!

https://youtu.be/UD7Ix4k8kpw

Great all-round keyboard

Good sounds. Programmable. Works as a sampler (live sampling or using files from a compact flash card). Can be expanded with the MOSS board. Really nice weighted keyboard.

Definition of the monosynth

I wanted one of these for years. I bought one and am not disappointed. I still feel like I am scratching the surface with this synth since the modulation controls are the richest (most sources) I have ever seen. If you want texture and variation in a sound and avoid sounding like a loop or a VST, then this is your synth. But you have to earn it. You can simply go sonically crazy with it and the filter is fantastic. I will admit that osc sync could be better (it is better on a Moog Prodigy), but this is paraphonic. You can play one voice along with the sequencer, turns those knobs and blast off. While technically two-osc, you can make sounds with the dual hi freq LFO's, the sub-osc, and the self-resonating filter. Knock yourself out.

Oh, and the keyboard is excellent and also works as a polyphonic midi controller.

Only complaint is the buttons don't always respond first time. Luckily there is a knob for that.

Analog Powerhouse for deep sound design

What sound do you want to make? 70's single oscillator monosynth? FM bass? 3 oscillator polyphonic beast? Combine FM with analog for something no one has heard before? The Prophet 12 can do it all. You can take virtually any patchbook from any synth and make the same or better sounds on the Prophet 12. It is the ultimate replicator. Using the filter to effect is the most challenging but it can growl. Great real-time expression controls: pedals, wheels, sliders, aftertouch. So many modulation sources that you can easily avoid having sounds with obvious looping/pulsing variations unless that is what you want. As for me, I don't ever want to sound like a VST.

Here are some great examples of how good the Prophet 12 can sound once you get away from the factory patches and make your own!

https://youtu.be/Wu682KEc0Ww

https://youtu.be/_39zy0enPbA

It only gets a 4 stars because I feel the UI could be better. I would love to see real-time parameter changes from the wheels and sliders reflected in the UI while designing sounds. If not careful you can get extra and harsh artifacts from too much distortion, drive, hf filter. I think the char fx could be better since so far I have little use for hack and decimate, but they do open up new possibilities.