Sequential Take 5 reaction thread

$1299 for an all-VCO Dave Smith-helmed 5-voice polysynth.

Is this a higher-end alternative to a Minilogue or the cheapest path to Prophet-ville?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1t1Sh0BX8-U

https://ibb.co/9t9nkn3

Looks like it's got just about everything.

Is this a competitor to the Korg Minilogue XD?

Is this a competitor to the Korg Minilogue XD?

On paper, if you tried to compare feature-to-feature, I can see how it would seem like a 5-voice Minilogue at twice the price... but, so far, it seems (and sounds) more like a Prophet 5 Rev4 offered at 1/3 the price.

On paper, if you tried to compare feature-to-feature, I can see how it would seem like a 5-voice Minilogue at twice the price... but, so far, it seems (and sounds) more like a Prophet 5 Rev4 offered at 1/3 the price.

It reminds me of my mopho x4 and the good old 6 track.... only like.... better... a prophet 5 rev4? I dunno about that. Sounds like DCOs but its hard to tell, its lush but the attack is pretty immediate and punchy... it really reminds me of a rev2 with less voices and even more features packed in there. I'm pretty sure this is meant to be the successor to the x4 and a contender against the minilogue as suggested by Gchiaren. Frankly I have an X4 and a prologue8 and they're kinda both must have modern polies. But if this guy is VCOs (didn't get that from the video snippet watched) then watch out Korg..... it definitely sounds great either way

On paper, if you tried to compare feature-to-feature, I can see how it would seem like a 5-voice Minilogue at twice the price... but, so far, it seems (and sounds) more like a Prophet 5 Rev4 offered at 1/3 the price.

It reminds me of my mopho x4 and the good old 6 track....

Re: Mopho x4, totally. I was hopeful it was multitimbral like the Six Trak, but no... I suppose nobody bothers using multitimbral modes these days anyway.

Sounds like DCOs but its hard to tell, its lush but the attack is pretty immediate and punchy...

It's VCO. Unlikely to be the exact the same oscillators as either the Prophet 5 or 6, but definitely billed as VCO.

I'm pretty sure this is meant to be the successor to the x4 and a contender against the minilogue as suggested by Gchiaren.

It's seems to be taking cues from the packaging of the Minilogue, but I don't see how anything that it literally twice as expensive could be described as a competitor. At this price, it's only a competitor to the Minilogue in the way that every 4-door, midsized BMW or Audi sedan is competing with the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry... or the way every $650 Strat-style guitar theoretically competes with every $1300 Strat Strat-style guitar.

I'm gonna have to hear this thing in person. If the oscillators aren't up to the standards of the Prophet 5v4 and/or 6... I'd rather have a lightly-used Prophet 6 desktop for that $$$$.

I think this guy is mean to contend with the undeservedly reviled prologue8.... it seems like it will slay my prologue apart from the multi-engine.... I mean, it COULD have VCOs and VCF from the prophet5, probably just the cheaper curtis chip filterrather than the V1 SSM or the V4 Rossum designed chip that sounds like the SSM. I would bet its just curtis chip oscillators too...

I think this guy is mean to contend with the undeservedly reviled prologue8....

Weren't you trying to sell your Prologue8 awhile back?

only to swap to a 16

only to swap to a 16

Oh good! Glad you're still digging it. :)

Oh good! Glad you're still digging it. :)

its got a real personality that's nothing like my vintage stuff and the keybed is fast and fun

Oh good! Glad you're still digging it. :)

its got a real personality that's nothing like my vintage stuff and the keybed is fast and fun

Why, in your informed opinion, did the Prologues fail to become a hit?

People love Korg, and they were on such a roll with the retro-modern analog stuff when they released the Prologues.

only 1 LFO and really limited routing... its a very late 70s inspired synth, barebones analog feature set and the multi-engine is just tacked on there like an afterthought.... plus there's this perception that the oscillators don't sound good, which is nonsense propogated by guys who overpayed for an OB6 or prophet6 when brand new

I mean, if its your only (mostly) analog polysynth? you could get bored pretty fast and it has a pretty clean sound overall and the dirt it produces is not always that swell... but as part of an arsenal its impressive because its fast to program, has a customizable digital oscillator, sports a first rate keybed and excels at squeaky clean CS80 sounds with its own built in effects engine for live use.

I mean, if its your only (mostly) analog polysynth? you could get bored pretty fast and it has a pretty clean sound overall and the dirt it produces is not always that swell... but as part of an arsenal its impressive because its fast to program, has a customizable digital oscillator, sports a first rate keybed and excels at squeaky clean CS80 sounds with its own built in effects engine for live use.

Fast to program, fun to play, can do clean CS80 sounds, and the biggest, baddest version is <$1500 street?

Works for me.

IDK ppl, it's hitting the streets, and it's sounding pretty right. I'm gonna have to go try one.

https://youtu.be/yGYk9xwsyGQ?t=43

If it beats my mopho x4 I'll buy one, but that's a tall order! Sometimes I prefer DCOs, they're snappy!

Maybe it's just Nick Semrad's programming that is working for me. To the surprise of no-one, Nick can work similar wonders on the Rev 2:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsHQccU1r9A

only 1 LFO and really limited routing... its a very late 70s inspired synth, barebones analog feature set and the multi-engine is just tacked on there like an afterthought....

Not a criticism, but am I right in saying the Prologues don’t have a sequencer ?

Not a fan of this new Sequential look with the grey panel and plasticky knobs that appeared with the Pro 3, but blimey does this sound good. Hope they do a version with wooden side panels.

I’ve always loved the sound and looks of the Prophets so that was kinda my knee-jerk reaction too when I first saw the Take5 announcement. Some have said it’s an odd look, a bit out of character for a Dave Smith creation, but then someone else pointed out this is Sequential’s first product under new company ownership 🤔 (And yeah, I understand these things have a long lead time in development but still maybe the new owners had some say during negotiations perhaps ?).

Not a fan of this new Sequential look with the grey panel and plasticky knobs that appeared with the Pro 3, but blimey does this sound good. Hope they do a version with wooden side panels.

I’ve always loved the sound and looks of the Prophets so that was kinda my knee-jerk reaction too when I first saw the Take5 announcement. Some have said it’s an odd look, a bit out of character for a Dave Smith creation, but then someone else pointed out this is Sequential’s first product under new company ownership 🤔 (And yeah, I understand these things have a long lead time in development but still maybe the new owners had some say during negotiations).

The Pro 3, which predated the acquisition, has a similar look, though a bit more upmarket. I don't think many would fight me when I say the Take 5 is meant to bring certain elements of the Prophet 5 sound down to a more attainable price point. Using plastic knobs and ditching the wooden end-caps goes a long way towards bringing down the BoM and hitting your cost targets.

It would be highly-unusual (from my own tiny window of experiences, at least) for an acquiring company to get that hands-on with a product's aesthetic specifications during the first 18 months post-acquisition, let alone during the negotiations. That said, I'm sure the fact that Sequential had a more downmarket product (by Sequential $$$ standards, at least) in the hopper, was very encouraging to every potential buyer that got to look at Sequential's books and roadmap during the sale process. The Novation influence at this stage would be more like "promise us you can deliver this new 'Prophet 5 Lite' product at a year-1 profit margin of at least x% and a MAP price of no more than $x". That's how buyers influence their new purchase during and immediately after. The "we had a Marketing meeting here at HQ, and these are the new unified aesthetics we'd like you to consider" type of stuff generally starts to happen 2-3 years post-acquisition, at a point where it would be kind of negligent to NOT consider such things.