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Average Price: $5,564
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Description
Discover the distinctive sound of the Sequential Circuits Prophet VS, a celebrated synth that effortlessly combines vintage charm with modern functionality. This digital synth stands out for its innovative use of vector synthesis, offering a sonic playground for music enthusiasts and professional artists alike. It boasts four oscillators per voice, each packed with 127 waveforms, providing an impressive range of sound manipulation possibilities. The addition of two LFOs, a Curtis low pass analog filter with digital controls, and built-in effects only adds to its allure, while MIDI compatibility ensures seamless integration with your existing setup.
Key Features:
- Digital synth utilizing vector synthesis for sound generation
- Four oscillators per voice with 127 waveforms each
- Two LFOs and a Curtis low pass analog filter with digital controls
- MIDI equipped for easy integration with other devices
- Envelopes, arpeggiator, and built-in effects for added versatility
- Also available in a rackmount version
Product specs
| Brand | Sequential |
| Model | Prophet VS 61-Key 8-Voice Polyphonic Synthesizer |
| Finish | Black |
| Year | 1986 - 1987 |
| Made In | United States |
| Categories | Digital Synthesizers, Keyboard Synths |
| Analog / Digital | Digital |
| Key Size | Full Size |
| Keyboard Action | Synth Action |
| MIDI I/O | MIDI Input, MIDI Output, MIDI Through |
| Number of Keys | 61 Keys |
| Polyphony | 8 Voices |
FAQs
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What synthesis method does the Sequential Circuits Prophet VS use?
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The Prophet VS utilizes vector synthesis, which allows for dynamic blending of its four digital wavetable oscillators, creating unique and evolving sounds.
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How many voices of polyphony does the Prophet VS offer?
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The Prophet VS provides 8-voice polyphony, allowing for complex, layered soundscapes and rich textures.
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What type of keyboard action does the Prophet VS feature?
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The Prophet VS is equipped with a synth action keyboard, offering a responsive and smooth playing experience suitable for expressive performance.
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Is the Sequential Circuits Prophet VS suitable for live performances?
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Yes, with its 61 full-size keys and MIDI connectivity, the Prophet VS is well-suited for live performances, offering versatility and control on stage.
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Can the Prophet VS be integrated with modern MIDI setups?
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The Prophet VS includes MIDI Input, Output, and Through, making it compatible with modern MIDI setups for seamless integration into your studio or live rig.
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What distinguishes the sound of the Prophet VS from other synthesizers?
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The Prophet VS is renowned for its distinctive sound, achieved through its combination of digital wavetable oscillators and Curtis analog filter ICs, providing a unique blend of digital clarity and analog warmth.
Videos
Doctor Mix
Prophet VS In Action
Reviews
Owner Insights
We analyzed real musician discussions from forums and Reddit to find what players love, question, and tweak about Sequential Circuits Prophet VS.
Features and functionality
Mods and upgrades
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A Stereoping real-time controller is available, enhancing real-time editing and reducing reliance on the stock unit's menu diving.
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Use cases and applications
Setup and maintenance
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The Prophet VS is difficult to repair due to its rarity and complex digital components, demanding specialist attention for maintenance.
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Replacing old electrolytic capacitors in vintage gear like the Prophet VS is recommended to prevent shorts and maintain functionality, but requires skilled soldering and proper equipment.
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Using a vacuum desoldering station, rather than a hand pump and wick, is highly recommended to avoid damaging traces and ensure thorough removal of old components.
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Electrolytic capacitors from the 1980s are prone to wear out failures over time, with a lifespan typically ending in either performance degradation or potential short circuits.
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Proper ESD protection, including grounding the synth and the soldering iron, is essential to prevent static damage during maintenance.
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Using high-quality desoldering tools reduces the risk of PCB damage during component replacement, which is crucial for preserving vintage synths like the Prophet VS.
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Comparisons
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The vector synthesis technology was later used in the Korg Wavestation and Yamaha SY-22/TG-33, showcasing its pioneering influence on future synth designs.
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Critic Reviews
4.5 out of 5
Based on 1 Review and 7 Ratings
1256
The last in a noble line that lived up well to its name. A monster synth with some cool and distinctive features.
Interesting to think that this auspicious beast from 1986 was Sequential's first digital synth, but the penultimate one to bear the "Prophet" moniker before the company folded a year later. However, without it (and some of Sequential's residual boffins), the popular Korg Wavestation would not have turned out the way it did.
Initially something of a test-bed for a range of ideas - including digital wavetables, the capacity to arbitrarily crossfade between selected waves across 4 oscillators, envelopes that went beyond the standard ADSR steps and which featured loopable stages - they all ended up in the Prophet VS.
There are 96 waves available in RAM and a further 32 that are user programmable. Essentially what this meant was that you could set up any combination of the RAM waves in the 4 oscillators (each with their own volume) and save that as a new single waveform - a neat way of expanding the sonic palette. It was possible to import sample data into the RAM, but that was (is) a little complicated.
Mixes between the 4 oscillators could be programmed using a dedicated Envelope and LFO allowing for some great, animated, and unpredictable patches, and this was a significant part of the VS's charm. The vector joystick also allowed realtime control over the oscillator mix which would override whatever was programmed in the patch setting. This was all routable through an analogue (Curtis chip) resonant filter, and on top of that was a modulation matrix allowing a ton of flexible routings.
It's often overlooked, but the onboard arpeggiator was worth spending time with as it was damn near a sequencer, you can program your own steps and store them as part of a patch. And with the keyboard featuring a programmable split point, it was possible to set up some cool, sequencer-like patterns on one half of the keyboard whilst playing solos or pads on the other half.
A slightly more quirky feature (initially a programming accident which Dave Smith insisted that the designers keep) is the random patch generator achieved by pressing the Enter button and patch button no.2. You're then treated to some serious, sonic psychedelia - rarely possible to play a tune with, but an ear-opening demo of what the VS can do. And you'll never hear the same one twice! (unless you save it).
All in all, I think it's a shame the Prophet VS didn't fare a little better in it's time. Whilst it's spirit was certainly revived in the Korg Wavestation and the Yamaha SY22, I for one am very happy to have the original blueprint in my collection. It's one very powerful and versatile synth.
41029
it was also hugely influential on some of my favorite digital synths from Ensoniqs
Artist usage
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A Sequential Circuits Prophet VS was used on the soundtrack for "They Live."
This video features his San Fransisco studio with almost all the classic Synth keyboards stored alongside rows of vinyl, including this Prophet VS
Transcript from Musician magazine May 1988 mentions Prophet VS as of David Sylvian’s touring keyboards. He supposedly also used this keyboard on Gone To Earth.
On his Facebook Page, Dominik Eulberg mentions he is finishing his new synthtrack, in the picture were the Prophet VS and the Jupiter 8 amongst other gear.
Yanni used the Prophet VS for quite a while leading up to 1994. You can see it in this performance of 'Swept Away' at timecode 6:53.
Roger O'Donnell lists the Sequential Circuits Prophet VS as the ninth item in his keyboards section on his official website.
"I actually haven't gotten too far into that style really. I still have most of the tools of the trade, from lots of modular synths to old favorites like the Prophet-VS and Jupiter-8 synths, except when I bought them they weren't considered vintage because they were brand new and had just come out! For a long time, it seemed like using that stuff to get the John Carpenter sound would have been sort of a tongue-in-cheek, retro-styled in-joke, and I stayed well clear of doing so for that reason. Plus, I spent so many years doing heavily synth-based records that when I got back into scoring I wanted to explore the kinds of sounds that I was never able to use in an album or remix context, like atonal and dissonant orchestral effects, organic-sounding drones, and all the bowed metal stuff I mentioned earlier. Lately, it seems like the retro-synth-wave style is well and truly back, so if the right project comes along my synth collection is well-stocked."
Seen in this picture of Laurie Anderson's home studio is a Sequential Circuits Prophet VS. Photo taken by Derek Peck in Laurie Anderson studio circa 2010.
https://www.anothermag.com/art-photography/331/laurie-anderson
In a picture featured in the article "Weird Science" from the September 1993 issue of Sound On Sound, a Sequential Circuits Prophet VS is visible in Holger Czukay's home studio.
In an interview with Universal Audio, Michael Angelakos mentions using the Sequential Circuits Prophet VS.
"Q. I noticed that during your solo albums you moved through the gamut of classic 80s keyboards including the PPG Wave, Yamaha GS-1 and Roland D-50. What are your fave synths from the 80s?
I loved the GS-1. It was big and high quality but I don’t think I used it a lot on my solo albums. I think it was originally made for the small church market in America so that they could get the sounds they needed without buying a huge church organ. I had a deal with Yamaha who stuck with us over the years and when the GS-1 came out I ended up going to Hamburg and sitting with a Yamaha programmer who created some great string sounds for me. I loved playing that instrument and I could play the vibrato with my feet. I’d stand up and rock back back to keep the sustain going and do the vibrato with my foot.
I used the PPG a lot. I got into the Rack Mounted DX-7, the TX-816. I’d got into MIDI in the early days in my own studio for the first couple of solo albums, Transportation and Stand Up and Walk and linking all these things up to get new sounds. I had a Prophet T8, the Prophet Sampler, the Roland D-50. it was like Keyboard City. The Prophet VS was used a lot. I really liked the joystick and the way you could morph between sounds."
Album Usage
The Sequential Circuits Prophet VS has been featured on the following albums:
Lament (2024 Steven Wilson Mix)
Ultravox & Tigerlily (2024)
Extended
Ultravox & Tigerlily (2018)
Syro
Aphex Twin (2014)
Homework
Daft Punk & Daft Punk (1997)
They Live - Expanded Original Motion Picture Soundtrack 20th Anniversary Edition
John Carpenter & Alan Howarth (1989)
OU812
Van Halen (1988)
Gone To Earth (Remastered 2003)
David Sylvian (1986)
Genre Usage
Based on how artists on Equipboard use this gear, it is most commonly found in the following genres.
Used With
Based on how musicians on Equipboard use Sequential Circuits Prophet VS, it is most commonly used with the following gear.
Community setups
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