Sequential
I
n 2015, when Yamaha
handed back the Sequential
moniker to Dave Smith,
there was much rejoicing
from the community (and I
expect similar feelings were
expressed within the walls
of the company) and a new era
dawned, bringing with it a
selection of hardware that crossed
some boundaries, from the much
praised Prophet Rev2, the vintage
vibed OB-6 and Prophet 6, to the
more recent re-issue of the
wonderful Prophet 5.
Arturia’s MatrixBrute, both of
which I have in my studio. It’s
easy to see why these thoughts
cross people’s minds, as there are
some similarities: the Moog has a
somewhat modern interface with
vintage warmth and the Brute
offers a similarly extensive
modulation system; but in reality
these three machines all differ
with just small areas of crossover.
Excellent build
Physically the Pro 3 (we will
concentrate on the SE version,
with wood panels and tiltable
control surface – the standard is
much the same, just lighter and
with decals rather than silkscreen
printed livery) is solidly built and
hefty enough to inspire confidence
in its road worthiness. The jacks
around the back all engage
satisfyingly, from the 1/4” dual
outputs to the 1/8” CV in and out
patch points. USB is there of
course, although it doesn’t offer
audio, and there is MIDI in, out
and through, plus an audio input.
A stereo headphone jack is up
This left a space in the lineup
for something modern and mono
that didn’t sit in the same area as
the Prophet X but would provide
players with a synth that had the
familiarity we musicians yearn for
yet an experience that was new
and exciting. The curtains were
pulled back to reveal the Pro 3.
So, what is the Pro 3 and why
would you buy it over any of the
other Sequential products?
Comparisons have been made,
whether rightly or not I’m unsure,
to both Moog’s Sub 37 and
THE PROS & CONS
+
Excellent build
quality
Warm and
distinctive tone
A huge array of
sound design options
Surprisingly intuitive
-
SE version is heavy
Sequential Pro 3 | Reviews
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