P O LY P H O N I C A N A L O G S Y N T H E S I Z E R
User’s Guide Version 1.4 Feb, 2021 Sequential LLC 1527 Stockton Street, 3rd Floor San Francisco, CA 94133 USA ©2020 Sequential LLC www.sequential.
Tested to Comply With FCC Standards FOR HOME OR OFFICE USE This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) This device may not cause harmful interference and (2) this device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation. This Class B digital apparatus meets all requirements of the Canadian Interference-Causing Equipment Regulations.
Table of Contents Welcome Back, Old Friend . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . x Chapter 1: Getting Started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Rear Panel Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Using USB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Setting Up the Prophet-10. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Using the Vintage Knob. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Pitch and Mod Wheels. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Pitch Wheel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Mod Wheel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Adding Aftertouch. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Appendix C: Exporting and Importing Programs/Banks . . . . . . . . 62 Importing Programs and Banks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 Appendix D: Alternative Tunings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 1. 12-Tone Equal Temperament (non-erasable). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 2. Harmonic Series. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 3. Carlos Harmonic Twelve Tone. . . . . . . . . .
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THE SEQUENTIAL CREW Art Arellano, Gerry Bassermann, Gus Callahan, Fabien Cesari, Bob Coover, Carson Day, Chris Hector, Tony Karavidas, Mark Kono, Justin Labrecque, Andy Lambert, Michelle Marshall, Andrew McGowan, Joanne McGowan, Julio Ortiz, Denise Smith, Brian Tester, Tracy Wadley, and Mark Wilcox PROPHET-5/10 SOUND DESIGN John Bowen, Peter Dyer, Tim Koon, Kurt Kurasaki, Drew Neumann, Julian Pollack/J3PO, Francis Preve, Robert Rich, Paul Schilling, Nicholas Semrad, Mitchell Sigman, Matia Simovich, Huston S
Welcome Back, Old Friend It’s not often you get to revisit your past with the accumulated knowledge and experience of the intervening years. Even rarer is the opportunity to retrieve some of the magic of those days and give it new life. I was 28 when I created the original Prophet-5.
Prophet-10 User’s Guide Welcome Back, Old Friend xi
Chapter 1: Getting Started The Prophet-10 is a ten-voice, polyphonic analog synthesizer with analog voltage-controlled oscillators, filters, and amplifiers. It faithfully reproduces the vintage sound and features of all three revisions of the original Sequential Circuits Prophet-5. It does this through the use of genuine Curtis VCOs and filters as well as Dave Rossum’s newly designed SSI 2140 filter — the modern counterpart of his original SSM 2040, which was used in vintage Prophet-5-Rev1 and Rev2 synths.
1 2 3 4 Rear Panel Connections The rear panel of the Prophet-10 has connectors for power, USB, MIDI, audio, and pedals. 1. Power On/Off—This rocker switch controls power on and off to the Prophet-10. 2. AC Power Connector—Accepts a standard, grounded IEC power cord. Operates over a range of 100 to 240 volts and 50 to 60 Hz. 3. USB—For bidirectional MIDI communication with a computer.
4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 7. Control Voltage Out—Standard ¼ inch connector. This jack outputs a 0- +5V signal for interfacing with modular synthesizers and other devices that support this type of connectivity. It is configured for 1-volt-peroctave operation for gear that recognizes that standard. The CV output tracks the last note played on the Prophet-10 keyboard. 8. Gate Out—Standard ¼ inch connector.
Using USB The Prophet-10’s USB 2.0 port enables bidirectional MIDI communication with a computer. A MIDI interface and MIDI cables are not necessary, just a USB cable. The Prophet-10 is a Class Compliant USB device. That means it does not require any additional drivers to be installed to communicate with a Mac or Windows computer. The Prophet-10 transmits and receives MIDI data via USB, but does not transmit audio.
Setting Up the Prophet-10 Here’s how to get your Prophet-10 up and running: 1. Plug the power cable into the AC power connector on the back panel of the Prophet-10. 2. If you have an expression pedal, connect it to amp (for volume) or filter (for filter cutoff) on the back of the Prophet-10. If you have a sustain pedal, connect it to the release jack. 3. Turn on the Prophet-10. 4.
Sound Banks The Prophet-10 contains a total of 400 programs. 200 are permanent “Factory” programs and 200 are “User” programs that can be overwritten. You can edit the programs of either set, but you can only save sounds to the User set. When the factory switch is enabled, the permanent Factory sound set is active. When the factory switch is disabled, the User sound set is active. As shipped from the factory, both sound sets are identical.
It’s not always necessary to enter all 3 digits of a program number to recall it. For example: • If the current program is 111 and you want to recall program 118, simply press “8.” • If the current program is 111 and you want to recall program 121, simply press the bank select button as many times as necessary to cycle around to “2.” • If the current program is 111 and you want to recall program 211, simply press the group select button as many times as necessary to cycle around to “2.
Comparing an Edited Program to its Original State When editing a program, it’s often useful to compare its edited state to its original state to evaluate your edits. Alternatively, before saving a program to a new location you may want to check the program in the target location before you overwrite it. To compare an edited program to a saved version: 1. Edit a program. 2. Press the record button. It starts flashing. 3. Press the global button. Both LEDs on the button light up, indicating compare mode. 4.
Live Panel Mode The Prophet-10 also features a “live panel” mode in which its sound switches to the current settings of its knobs and switches. In other words, the current preset is ignored and what you see on the front panel is what you hear. This is a great mode for learning, experimentation, and instant gratification. To enter live panel mode: • Press the preset button to toggle it off. Changing Groups, Banks or Programs with Preset off won’t affect the sound.
To save a program to a different Group and/or Bank location: 1. Press the record button. Its LED begins blinking. 2. Press the group button repeatedly to toggle through banks 1-5 to find the desired group location. 3. Press the bank button repeatedly to toggle through banks 1-5 to find the desired bank location. 4. Press a program selector button (1-8) to specify the “ones” digit of the program. The record button LED stops blinking and the program is saved into the User sound set.
Exploring the Prophet-10 Before you explore the sound creation possibilities of the Prophet-10, we’d like to point you toward a few things that will help you tailor it to your needs. The better you know it, the more you’ll get out of it. First, read “Global Settings” on page 12. There are useful settings and functions found in the Globals that will affect the overall behavior of your Prophet-10, including tuning, MIDI connections, calibration, and more.
Chapter 2: Prophet-10 Controls This chapter explains all of the front-panel controls of the Prophet-10, section by section and the role each plays in synthesizing sounds. If you’re just getting started with synthesis, take a look at Chapter 4, Creating Sounds, for step-by-step tutorials on how to program some classic sounds such as synth bass, brass, strings, and more. Global Settings Global settings are parameters that affect all programs.
Use the Group and Bank buttons to increment and decrement through the Global settings To set a Global parameter: 1. Press the globals button. Pressing it once activates the upper set of parameters. Pressing it a second time enables the lower set of parameters. 2. Press the program selector button (1 - 8) that corresponds to the desired parameter. The parameters are printed above each switch. 3. Use the group and bank buttons as decrement and increment buttons to step through available settings. 4.
4. Param Rcv: Off, CC, NRn—Sets the method by which parameter changes are received via MIDI. As with transmission, NRPNs are the preferred method. 5. MIDI Control: Off, On—When On, the synth will respond to MIDI controllers, including Pitch Wheel, Mod Wheel, Pedal, Volume. 6. MIDI Sysex: Mdi, USB— When set to MIDI (Mdi) it will receive and transmit them using the MIDI ports/cables When set to USB it will receive and transmit them using the USB port/cable.
In Passthru mode, turning the pot has no effect until after the edited value equals the preset value (that is, until the edited value “passes through” the stored value). Jump mode uses an absolute value based upon the position of the pot when edited: turn a pot and the value jumps immediately from the stored value to the edited value. 2.
pedals may be wired in reverse, with the wiper connected to the ring of the jack and the reference voltage to the tip. Either type can be used with the Prophet-5. If the expression pedal causes abrupt changes in the parameter (instead of smooth, continuous control) try switching this mode. 4. Alt Tuning: NOL, 1…16 (Normal, 1…16)—Selects one of the Prophet-10’s built-in tunings. Set to normal (NOL) the tuning is standard, chromatic tuning.
Oscillators Oscillators provide the raw building blocks of the Prophet-10’s sound by producing waveforms, each of which has its own inherent sound character based on its harmonic content. The Prophet-10 has two oscillators per voice. Level controls for each of these are located in the Mixer section. Oscillator A is capable of simultaneously generating sawtooth and variable-width pulse waves. Oscillator B is capable of simultaneously generating sawtooth, triangle, and variable-width pulse waves.
Oscillator Controls Frequency: Sets the base oscillator frequency over a 4-octave range. Adjustment is in semitones. The Master Tune knob affects the pitch of all oscillators, as does the Transpose parameter in the Globals section. Fine: This adjusts the tuning of Oscillator B upward (sharp) and has a range of nearly a semitone. Shape: Sawtooth, Triangle, Square/Pulse—Selects the waveshape gener- ated by the oscillator. You can turn on multiple waveshapes simultaneously.
Use Poly Mod to sweep the pitch of Oscillator A when it is synced to generate the classic, hard-edged sync sound. See “Creating a Hard-Sync Lead” on page 51 for more details. Lo freq: Off, On—Turns Oscillator B into a low-frequency oscillator, essentially providing another LFO source for modulation using Poly Mod. The frequency, fine, shape, and pulse width controls still apply and will affect the character of any low-frequency modulation applied using Oscillator B.
To listen to Oscillator B: 1. Turn down the level of Oscillator A in the Mixer and turn up the level of Oscillator B. 2. Turn on the triangle wave and listen to its sound. It has a very mellow sound because it has very few harmonics, unlike the sawtooth and square waves. 3. Turn on the sawtooth wave and the square wave and notice how the sound changes. 4. Turn up Oscillator A again in the mixer. Notice how the sound becomes fuller now that you can hear both oscillators. 5.
Mixer The Mixer section is where you set the levels of the various sound generators on the Prophet-10. These include Oscillator A, Oscillator B, and the white noise generator. You must turn up at least one of these in order to make sound with the Prophet-10. (Alternatively, you can use the filter to generate its own sine wave in self-oscillating mode by turning Resonance to its maximum.
Filter The function of the filter is to subtract frequencies from the sound produced by the oscillators and noise generator, thereby changing the overall harmonic content of the synth’s sound. This change is varied over time using the Filter Envelope to produce more dynamic timbres. The original Prophet-5 had three incarnations: the Rev1, Rev2, and Rev3, each with their own unique characteristics.
The Filter To hear the effect of the rev 1/2 filter: 1. Recall the basic preset by holding down record and pressing preset. The rev3 filter is selected by default. Switch to the Rev 1/2 filter by pressing the rev switch. 2. In the basic program, only Oscillator A is turned up in the Mixer. For a fuller sound, turn up Oscillator B in the Mixer, set its waveshape to sawtooth and detune it slightly by turning its fine knob to 2. 3. Hold down a note and rotate the filter’s cutoff knob.
3. Return the cutoff knob to its halfway position, hold down a note again then turn the resonance knob about halfway up. 4. Rotate the filter’s cutoff knob again and listen to the sound change as a band of frequencies near the cutoff is amplified. 5. Now toggle between the filters by pressing the rev switch and listen to the differences in tone. The differences become more apparent with higher and lower resonance settings. In the previous examples, you controlled the filter cutoff by hand.
Filter Envelope The Prophet-10 filter has a dedicated, 4-stage envelope generator (attack, decay, sustain, release). The Filter Envelope is used to shape the harmonic characteristics of a synthesized sound by giving you filtering control with these stages. This is one of the most important aspects of a synthesized sound. Without an envelope, the filter would be static and unchanging. It would stay open or closed by a fixed amount that wouldn’t change over the duration of a sound.
release sustain decay attack amplitude time note on note off A typical 4-stage ADSR envelope Filter Envelope Controls Attack: 0...10—Sets the attack time of the envelope. The higher the setting, the slower the attack time and the longer it takes for the filter to open from the level set with the filter cutoff knob to the level set by the filter envelope amount. Percussive sounds typically have sharp (short) attacks. Decay: 0...10—Sets the decay time of the envelope.
To hear the effect of the Filter Envelope: 1. Recall the basic preset by holding down record and pressing preset. The rev3 filter is selected by default. 2. Hold down a note and rotate the filter’s cutoff knob to set it to 3. 3. Play a note. At this point you may not hear anything because you’ve closed the filter significantly. 4. Turn the envelope amount knob to 2. Play a note. Notice how the sound has changed. The Filter Envelope is controlling filter cutoff by the amount you set with the amount knob. 5.
Amplifier Envelope After passing through the filter, a synthesized sound goes into the Amplifier, which controls its overall volume. The Amplifier has a dedicated, 4-stage envelope generator (attack, decay, sustain, release) which is used to shape the volume characteristics of a sound over time by giving you control over these stages. Along with the filter envelope, this is one of the most important aspects of a synthesized sound.
release sustain decay attack amplitude time note on note off A typical 4-stage ADSR envelope As noted previously, the Amplifier Envelope often works in conjunction with the Filter Envelope, with the Filter Envelope controlling how the filter opens and closes and the Amplifier Envelope controlling how the Amplifier controls the overall volume shape of the sounds you create. Amplifier Envelope Controls Attack: 0...10—Sets the attack time of the envelope.
Velocity: Filt, Amp—Allows key velocity to influence volume. If on, the harder you play, the louder sound will be. If off, key velocity will not affect the volume. This control allows for more touch-sensitive sounds. To hear the effect of the Amplifier Envelope: 1. Recall the basic preset by holding down record and pressing preset. 2. Repeatedly strike a note on the keyboard as you turn the Amplifier Envelope’s attack knob clockwise.
Low Frequency Oscillator The LFO is a special-purpose oscillator that produces a frequency that is typically below the range of human hearing. The LFO is used for periodic modulation such as vibrato (periodic pitch modulation) filter modulation, and pulse-width modulation. The LFO can be routed to any or all of these destinations using the controls in the wheel-mod section. The LFO produces three waveshapes: sawtooth, triangle, and square.
LFO Controls Initial Amount: 0...10—Sets the amount of LFO modulation routed to a destination set in the wheel-mod section. Setting an amount here applies the selected modulation continuously. If you set this parameter to zero but still select a modulation destination in the wheel-mod section, modulation is only applied when you use the Mod wheel. Frequency: 0...10—Sets the frequency of the selected LFO from a slow .022Hz to a fast 500Hz.
Using LFO and Wheel-Mod There are many ways to make creative use of the LFO and Wheel-Mod: • To create vibrato, route the LFO’s triangle wave to freq A and freq B in the wheel-mod section to create vibrato. Set the LFO frequency to 7 and the initial amount to 3. Make sure wheel-mod source mix is set to fully counterclockwise to lfo. Using the Mod Wheel intensifies the effect. • To create a chorusing effect, set osc a and osc b to sawtooth and set their levels equally in the mixer.
Poly Mod Although the basic sonic character of the Prophet-10 is determined by its oscillators and filters, much of its power to make truly unique sounds comes from creative use of Poly Mod, or polyphonic modulation. Modulation is the process of routing one parameter (used as a control voltage) to another parameter in order to change the way the targeted parameter behaves.
You can control how much the source affects the destination by dialing in a specific modulation amount with the filter env or osc B knobs. Use Poly Mod to create complex harmonic effects ranging from FM (frequency modulation) to audio-rate filter modulation and beyond. Many classic sounds on the original Prophet-10 were created through clever use of Poly Mod. Poly Mod Parameters Filter Env: Selects the amount of modulation from the Filter Envelope that is applied to a selected destination.
Using the Vintage Knob The new Prophet-10 is an authentically vintage-sounding instrument even though it was designed and constructed with state-of-the-art technology and components. Part of the reason for this is that it uses genuine analog voltage-controlled oscillators, filters, and amplifiers that are as exact as possible to the versions used in the original Prophet-5.
Pitch and Mod Wheels The Prophet-10 has a spring-loaded Pitch wheel and a Mod wheel. You can use these controls to enhance live performance by bending notes and adding modulation in real time as you play. PITCH MOD The Pitch and Modulation wheels Pitch Wheel The Pitch wheel allows for a broad range of effects from subtle vibrato, to half or whole-step note bends, to full-on guitar whammy bar-style bends.
Mod Wheel The Mod wheel controls the amount of modulation from the LFO and/or the Noise source as set in the wheel-mod section. This allows you to perform modulation in real time by moving the wheel as you play. It’s a great way to add expressiveness to a sound or performance by using it to control vibrato, filter effects, and more. To choose a modulation destination for the Mod wheel: 1. In the wheel-mod section, select the destination(s) for modulation from the LFO/Noise source.
In the case of Filter aftertouch, pressing a key harder will open the filter wider, increasing the brightness of the sound. In the case of LFO modulation, pressing a key harder will apply modulation to the currently enabled destinations in the wheel-mod section. To enable aftertouch (pressure) as a source for modulation: 1. Press the aftertouch switch once to select Filter modulation. 2. Press the aftertouch switch twice to select LFO modulation. 3.
Unison When unison is on, the Prophet-10 functions like a monophonic synthesizer in that only 1 note can be played at a time. However, that one note can be powered by as many as ten voices, depending on how many you choose to use. With up to 20 oscillators powering a single note (2 oscillators per voice x 10 voices), you can create some very dense, speaker-rattling sounds. Unison gives you control over how many voices to stack, and also the amount of detuning between the oscillators.
If you want to create an ultra heavy synth bass, try using Unison! By default, the Prophet-10 has last-note priority, meaning that when you play more keys on the keyboard than are available as voices, the last notes played take priority and will “steal” previous notes/voices. When using Unison mode, you can change this to other key priority modes. See “Note Priority Modes” on page 45. Using Chord Memory Unison has another useful feature: chord memory.
Master Tune The master tune control allows you to manually tune the Prophet-10 to the A440 reference tone or to an external reference such as another instrument. It has a tuning range of approximately a semitone (half step) sharp or flat. This knob has a center detente, and when in the center position, the Prophet-10 should be at concert pitch. The Master Tune and A440 reference tone controls To manually tune the Prophet-10 to A440: 1. Recall the basic preset by holding down record and pressing preset.
The Release Switch The release switch affects the behavior of the Filter and Amplifier Envelopes. The original Prophet-5 had a different way of handling Release from the more common method used today. If the release switch is on, the release knob setting on the Filter and Amplifier envelopes is used. If the release switch is off, the Release on both envelopes is fast.
The Tune Button The tune button runs an auto-calibration procedure on the Prophet-10, tuning its oscillators, filters, and other components. Use this calibration procedure as needed over the first few days of use. The Prophet-10 learns the range of temperatures at your location and will keep itself in tune over this range. Later, if you use the Prophet-10 in a different environment that is measurably warmer or cooler (on stage, in an air-conditioned studio, and so on) run the calibration procedure again.
Key Priority Modes Key Priority determines what key has priority when Unison mode is on and more than one key is pressed at the same time. When played polyphonically, the Prophet-10 is set to last note priority so that any newly played notes take priority and will “steal” voices when necessary. Available key priority modes are: • Low note priority (LO) gives priority to the lowest note played. • Low note retrigger (LOr) causes the envelopes to be retriggered with each keystroke.
Chapter 3: Creating Sounds The Prophet-10 can produce a broad spectrum of sounds. Though the factory programs give you some idea of its scope, if you just play its presets, you’re not using the Prophet-10 to its full potential. The real fun is in creating sounds of your own. This chapter provides some short sound programming tutorials. Though there isn’t enough space here to cover how to use every Prophet-10 function, the examples will help you get familiar with some basic concepts.
Long Version Here’s a more detailed version that provides insight into the process. You’ll start with the Basic Program, then learn how to choose an appropriate oscillator waveshape, how to use the filter, how to use the envelopes, and how to use Unison to fatten things up. In the Basic Program, only Oscillator A is audible. Its waveshape is set to sawtooth and its level is 10 in the mixer. (Oscillator B is set to 0 in the Mixer and no wave shape is selected.) To start with the Basic Program: 1.
3. In the envelopes section, set the Filter Envelope’s decay to 6. 4. In the envelopes section, set the Filter Envelope’s sustain to 2. 5. Repeatedly play a note as you turn the resonance knob to 6. Notice how the sound changes as a band of frequencies near the cutoff is amplified. 6. Rotate the filter’s cutoff knob again and you’ll hear a classic resonant filter sweep. You’re going to use this to create your synth bass. 7. Set the filter cutoff to a value of 3. 8. Set the filter resonance to a value of 3.
6. The Filter Envelope’s release parameter acts in conjunction with the Amplifier Envelope. In other words, you can’t hear a long release on the filter envelope if the amplifier envelope is short! So to hear the filter envelope’s release parameter in action, first set the Amp Envelope’s release value to 7. 7. Now repeatedly strike a note on the keyboard as you turn the Filter Envelope’s release knob clockwise and counterclockwise.
Creating Synth Brass Here’s another easy-to-construct sound: synth brass, with a classic “pitch blip” effect on the attack. In this example you’ll learn how to use Poly Mod to modulate the pitch of Oscillator A to simulate an aggressively blown horn effect. To create synth brass: 1. Recall the basic preset by holding down record and pressing preset. Oscillator A is set to sawtooth by default. 2.
Turning Synth Brass into a String Pad It’s a simple matter to turn the previous synth brass sound into a string pad by simply adjusting its envelope and filter settings. To turn the synth brass into a string pad: 1. Remove the “pitch blip” by turning off freq A in the Poly Mod section. 2. Use the keyboard switch to set keyboard filter tracking to half. 3. In the filter section, set the cutoff to 7 and resonance to 2. 4. In the filter envelope section, set the env amount to 0. 5.
5. In the poly mod section, set filt env to 7. This sets the amount of modulation applied to Oscillator A. 6. In the filter section, set the cutoff to 8 and resonance to 2. 7. Set the env amount to 3. 8. In the filter envelope section, set attack to 4, decay to 7, sustain to 4, and release to 5. This will set the “shape” of the modulation. 9. Play some notes. Classic hard-sync lead! 10.
Chapter 4: Using CVs and Gates This chapter explains how to connect the Prophet-10’s Control Voltage inputs and outputs and Gate in and out to external devices such as a modular synthesizer. Using Prophet-10’s CV Out The Prophet-10 can interface with a modular synthesizer and other devices with control voltage ins and outs through its CV input and output. In the example below, the Prophet-10 keyboard is used to play the oscillator of a modular synth.
4. button 1 LED lights up. This indicates that the CV Out Low Point is being adjusted. program select 5. Press and hold any key on the Prophet-10 to send a gate to the external device, so that the external device can be heard. The Prophet-10’s keyboard does not affect the CV Out voltage when in CV Calibration Mode. 6. Use the group select (decrement) and bank select (increment) switches to make negative or positive adjustments to the CV Out Low Point, bringing the external device’s pitch to “C”.
6. Send a “C” from the controlling device, corresponding in pitch to the low C note on the Prophet-10’s keyboard. 7. Use the group select (decrement) and bank select (increment) switches to make negative or positive adjustments to the CV In Low Point, bringing the Prophet-10’s pitch to “C”. The Prophet-10’s CV Input is quantized to semitones, so the pitch will jump abruptly as you make the adjustment, rather than change gradually. 8. Press program select button 4 to begin adjusting the CV In High Point. 9.
56 Chapter 4: Using CVs and Gates Sequential
Appendix A: Troubleshooting and Support Troubleshooting If you’re experiencing problems or unexpected behavior from your Prophet-10, here are a few typical scenarios and their solutions: If the Prophet-10 isn’t producing sound:. 1. Recall the basic preset by holding down record and pressing preset. 2. If the problem is still there, check the following: • Volume - make sure it is set to an appropriate value • Rear-panel output jacks - make your audio cables are connected to audio out.
If the Prophet-10 doesn’t seem to respond to its controls: • Make sure local ctrl is on in the globals section. If MIDI System Exclusive data is not transmitted/received: • Make sure that the midi sysex cable setting in the globals section is set to usb or midi depending on which you are using to transmit or receive MIDI messages. If the Prophet-10 plays out of tune: • Check the transpose parameter in the globals menu to make sure it is set to 0.
Resetting the Global Parameters If you’re trying to track down a problem, it’s often a good idea to reset the Global parameters to their defaults. This is a quick way to make sure that the Prophet-10 returns to its factory settings. This will not erase any User programs. To reset all Global parameters to their default settings: 1. Hold down the record button. 2. Press the globals button. Global parameters are reset. 3. You can now can play the Prophet-10 again.
Warranty Repair Sequential warrants that the Prophet-10 will be free from defects in materials and/or workmanship for 1 year from the date of purchase. Please register your product online at www.sequential.com to establish the date of purchase. (This is not a requirement for warranty service, but it will help expedite the process.) Please contact support@sequential.com to determine the best course of action for getting your Prophet-10 repaired.
Appendix B: Calibrating the Prophet-10 The first time you use the Prophet-10, please run its built-in calibration procedure. The Prophet-10 learns the range of temperatures at your location and will keep itself in tune over this range. Later, if you use the Prophet-10 in a different environment that is measurably warmer or cooler (on stage, in an air-conditioned studio, and so on) run the calibration procedure again. Calibrating the VCOs and Filters To calibrate the oscillators and filters: 1.
Resetting the Global Parameters If you’re trying to track down a problem, it’s sometimes a good idea to reset the Global parameters to their defaults. This is a quick way to make sure that the Prophet-10 returns to its factory settings. This will not erase any User programs. To reset all Global parameters to their default settings: 1. Hold down the record button. 2. Press the globals button. Global parameters are reset. 3. You can now can play the Prophet-10 again.
3. Press globals a second time (this enables the lower set of parameters) then press program selector 7 to select the pgm dump command. The record button begins flashing. 4. Use the group select and bank select buttons to select the desired option — program (PRO), bank (ban), group (GRP), user banks (USR), all (ALL). 5. Press record. The program or bank is exported to your MIDI application. Programs will load back into the same Group, Bank, and Program locations from which they were originally exported.
Appendix D: Alternative Tunings By default, the Prophet-10 is set to standard, chromatic western tuning. Additionally, it supports up to 16 additional alternative tunings, which you can access using the alt tuning parameter in the globals section. These 16 alternative tunings range from Equal temperament to Indonesian Gamelan tunings. If you want, you can replace these with other tunings that you can find on the Internet. These must be in SysEx format.
6. 19 Tone Equal Temperament 19 notes per octave (19root2) offering better thirds than 12 ET, a better overall compromise if you can figure out the keyboard patterns. 7. 31 Tone Equal Temperament Many people consider 31root2 to offer the best compromise towards just intonation in an equal temperament, but it can get very tricky to keep track of the intervals. 8.
13. Dan Schmidt Pelog/Slendro Created for the Berkeley Gamelan group, this tuning fits an Indonesianstyle heptatonic Pelog on the white keys and pentatonic Slendro on the black keys, with B and Bb acting as 1/1 for their respective modes. Note that some of the notes will have the same frequency. By tuning the 1/1 to 60 Hz, Dan found a creative way to incorporate the inevitable line hum into his scale. Bb, B = 1/1 (60 Hz) 1/1 1/1 9/8 7/6 5/4 4/3 11/8 3/2 3/2 7/4 7/4 15/8 14.
Prophet-10 User’s Guide Appendix D: Alternative Tunings 67
68 Appendix D: Alternative Tunings Sequential
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