DSI Prophet Rev2 16-Voice

B
ack in 2007 when
the Prophet 08 was
released, it really
reinvigorated the
analogue poly market
as it offered a new
level of features and
sound for a reasonable price.
Fast-forward to 2017 and DSI’s
ever-popular synth has just had a
long-overdue refresh to bring it up to
speed! Time to check it out…
The sequel isn’t called the
Prophet 08 Mk2 as expected – it’s
the Prophet Rev2. The Rev2 has the
OB-6 (ie one of the nicest synth
actions around). Plus there’s an extra
octave which makes a big difference
to playability and the extra range
really comes in handy, especially
when splitting the keyboard.
The Rev2 is available in three
versions – the 8-voice (the nearest
equivalent to the outgoing Prophet 08
and costs £1,435); the 16-voice (this
review unit) at £1,914; and the 8-
and 16-voice desktop versions at
£1,243 and £1,722 respectively. You
can also upgrade the 8-voice models
to 16-voice models down the line,
with the upgrade board currently
costing £573.60.
The 08’s front panel has received
a complete makeover with the most
noticeable difference being that the
wide, two-line red digit display has
made way for a white-on-black square
OLED. This relays patch names,
modes and parameters to the user
clearly and concisely, though some of
the writing can appear small at times.
A couple of minor criticisms – firstly if
you’re playing with your left hand and
want to tweak parameters via the
Parameter and Value knobs using
now-standardised DSI family look,
with rubberised silver-collared knobs,
red-backlit switches and chunky
wooden end cheeks. The 08’s front
panel Lexan panel sticker has made
way for direct screen-printed graphics
(like the Prophet 6) which adds a
further air of class and quality to the
design. In fact, everything feels more
upmarket compared to the 08,
including the knobs, switches and the
keybed. Speaking of which, this is a
huge improvement over the more
clacky 08 keybed and it’s very similar
to the keybed in the Prophet 6 and
THE PROS & CONS
+
Modulation is a
breeze to set up.
More intuitive
than the P08
Keybed feels light
years ahead of the
P08
The new
modulatable FX
sound lush. Digital
high-pass filter is
handy too
-
Only one effect
per-layer
Setting unison,
chord and legato
modes is hidden in
the Misc menu
Oscillator leakage
even when the filter
is fully closed
DSI Prophet Rev2 16-Voice | Reviews
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