Dave Smith Instruments Prophet '08 Operation Manual
Prophet '08
Operation Manual
Prophet '08
Operation Manual
Version 1.3
May 2010
Dave Smith Instruments
1210 Cabrillo Hwy N
Half Moon Bay, CA 94019-1449
USA
© 2010 Dave Smith Instruments
www.DaveSmithInstruments.com
Tested To Comply
With FCC Standards
FOR 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.
Cet appareil numerique de la classe B respecte toutes
les exigences du Reglement sur le materiel brouilleur du
Canada.
For Technical Support, email: support@davesmithinstruments.com
Contents
Quick Start................................................................................................. 1
Prophet '08 FAQ and Troubleshooting Notes ........................................... 3
Getting Connected ....................................................................................4
Basic Operation.........................................................................................5
Global Parameters .................................................................................... 7
Program Parameters............................................................................... 13
Oscillators............................................................................................ 13
Noise.................................................................................................... 14
Low-pass Filter .................................................................................... 14
Amplifier...............................................................................................15
Envelope 3........................................................................................... 16
LFOs ....................................................................................................16
Modulators........................................................................................... 18
Misc Parameters..................................................................................18
Keyboard Modes ..................................................................................... 23
Sequencer ...............................................................................................25
Arpeggiator..............................................................................................31
Using Poly Chain..................................................................................... 33
Rack Mounting the Module .....................................................................35
Modulation Destinations.......................................................................... 36
Modulation Sources ................................................................................38
MIDI Implementation ............................................................................... 39
MIDI Messages.................................................................................... 40
NRPN Messages ................................................................................. 42
Global Parameter Data........................................................................43
Program Parameter Data ....................................................................45
Sysex Messages .................................................................................51
Packed Data Format............................................................................ 54
Hidden Functions .................................................................................... 55
Quick Start
Thanks for purchasing the Prophet '08! Listen to the sounds, twiddle some
knobs, have some fun!
Please Register!
Please go to www.davesmithinstruments.com and register your synth. If you
purchased directly from us, there is no need to register – we already have your
contact information.
So, plug in the power supply, connect (in stereo!!) to your mixer/sound system,
switch on the power, and start playing!
Try applying keyboard pressure (aftertouch) and the mod wheel. Many sounds
are fairly simple at first, then come alive when you use the controllers. With
other sounds, you may need to hold the notes a while to let the sound unfold.
Playing in different ways has a big effect on the programs.
Selecting and Editing Programs and Global Settings
You can use the +/- switches to step through the Programs. Also, the PARAM
1
knob changes the Program and PARAM
2 changes the Bank.
If you want to edit a Program, just turn any knob. The new value will be
displayed in the bottom line of the LCD (the top line displays the programmed
value for handy reference). Once a parameter has been selected, the PARAM
2
knob will also change the value, and the +/- switches will increment or
decrement the value. Hit the + and - switches at the same time to set the
parameter to zero.
That’s the whole idea with this instrument – grabbing knobs and changing the
sound! After turning knobs, just hit the Program switch so the LCD goes back to
the Program / Bank screen, allowing you to change Programs again.
Press the G
LOBAL switch to change higher level parameters, such as MIDI
channel number, Transpose/Detune, and so on. These are remembered when the
synth is turned off. Note that in Global Mode, the screen displays two
parameters at a time. The top parameter is changed by the PARAM
1 knob and
the lower parameter is edited by the PARAM
2 knob. The +/- switches select
new pages.
Summary
You should be up and running now; for more operation information, read on. Or,
just look up specific parameters for detailed notes. Pages 35 through 38 contain
a handy reference for mod destinations and sources. At some point you should
1
read through the manual to discover all the little features that you might not
notice at first.
I should mention that this manual does not include explanations of basic analog
synthesizer functions. It assumes you already know what an oscillator is, how a
low-pass filter affects the sound, what an ADSR envelope looks like, and so on.
Fortunately, these days it is quite easy to find such resources on the Internet. If
you want to learn the lingo and the basics, just try a search in Google (or the
search engine of your choice), something like “analog synthesizer tutorial.”
You’ll find plenty of good reading material.
Have fun!
Dave Smith
Special thanks to:
Tim Ande, David Bryce, Andrew McGowan, Dave Polich, Ravi Ivan Sharma,
and Stefan Trippler.
2
Prophet '08 FAQ and
Troubleshooting Notes
Voices 1 through 4 are not making any sound.
Check to make sure you're using the Main Output and not Output B.
The arpeggiator/sequencer has stopped working.
Check the Clock setting under the Global menu. If it is set to MIDI In or MIDI
In/Out and the Prophet '08 is not receiving MIDI clock, neither the sequencer
nor the arpeggiator will play.
How do I reset the Prophet '08?
The Prophet does not have a full (programs, parameters, everything) reset, but
you can reset the Global parameters to their factory defaults by holding the
G
LOBAL switch and pressing LFO 3. The factory program banks are available in
SysEx format on our Web site.
How can I “zero out” a program to start creating a sound from scratch?
Hold the P
ROGRAM switch and press + / YES to set the current program's
parameters to a basic sawtooth program with most of the parameters set to zero.
Please note that this does not write the sound into memory; it temporarily
changes the parameters of the current program.
Some voices are noticeably louder than others.
Are you using both (left and right) outputs? The Prophet does not have a
summed mono output. Many of the factory programs use the P
AN SPREAD
parameter or have some modulation affecting the pan position. The Audio Out
parameter in the Global menu can globally switch both outputs to mono.
Why am I hearing some distortion in my programs?
The Prophet has an extensive and very deep modulation matrix. If you turn
everything up to 11 (figuratively speaking), the sum may be a bit more than the
Prophet can handle without distorting. Just back off the levels a bit. Rather than
clamping everything internally so that distortion never occurs, we leave it up to
you. Besides, sometimes things “break” in interesting ways!
Why doesn't my expression pedal work with the Prophet?
The Prophet should work with most expression pedals. However, the factory
programs are not preconfigured to use an expression pedal. For (almost) instant
gratification, set the Pedal parameter in Global to control volume or the filter.
To select program-specific destinations, set the Pedal parameter to FootCtrl.
Then, using the M
ISC switch in the Modulators section, set the MOD SOURCE to
Foot and set the M
OD DESTINATION and MOD AMOUNT to the desired values.
3
Getting Connected
The Prophet '08 has several inputs and outputs on its back panel.
Power Input – Connect the power supply included with your Prophet '08. The
power supply comes with different AC adaptor prongs that allow it to work
anywhere in the world. If for whatever reason you need to use a different supply,
it must match the specifications on the rear panel near the input jack. Note: The
supply label says “Evolver” on it for reference.
MIDI In – To receive MIDI data from another device, connect this to the other
device's MIDI Out.
MIDI Out – To send MIDI data to another device, connect this to the other
device's MIDI In.
MIDI Thru – Received MIDI data is passed through to MIDI Thru so that
multiple MIDI devices can be chained on the same MIDI buss.
Poly Chain Out – A special MIDI output that enables you to chain another
Prophet or up to two Tetras for increased polyphony. See Using Poly Chain on
page 33 for details. When Poly Chain is turned off, this jack acts as a second
MIDI Out.
Pedal/CV – This input can be connected to two types of controllers: a standard
expression pedal that has a variable resistor on a TRS (tip-ring-sleeve) 1/4"
phone plug, or a synthesizer or other device capable of producing a control
voltage. The control voltage range is 0 to 5 volts DC, and the input is protected
against higher and negative voltages. Note that this input is heavily filtered for
clean operation, so there is a limit to the speed it will respond.
Sustain – Works with any standard, normally open or normally closed
momentary footswitch. See “Sustain” in Global Parameters on page 9 for
information about changing the polarity to work with your type of footswitch.
Main Output – The Prophet '08's unbalanced, stereo outputs.
Output B – Each of the Prophet '08's 256 programs contains two layers, A and
B. Each layer can be a completely different sound and the layers can be
combined as splits and stacks. If you just use the Main Output, layers A and B
are both output there. If you plug two additional cables into Output B, however,
the sound of B layer will be removed from the Main Output and sent to Output
B. This enables you to process the two layers separately.
Headphones – A 1/4 inch stereo phone jack.
4
Basic Operation
When you first turn the power on, the keyboard will be in Program Mode with
the P
ROGRAM switch lit and the following screen active:
Programxxx Bankx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
The top line shows the Program (1…128) and Bank (1…2) number of the
currently selected Program, and the bottom line shows the 16-character name of
the Program. The PARAM
1 knob changes the Program, and the PARAM 2
knob changes the Bank. The Program can also be incremented or decremented
by pressing the +/Y
ES or -/NO switches, respectively.
Each Program has two layers, A and B. Each layer can contain a completely
different patch. The layers are typically used to create stacked and split
Programs, though you can also switch quickly between the layers using the E
DIT
LAYER B switch. When EDIT LAYER B is lit, the front panel controls will edit the
layer B patch.
Note: When playing in a live performance, E
DIT LAYER B provides a
handy way to toggle quickly between two completely different sounds
with a single switch. This applies only in normal eight-voice mode, not in
Stack or Split modes.
To edit a Program, simply turn any knob. See Program Parameters on page 13
for a detailed list of all parameters and their functions. After editing parameters,
hit the Program switch to enable program changes again.
Compare Feature – While editing a Program, you can press the COMPARE
switch to listen to the original version. If you press the switch again, the Prophet
'08 returns to the edited version.
Saving a Program
To save a Program, press the W
RITE switch and the following screen appears:
Write? P:xxx B:x
Hit: Yes or No
Press the +/YES switch to save the current Program, or -/NO (or the WRITE
switch again) to cancel. To store in a different location, use PARAM
1 to select
a new destination, and PARAM
2 for a different bank.
5
Note: If your Prophet '08 is poly chained to a second Prophet '08, the
program will also be saved in the chained unit.
Audition Destination Feature – While there is a write pending (see previous
screen), you can press the C
OMPARE switch to hear the target Program
destination before saving. Just be sure to turn C
OMPARE off again before you
actually hit the +/Y
ES switch to save.
Transposing the Keyboard Range (keyboard only)
Use the U
P and DOWN Transpose switches to transpose the keyboard up or down
in octaves. The LED indicates the current keyboard transposition state. The
transposition changes the MIDI note number of the keys, so MIDI notes sent
will also be transposed.
6
Global Parameters
To edit the Global parameters, press the GLOBAL switch and Global page 1 is
displayed. The PARAM
1 knob changes the parameter on the upper LCD line,
and the PARAM
2 knob changes the lower parameter. The +/YES and -/NO
switches select the other pages.
Note: If you hold the -/N
O switch while you hit the +/YES switch, it will
jump to the last page. Similarly, if you hold the +/Y
ES switch when you
hit the -/N
O switch, it will jump to the first page.
Page 1:
Transpose: xx
Fine Tune: xx
Transpose: -12…+12 – Master Transpose control, 0 is centered. Steps in
semitones.
Fine Tune: -50…+50 – Master Fine Tune control; 0 centered. Steps in cents (50
cents = 1/2 semitone).
Page 2:
MIDI Channel: xx
Poly Chain: xxx
MIDI Channel: ALL, 1…16 – Selects which MIDI channel to send and receive
data, 1 to 16. All receives on all 16 channels.
Poly Chain: Off, Out 4, Out 8, In – Use this to increase polyphony by
intelligently processing the keys hit and passing MIDI data through to the Poly
Chain MIDI out jack, where it can be routed to a second Prophet '08 or one or
two Tetras. See Using Poly Chain on page 33 for details.
Note: If Poly Chain is set to Off, the Poly Chain MIDI out jack simply
duplicates the MIDI out jack.
7
Page 3:
Clock: xxxxxxxx
LocalControl: xxx
Clock: see table – Selects the MIDI clock status.
Display MIDI Clock Setting
Internal
MIDI clock is neither sent nor received
MIDI Out
MIDI clock is sent
MIDI In
MIDI clock is received
MidiIn/Out
MIDI clock is received and transmitted (use
with Poly Chain)
Local Control: Off, On – Enables or disables the internal connection between
the keyboard and panel controls and the synth electronics. This is useful with
external sequencer operation.
Page 4:
MParam Send: xxxx
M Param Rec: xxxx
MIDI Parameter Send: NRPN, CC, Off – Changes to the values of the Prophet
'08's front panel controls are transmitted via MIDI as Non-registered Parameter
Number (NRPN) controllers or as Continuous Controllers (CC). Transmission of
parameters can also be turned off. See MIDI Implementation on page 39 for
details.
Note: NRPNs are the preferred method of parameter transmission, since
they cover the complete range of all parameters, while CCs only handle
the main parameters.
MIDI Parameter Receive: All, NRPN, CC, Off – Sets the method by which the
Prophet '08 receives parameter changes via MIDI. As with transmission, NRPNs
are the preferred method, though some controllers may only be able to send
CCs.
Page 5:
MIDI Program: xxx
MIDI Pressre: xxx
MIDI Program: Off, On – When On, the synth will respond to MIDI program
changes received, and will transmit Program changes to MIDI Out.
8
MIDI Pressure: Off, On – When On, the synth will respond to MIDI pressure
(aftertouch) received, and will transmit Keyboard Pressure to MIDI Out.
Page 6:
MIDI Control: xxx
MIDI SysEx: xxx
MIDI Control: Off, On – When On, the synth will respond to MIDI controllers,
and will transmit controllers from the keyboard to the MIDI Out. Controllers
include Pitch Wheel, Mod Wheel, Pedal, Breath, Volume, and Expression.
MIDI SysEx: Off, On – When On, the synth will respond to received MIDI
SysEx messages, and will transmit them, when prompted, to the MIDI Out. See
Sysex Messages on page 51 for details.
Page 7:
Pedal: xxxxxxxx
Sustain: x
Pedal: see table – Sets the destination for the Pedal/CV input. Note that this
input is heavily filtered for clean operation, so there is a limit to the speed it will
respond to changes.
Display Pedal Routing
FootCtrl
Routed to the Foot Control Modulation
Breath
Routed to the Breath Control Modulation
Expressn
Routed to the Expression Modulation
Volume
Controls Master Volume
LpFilter
Routed to the low pass filter
LpF Half
Routed to the low pass filter, but with half
the range
Sustain: Norm +, Norm -, Arp +, Arp - – A momentary footswitch connected to
the Prophet ’08’s Sustain input can be used either as a sustain pedal or to latch
the arpeggiator. The Prophet ’08 can be configured for use with either normally
open (+) or normally closed (-) footswitches. When set to Arp+ or Arp-, the
footswitch will act as a sustain pedal when the Arpeggiator is off.
Page 8:
Velocity Curve: x
Pressure Curve: x
Velocity Curve: 1…4 – Sets one of the four velocity curves for the keyboard;
this gives you the ability to adjust the keyboard to your playing style.
9
Pressure Curve: 1…4 – Sets one of the four pressure curves for the keyboard;
this gives you the ability to adjust the keyboard to your playing style.
Page 9:
Audio Out: xxxxxx
MIDIParamLCD: xxx
Audio Out: Stereo (default), Mono – Switching from Stereo to Mono globally
defeats all of the parameters that affect panning (pan spread, modulation, etc.)
and makes both the left and right outputs mono outputs.
MIDIParamLCD: On (default), Off – In edit mode, the display normally shows
any received controller changes. When MIDIParamLCD is Off, only local edits
are displayed.
Page 10:
CntrolReset: xxxx
BalanceTweak: xx
CntrolReset: Norm (default), PgCh – When set to Norm, the settings of MIDI
controllers such as volume, brightness, or modulation will be carried over with
program changes. When set to PgCh, MIDI controllers will be reset when
programs are changed locally or via MIDI. The reset is equivalent to sending the
Prophet the Reset All Controllers message (CC 121) via MIDI.
BalanceTweak: -7…7 – Adjusts the left/right balance of the audio outputs by
approximately +/- 4 dB.
Page 11:
PotMode: xxxxxxxx
EncMode: xxxxxx
PotMode: Relative (default), Passthru, Jump – On the Prophet ’08, 38 of the 52
front panel controls are potentiometers or “pots.” (The pots have about 300° of
travel; the encoders are “endless.”) There are three pot modes to determine how
the synth reacts when the related parameters are edited.
When set to Relative, changes are relative to the stored setting. In Relative
mode, the full value range is not available until either the minimum or maximum
value and the respective lower or upper limit of the pot’s travel is reached.
For example, the Oscillator Mix parameter has a value range of 0 to 127. Let’s
say the physical position of the Oscillator Mix pot is the equivalent of a value of
100. If you switch to a program that has a stored Oscillator Mix setting of 63
10
and turn the pot all the way up, it will only go to 90. To get to the maximum
value of 127, you first have to turn down until the value is at the other extreme
and the pot is at the limit of its travel (in this case, 0 and fully counterclockwise, respectively).
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.
Encoder Mode: Detent, Non-Det – Optimizes behavior for the type of rotary
encoders (detented or non-detented) on your Prophet ’08. If you’re reading this
in a printed manual that came with a new instrument, you should have a Prophet
’08 PE with detented encoders. Just leave it set to Detent.
If you have updated the OS from an earlier version that did not include this
parameter, you’ll need to determine which hardware version of the Prophet you
have in order to choose the optimum setting. Early standard Prophet ’08s and all
Special Editions originally shipped with non-detented rotary encoders. That is,
all the controls rotate smoothly and without detents or obvious steps. On these
Prophets, this parameter should be set to Non-Det.
If you have a Potentiometer Edition (PE) Prophet, whether purchased that way
or converted from the earlier hardware version, set the parameter to Detent. This
is true even for those PEs that have a mixture of detented and non-detented
encoders. How do you know for certain if your Prophet is a PE? If the filter’s
Frequency control has definite minimum and maximum settings (that is, it
doesn’t just turn endlessly), it is a PE.
Page 12:
LCD Contrast: xxx
MultiMode: xxx
LCD Contrast: 1…100 – This sets the contrast level for the LCD.
MultiMode: Off, On – MultiMode allows separate MIDI control of voices 1
through 4 and 5 through 8. The implementation is fairly simple and enables
independent, bi-timbral control of the Prophet.
MultiMode is intended for use with an external sequencer or other MIDI
controller controlling the Prophet ’08. It is meant to be a one-way interface (that
is, from your sequencer to the Prophet).
11
When MultiMode is On, the Prophet ’08 responds to MIDI data on two
consecutive MIDI channels, the base channel (selected in the Gobal menu) and
the next highest channel. The base channel controls voices 1 through 4 and the
other channel controls voices 5 through 8. Notes, program changes, and other
MIDI data received on the specified channels provide independent control of the
two parts.
Note that a program change needs to be sent to each of the two channels when
setting up MultiMode. Only Layer A of the selected program is loaded. There
are no stacks or splits in MultiMode. Use CCs or Layer A NRPNs for
automation of parameters. Program Layer B data is completely ignored in
MultiMode.
Page 13:
Copy Bkx P: xxx x
To Bkx P: xxx x
Program Copy Utility – Enables Layer A or B of a Program to be copied to
Layer A or B of the same or a different Program. The top line displays the
current Bank and Program. Use PARAM 1 to choose the Layer (A or B) to be
copied. Use PARAM 2 to choose the destination Bank, Program, and Layer.
Press W
RITE to execute.
Page 14:
Dump (Hit Write)
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
MIDI Dumps: see table – Allows dumping of Programs in SysEx format via
MIDI. Use PARAM 2 to select from the following options.
Display MIDI Transmit Operation
Current Program
Send current program
Current Bank
Send all 128 programs in current bank
All Banks
Send all programs in both banks
When this page is active, the WRITE switch will blink. Press the switch to start
transmission. This feature is handy for saving Programs on a computer in SysEx
format, or for sending them to another Prophet '08 via a direct MIDI connection.
The dumps include Program and Bank numbers, so when received, the programs
will be stored in the same location.
12
Program Parameters
All Program parameters can be edited using the front panel controls. To edit a
program, simply turn the desired parameter knob or hit the switch. The selected
parameter and value appear in the LCD display. The top line of the LCD
displays the programmed value for reference; the bottom line displays the edited
value.
After a parameter is selected by turning its knob, you can also use the PARAM
2
knob to change the value of the selected parameter. Use the +/Y
ES or -/NO
switches to incrementally adjust parameter values.
Hit both +/Y
ES or -/NO at the same time to set the parameter to zero.
Note: Hold the P
ROGRAM switch and hit the +/YES switch to set the Program to
a basic patch, with most parameters set to zero. It does not save the sound in the
current program; it only changes all the parameters.
Following are descriptions of each Prophet '08 Program parameter.
Oscillators
Each of the Prophet '08's eight voices has two analog oscillators. The basic
controls for each oscillator are the same and are arranged in two horizontal rows,
one for Oscillator 1 and another for Oscillator 2.
Note: There are additional modulation controls that can affect the pitch
of Oscillators 1 and 2. These are covered in other sections of the
Parameter definitions.
Osc Freq: C 0…C 10 – Sets the base oscillator frequency over a 10 octave
range, from 8 Hz to 8KHz, stepping in semitones. C3 is middle C, the first
octave is 0 (C0, C#0, etc.), the second octave is 1 (C1, C#1, etc.), and so on.
Fine: -50…+50 – Fine Tune control; 0 centered. Steps in cents (50 cents = 1/2
semitone).
13
Shape/PW: see table – Selects the analog waveshape as follows:
Display Waveshape
Off
No output
Sawtooth
Sawtooth
Triangle
Triangle
Saw-Tri
Sawtooth – Triangle mix
Pulse xx
Pulse Wave, with pulse width ranging from minimum
(0) to maximum (99). The pulse width will turn off at the
two extremes – this allows some interesting modulation
possibilities. A square wave will be at Pulse 50.
Glide: 0…127 – Sets the Oscillator Glide (portamento) rate. Glide can be set
independently for each oscillator. Low settings are faster.
Note: See “Glide Mode” in Miscellaneous Parameters on page 18 for
additional Glide settings.
Sync 2-> 1 – When enabled (lit), turns oscillator hard sync on. With sync on,
whenever oscillator 2 resets, it will force oscillator 1 to reset for the classic hard
sync sound.
Mix: 0...127 – Enables the outputs of Oscillators 1 and 2 to be mixed in varying
amounts. A setting of 0 is equivalent to 100% Oscillator 1 and 0% Oscillator 2.
A setting of 127 is just the opposite. A setting of 64 is essentially a 50-50 mix of
both oscillators.
Noise
Level: 0…127 – Controls the volume of white noise mixed into the filter.
Low-pass Filter
Each of the Prophet '08's voices utilizes an analog low-pass filter coupled with a
4-stage (plus delay) ADSR envelope generator.
4 Pole – Selects either 2- or 4-pole operation for the filter. (The filter is in 4-
pole mode when the 4
POLE switch is lit.)
Frequency: 0…164 – Sets the base filter cutoff frequency over more than 13
octaves.
Resonance: 0…127 – Sets the Resonance level of the filter. At high settings the
filter will self-oscillate in 4-pole mode. If the filter does not oscillate, make sure
the 4 P
OLE switch is on.
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