Sequential Prophet 10 User manual
POLYPHONIC ANALOG SYNTHESIZER
User’s Guide
Version 1.0
October, 2020
Sequential LLC
1527 Stockton Street, 3rd Floor
San Francisco, CA 94133
USA
©2020 Sequential LLC
www.sequential.com
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.
Cet appareil numerique de la classe B respecte toutes les exigences du
Reglement sur le materiel brouilleur du Canada.
For pluggable equipment, the socket-outlet must be installed near the equipment
and must be easily accessible.
For Technical Support, email: support@sequential.com
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 ......................................5
Calibrating the Oscillators and Filters ............................5
Sound Banks ..............................................6
Selecting Programs .........................................6
Editing Programs ...........................................7
How to Check a Parameter Setting in a Preset ....................7
Comparing an Edited Program to its Original State .................8
Creating a Program from Scratch ...............................8
Live Panel Mode ............................................9
Saving a Program ...........................................9
Canceling Save. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Comparing Before You Save ...................................10
Exploring the Prophet-10 ......................................11
Chapter 2: Prophet-10 Controls .............................12
Global Settings ..............................................12
Globals - Top Row .........................................13
Globals - Bottom Row .......................................14
Oscillators ..................................................17
Oscillator Controls .........................................18
Mixer ....................................................21
Filter ....................................................22
Filter Controls ..............................................24
Filter Envelope ............................................25
Filter Envelope Controls .....................................26
Amplier Envelope ...........................................28
Amplier Envelope Controls .................................29
Low Frequency Oscillator ......................................31
LFO Controls .............................................32
Wheel-Mod Controls. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Using LFO and Wheel-Mod ..................................33
Poly Mod ..................................................34
Poly Mod Parameters .......................................35
Using the Vintage Knob .......................................36
Pitch and Mod Wheels ........................................37
Pitch Wheel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Mod Wheel ...............................................38
Adding Aftertouch ............................................38
Glide Rate .................................................39
Unison ....................................................40
Using Chord Memory .......................................41
Master Tune ................................................42
The Release Switch ..........................................43
The Tune Button .............................................44
Key Priority Modes ...........................................45
About Voice Assignment .....................................45
Chapter 3: Creating Sounds .........................................46
Synth Bass .................................................46
Short Version .............................................46
Long Version ..............................................47
Creating Synth Brass .........................................50
Turning Synth Brass into a String Pad ..........................51
Creating a Hard-Sync Lead ....................................51
A Final Word ................................................52
Chapter 4: Using CVs and Gates ............................53
Using Prophet-10’s CV Out ....................................53
Adjusting the Prophet-10’s CV Output Scaling: .....................53
Adjusting the Prophet-10’s CV Input Scaling: ......................54
Using Prophet-10’s Gate In and Gate Out .........................55
Appendix A: Troubleshooting and Support ...................57
Troubleshooting .............................................57
Resetting the Global Parameters ................................59
Contacting Technical Support ...................................59
Warranty Repair .............................................60
Appendix B: Calibrating the Prophet-10 ......................61
Calibrating the VCOs and Filters ................................61
Calibrating the Pitch and Mod Wheels ............................61
Resetting the Global Parameters ................................62
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 ................................64
4. Meantone Temperament ....................................64
5. 1/4 Tone Equal Temperament ................................64
6. 19 Tone Equal Temperament .................................65
7. 31 Tone Equal Temperament .................................65
8. Pythagorean C ............................................65
9. Just Intonation in A with 7-Limit Tritone at D# ....................65
10. 3-5 Lattice in A ...........................................65
11. 3-7 Lattice in A ...........................................65
12. Other Music 7-Limit Black Keys in C ..........................65
13. Dan Schmidt Pelog/Slendro .................................66
14. Yamaha Just Major C ......................................66
15. Yamaha Just Minor C ......................................66
16. Harry Partch 11-Limit 43 Note Just Intonation ...................66
viii
Sequential
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 Singletary, James Terris, and Mitch Thomas
Special thanks to Robert Rich for the alternative tunings content.
Prophet-10 User’s Guide
ix
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. Silicon Valley was just taking shape
and I had the notion that these new-ish things called microprocessors might be useful in
designing an electronic instrument — a fully programmable polyphonic synthesizer —
the rst of its kind.
It turned out I was right. The Prophet-5 changed many things: the basic concept of the
polyphonic synth, how musicians used them, and even the sound of music back then.
One thing that’s not generally remembered is that when I originally designed the
Prophet-5, I engineered it so that it could be a ten-voice synth by adding a second voice
card. So there were actually two versions of the original Prophet — the Prophet-5 and the
Prophet-10. Very few original Prophet-10s survive today.
Fast forward to 2020. I’ve just turned 70, and after contemplating the how and why,
decided the time was right to welcome an old friend back to the musical stage. So let me
present, once again, the Prophet-5 — and the Prophet-10. Or as we call them around here,
the Prophet-5 and Prophet-10 Rev4.
Without going into a lot of technical details, I’ll tell you that we designed the new Prophet-5
with the original, genuine Curtis VCOs and lters used in the Prophet-5 Rev3, and the new,
Dave Rossum- designed SSI 2140 lter, which is the modern counterpart of the original SSM
2040 Dave designed in the Prophet-5 Rev1 and Rev2.
This is why you’ll nd a “Rev” switch to choose your preferred lter and a “Vintage”
knob that will loosen up the oscillators and envelopes just like they were in the good
old days. It lets you dial in progressively more vintage character as you go from a stable
4 (as in Prophet-5 Rev4) all the way to 1 (as in Prophet-5 Rev1, the rarest and most
temperamental of all Prophet-5s).
We’ve even included the original factory sounds. (Listen to programs 511-558.)
It’s been a labor of love. So grab those knobs and make some analog magic.
Cheers,
Welcome Back, Old Friend
x
Sequential
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, lters, and ampliers. 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 lters as well as Dave Rossum’s newly designed SSI
2140 lter — the modern counterpart of his original SSM 2040, which
was used in vintage Prophet-5-Rev1 and Rev2 synths. The Prophet Rev3
featured CEM 3320 Curtis lters. By featuring both types of lters, the
new Prophet-5 provides the best of all worlds — and all Prophet-5s.
The Prophet-10 is rst and foremost a performance instrument. All of
its sound-shaping controls are immediately accessible on its front panel,
packing a tremendous amount of power and versatility into a compact,
easy-to-use format.
This chapter of your user’s guide provides an overview of essential tasks
such as how to make basic audio connections and how to edit and save
sounds. Later chapters explain each of the parameters of the Prophet-10
as well as how to program sounds and how to use the global menu to
manage its overall behavior.
All of the Prophet-10’s essential controls are within easy reach on its
front panel, so go ahead and dive in and start turning knobs and pressing
buttons to explore its sound and capabilities. Then, when you’re ready,
dig into this user’s guide to explore the deeper parts of the synth.
Prophet-10 front panel
Prophet-10 User’s Guide
Chapter 1: Getting Started
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5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
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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. The
Prophet-10 is a Class Compliant USB device and does not require additional drivers when used with Mac OS or Windows. See “Using USB” on
page 4 for more information.
4. MIDI In, Out, Thru—Standard 5-pin MIDI DIN connectors for
communicating with MIDI-equipped devices.
5. Release—Accepts a momentary, normally open or normally closed
footswitch to control sustain.
6. Pedal —These two connectors accept a standard expression pedal
that has a variable resistor on a TRS (tip-ring-sleeve) ¼ inch phone plug.
Connecting a pedal to the amp connector controls volume. Connecting a
pedal to the filter connector controls lter cutoff.
Rear Panel Connections
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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 congured for 1-volt-per-
octave 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. This jack outputs a 15-volt
on/off signal typically used to gate the envelopes of an external synth
that supports this type of connectivity. The Gate Out signal is triggered
whenever a key is pressed on the Prophet-10.
9. Control Voltage In—Standard ¼ inch connector. This jack accepts
a 0 to + 5V signal for interfacing with modular synthesizers and other
devices that support this type of connectivity. They are congured for
1-volt-per-octave operation for gear that recognizes that standard. A CV
In signal affects only a single voice of the Prophet-10.
10. Gate In—Standard ¼ inch connector. This jack accepts a 1.5 to
15-volt on/off signal to gate the envelopes of a single voice on the
Prophet-5. Whenever a ¼ inch connector is inserted into the rear-panel
gate in jack on the Prophet-10, its keyboard polyphony is reduced to
9 voices. The envelopes of the fth voice are triggered by the gate in
signal.
11. Phones — ¼ inch stereo headphone jack. Headphone volume is
controlled by the volume knob on the front panel.
12. Audio Out—Unbalanced, ¼ inch audio output.
Prophet-10 User’s Guide
Rear Panel Connections
3
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.
MIDI In and USB should not be used at the same time, as overlapping
messages from different sources may cause the Prophet-5 to respond unpredictably.
MIDI Out and USB can be used at the same time and transmit the same data.
Under Mac OS, “Prophet-5/10” will appear as a MIDI port when
connected via USB and can be congured using the Mac’s Audio MIDI
Setup utility (typically found in Applications/Utilities).
Under Windows, the rst time the Prophet-10 is connected via USB, the
“Found new hardware” alert appears and it is automatically installed as
“Prophet-10.”
In Windows, if you unplug the USB cable and plug it back in while a
program has the Prophet-10 port open, you may have to resync. That
usually means going to the Prophet-10 Keyboard Properties — in the
Windows Device Manager under “Sound, video, and game controllers” — and clicking OK. If Prophet-10 is no longer listed in the Device
Manager, turn off the Prophet-10 then turn it back on again while it is
connected via USB. It should be detected on power up.
Rear Panel Connections
4
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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 lter 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. Connect the audio out connector on the back of the Prophet-10 to your
amp/mixer/powered speakers using an unbalanced, ¼ inch audio cable.
This is the main stereo output for the synth.
5. Turn up the volume on your amp/mixer/powered speakers.
6. Turn up the volume on the Prophet-10.
7. Use the group, bank, and program switches to explore factory sounds.
Calibrating the Oscillators and Filters
The rst time you use the Prophet-10, please run its built-in calibration
procedure. Repeat the calibration procedure as needed over the next 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.
To calibrate the oscillators and lters:
1. Press the tune button. The program select button LEDs begin ashing in sequence and the numeric display indicates the tuning sequence
while the Prophet-10 performs its auto-calibration procedure. Don’t
turn off the power while it’s doing this.
2. When nished, the front panel controls return to normal and you can
play the Prophet-10.
Prophet-10 User’s Guide
Setting Up the Prophet-10
5
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.
Group, Bank, and Program Number selectors
Selecting Programs
Use the group, bank, and program selector buttons to select and recall
programs.
To choose a program:
1. Press the group select button to specify the “hundreds” bank of the
program. Each time you press the button, the number increments and
cycles through Groups 1-5.
2. Press the bank select button to specify the “tens” bank of the program.
Each time you press the button, the number increments and cycles
through Banks 1-5.
3. Press the a program selector button (1-8) to specify the “ones” digit of
the program.
To choose program 123, for example:
1. Press the group select button as many times as needed to cycle around to 1.
2. Press the bank select button as many times as need to cycle around to 2.
3. Press program selector button 3.
Setting Up the Prophet-10
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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.”
Pressing the globals button three times in a row saves the current program as
the default program that appears when you turn on the Prophet-10.
Editing Programs
Because all of the sound-shaping controls of the Prophet-10 appear on its
front panel, editing an existing program is simple: just turn a knob and listen
to its effect. Keep turning knobs and pressing buttons and if you like what
you’ve created, save the program. (See “Saving a Program” on page 9.)
How to Check a Parameter Setting in a Preset
When you’re editing a preset, the Prophet-10 has a convenient way of
indicating the programmed (saved) value for any knob parameter: Whenever
you turn a knob and reach the saved value of a given parameter, an LED dot
in the main Prophet-10 display will illuminate.
This dot illuminates
The dot illuminates when a knob position matches a preset’s saved parameter value
Prophet-10 User’s Guide
Setting Up the Prophet-10
7
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 ashing.
3. Press the global button. Both LEDs on the button light up, indicating
compare mode.
4. Play the keyboard to hear the saved version of the sound.
5. To disable the compare function and return to the edited sound, turn off
the global button. Programs can’t be written while in compare mode.
6. If you want to save the edited sound, the record button is still ashing and ready to save, so enter a location with the program selector
buttons. The sound is saved.
7. Alternatively, if you want to cancel saving and continue editing, press
the record button. It stops ashing and saving is canceled.
Creating a Program from Scratch
An existing program can be very useful as a jumping off point for new
sounds. But it’s also useful (and educational) to create a new sound from
scratch. The Prophet-10 makes this easy by providing a “Basic Preset”
that you can quickly recall at any time. This preset is very simple, with a
single oscillator as its basis.
To recall the Basic Preset:
1. Hold down the record button.
2. Press the preset button.
Setting Up the Prophet-10
8
Sequential
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 gratication.
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 return to preset mode:
• Press the preset button again to toggle it on.
PRESET
Toggling off the preset button enables “live panel” mode
Saving a Program
If you’ve created a sound that you like, you’ll probably want to save it.
Saving a program overwrites a previously saved program. Sound designers often save many incremental versions of a program as they continue
to rene it. These intermediate versions often make good jumping off
points for new sounds.
To save an edited program to the same preset location:
1. Press the record button. Its LED begins blinking.
2. Press a program selector button (1-8) to specify the “ones” digit of the
program.
3. The record button LED stops blinking and the program is saved into
the User sound set.
Be careful when record is enabled. You can change groups and banks without
executing write, but once you press a program selector button (1-8) for the “ones”
digit, the record command is executed and the program at that location is overwritten.
Prophet-10 User’s Guide
Setting Up the Prophet-10
9
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 nd
the desired group location.
3. Press the bank button repeatedly to toggle through banks 1-5 to nd 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.
Canceling Save
Sometimes you may want to cancel saving a program before you
commit.
To cancel the Save process before you commit:
• If the record button LED is ashing, press it again. The LED stops
ashing and saving is canceled. You can return to editing if you want.
Comparing Before You Save
Before saving a program to a new location, it’s a good idea to listen to the
program in the target location to make sure you really want to overwrite it.
To evaluate a program before you overwrite it:
1. Get ready to save by pressing the record button. It starts ashing.
2. Press the global button. Both LEDs on the button light up, indicating
compare mode.
3. Use the program buttons to navigate to the sound you want to compare
and play the keyboard to hear the sound.
4. To disable the compare function and go back to the edited sound, turn
off the global button. Programs can’t be written while in compare
mode.
5. If you want to save the edited sound, the record button is still ashing
and ready to save, so enter a location with the program buttons. The
sound is saved.
6. Alternatively, if you want to cancel saving and continue editing, press
the record button. It stops ashing and saving is canceled.
Setting Up the Prophet-10
10
Sequential
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. In particular, read about Pot Modes and determine which works
best for you when you’re editing sounds.
Also, if you haven’t already done so, read “Rear Panel Connections”
on page 2 to learn about the various connectors on the back of your
Prophet-10 and how you can use its various pedal, audio, MIDI, and
USB inputs and outputs.
Finally, be on the lookout for tips and notes scattered throughout this
manual to gain a better working knowledge of the Prophet-10. We wish
you many hours of musical exploration!
Prophet-10 User’s Guide
Exploring the Prophet-10
11
Chapter 2: Prophet-10 Controls
GLOBALS
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. These include
settings such as MIDI Channel, Velocity and Aftertouch Response, and
others. Global parameters are printed above the numeric program selector switches (1 - 8). Use the Globals switch to choose between the two
sets. The red LED indicates that the upper row is active. The yellow
LED indicates that the lower row is active
The Globals button
Globals 1-8
Chapter 2: Prophet-10 Controls
12
Sequential
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. Once you’ve chosen the desired setting, press the globals button again
to exit.
Globals - Top Row
1. Transpose: -12…12—Master Transpose control, 0 is centered. Steps
in semitones up to one octave up (+12) or down (-12).
2. MIDI Channel: ALL, 1…16—Selects which MIDI channel to send and
receive data, 1 to 16. all receives on all 16 channels.
3. Param Xmit: Off, CC, NRn—Changes to the values of front panel
controls are transmitted via MIDI as Continuous Controllers (CC) or
Non-registered Parameter Number (NRn). Transmission of parameters
can also be turned off. You could, for example, turn the lter cutoff
frequency knob on the Prophet-10 and have it affect the cutoff frequency
of another synthesizer. For a list of Prophet-10 CCs and NRPNs, see the
Support page for the Prophet-10 on the Sequential website.
NRPNs are the preferred method of parameter transmission, since they cover the
complete range of all parameters, while CCs are limited to a range of 128. For a list of
Prophet-10 CCs and NRPNs, see the Prophet-10 Support page at Sequential.com.
Prophet-10 User’s Guide
Global Settings
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