Sequential PROPHET-600 Operation Manual

*

.

*v

OPERATION MANUAL

^EOUEneiAL

CRCUii* inc

MODEL 600

Manual No. CM600A

PROPHET-600

SYNTHESIZER

OPERATION MANUAL

By Stanley Jungleib

Sequential Circuits,

Inc.

Nijverheidsweg

lie

3641 RP Mijdrecht, Netherlands

02979-6211

TELEX: 12721 SQNTL NL

Sequential Circuits, Inc.

3051 North

First

Street

San3ose,

CA

95134-2093

408/946-5240

TELEX:

364412

INTR 706

~*\

PROPHET-600 SYNTHESIZER

OPERATION MANUAL

By Stanley Jungleib

Manual

No. CM600A

Issued: December, 1982

Copyright

©

1982 by

SEQUENTIAL CIRCUITS, INC.

All rights reserved. Printed in

USA.

i

The

contents

of this

manual

are the property

of SCI and are not to be

copied or reproduced

without our prior written permission.

Please return your warranty

card!

.

a

CM600A 12/82

About the Prophet-600

Early

in 197S Sequential Circuits

revolutionized the art of keyboard synthesis by

introducing the

Prophet-5, a compact instrument intended for the performer. Before

the Prophet

appeared it was not possible for a keyboardist to

instantly

select

custom

synthesized sounds

and

play them

polyphonically. Its featured programmability used

emerging

microcomputer technology to

allow

complete

and instantaneous control over,

essentially,

five complete synthesizers

(voices). The Prophet-5 became the leading

instrument of its kind.

Now

technology has developed to the point

where SCI can offer the six-voice Prophet-

600,

which sounds basically like a

Prophet-5,

at

less than half its price. It has the

capacity for 100

sound programs. All programs can be fully

customized (edited) and

stored internally, or on audio tape

via

the

built-in cassette interface. The Prophet-600

adds a flexible arpeggiator and a

**00-note, real-time polyphonic sequencer, which

remembers whatever you play.

The

Prophet-600 actually contains six individual synthesizers, termed "voices." For its

principle sound sources, each voice contains two

voltage-controlled

oscillators (VCOs),

referred

to as

OSC A and OSC B. OSC A and OSC B can be mixed into a resonant low-

pass voltage-controlled filter

(VCF).

The filter

modifies the voice timbre under control

of

its four-stage envelope generator. The filter may also

serve

as a

sound source.

Following each filter, a voltage-controlled amplifier (VCA)—also controlled by a four-

stage

envelope generator—shapes the voice amplitude. Only one voice is depicted on

the control panel, because the voice controls "patch" the six voices

identically.

This

makes the

voices homophonous—they

sound

alike—with pitch differences corresponding

to (at most) six simultaneously-held keys.

Supplementing the basic voice are polyphonic modulation (POLY-MOD) signal

routings

within each voice that allow OSC B and the filter envelope generator

to

function

as

modulation sources applied

to OSC A or the filter cutoff frequency. There is a single

low-frequency oscillator (LFO) which can modulate all

six

voices

to a depth adjusted

by the

modulation (MOD) wheel. The PITCH wheel can

be used to raise or lower the

pitch of all voices by the same interval.

The term "digital-analog hybrid" is often used to describe the Prophet synthesizers.

This means that rather than directly controlling,

the

analog

synthesizer

voices,

the

keyboard

and most controls are actually devices which input

"data" to a

microcompu-

ter

system which in turn "programs"

the

voices.

This microcomputer system has

several important functions. It solves the problem of generating six independent sets

of

voice control voltages

and gate signals

(which

operate the envelope generators)

from

a

single keyboard. In

fact, in

the

Prophet-600

the

(formerly)

analog envelope

generators and LFO

have

been entirely replaced by computer system functions. The

digital memory

provides

a way to store all of the switch and knob settings which form

a program,

and the keystrokes which

form sequences. The programs and sequences are

retained even when the Prophet is turned off, thanks to a small battery with a 1 0-year

life. Finally, the microcomputer system keeps

the

twelve voice

oscillators in tune.

CM600A 12/82

in

Contents

INSTALLATION

1-0

GENERAL

1-1

HANDLING

1-2

LINE VOLTAGE

SELECTION AND FUSING

1-3

POWER CONNECTION

1-4

AMPLIFIER AND SPEAKER

CONSIDERATIONS

1-5

AUDIO OUTPUT

1-6

FOOTSWITCH

1-7

CASSETTE

1-8

FILTER CV IN

1-9

MIDI

Page

1-1

1-1

1-i

1-2
1-2

1-4
1-4
1-4
1-5
i-5

BRIEF INSTRUCTIONS

2-0

PRESET MODE

2-1

PROGRAM

EDIT AND RECORD

2-2

UNISON

2-3

ARPEGGIATE

2-4

SEQUENCER

2-5

SAVE TO TAPE

2-6

LOAD FROM

TAPE

2-1

2-1

2-1
2-2
2-2
2-2

2-3

BASIC

OPERATION

3-0

GENERAL

3-1

POWER

ON

3-2

PREPARATION

3-3

PITCH AND

MOD WHEELS

3-4

RETUNJNC

3-5

VOICE

ASSIGNMENT

3-6

UNISON

AND GLIDE

3-7

IN CASE OF

DIFFICULTY

3-1

3-1

3-1

3-3

3-3
3-3
3-4
3-5

ARPEGGIATOR

4-0

INTRODUCTION

4-1 MODES

4-2

ARPEGGIATE

UP/DOWN

4-3

ARPEGIATTE

ASSIGN

4-4

NOTES ON

USAGE

4-1

4-1

4-1

4-2
4-2

SEQUENCER

5-0

INTRODUCTION

5-1

RECORDING

5-2

PLAYBACK

5-1

5-1

5-2

IV

CM600A 12/82

PROGRAMMING

6-0

INTRODUCTION

6-1

EDIT MODE

6-2

MANUAL MODE

6-3

RECORD MODE

SYNTHESIZER CONTROLS

7-0

INTRODUCTION

7-1

OSCILLATOR A

7-2

OSCILLATOR B

7-3

GLIDE

7-4

MIXER

7-5

FILTER

7-6 ENVELOPE

GENERATORS

7-7

AMPLIFIER

7-8

LFO-MOD

7-9

POLY- MOD

6-1

6-2
6-3

6-3

7-1

7-3
7-4

7-4

7-5
7-5
7-6

7-7
7-8
7-9

CASSETTE INTERFACE

8-0 INTRODUCTION 8-1

RECORDER AND TAPE SELECTION 8-1

PRECAUTIONS 8-2

SAVING PROGRAMS

OR SEQUENCES TO TAPE

8-3

LOADING PROGRAMS

OR SEQUENCES FROM TAPE

8-4

S-l

8-3

9 SCALING 9-1

10 MIDI

10-0 INTRODUCTION

10-1

BASIC OPERATION

10-2

CONNECTION/INITIALIZATION*

10-3

KEYBOARD INFORMATION

10-4

PROGRAM SELECT

10-5

MOD WHEEL

10-6

PITCH WHEEL

10-6

PROGRAM DUMP

10-1
10-1

10-1

10-2
10-3
10-3

10-4
10-4

1 1

FACTORY PROGRAMS

Il-l

12 MAP/PANEL BLANKS 12-1

CM600A 12/82

INSTALLATION

1-0

GENERAL

This section describes

installation procedures and connections

which

can be made to

the back panel of the

Prophet-600. See Figure

1-0.

All

connectors

are

standard 1/4-

inch phone jacks,

except for the MIDI, which uses

5-pin

DIN

connectors.

CAUTION! Do

not connect the Prophet-600 to power or switch power

on before

following the instructions below.

1-1

HANDLING

The Prophet-600 is a

sophisticated device containing state-of-the-art microcomputer

and analog circuitry. It should be treated with as much care as you would provide an

acoustic

instrument. Avoid temperature and humidity extremes. Shock or constant

vibration can damage the keyboard or controls,

and

can

loosen connectors

or

socketed

integrated circuits. If

you

expect to transport the Prophet-600 regularly,

it is

imperative

to

invest

in a professional "road" or "flight" case for it. These are made by

several

manufacturers

and should

be carried by

your music

dealer.

If

you can't

find

a

case,

please contact the

SCI

Customer Service Department.

1-2

LINE

VOLTAGE SELECTION AND FUSING

CAUTION! Check line voltage selector before switching power on.

Disconnect power before switching line voltage.

The Prophet-600 has a power fixture on its back panel to which its three-wire power

cable attaches. There is also a line voltage selector switch and fuse holder. Prophet-

600s

shipped in the

U.S. and to

Japan

are usually set at

the

factory for

110V;

to

Europe, 220V.

If

the selected

voltage

does not

match the

line

voltage, disconnect the power cord and

switch the

voltage

selector. Replace

the

fuse

according to the selected line voltage:

110V

220V

1/2A,

slo-blo

1/4A, slo-blo

CM600A 12/82

l-l

1-3

POWER

CONNECTION

WARNING! It is

up to

you to check the power and

ground

interconnections of the

Prophet-600 and ail other

instruments and

equipment you use to prevent potentially lethal shocks. Sequential

Circuits, Inc. is not responsible for

any equipment

failure due to

incorrect AC power connections, and is not liable for any personal

injury due to electrical shocks as a result of

unsafe

grounding practices.

The Prophet-600

comes with a three-prong power plug to insure safe grounding

with

other

equipment. The ground prong is connected directly to the

metal

chassis. Because

of

this AC ground, a "ground loop"

will often be created when

an audio cable is

connected

between the Prophet-600 and standard amplifiers. As

a

result, low-leve!

hum may occur. Defeating the AC

ground with a two-prong adapter will

usually defeat

the hum but this practice

can set

up

a shock hazard between the units. The

hum levei

will

depend on exactly

how the synthesizer and amplifier are connected

to the AC. For

minimal

hum,

use

the same AC outlet for the Prophet-600 and its amplifier.

This

should

reduce the hum to an acceptable level.

1. Connect the

power

cable to

the power fixture on the Prophet-600.

2. Check that the Prophet-600 power switch is in off position.

3. Connect the other end of the power cable to a properly grounded three-prong outlet.

Don't defeat the

AC-ground.

4. Plug all other equipment such as effects devices, mixers, amplifiers and

recorders

into the same outlet.

WARNING!

Do not

overload. When

in doubt, consult an electrician.

5. As you

probably know, many

older buildings and clubs are notorious for their

poor

quality AC wiring.

We

therefore urge you to use one of the several available

"ground-

checking" devices to verify AC connections.

\-U AMPLIFIER AND SPEAKER CONSIDERATIONS

This is an

excellent

time to think about your amplifier and speaker

system. By

converting the synthesizer's electrical output into the potent vibrations

you hear, the

sound system becomes part of the instrument. Of course you can

use

anything

you like

and can afford. But obviously a synthesizer of this caliber should not be

constrained by

a weak amplifier and muddy speakers.

Particularly because the synthesizer develops

a

much

greater dynamic range than the

typical audio source, a greater margin of amplifier headroom is

needed to prevent

clipping, thus ensure

the cleanest

possible sound (and

possibly preventing tweeter or

horn damage). In consideration of this it is not difficult to justify

committing a stereo

amp

of

200W/channe] for performance. While a mono arnp will

suffice, a stereo

1-2

CM600A 12/82

MIDI

FROM MIDI MASTER

(see

secT/ov io/

•CONTROL

TOOISWITCM

(Sef'AL

Ne'i

1-75)

r~u ,-».rh.r\ r\ n. n

n

&

AUDIO

OUT

pRoptaet*6oo

FILTER

CV IN

o

-TO MIDI SLAVE

(see sec rion

/Of

POWER

SWITCH

LINE VOLTAGE SWITCH

—

tcuccK BEFOPe

applying

powcpi

n

^-1

CASSETTE

t

'H OUT X

-

o o

o

o o

STEREO,

SOOJIMIN -0R-

SCI MODEL

S40

NOT INCLUDED

(OP OTHeP VOLTAGE

PEDAL,

O-tQVDC)

EAR. MONITOR,

LINE OUT

MIC,

LINE IN

(see

text)

1

1

OTHE* .

KEY90ARDS

EFFECTS/

MIXER/

PRE-AMP

STEREO

AMP

<4

Figure 1-0

BACK

PANEL

CONNECTIONS

CM600A 12/S2

1-3

'

configuration will be able to take advantage

of the numerous

flanger/chorus and

delay

units on the market. A little

reverb

does a lot to

enliven a synthesizer.

Speakers ought to be capable of handling the full amplifier

power

over the full audio

range (20 Hz to 20 kHz) without breaking up. If it

is

not practical

to use

amplifiers

and

speakers specifically designed for electronic instruments or if volume must

be

kept

low,

using

your

stereo

system will

generally

give

good

high-frequency

response. But if

you

do this, be careful. Continuous playing of sustained synthesizer notes can cause

component amplifiers to overheat. Furthermore, the dynamic range of the Prophet-600

places stereo

component

speakers at some risk,

because of powerful bass notes

and

transients which will damage them if the volume is set too high.

1-5

AUDIO

OUTPUT

CAUTION! To protect

speakers, switch amplifier power off when

connecting the Prophet-600's audio output.

To drive a preamp or amp, a standard monophonic cable can be used. Or if there are

two audio destinations (perhaps one to remain "dry" while the other is processed), a

stereo cable may be more convenient.

The Prophet-600 has a monophonic output signal, but the jack is wired so that both

sides of standard

stereo

headphones

can be driven. The

headphones

should have a

minimum impedance of 1200 Ohms per element (600 Ohms, in parallel).

1-6

FOOTSWITCH

A footswitch

is

included which

frees your hands from

various

control functions which

are explained elsewhere. On units with

serial

numbers

1 through

75

the footswitch jack

is located to the far left (see Figure

1-0).

The jack is placed near the CASSETTE jacks

on subsequent units.

Electrically, the footswitch

is

normally open?

and closes

when

pressed.

1-7

CASSETTE

1. Connect CASSETTE IN

to

recorder

output (EAR, MONITOR, LINE OUT).

2. Connect TO

TAPE

to recorder input (MIC, LINE IN).

Cassette interface operations are explained in Section 8.

1-4

CM600A 12/82

1-8

FILTER CV IN

This jack accepts a

0-10

Vdc control voltage (CV) which raises programmed

filter

frequency settings. This enables remote and

spontaneous increase (but not decrease) of

brightness.

This CV is usually

provided by

an

accessory

voltage

pedal.

1-9 MIDI

MIDI stands for Musical Instrument

Digital

Interface, which is a means for

interconnecting equipment from various manufacturers. For

more information,

see

Section 10.

1. Connect

the IN jack to the MIDI OUT of the master

sequencer

or

synthesizer.

2. Connect the OUT jack to the MIDI IN

of

the sequencer or slave synthesizer.

CM600A 12/S2

1-5

BRIEF

INSTRUCTIONS

WARNING!

Before using this

instrument, read instructions in

Section

1

concerning proper power

connections and grounding.

2-0 PRESET MODE

1. Check that PITCH

wheel is centered.

2.

Check that MOD

wheel

is

set

to

minimum

(finger-slot towards you).

3. Play. Adjust

VOLUME.

4.

Check that MASTER TUNE

knob is centered, or

tune against another

instrument for

A-440.

5. To switch

programs

(up to 99),

press any two

PROGRAM SELECT switches.

6. Use the PITCH and MOD

wheels.

7. After a few

minutes, press TUNE. Retune as needed.

For more

information,

see

Section

3.

2-1 PROGRAM EDIT AND RECORD

1. Adjust knobs and switches to

modify current program. Decimal point

between

program digits lights, indicating Edit Mode.

2. To cancel changes, re-select

program or press PRESET twice.

3. To record edited program, press

RECORD then select desired

program destination.

For more

information,

see

Section 6.

2-2

UNISON

NORMAL:

Switch

UNISON

TRACK

up.

Play.

CHORD TRACK: Hold chord. Switch

UNISON TRACK up, or press footswitch (if

already in Normal Unison).

To track a different chord, switch UNISON

TRACK

off,

then hold

new

notes,

then switch UNISON TRACK on, or

press footswitch.

For

more information, see pages

3-4

and

3-5.

CM600A 12/82

2-1

2-3 ARPEGGIATE

UP/DOWN:

Switch ARPEG UP-DN on. Hold keys.

Adjust SPEED.

ASSIGN:

Switch

ARPEG ASSIGN on. Hold keys

in the order to

be arpeggiated.

LATCH: Press RECORD

or hit footswitch.

STEP:

Turn

SPEED to

-5 (fully

counter-clockwise). Hit

footswitch quickly, since the

arpeggiator will

advance when the

footswitch is released.

EXTERNAL

CLOCK: Turn SPEED to

-5.

Connect

clock

to

footswitch jack.

For more

information, see

Section

i*.

2-4

SEQUENCER

RECORD:

Switch RECORD on.

Select SEQ I or SEQ

2. Play. To stop recording, press

footswitch or

RECORD. Sequence will

playback. To stop, press

SEQ 1 or 2 again, or

press

footswitch.

PLAY: Press SEQ

1 or SEQ 2. To stop,

press again, or

press footswitch.

PROGRAM

SPEED: During playback, adjust

SPEED knob as desired.

To program speed,

press RECORD.

For more

information, see Section

5.

2-5

SAVE TO

TAPE

1. Insert tape and

rewind

to

start.

2. Press RECORD.

3. If

storing only ten

programs, press appropriate

PROGRAM SELECT once,

so

the

second display digit is

blank.

k. Start

recorder in record mode, with

level

"at

"0,"

or slightly into the red.

5. Press

TO TAPE.

6. If

storing sequences,

press either SEQ I or 2

(within

3

seconds of TO TAPE).

7. When FROM

TAPE blinks, stop recorder

and rewind.

8. To verify, start

playback.

9. Press the FROM TAPE

switch.

10. When the FROM

TAPE

LED

goes out, stop the

recorder. The file has been recorded

and

verified.

For more

information, see Section 8.

2-2

CM600A 12/82

2-6

LOAD

FROM TAPE

1. Insert tape and

rewind

to start.

2. Press

RECORD

3. If

loading only ten programs, press

appropriate PROGRAM SELECT once,

'f. Start recorder in play mode.

5. Press FROM TAPE.

6. If loading

sequences,

press

either

SEQ 1 or SEQ 2

(within

three seconds of FROM

TAPE).

7. When the FROM TAPE

LED

goes out, stop

the recorder. The Prophet-600

is

reprogrammed.

NOTE: A cassette is included which contains the

Factory Programs,

followed

by

two

demonstration sequences.

For more

information,

see Section 8.

CM600A

12/S2

2-3

BASIC

OPERATION

3-0

GENERAL

This section

contains information essential for basic

operation. The

Arpeggiator,

Sequencer,

Programming, the Synthesizer

Controls, Factory Programs, and

Cassette

Interface

are each detailed in separate

sections.

NOTE:

If

you have trouble

with any

of

the

following basic operations,

please see page

3-5, In Case of Difficulty.

3-1

POWER ON

1. Install the

Prophet-600 according to Section 1,

Installation.

2. Switch Prophet-600 power on with its back-panel

switch, which is at the left as you

face the keyboard.

3. Switch power on to your preamp or mixer, if used,

then switch amplifier power on.

3-2 PREPARATION

Please

see

Figure 3-0, next page. When power is first switched

on, the TUNE switch

light-emitting-diode (LED) lights to indicate

that

the

microcomputer is tuning the

oscillators. The rest

of

the control panel will remain unlit for these few

seconds. The

Prophet-600 cannot be played while the computer tuning routine is in progress.

After a few seconds, when tuning is complete, the TUNE LED

will go out and the

control panel

will come

to life.

The PRESET LED.w.ill be on, indicating Preset Mode.

This means the computer is ready to "patch" the

synthesizer voices according to any of

the 100 programs stored in the Prophet's microcomputer

memory. Program 00 is

automatically selected at first. All of

the

"Factory

Programs" shipped with the

Prophet-600

are

listed in Section 11. You

are encouraged to modify (edit) all

programs

to

suit your own purposes. To learn how, see Sections 6 and 7.

But if you are

like most people, you'll want to play the Prophet-600

before studying it.

To

do this, simply press two

PROGRAM

SELECT

switches

to

enable a

different

program. The

new program will activate when you enter the second digit.

CAUTION! Before playing any key, first check that the

MASTER

VOLUME knob is reduced to 0. This may keep you

from accidentally

blowing-out speakers or ears.

CM600A 12/82

3-1

PROGRAM

as

000

000
000

PROGRAM

SELECT

•

TO

TAPE

•

FROM

TAPE

TUNE

»

PRESET

•

RECORD

SEQ SEO (ARPEG ARPEGi

2 I I

UPON

|

[A55tGM|

1

?^

:*

5 5

SPEED

PROGRAM display: Indicates

current program in Preset or Manual

Modes. Indicates

Edit Mode by

lighting decimal point between the

digits.

PROGRAM

SELECT

0-9 switches: Used

to

select program numbers

00-

99.

TO TAPE switch: Used for initiating program and sequence storage

through cassette interface.

FROM

TAPE switch:

Used for

verifying and loading programs and

sequences through cassette interface.

TUNE

switch: Activates

and indicates computer tuning of oscillators

and filters.

PRESET switch: When on, indicates the Prophet-600 is programmed

according to memory. When unlit, indicates Manual Mode.

RECORD switch: Used for storing programs or sequences, or initiating

tape interface operations. Also used to latch arpeggiator.

SEQ l and SEQ 2 switches: Selects sequence banks for recording or

playback.

ARPEG UP-DN switch: Controls arpeggiator by key position.
ARPEG ASSIGN switch: Controls arpeggiator by key order.

SPEED knob: Adjusts arpeggiator and sequence playback rate.

Figure

3-0

BASIC OPERATION CONTROLS

3-2

CM600A 12/82

While

playing, gradually raise VOLUME until the synth can be heard. For optimum

signal-to-noise ratio, the Prophet-600's

VOLUME

knob

should be

set as

high

as

possible,

while overall audio system gain is reduced with the power amplifier control.

The

MASTER TUNE knob simultaneously adjusts OSC A and OSC B pitch on all voices

over about a

one-semitone range.

It is used to

easily tune the Prophet-600 to another

instrument,

such

as

a piano. If no other instrument is in use, the MASTER TUNE knob

should be

centered.

3-3 PITCH AND MOD WHEELS

The

PITCH and MOD wheels to the left of

the keyboard are performance

tools

which

may take some practice to master.

The wheels are monophonic. That is, both wheels

affect all

voices uniformly:

all

voices are pitch-bent by the same interval and

modulated to

the same depth. An integral part of playing is using

the wheels

and the

synthesizer

controls

(for

example, FILTER CUTOFF and

ENVELOPE

AMOUNT) for

expression through dynamic and timbral

variations.

The

PITCH wheel is normally left in its center-detent position, from which it is

possible to "bend" oscillator pitch up or down by about a 3rd.

Check that the MOD wheel is down (minimum modulation). The MOD

wheel

sets the

modulation level. When not in use the wheel is left "down" and no modulation will

occur. When the wheel is advanced fully "up," modulation is maximum.

3-4

RETUNING

The microcomputer tunes the oscillators when the Prophet-600 is first switched on.

But as the

instrument warms

up, the temperature change causes the oscillators to

drift. So it

will ocassionally be necessary

to retune, particularly

during

the first few

minutes of operation. After 30 minutes or so the instrument should not have

to be

retuned

very often. On the other hand, the more often

you

activate

TUNE,

the

more

accurate the tuning will be. You will soon learn to hear when the Prophet-600 needs to

be

tuned.

To

retune, simply press the TUNE switch. Except for this switch, the control panel will

go dark while tuning is in process. Retuning takes up to four seconds, depending on how

far out of tune the oscillators drifted since the last tuning. The more often

you tune,

the

less

time each tuning takes.

When tuning is concluded, the

Prophet-600

returns to exactly its state before the

tuning. (Even unrecorded Edit

Mode

changes are restored.)

It

may

be

necessary

to

slightly readjust MASTER TUNE.

3-5 VOICE ASSIGNMENT

The microcomputer continuously assigns the six synthesizer voices to the most

recently-played keys on the keyboard. You can play a maximum

of

six keys at once.

If

CM600A 12/S2

3-3

/*

more than six keys are held

down at

the same time, the computer will

reassign i

earliest used

voices

first. For

example:

playing and holding

C,

D, E, F,

G, A, and B

succession will result

in D, E, F,

G, A, and B being sustained, while the

C

disappear when

the B is played. In other words, the Prophet normally operates

on

a

"last-note priority" system: each new note

played is assigned to the

earliest-used

voice.

(If the same key

is

struck

repeatedly, the microcomputer

assigns the

sam

voice.)

3-6

UNISON AND GLIDE

While switching through the Factory Programs,

you

may

have noticed the

Prophet-68

switching in

and out of UNISON mode. There are actually three

Unison modes.

Normal

Unison: To enable, simply switch UNISON TRACK

on, while no keys

are held.

(RECORD must

be off.) The current program will be switched

to UNISON

operation:

all six voices will be assigned

to

the lowest key

played.

In Normal Unison, if more than

one key is played at once, the lower will

be sounded.

The keyboard

will also change from multiple- to single-triggering.

This keyboard

mode

was conventionalized

by the Mini-Moog monophonic

synthesizer and requires—

but

also

allows—a somewhat

different keyboard technique.

Instead of retriggering

with eac*

keystroke, the

envelopes will only retrigger

if the previous key is completely

released

before

the new

key is pressed. This

requires a stacatto

touch.

By the same

token, if

you play legato

,

the envelopes

will only trigger

on the first note, while

the restofthe

phrase will be sounded

by the sustain settings

of

the

envelopes. (Unless

the

Arpeggiator

is in use.) With

practice, this system allows

you to selectively

accent

notes by touch.

NOTE: Normal

Unison can only

be switched

off

with

the

UNISON/TRACK switch

(not with the footswitch).

Tracking

Unison: Play and hold any

chord, then switch

UNISON TRACK

on or. i

UNISON TRACK is already

on, hit the footswitch

once. This "latches"

the chord,

so

that any key

you play becomes the

root, while the upper intervals

follow along

(track).

A new chord can

be latched by simply

playing it, then either switching

UNSION

track

off and on,

or hitting the footswitch.

NOTE: Tracking Unison

can only be switched

off with the

UNISON

TRACK switch (not

with the footswitch).

If

the

footswitch is pressed,

this switches

back to Normal

Unison.

Normally you'll release

all keys when switching programs.

However,

if keys are held

while switching

from a polyphonic

to Unison program, these

keys will form

a tracked

chord. (Because keys are

being held when the UNISON/TRACK

switch

goes on.) Thi

trick can

be used to advantage

as a combined program select/chord

track action.

3-*

CM600A 12/82

Single Voice Unison: Play and hold any one note,

then switch UNISON

TRACK on.

In

effect,

this assigns one voice

for tracking. This

will

yield a

thinner sound

than Normal

Unison,

where six

voices

sound simultaneously.

Glide: Lastly

there is the GLIDE knob,

which operates

identically whether the

keyboard

is polyphonic or in

unison. When set to 0, there

is no effect, because the

oscillator control

voltages are allowed to step

instantly between

the discrete

voltages

required to

sound specific

pitches.

As GLIDE

is

advanced, the rate at which the

oscillator control

voltages change

is

decreased. This

introduces "portamento"

between

the notes,

which can be subtle or quite

extreme.

Because

the six

voices

are

assigned to each

new

note

in rotation,

the polyphonic glide

function is

not easy to predict.

The amount of

voice glide is the

difference between

the

last and next note to

which it is assigned.

For example, if GLIDE is

turned

up and

all voices

have been assigned to the

bottom of the keyboard (by

virtue of six different

low notes having been played there),

and you then play notes

each in the middle and

high ranges, the middle notes

will "arrive" before the

higher notes.

In any Unison

mode, the voices glide at the same rate.

3-7

IN

CASE OF DIFFICULTY

Power

If the

Prophet-600 is

receiving power,

it

will display program

numbers, or the TUNE or

one of the TAPE

switch

LEDs

will be lit.

If

no LEDs are lit, either

power

is

not reaching the unit or the fuse has

blown.

Disconnect

power cable and check fuse by opening fuseholder.

Check the

power

source by

plugging in other equipment.

Examine the

power

cable

for damage.

Audio

If the PROGRAM display

lights

but no

sound can be obtained, check that PRESET is on

and that the VOLUME control is

turned

up.

Test the synth by simply

connecting stereo headphones directly to the output.

If

still no sound can be heard, try substituting the audio output cable

with one known

to be good.

Check your

amplifier by trying a

high-level

audio input such as

another synthesizer or

tape deck.

CM600A 12/82

3-5

ARPEGGIATOR

4-G INTRODUCTION

The arpeggiator and sequencer

(see

next section)

are

keyboard memory features

of

great usefulness in performance. Through them you can create automatic

accompaniments

which

free the hands for other uses. The keyboard can be played

normally while either

the arpeggiator or

sequencer

are

on. (They

do

not operate

simultaneously.) The footswitch assumes different functions

according

to the mode of

operation.

4-1

MODES

The

Prophet-600 offers

two arpeggiate modes: Up/Down and Assign. Up/Down Mode

sequences between any held

keys according to their

position, from low to high

and

back down. For example, CEGBGECE

G...

Assign

Mode

sequences between

keys according to the order that they are played. For

example,

CGEBCGEB. This

allows the

creation of

intense

riffs,

without

you

having

to actually play them.

The arpeggiate

(and

sequence) rate is controlled by the SPEED knob.

The arpeggiator can be

"latched,"

which

means it continues to play keys even when you

remove your hand(s) from the keyboard.

4-2

ARPEGGIATE UP/DOWN

1. Press the ARPEG UP-DN

switch. Its LED will light.

2.

If

only one key

is

held, there

will be no arpeggiating. This allows monophonic lines

to be played

normally, with the

arpeggiator brought, in only when more than one key

is

held down

simultaneously.

3. Adjust the SPEED knob.

4.

If desired, press either the footswitch

or RECORD switch (which will not light) to

latch the keys. You can then remove

your hand(s) and the keys will continue to

arpeggiate.

5. While

the

arpeggiator

is

latched,

you can play along with up to five more keys,

which will'not be

arpeggiated or latched..

6. To stop, switch ARPEG UP-DN

off.

7. To re latch a new set of keys, simply hold them down

and hit the RECORD

switch

or

footswitch again.

CM600A 12/82

4-1

4-3

ARPEGGIATE ASSIGN

1. Press the ARPEG ASSIGN

switch.

Its LED will light.

2. Depress any number of keys in the order

they are to be sounded. They will

be

arpeggiated.

3.

Adjust

the SPEED knob.

4. If desired, latch as for ARP UP-DN.

5. To unlatch or stop, switch ARPEG ASSIGN

off.

4-4

NOTES ON USAGE

Once an arpeggiate

sequence has been entered, it is possible

to set-up the arpeggiator

to advance

either by single presses

of the footswitch, or in response to an

external

clock connected

to the FOOTSWITCH jack:

a. Turn the SPEED knob fuJly counterclockwise.

The arpeggiator will

stop.

b. Hit

the footswitch quickly. The advance

takes place not when the

switch is

pressed, but when released.

c.

If desired, connect

a

5-

15V clock source,

preferably a square wave.

The

maximum

useful frequency will

be 10

-

15 Hz. (Note

that for the Prophet-600

computer to recognize the

clock pulse, the pulse must

be at least 10 msec long-

-both high and low.)

By using a combination

of UNISON TRACK

and ARPEGGIATE,

it is possible

to

advance between

chords with the footswitch:

a. Hold

a

chord

to be tracked.

b. Switch

UNISON TRACK on. Or

if UNISON TRACK is already

on, hit

the

footswitch. This latches the

chord.

c.

Switch

ARPEG UP-DN or

ASSIGN" on. This arpeggiates

the chord.

d. Hit the footswitch.

This latches the

arpeggiator.

e. Reduce SPEED to 0.

f. To advance

the chord, hit the footswitch

quickly (or use external

clock).

Note that

the arpeggiator alters

some Unison modes. Low-note

priority is always

maintained, but

to

insure

that each new note

or

chord

is heard the notes

will retrigger

(whereas Unison normally

allows only single-triggering.)

Additionally, if

using the

arpeggiator in Unison, you can't

play along at the same time.

Notes played above

the

arpeggiated

keys are ignored, while

those played below will

essentially "disable"

the

arpeggiator. Notes played

between arpeggiated keys

will produce interesting

variations.

4-2

CM600A 12/82

SEQUENCER

5-0 INTRODUCTION

The

real-time

Polyphonic

Sequencer within the

Prophet-600 allows you to

directly

record your

own instrumentals:

bass lines, comping

patterns, riffs, or

melodies.

It

records with exact

timing

whatever

you

play. It can be

operated by a footswitch,

keeping the

hands free to play.

It features six-voice

polyphony, storage

even while

power is

off, and wide range

of playback

speed. The

almost 400-note capacity is

divisible in any

proportion between two

"banks," termed SEQ 1

and 5EQ 2. The

sequences

can be permanently

stored through the

cassette interface.

As it is

pre-programmed with sound

programs, the Prophet-600

also comes pre-

programmed with some

demonstration sequences. To

play the

demonstration

sequences,

simply press either SEQ 1 or SEQ

2. Adjust speed

and select programs as

desired.

5-1 RECORDING

1.

Switch RECORD on.

The

LED

will light.

2. Press either SEQ

1 or SEQ 2. (Ignore the

SPEED knob.)

3. Start playing. (Actual

recording does not begin until the

first key is pressed.)

4. When finished, press

the footswitch or RECORD

synchronously with the desired

ending.

5. The sequence

will

play

continuously ("loop") until

the appropriate SEQ

switch is

switched off.

Adjust the SPEED knob.

6. Care must be

taken to not exceed the

note limit, which is

approximately 400, but

may be less

if the specific sequence contains

long rests. If the note

limit is exceeded,

the

sequence will only contain

the last 400 notes—the

earliest notes will be lost.

7.

When

both banks are being used,

care must also be taken to not

exceed the

400-note

limit. The

sequencer assigns

memory priority to the bank

which is currently

being

recorded,

and will "steal" notes

from the other bank once the

400 total note limit is

reached. For

example, if SEQ 1 already has

a 250-note sequence

recorded in it, you

will

erase SEQ 1 if you

attempt

to

record more than

about 150 notes in SEQ

2.

CM600A 12/82

5-1

5-2

PLAYBACK

1. To

playback a sequence,

press SCQ I

or SUQ 2.

2. The

playback

speed ran be varied From 1/4

lo

4X real-time. The SPEED knob

position for 1:1 playback speed is actually

lo the left

oF center. This provides more

control

range of higher speeds.

3. The

playback speed can also be programmed. As the sequencer is playing back, set

SPEED

as

desired, then

press the RECORD switch (which

will

not light). Now

whenever the sequence is selected

it

will

play at this

speed. The progommed

speed

can

be edited and rc-rccorded

(just like the synthesizer controls).

'*. To

stop,

press the

appropriate SEQ switch or the

footswitch-

5-2

CM600A 12/82

PROGRAMMING

6-0

INTRODUCTION

Section 3 covered basic

Preset Mode operation with the Factory

Programs. You can

use the

Prophet-600 solely with the Factory Programs.

However, using the instrument

in

this way defeats

a large part of its purpose,

which

is to

allow keyboard players to

create and program sounds appropriate to

their own music and tastes.

This

section

discusses the

creation

of

such custom programs.

Although the Factory Programs

were

of

course chosen to display the range and depth

of the 600's

sounds, they are still only the beginning of

what can be done with the

instrument. As good as the Factory

Programs

are,

the musician is bound to feel that

some are

more useful than others in certain

contexts.

It is

not simply a question of

whether

to

use a "brass" or "string" sound, or something unheard of. It is

rather the

question of what specific string sound of the myriad

available will best convey the

musical idea. There is no single, ideal program which is the

violin or trumpet, because

the

synthesized sound is usually heard in a musical context of

rhythm, harmony, and

melody. The exact timing of the notes played, the speed, the

voicings of other

ensemble

instruments, even the acoustic characteristics of the room all

influence the

perception of many of the synthesizer parameters

which are finely-adjusted with

knobs.

So a few

Factory Programs will seem perfect. A few will seem useless. Most of them

will be perceived as useful in a general sense, but perhaps not quite right for the

immediate work at hand. The sound needs to be simpler, raunchier, more acoustic-like,

more percussive, funkier, purer. (Or all at once, for all the good words do at describing

music.) This is why you want to be able to create custom

programs.

Perhaps you are ready to see what else the Prophet-600 can do. We hope this is the

case. There are

several

aspects to programming custom sounds: knowing the

Prophet-

600's modes of operation and accompanying switch functions;

knowing what the

synthesizer controls do in a functional sense; and "knowing

how

to use these

controls

for musical

purposes.

The modes and

switch functions

are

explained in this section. The synthesizer controls

are explained in Section 7. The use, the art, is your part. To exploit the Prophet-600's

sonic possibilities fully, learn as much about it as you can by studying Section

7

and

the Factory Programs in Section 11. Seeing exactly how these programs are

constructed will make it easier for you to begin to create your

own programs. At first,

practice synthesizing by editing the Factory Programs. For many, this will be the best

way to learn exactly how the synth controls on the Prophet-600 operate.

Then switch

to Manual Mode and try creating programs "from scratch."

You

may want to consult The Complete Guide to Synthesizers

,

by

Devahari, (1982:

Prentice-Hall,

Englewood

Cliffs, ND,

ISBN 0-13-160630-1), or Allen Strange's

Electronic Music, (1972: William C. Brown Co., Dubuque, Iowa). Additional references

can be obtained

from the more extensive bibliographies contained in these books.

CM600A 12/82

6-1

'

Keyboard magazine (20605

Lazaneo, Cupertino, CA 9501*) carries many articles on

popular synthesis. And there is Polyphony magazine (Box 20305, Oklahoma City,

OK

73156) which concentrates

on more technical

aspects. Also,

check

into

synthesis

lessons, seminars,

or courses which are increasingly being

offered

by colleges and

individuals.

Be

advised

that in the excitement of creation, new, interesting

patches tend to escape

if

not documented. Panel

blanks are provided for this purpose in

Section 12. If a

program is not documented when

created, the programmed control settings may only

be

discoverable

by rotating all knobs, in

Edit Mode, as

explained below.)

6-1

EDIT MODE

Programmable controls

(such as GLIDE and OSC A FREQUENCY)

are subject to

setting by the computer, while non-programmable

controls (such as the two wheels)

are not controlled by the computer. Generally, the programmable

controls are crucial

to establishing the characteristic

sound of a program, while the non-programmable

controls are

for

performance

and mode control. However, this

does not mean that the

programmable controls are unalterable. To

the contrary, the programmable controls

can be altered at any time and each alteration

will influence the sound. Adjusting the

programmable controls

is called editing.

Edit Mode is a powerful

tool that allows you to experiment with program changes

by

selectively

adjusting each front pane! control.

The original program remains unchanged

and can be restored

at any time. Edited programs can

be recorded into the original

location if the original

program is not desired, or

into a program location

which

contains

an undesired program.

In Preset Mode as you

select different programs there

is no way for the knobs and

switches to move

themselves (as they would have

to) to indicate

their

programmed

settings. The controls just stay where

they happen to have

last been set. Edit Mode is

entered when

the Prophet-600 is in Preset

Mode and a programmable switch

is toggled,

or a programmable knob

is rotated. When this occurs

the decimal point between the

PROGRAM digits

lights to indicate Edit

Mode. The switch or knob

then becomes

active, physically indicating

its current setting. The

programmable parameters

of

inactive,

unmoved switches

or knobs do not change. So,

unmoved switches and knobs

do

not necessarily

show their currently-programmed

settings. Therefore,

to

discover

the

programmed setting

of a knob or switch, you have

to rotate or toggle it, while

repeatedly checking the

edition

against

the original program.

As an example

of editing, suppose you like

program 15 but want to

change OSC A

waveforms and prefer

a brighter tone:

1. Check that PRESET

is on.

2. Select program 15.

3. Switch waveforms

as desired.

U. Raise FILTER CUTOFF for desired brightness.

5. You can cancel any changes and

return to the original program

by

again

pressing

PROGAM SELECTS 1 and 5.

6-2

CM600A 12/82

6-2

MANUAL MODE

1. To put the Prophet-600 in Manual Mode, switch PRESET off.

This removes computer

control from the programmable

knobs and switches, so

they always indicate the exact

status of the

patch under construction. You can see what signal paths are closed by the

switches which are up. The knob positions reflect their actual settings.

"What you

see

is

what you get."

2. As you

begin tc construct the patch, remember that the sound

which

is produced

will

at first be

the result of wherever the controls

happen

to be set.

For anything to

be

heard, certain minimum conditions need to be

established which may become clearer

after

Section 7 is reviewed. But here it can be said:

a. At least

one oscillator waveform switch must be on.

b. If only a pulse wave is on, the PULSE

WIDTH knob must not be set too close

either to or

10.

c. A

solitary pulse wave should not be over-modulated, or it may "cut out." To

quickly

isolate

the source of over-modulation, simply switch off the

PW

switch

in the

LFO-MOD module.

d. Begin

with the

MIXER

knob approximately centered.

e. The filter cutoff frequency must not be set too low. To check this, set the

FILTER CUTOFF knob to 10.

f. The AMPLIFIER and FILTER ATTACK time should not be set too slow. If

necessary, dial them to 0.

g.

The AMPLIFIER

SUSTAIN

level

must not be too low. If necessary, raise it to

10.

6-3

RECORD MODE

Custom programs can be created in two ways: by recording

edited programs, or by

recording manually-formed patches. (A "patch" becomes

a

"program" when

recorded.)

1.

Select a

program

to be edited or

moved.

Edit it as desired.

2. Switch RECORD on.

3. Select the first digit of the program number being recorded.

ft. If you

somehow

made a mistake, you can exit Record Mode at this point by merely

switching

RECORD

off. The program memory will

not be affected.

CM600A 12/82 6-3

5. Press the second

digit, and the

program will be recorded or copied to that

location.

NOTE:

When recording,

be sure to hit the correct PROGRAM SELECT

switch or you may erase a program you wanted to keep.

6. When a PROGRAM SELECT switch

has been hit, the RECORD LED will go off and

the Prophet will return to either Preset or Manual Mode (whichever

preceeded Record

Mode).

7. After recording

a

program,

it is always a good idea to check that the program is

correctly recorded in the desired location

by

switching PRESET on.

6-*

CM600A 12/82

SYNTHESIZER CONTROLS

7-0

INTRODUCTION

As

explained

in

the Preface,

the

Prophet-600

actually contains six synthesizers,

termed "voices." Only one

voice

is depicted on the front panel because, except

for the

LFO,

the controls "patch" all six voices identically—which makes them sound alike.

The Prophet-600 fits into

the tradition

of

voltage-controlled analog synthesizers.

To

understand these instruments it has proven useful to identify three basic functions:

audio sources, modifiers, and controllers. Briefly, controllers create the control

voltages (CVs) which determine the pitch of the audio sources, or the filtering or

attenuation effect of the modifiers. Each voice contains several of each type of

function, which are represented on the block diagram, Figure

7-0.

On each voice, there are three audio sources: OSC A, OSC B, and the filter, if it is

adjusted

for self-resonance. The audio level and timbre can be modified by the mixer,

filter

(when not in self-resonance), and amplifier. The keyboard is the most conspicu-

ous

controller, since

it

issues the six separate KYBD CVs which determine the

oscillator

pitch on each voice. The MASTER TUNE knob and PITCH wheel provide two

separate CVs which control all of the oscillators. And the

two envelope generators

must each be regarded as a controller of its

respective

filter or

amplifier.

Considering

the

modulation systems, the LFO is a

controller,

as is OSC

B when

it is used

with

POLY-MOD.

CM600A 12/82

7-1

1>

5

<

<

5

is

TO

l >

7-2 CM600A

12/82

7-1 OSCILLATOR A

OSC A is

an audio-frequency source always under

control of its

FREQUENCY knob,

the

keyboard, PITCH wheel,

and MASTER TUNE

knob. Its

frequency

(FREQJ

can

be

modulated by

the LFO-MOD and

POLY-MOD systems.

PULSE-WIDTH (PW) can also be

modulated

by the LFO-MOD

system.

45B

S

10

FREQUENCY

V

YN

A

/\

SHAPE

n

10

PULSE

WIDTH

Figure

7-1

FREQUENCY knob: Adjusts

oscillator

pitch

in semitones, over a

four-octave range.

For basic "concert"

tuning, where the middle A on the

keyboard equals WO Hz, set the

FREQUENCY

knob two octaves above

"0"

on the dial. Exact

oscillator pitch is fine-

tuned

with the

MASTER

TUNE

knob.

SYNC switch: Forces OSC A to

follow

OSC

B in "hard"

synchronization. Depending on

the setting of the OSC A FREQUENCY

knob,

OSC A

will either lock to

harmonic

frequencies of OSC

B, or produce unusual timbres at the

next lower harmonic of OSC

B.

If

SYNC is on, and a

very narrow

or

wide pulse is selected for OSC A,

and

OSC B's

frequency is set much higher than OSC A,

the output from OSC A may disappear.

(Because the

pulse is not

given

a chance to discharge

before being re-synced, it

degenerates from audio to dc.)

Even

if

no

OSC

B waveshapes are switched on, SYNC still

operates, so the overall

pitch range of

the program will be determined by the OSC B FREQUENCY

knob

setting.

.

.

SYNC is used

in Factory Programs 17, 26, 76, and others.

SAWTOOTH

SHAPE switch: Enables full-level waveshape

containing

all

harmonics.

This basic

shape is often described as "brassy."

TRIANGLE

SHAPE switch: Enables full-level triangle

wave, containing little harmonic

energy, thus having a dull tone.

PULSE

SHAPE switch: Enables full-level

waveshape whose harmonic content, thus

timbre, depends on the setting of

the PULSE WIDTH knob.

If no

waveshape switch is on, OSC A will

have no

audio

output. If two or three

waveshape switches are on, all

waves are mixed at full level and supplied as OSC

A's

output to the MIXER.

CM600A 12/82

7-3