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 shall be installed near the equipment
and shall be easily accessible.
For Technical Support, email:support@sequential.com
CALIFORNIA PROP 65 WARNING
This product may expose you to chemicals including BPA, which is known to the State of California
to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm. Though indepen-dent laboratory testing has certified that our products are several orders of magnitude below safe limits, it is our
responsibility to alert you to this fact and direct you to: https://www.p65warnings.ca.gov for more
information.
Table of Contents
A Few Words of Thanks ...............................ix
Getting Started ........................................1
Art Arellano, Fabien Cesari, Bob Coover, Carson Day, Chris Hector, Tony Karavidas, Mark Kono,
Justin Labrecque, Andy Lambert, Michelle Marshall, Andrew McGowan, Joanne McGowan,
Julio Ortiz, Campbell Smith, Tracy Wadley, and Mark Wilcox.
Special thanks to Ikutaro Kakehashi and Yamaha Corporation. Thanks also to Robert Rich
for the alternative tunings content. And nally, a shout out to OMOM (Old Men Of MIDI)
for their support, camaraderie, and sound design.
Kurt Kurasaki
Kevin Lamb
Jason Lindner
Cord Mueller
Drew Neumann
Robert Rich
Matia Simovich
James Terris
Mitch Thomas
Taiho Yamada
A Few Words of Thanks
Thank you for purchasing the Prophet-6. We take a lot of pleasure in creating all
of our instruments but bringing the Prophet-6 to life was particularly satisfying.
In many ways it brings my 40-plus years of designing synthesizers full circle. I’ll
tell you why.
In 2014, two events occurred that led to the creation of the Prophet-6. The rst
was a fairly common one around our ofce — our usual informal discussion
about what would be interesting to build next. (We don’t do marketing surveys
around here.) We all agreed that an analog poly synth with true voltage-controlled
oscillators, lters, and ampliers would not only be exciting to design, but would
also almost certainly sound great. So we decided to do it.
Event two transpired when, unknown to me, my old friend and collaborator in the
creation of MIDI, Ikutaro Kakehashi, founder of Roland, asked Yamaha Corporation
to consider returning ownership of my original company brand, Sequential Circuits,
to me. (Yamaha had purchased Sequential’s assets when we closed shop back in
1987.) Yamaha generously agreed and suddenly Sequential was back — almost. All
we needed was an awesome new product to bear the name.
Well, you know how the story ends: with the very synth you’ve just purchased. We
gured that building the best-sounding analog poly synth possible would be a tting
tribute to Sequential’s most famous instrument, the Prophet-5, the poly synth that
started it all.
The Sequential Prophet-6 takes the best qualities of the Prophet-5 and adds some nice
touches that the original never had, such as stereo outputs, velocity and aftertouch
sensitivity, dual digital effects, a high-pass lter, a polyphonic step sequencer, an
arpeggiator, and of course, MIDI. The result is a synth with vintage analog tone and
the reliability of a state-of-the-art, modern instrument.
I hope you enjoy the Prophet-6 as much as we enjoyed designing it.
Cheers,
Getting Started
The Prophet-6 is a six-voice, polyphonic analog synthesizer with
voltage-controlled oscillators, lters, and ampliers. It was designed to
provide all of the warmth and presence of a vintage-era synth with the
added convenience and stability of a state-of-the-art, modern instrument.
The Prophet-6 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.
You can nd in-depth information about each of the Prophet-6’s parameters in later sections of this manual. But don’t hesitate to dive right in and
start turning knobs and pressing buttons before you begin reading. You
can always get back to where you started, even if you have no idea what
you’re doing. So start exploring and keep your ears and mind open!
POLY MODARPEGGIATORSEQUENCERCLOCK
MASTER VOL
DISTORT
AMOUNT
FREQUENCY
LFO SYNC
DOWN UP
TRANSPOSE
PITCH MOD
FREQ 1 SHAPE 1 PW 1 FILTER
OSC 2PRGM VOLFILTER ENV
EFFECTS
A B
ON/OFF EFFECTSYNC
TYPE
LOW FREQUENCY OSCILLATOR
FREQ 1
SHAPE
INITIAL AMT
0
Prophet-6 front panel
TAP TEMPO
CLOCK
MIX1
FREQ 2 PW 1+2 AMP FILTER
GLIDE RATE
BPM
2
SYNC
FREQUENCY
FREQUENCY FINE SHAPE PULSE WIDTH
BANK
OSCILLATOR 1
ON/OFF
OCTAVESVALUEMODE
MIXER
SLOP
AMOUNT
SHAPE PULSE WIDTH
OSCILLATOR 2
PROGRAM
IncrementDecrement
SELECT
OSC 1 OSC 2
LOW FREQ
KEYBOARD
SUB OCTAVE NOISE
Transpose Master Tune MIDI Channel MIDI Clock Clock Port Param Xmit Param Rcv MIDI Control MIDI SysEx MIDI Out
Local Ctrl Seq Jack Pot Mode Sustain +/- Alt Tuning Vel Response AT Response Stereo/Mono Pgm Dump
TENS
USBMIDI InMIDI OutMIDI ThruPhones Left RightLP Filter Volume Sustain SequencerAC In On/Off
The Prophet-6 contains a total of 1000 programs. 500 are permanent and
500 can be overwritten. Banks 0-4 are User Banks that can be overwritten. Banks 5-9 are Factory Banks that are permanent. You can edit the
programs of either bank, but you can only save them to Banks 0-4. As
shipped from the factory, presets 000-499 are identical to 500-999.
BANK
BANKSELECT
PROGRAM
Program bank, tens, and number selectors
IncrementDecrement
TENS
SELECT
Transpose Master Tune MIDI Channel MIDI ClockClock Port
Local CtrlSeq JackPot ModeSustain +/-Alt Tuning
102345
Selecting Programs
Use the bank, tens, and programselector buttons to select and recall
programs.
To choose a program:
1. Hold down the bankbutton then press a programselector button (0-9)
to specify the “hundreds” bank of the program.
2. Hold down the tensbutton then press a programselector button (0-9)
to specify the “tens” digit of the program.
3. Press a programselector button (0-9) to specify the “ones” digit of the
program.
To choose program 123, for example:
1. Hold bankand press 1. Then release the bank button.
2. Hold tensand press 2. Then release the tens button.
3. Press programselector button 3.
It’s not always necessary to enter all 3 digits of a program number to
recall it.
Getting Started
2
Sequential
For example:
• If the current program is 100 and you want to recall program 101,
simply press “1.”
• If the current program is 100 and you want to recall program 110, hold
down the tens button and press “1.”
• If the current program is 100 and you want to recall program 115, hold
down the tens button and press “1.” Then release the tens button and
press “5.”
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-6.
Stepping Through Presets Using the Inc/Dec Buttons
Instead of having to manually enter the Banks, Tens, and Ones digits to
recall a preset, you can also use the Increment/Decrement buttons to step
through programs sequentially, one by one.
To do this:
1. Hold bankselect/dec and press tensselect/inc to increment by a
single program.
2. Hold tensselect/inc and press bankselect/dec to decrement by a
single program.
Editing Programs
Because all of the sound-shaping controls of the Prophet-6 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 6.)
The rotary controls on the front panel are a mixture of “endless” rotary encoders
and potentiometers or “pots.” You can choose between three different modes that
determine how the synth reacts when parameters are edited with a pot. For details,
see “Pot Mode” on page 13.
Prophet-6 Operation Manual
Getting Started
3
How to Check a Parameter Setting in a Preset
When you’re editing a preset, the Prophet-6 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-6 display will illuminate.
This dot illuminates
BANK PROGRAM
The dot illuminates when a knob position matches a preset’s saved parameter value
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 write 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 write button is still ashing and ready to save, so enter a location with the programselector
buttons. The sound is saved.
7. Alternatively, if you want to cancel saving and continue editing, press
the write button. It stops ashing and saving is canceled.
Getting Started
4
Sequential
Creating a Program from Scratch
PRESET
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-6 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 preset button.
2. Press the write button.
Live Panel Mode
The Prophet-6 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. Note that you can’t change
programs or banks with Preset off.
To return to preset mode:
• Press the preset button again to toggle it on.
Toggling off the preset button enables “live panel” mode
Prophet-6 Operation Manual
Getting Started
5
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 a program to the same preset location:
1. Press the write button. Its LED begins blinking.
2. Press a programselector button (0-9) to specify the “ones” digit of the
program.
3. The write button LED stops blinking and the program is saved.
Be careful when write is enabled. You can change banks and tens without
executing write, but once you press a programselector button (0-9) for the “ones”
digit, the write command is executed and the program at that location is overwritten.
To save a program to a different bank location:
1. Press the write button. Its LED begins blinking.
2. Hold down the bankbutton then press a programselector button to
specify the “hundreds” bank of the program. You can only save to
Banks 0-4.
3. Hold down the tensbutton then press a programselector button (0-9)
to specify the “tens” digit of the program.
4. Press a programselector button (0-9) to specify the “ones” digit of the
program.
5. The write button LED stops blinking and the program is saved.
Getting Started
6
Sequential
Canceling Save
Sometimes you may want to cancel saving a program before you
commit.
To cancel the Save process before you commit:
• If the write 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 write 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 write 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 write button. It stops ashing and saving is canceled.
Prophet-6 Operation Manual
Getting Started
7
Using Poly Chain
If you have two Prophet-6 synthesizers of any type (modules or keyboards)
you can link them together with MIDI to increase the total available
polyphony to 12 voices. We call this poly chaining. If you have a Prophet-6
keyboard and a Prophet-6 module, you will most likely use the keyboard as
the master and the module as the slave.
To poly chain two Prophet-6 synths:
1. With a MIDI cable, connect the rear-panel midiout of the rst
Prophet-6 (the master) to the midiin of the second Prophet-6 (the
slave).
2. On the master Prophet-6, press the globals button then press program
selector button 9 (midiout).
3. Use the bank/decrement and tens/increment to select ply (poly).
4. Press the globals button twice to exit globals mode.
The two synths are now poly chained. You can now play up to twelve
notes simultaneously. Another advantage of this arrangement is that
notes with long release times are less likely to be cut off as you play
additional notes.
Getting Started
8
Sequential
Moving to the Next Level
The Prophet-6 is lled with possibilities for sound creation. Although
we realize that you’d rather spend your time exploring its capabilities,
we’d like to point you toward a few things that will help you tailor the
instrument to your needs.
First, check out the Global Settings section of this manual. Read about
Pot Modes and determine which works best for you when you’re editing
sounds. You’ll also nd information about MIDI setup. Read this to more
effectively integrate the Prophet-6 into your MIDI rig. To get the most
out of the Prophet-6’s live performance capabilities, read up on using a
footswitch or expression pedal.
And nally, be on the lookout for tips and notes scattered throughout this
manual to gain a better working knowledge of the Prophet-6. The better
you know your instrument, the more you’ll get out of it. We wish you
many hours of musical exploration!
Prophet-6 Operation Manual
Getting Started
9
Connections
56789
1234
1. AC Power Connector—Accepts a standard, grounded IEC power
cord. Operates over a range of 100 to 240 volts and 50 to 60 Hz.
2. USB—For bidirectional MIDI communication with a computer. The
Prophet-6 is a Class Compliant USB device and does not require additional drivers when used with Mac OS or Windows. See Using USB on
page 65for more information.
3. MIDI In, Out, and Thru—Standard 5-pin MIDI DIN connectors.
4. Footswitch-Sequence—Accepts a momentary, normally open or
normally closed footswitch to turn the sequencer or arpeggiator on and
off. Alternatively, an audio signal connected to this jack can be used to
either control sequencer/arpeggiator playback, or to gate the lter and
amplier envelopes while notes are held. See “Seq Jack” on page 15
for more information about choosing the appropriate mode for these
behaviors.
5. Footswitch-Sustain—Accepts a momentary, normally open or
normally closed footswitch to control sustain. See “3. Sustain +/- :
Nor, Rev, n-r, r-n (Normally Open, Normally Closed, Sustain Normally
Open/Sequencer Normally Closed, Sustain Normally Closed/Sequencer
Normally Open)—The Sustain pedal polarity parameter affects both
the sustain pedal and sequencer jack input ports. There are two types
of momentary footswitches, normally open and normally closed. Either
type can be used with the Prophet-6. Not sure which type you have? If
the behavior of the footswitch is the opposite of what is expected — that
Connections
10
Sequential
5 6789
is, down is off and up is on — changing this setting will correct that.” on
page 16 for more information.
6. Expression Pedal-Volume—Accepts a standard expression pedal
that has a variable resistor on a TRS (tip-ring-sleeve) ¼ inch phone plug.
Once connected, you can use the pedal to control volume to add expressiveness and dynamics to live performance.
7. Expression Pedal-LP Filter—Accepts a standard expression pedal
that has a variable resistor on a TRS (tip-ring-sleeve) ¼ inch phone plug.
Once connected, you can use the pedal to control the cutoff frequency of
the low-pass lter to add expressiveness to live performance.
Prophet-6 Operation Manual
Connections
11
8. Audio Outputs—Unbalanced, ¼ inch audio outputs. The Prophet-6
GLOBALS
1023456789
Vel ResponseAT ResponseStereo/MonoPgm Dump
Param XmitParam RcvMIDI ControlMIDI SysExMIDI Out
sounds great in stereo, but can be switched to mono if needed. See
“Mono/Stereo” in Global Settings on page 13.
9. Headphones—A ¼ inch stereo headphone jack. Headphone volume is
controlled by the mastervol knob on the front panel.
Global Settings
Global settings are parameters that affect all programs. These include
settings such as Master Tune, MIDI Channel, MIDI Clock, and others.
Global parameters are printed above the numeric program selector
switches (0 - 9). 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
TransposeMaster TuneMIDI ChannelMIDI ClockClock Port
Local CtrlSeq JackPot ModeSustain +/-Alt Tuning
Globals 0-4
Param XmitParam RcvMIDI ControlMIDI SysExMIDI Out
Vel ResponseAT Response Stereo/MonoPgm Dump
56789
Globals 5-9
Global Settings
12
Sequential
BANK
IncrementDecrement
TENS
BANKSELECT
Use the Bank and Tens buttons to scroll forward and backward, respectively, through parameter settings
To set a Global parameter:
PROGRAM
SELECT
1. Press the globalsbutton. 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 (0 - 9) that corresponds to the desired
parameter. The parameters are printed above each switch.
3. Use the bank and tens 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
0. Transpose: -12…12—Master Transpose control, 0 is centered. Steps
in semitones up to one octave up (+12) or down (-12).
1. Master Tune: -50…50—Master Fine Tune control; 0 centered. Steps
in cents as much as a quarter-tone up (+50) or down (-50).
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. MIDI Clock: Sets the Prophet-6’s ability to send and receive MIDI
clock messages:
• Off: MIDI Clock is neither sent nor received
• Out: MIDI Clock is sent, but not received
• In: MIDI Clock is received, but not sent
Prophet-6 Operation Manual
Global Settings
13
• Slave Thru (i-0): MIDI Clock is received and passed to MIDI Out
• In, No Start/Stop (n55): Receives MIDI Clock but does not respond to
MIDI Start or Stop commands.
When set to in or slavethru, if no MIDI clock is present at the selected input,
the arpeggiator and sequencer will not function.
4. Clock Port:MID, USB—Sets the ports, MIDI or USB, by which MIDI
clock signals are received.
5. Param Xmit: Off, CC, NR—Changes to the values of front panel
controls are transmitted via MIDI as Continuous Controllers (CC) or Nonregistered Parameter Number (NR). Transmission of parameters can also be
turned off. You could, for example, turn the lter cutoff frequence knob on
the Prophet-6 and have it affect the cutoff frequency of another synthesizer.
For a list of Prophet-6 CCs and NRPNs, see Appendix D.
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.
6. Param Rcv: Off, CC, NR—Sets the method by which parameter changes are
received via MIDI. As with transmission, NRPNs are the preferred method.
7. MIDI Control: Off, On—When On, the synth will respond to MIDI
controllers, including Pitch Wheel, Mod Wheel, Pedal, Volume.
8. MIDI Sysex: MID, USB— When set to MIDI (MID) it will receive
and transmit them using the MIDI ports/cables When set to USB it
will receive and transmit them using the USB port/cable. MIDI SysEx
messages are used when sending and receiving a variety of data including, programs, alternative tunings, system updates, and more.
9. MIDI Out: MID, USB—Sets the port by which MIDI data will be trans-
mitted (MIDI or USB).
Global Settings
14
Sequential
Globals - Bottom Row
0. Local Control: Off, On—When on (the default), the keyboard and
front panel controls directly affect the Prophet-6. When off, the controls
are transmitted via MIDI but do not directly affect the “local” synth (that
is, the Prophet-6). This is primarily useful for avoiding MIDI data loops
that can occur with some external sequencers.
the mode for signals received on the rear-panel Sequencer jack.
• With normal selected, a footswitch will start sequencer playback.
• With trig selected, an audio signal connected to the sequencer jack will
step the sequencer when the sequencer’s play button is on.
• With gate selected, an audio signal connected to the sequencer
jack will trigger and gate the envelopes while you hold a note or
chord. Additionally, turning on the sequencer or arpeggiator will add
sequencer or arpeggiator playback—but controlled by the Prophet-6’s
clock bpm and value settings and not the audio trigger.
• With t-g (trigger+gate) selected, an audio signal connected to the
sequencer jack will trigger and gate the envelopes while you hold a
note or chord. Additionally, pressing the sequencer’s play button will
also add synchronized sequencer playback.
For best results when triggering the sequencer with an audio signal, use a loud
signal with a sharp attack/decay and little or no sustain.
panel are a mixture of “endless” rotary encoders and potenti-
ometers or “pots.” The pots are identiable by their lined knobs and the
fact that they have about 300° of travel. There are three pot modes to determine how the synth reacts when the programmable parameters are edited.
(Master volume is not programmable, so these modes don’t apply.)
In Relative mode, 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 resonance parameter has an internal value range of 0 to 127. Let’s
say the physical position of the resonance pot is the equivalent to a
Prophet-6 Operation Manual
Global Settings
15
value of 100. If you switch to a program that has a stored Resonance
setting of 63 and turn the pot all the way up, it will only go to 90. To get
to the maximum value of 127, you rst 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 counter-clockwise, 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.
eter affects both the sustain pedal and sequencer jack input ports. There
are two types of momentary footswitches, normally open and normally
closed. Either type can be used with the Prophet-6. Not sure which type
you have? If the behavior of the footswitch is the opposite of what is
expected — that is, down is off and up is on — changing this setting will
correct that.
4. Alt Tuning: Nor, 1…16 (Normal, 1…16)—Selects one of the Prophet-6’s
built-in tunings. Set to normal, the tuning is standard, chromatic tuning.
Choosing 1 through 16 selects an alternative, non-chromatic, non-Western
scale that can be used to emulate ethnic instruments or in other creative ways.
See “Appendix A: Alternative Tunings” on page 59 for a description of
each tuning. Additional tunings can be imported into the Prophet-6 as a
SysEx message. For more information, see Appendix A.
5. Vel Response: 0-7 (Curve 0, Curve 1, Curve 2, Curve 3, Curve 4, Curve
5, Curve 6, Curve 7)—Sets one of eight velocity curves to adjust the keyboard’s
velocity response to your playing style.
6. AT Response: 0-3 (Curve 0, Curve 1, Curve 2, Curve 3)—Sets one of
four pressure curves to adjust the keyboard’s aftertouch response to your
playing style.
Global Settings
16
Sequential
7. Stereo/Mono: Ste, Mon (Stereo, Mono)—The Prophet-6 defaults to
OSC 1OSC 2
SUB OCTAVENOISE
MIXER
stereo operation. When set to Mono, this parameter defeats all pan settings
and modulation, effectively making each of the outputs a mono output.
8. Pgm Dump: Prg, Ten, Ban, usr, All(Program, Tens, Bank, User
Banks, All)—Transmits the current program, ten programs from the
currently selected bank and tens location, the current bank, all user
banks (0-4), or all banks (both user and factory) in SysEx format via the
selected MIDI port. (See: “MIDI Sysex.”) Dumped programs will load
back into the same bank and program location in memory when received by
the Prophet-6 via MIDI.
Oscillators
Oscillators provide the raw building blocks of the Prophet-6’s sound by
producing waveforms, each of which has its own inherent sound character based on its harmonic content. The Prophet-6 has two oscillators, plus
a sub oscillator and a noise generator per voice. Level controls for each
of these are located in the Mixer section.
Each oscillator is capable of generating triangle, sawtooth, and variablewidth pulse waves. These waveshapes are continuously variable and
smoothly transition from one shape to the next as you turn the shape
knob. This provides a variety of “in-between” waveshapes.
The oscillators on the Prophet-6 are extremely stable. To emulate the random
pitch drift and oscillator instability of vintage instruments, use the slop parameter to
dial in as little or as much drift as you like.
OSCILLATOR 1
FREQUENCYSHAPEPULSE WIDT H
FREQUENCYFINESHAPEPULSE WIDT H
Oscillators 1 and 2
Prophet-6 Operation Manual
SYNC
OSCILLATOR 2
LOW FREQ
SLOP
AMOUNT
KEYBOARD
Oscillators
17
Oscillator 1 can be hard-synced to Oscillator 2 for complex, harmonically-rich sounds when modulated.
Oscillator 2 features a fine knob for detuning and thickening sounds,
a lowfreq switch that allows it to function as an LFO for modulation
purposes, and a keyboard switch that disables keyboard control over its
pitch (useful when used as an LFO, or for drones and other effects).
Oscillator Parameters
Frequency: Sets the base oscillator frequency over a 9-octave range from
16 Hz to 8KHz (when used with the Transpose buttons). Adjustment is in
semitones.
The global Master Tune settings affect the pitch of all oscillators. See “Globals -
Top Row” on page 13 for more information.
Fine: Fine tune control with a range of a quartertone up or down. The 12
o’clock position is centered. Steps are in cents (50 cents = 1/2 semitone).
Shape: Triangle, Sawtooth, Pulse—Used to select the waveshape
generated by the oscillator. Waveshapes are continuously variable and
smoothly transition from one shape to the next as you turn the shape
knob. This provides a variety of “in-between” waveshapes.
Pulse Width: Changes the width of the pulse wave from a square wave
when the pulsewidth knob is at center position, to a very narrow pulse
wave when the pulsewidth knob is full left or right.
Applying pulse width modulation using polymod or the lowfrequencyoscillator
is a great way to add movement and thickness to a sound, especially when creating
pad or string-like sounds.
Oscillators
18
Sequential
Sync: Off, On—Turns Oscillator 1 hard sync on. Sync forces Oscillator
1 (the slave) to restart its cycle every time Oscillator 2 (the master) starts
a cycle. This provides a way to create more complex, harmonically rich
shapes from simple waveforms—especially when the frequency of Oscillator 1 is set to a different interval than Oscillator 2.
Oscillator 1
Oscillator 2
Oscillator 1
synced to
Oscillator 2
Oscillator hard sync
Use Poly Mod to sweep the pitch of Oscillator 1 when it is synced to generate
the classic, hard-edged sync sound.
Low Frequency: Off, On—Turns Oscillator 2 into a low-frequency
oscillator, essentially providing another LFO source for modulation
using Poly Mod. The frequency, fine, shape, and pulsewidth controls
still apply and will affect the character of any low-frequency modulation
applied using Oscillator 2.
Keyboard: Off, On—When off, the Oscillator 2 ignores the keyboard
and note data received via MIDI and plays at its base frequency setting.
Oscillator 2 pitch can still be affected by modulation from other sources
when in this mode.
Prophet-6 Operation Manual
Oscillators
19
Slop
SLOP
Slop adds randomized detuning to the oscillators to emulate the tuning
instability of vintage analog oscillators. This tuning instability is a big
part of what made vintage instruments sound characteristically warm and fat.
Because the Prophet-6 oscillators are extremely stable, small amounts
of Slop can help impart a very vintage tone to what is otherwise a very
stable, modern instrument. Slop amount is adjustable from subtle, barely
perceptible amounts to wildly out of tune.
The global Master Tune settings affect the pitch of all oscillators. See “Globals -
Top Row” on page 13 for more information.
AMOUNT
Oscillator Slop
20
Slop
Sequential
Mixer
The Mixer section is where you set the levels of the various sound
generators on the Prophet-6. These include Oscillator 1, Oscillator 2,
Sub Octave (Oscillator 1 sub oscillator) and the white noise generator.
You must turn up at least one of these in order to make sound with the
Prophet-6. (Alternatively, you can use the lter to generate its own sine
wave in self-oscillating mode.)
Rather than limit the Prophet-6’s outputs to keep the instrument from clipping,
we allow you to adjust levels at various points in its signal path. This gives you the
option to “overload” things in interesting ways, if you wish to do so. If not, try reducing
the levels of the oscillators in the mixer section, the envamount parameter in the Ampli-
er Envelope, or the resonance parameter in either the low-pass or high-pass lter.
MIXER
OSC 1OSC 2
SUB OC TAVENOISE
The Mixer
Osc 1: Sets the output level of Oscillator 1.
Osc 2: Sets the output level of Oscillator 2.
Sub Octave: Controls the level of a triangle wave oscillator pitched one
octave below Oscillator 1. Because a triangle wave has few harmonics
and is mainly characterized by its fundamental frequency, adding a sub
octave to sounds such as bass are a great way to increase their low-register
presence.
Noise: Sets the output level of the white noise generator.
Prophet-6 Operation Manual
Mixer
21
Filters
CUTOFFENV AMOUNTRESONANCE
LOW-PASS FILTER
VELOCIT Y
CUTOFFENV AMOUNT
RESONANCE
KEYBOARD
HIGH-PASS FILTER
VELOCIT YKEYBOARD
Half Full
Half Full
Filters take the basic, raw sound of the oscillators and noise generator
and subtract frequencies, changing the harmonic content and character of
their sound. This change can be varied over time using the Filter Envelope to produce more dynamic, animated timbres.
The Prophet-6’s two-lter architecture allows for a wide range of sonic
possibilities. The Low-Pass Filter is a 4-pole, 24 dB per-octave, resonant
lter. The High-Pass Filter is a 2-pole, 12 dB per octave, resonant lter.
In simple terms, the Low-Pass Filter cuts high frequencies and the High-
Pass Filter cuts low frequencies. If used at the same time, the two lters
act as a band-pass lter, passing only the band of frequencies that fall
between the high-pass and low-pass cutoff points.
The Low-Pass Filter and High-Pass Filter
Cutoff:Sets the lter’s cutoff frequency. On the Low-Pass Filter,
frequencies are reduced from the top down — cutting the high frequencies and passing the low, hence the name “low-pass.” On the High-Pass
Filter, frequencies are reduced from the bottom up — cutting the low
frequencies and passing the high, hence the name “high-pass.”
Resonance: Emphasizes a narrow band of frequencies around the cutoff
frequency. On the Low-Pass Filter, high levels of resonance can cause the
lter to self oscillate and generate its own pitch.
22
Filters
Sequential
High levels of resonance can sometimes cause the Prophet-6 outputs to clip
if its sound generators are also set to high output in the Mixer. Monitor your outputs
carefully to ensure optimal, clean signal levels. If you experience signal clipping, try
reducing the levels of the oscillators in the mixer section, the envamount parameter in
the Amplier Envelope, or the resonance parameter in either the low-pass or high-pass
lter.
Env Amount: Sets the amount of modulation from the lter envelope to
the lters. Higher amounts more dramatically affect the cutoff frequency.
This control is bipolar. Positive settings produce standard behavior as
described in “Filter Envelope” on page 24. Negative settings invert the
envelope. Experiment with this control to create a variety of expressive
ltering effects.
Velocity: on, off—When enabled, allows key velocity to inuence lter
frequency. If the envamount is set to a positive value on the low-pass
lter, the harder you play, the more the lter will open and the brighter
the sound will be. Conversely, if the envamount is set to a negative
value, the harder you play, the more the lter will close and the less
bright the sound will be. This control makes for more touch-sensitive
sounds
Keyboard: off, half, full—Sets the amount of modulation from the
keyboard to the lter’s cutoff frequency. Selecting half or full means
that the higher the note played on the keyboard, the more the lter opens.
This is useful for adding brightness to a sound as higher notes are played,
which is typically how acoustic instruments behave. If both half and fullare off, keyboard lter tracking is off, meaning that lter frequency is unaffected by playing higher or lower notes on the keyboard.
On the Low-Pass Filter, setting keyboard to full when the lter is self oscillating
will cause the lter-generated pitch to follow the keyboard in tune (i.e. in semitones).
Setting the keyboard to halfwill cause the lter-generated pitch to follow the keyboard
pitch in quarter tones.
Prophet-6 Operation Manual
Filters
23
Filter Envelope
Attack
Decay
Sustain
Release
Amplitude
Time
The Prophet-6’s low-pass and high-pass lters share a dedicated, four-
stage envelope generator. The Filter Envelope is used to shape the
harmonic characteristics of a synthesized sound by giving you ltering
control over its attack, decay, sustain, and release stages.
This is one of the most important factors in designing a sound. Without
an envelope, the lters would be completely static. They would stay
open or closed by a xed amount that wouldn’t change over the duration
of a sound. That’s not very interesting to listen to and it’s not how instruments behave in the real world.
In general, sounds produced by an instrument are brighter at their beginning (the attack stage) and grow mellower as they die out (the decay
and release stages). In other words, their harmonic content changes over
time. This is exactly what the lter envelope is designed to emulate.
FILTER ENVELOPE
ATTA CKDE CAYSUSTA INRELE ASE
Filter envelope
A typical 4-stage envelope
Filter Envelope
24
Sequential
Attack: Sets the attack time of the envelope. The higher the setting, the
slower the attack time and the the longer it takes for the lter to open
from the level set with the lter cutoff knob to the level set by the lter
envelope amount. Percussive sounds typically have sharp (short) attacks.
Decay: Sets the decay time of the envelope. After a sound reaches the
lter frequency set at its attack stage, decay controls how quickly the
lter then transitions to the cutoff frequency set with the sustain knob.
The higher the setting, the longer the decay. Percussive sounds, such as
synth bass, typically have shorter decays (and a generous amount of low-
pass lter resonance).
Sustain: Sets the lter cutoff frequency for the sustained portion of the
sound. The sound will stay at this lter frequency for as long as a note is
held on the keyboard.
Release: Sets the release time of the envelope. This controls how
quickly the lter closes after a note is released.
The description of envelope behavior above is true when the envelopeamount
parameter is set to a positive value. But since this control is actually bi-polar, it is
possible to set a negative amount of modulation. In this case, the envelopes are
inverted and their behavior changes. The best way to get a feel for the difference is to
experiment with both positive and negative settings of the envelopeamount parameter.
The cutoff frequency setting may limit the effect of the envelope on the lter. For
example, on the low-pass lter, if cutoff is at its highest setting, a positive envelope
amount will have no effect on the lter since the lter is already completely open.
Changing the Filter Envelope’s Response Curve
By default, the envelopes of all synthesizers are designed to have certain
type of response curve that is largely dependent on the preference of the
designer. In most cases, this can’t be changed. The current preference is
that the faster or snappier the envelopes, the better.
However, in the case of the Prophet-6, there is a hidden feature in the
Poly Mod section that allows you to modify the responsiveness of the
Filter Envelope’s ADSR controls. This opens up a new level of ne
adjustment of these controls that is subtle but powerful. Try it and see.
Prophet-6 Operation Manual
Filter Envelope
25
To adjust the responsiveness of the lter envelope:
1. Select a program — such as a synth brass sound — that has a slightly
soft but bright attack.
2. Repeatedly play a series of notes or chords on the keyboard, so you can
hear the effect of the adjustments as you follow the steps below.
3. In the Poly Mod section, enable the lpfilter as the only destination
(disable all other Poly Mod destinations such as freq 1, freq 2 etc.).
4. In the Poly Mod section, turn the filterenv control slightly counter-
clockwise. Try a setting of about 11 o’clock.
5. Continue to play a series of chords and turn the envamount knob
clockwise in the low-passfilter section. Try moving it back and forth
between 1 o’clock and 3 o’clock.
6. As you do this, compare different settings of the Poly Mod filterenv
control, the Low-Pass Filter envamount, and different Attack, Decay,
Sustain, and Release settings on the Filter Envelope.
The interaction of these controls is worth exploring for greater exibility
and control of the Filter Envelope.
Amplier Envelope
After passing through the lters, a synthesized sound goes into an analog
voltage controlled amplier or VCA, which controls its overall loudness.
The VCA has a dedicated, four-stage envelope generator.
The Amplier Envelope is used to shape the volume characteristics of
a sound over time by giving you control over its attack, decay, sustain,
and release stages. Along with the lter envelope, this is one of the most
important factors in designing a sound.
Without a volume envelope, the loudness of a sound wouldn’t change
over the duration of a note. It would begin immediately, remain at its full
volume for the duration of the note, then end immediately when the note
was released. Again, that’s not very interesting sonically and it’s not typically how instruments behave in the real world.
Amplier Envelope
26
Sequential
To give you a real-world example, the main difference between the
Attack
Decay
Sustain
Release
Amplitude
Time
sound of the wind and the sound of a snare drum is that they have very
different volume envelopes. Otherwise, they are essentially both white
noise. Wind has a relatively slow attack, a long sustain, and a long decay
and release. A snare drum has a sharp attack, no sustain, and virtually no
decay or release. But again, they are both fundamentally white noise.
AMPLIFIER ENV ELOPE
ENV AMOUNT
Amplier envelope
VELOCIT Y
ATTA CKDE CAYSUS TAINRELE ASE
A typical four-stage, ADSR envelope shape
Attack:Sets the attack time of the envelope. The higher the setting, the
slower the attack time and the longer it takes for a sound to reach its full
volume. Pads typically have softer (longer) attacks. Percussive sounds
have sharper (shorter) attacks.
Decay: Sets the decay time of the envelope. After a sound reaches its full
volume at its attack stage, decay controls how quickly the sound transi-
tions to the level set with the sustain control. The higher the setting, the
longer the decay. Percussive sounds, such as synth bass, typically have
shorter decays.
Sustain: Sets the sustain level of the envelope. The higher the setting,
the louder the sustained portion of the sound will be. The sound will stay
at this level for as long as a note is held on the keyboard.
Prophet-6 Operation Manual
Amplier Envelope
27
Release: Sets the release time of the envelope. This controls how
quickly a sound dies out after a note is released.
Env Amount:Sets the amount of modulation from the Amplier Enve-
lope to the VCA. In most cases you will probably want to set this fully
clockwise for maximum VCA volume. If you experience signal clipping,
try reducing the envamount or the levels of the oscillators in the mixer
section.
To recreate the “gated VCA” effect used on certain classic rock anthems,
choose an organ sound, then set the vcaenv amount to zero, route the LFO square
wave to ampwith an initialamt setting of 100% and hold a few chords.
Velocity:This button enables keyboard velocity to modulate the VCA
Envelope Amount. The harder you play, the more the VCA envelope is
affected. This makes for more touch-sensitive sounds.
Effects
The Prophet-6 effects section allows you to add up to two, 24-bit, 48 kHz
digital effects to any sound. Though the Prophet-6 sounds great on its own,
adding a touch of reverb or delay can enhance many sounds with a subtle
(or not so subtle) sense of ambience and depth. Other effects such as the
chorus and phaser are useful for adding more conspicuous tonal enhancement as well as emulating classic instruments such as string ensembles
and so on.
While the effects themselves are digital, the main signal path of the
Prophet-6 is analog, with the effects generated in a separate audio chain,
converted to analog, then added to the main signal path using the mix
knob. The on/off switch enables and disables both Effect A and Effect B,
using a true bypass, ensuring a pure analog signal path.
Effects settings are saved individually with each program. Time-based
effects such as the Delays can be synchronized to the arpeggiator, sequencer,
or MIDI clock to produce repeats that occur on the beat.
Effects
28
Sequential
A B
EFFECTS
CLOCK
2
ON/OFFEFFECTSYNC
The Effects section
TYPE
MIX1
Effects are divided into sets A and B. You can choose a single effect from
each set. Effect A and B are applied one after another, in series. For this
reason, reverb effects are only available as Effect B, since it’s the last
stage in the serial effects chain — where reverb is traditionally applied.
Either effect can also be set to “off.”
Effect A:
• “bbd” - vintage bucket-brigade emulation
• “ddl” - classic digital delay
• “CHO” - vintage chorus
• PH1” vintage 6-stage phaser, high resonance
• “PH2” vintage 6-stage phaser, lower resonance
• “PH3” emulation of Tom Oberheim’s original phaser design
• “rin” ring modulator
• “FL1” vintage anger, high resonance
• “FL2” vintage anger, low resonance
Effect B:
• “bbd” - vintage bucket-brigade emulation
• “ddl” - classic digital delay
• “CHO” - vintage chorus
• PH1” vintage 6-stage phaser, high resonance
• “PH2” vintage 6-stage phaser, lower resonance
• “PH3” emulation of Tom Oberheim’s original phaser design
• “rin” ring modulator
Prophet-6 Operation Manual
Effects
29
• “FL1” vintage anger, high resonance
• “FL2” vintage anger, low resonance
• “HAL” - classic hall emulation
• “rOO” - classic room emulation
• “PLA” - classic plate emulation
• “SPr” - vintage guitar-amp-style spring emulation
To use Effects:
1. Press the on/off switch to turn on Effects.
2. Press effect and choose A or B, depending on which you want to apply
and congure.
3. Turn the type knob to select an effect. Names are abbreviated. For
instance “bbd” is the bucket-brigade delay. Refer to the list above.
4. Turn the mix knob to the right to blend in a good amount of the processed
signal. You’ll want to be able to clearly hear the effect when you tweak its
settings. You can dial it down afterward.
5. Use the parameter 1 and parameter 2 knobs to adjust the effect’s parameters to your taste. See “Effects Parameters” on page 29 for details
on the adjustable parameters on each effect type.
6. Finally, adjust the mix knob to optimize the amount of the effect. Full
left is completely dry. Full right is completely wet (a 100% processed
signal).
7. Repeat as needed to add a second effect.
Effects
30
Sequential
Main Parameters
On/Off: Turns both effects, A and B, on and off. The on/off switch uses a
true bypass, ensuring a pure analog signal path.
Effect: A, B—Selects either effect A or B for editing. Once selected, all
Mix: 0...127—Sets the balance between the processed (wet) signal
and unprocessed (dry) signal. Full left is completely dry. Full right is
completely wet.
Clock Sync: On, Off—When a delay effect is chosen, this enables syncing
of the timed delay repeats (feedback) to the Arpeggiator, Sequencer, or MIDI
clock. When Sync is on, delay time provides the following values:
ValueDelay Time
14 beats
2d3 beats
22 beats
4t1 beat
4d1 1/2 beat
41 beat
8d3/4 of 1 beat
81/2 of 1 beat
8t1/2 of 1 beat
16d3/8 of 1 beat
161/4 of 1 beat
Maximum delay time is 1 second. The combination of longer synced delay
times with slower tempos can result in delay times that would be greater than 1
second. When that happens, the delay time is divided by 2 until it no longer exceeds
the 1 second limit. For example, if the BPM is set to 60 and Delay Time is set to Half,
the expected delay time would be 2 seconds. The actual delay time will be 1 second
(i.e. 2 seconds divided by 2).
Prophet-6 Operation Manual
Effects
31
Parameter 1:Variable, depending on the effect—This knob adjusts
parameter 1 for the chosen effect. Each effect has two adjustable parameters, which differ depending on the effect. See “Effects Parameters” on
page 29 for details about the adjustable parameters on each effect type.
Parameter 2: Variable, depending on the effect—This knob adjusts
parameter 2 for the chosen effect. Each effect has two adjustable parameters, which differ depending on the effect. See “Effects Parameters” on
page 29 for details about the adjustable parameters on each effect type.
DisplayEffect TypeParameter 1Parameter 2
bbd
ddl
cho
PH1
PH2
HAL
rOO
PLA
SPr
bucket-brigade delaydelay timefeedback amount
digital delaydelay timefeedback amount
chorusratedepth
phaser 1ratedepth
phaser 2ratedepth
hall reverbtimeearly reections
room reverbtimeearly reections
plate reverbtimeearly reections
spring reverbdecaytone
bbd: This is a vintage bucket-brigade delay emulation. Bucket-brigade
delays were originally a type of analog delay characterized by relatively
short delay times and a warmer character than digital delays due to their
loss of treble and clarity in the delayed analog signal. Adjustable parameters are delay time and feedback amount.
To recreate a classic bucket-brigade time-shifting effect, try adjusting the time
parameter in real time.
ddl:This is a classic digital delay, Adjustable parameters are delay time
and feedback amount.
CHO: This is a vintage chorus emulation. Use it to thicken and add
animation to any sound. Adjustable parameters are rate and depth.
PH1: This is a vintage phaser emulation with high resonance. Use it to
add a deep, sweeping, swirling resonant effect to a sound. Adjustable
parameters are rate and depth.
Effects
32
Sequential
PH2: This is a vintage phaser emulation with lower resonance. Use it to
add a swirling resonant effect to a sound. Adjustable parameters are rate
and depth.
PH3: This is a faithful emulation of Tom Oberheim’s original phaser
design. Use it to add a swirling resonant effect to a sound. Adjustable
parameters are rate and depth.
rin: This is a faithful emulation of Tom Oberheim’s original ring modula-
tor design. Use it to add a complex harmonic effect to a sound. Adjustable parameters are the modulation frequency and low note pitch tracking on/off.
HAL: This is a Hall reverb. It’s the largest of the available reverbs. Adjust-
able parameters are reverb time and early reection amount.
rOO: This is a Room reverb. It’s the second largest of the available reverbs.
Adjustable parameters are reverb time and early reection amount.
PLA: This is a Plate reverb. It emulates a classic reverb plate. Adjustable
parameters are reverb time and early reection amount.
SPr: This is a Spring reverb. It emulates a vintage, guitar-amp-style
reverb. Adjustable parameters are decay and tone.
Prophet-6 Operation Manual
Effects
33
Low Frequency Oscillators
The LFO is a special-purpose oscillator that produces a frequency below
the range of human hearing. The LFO is typically used for periodic
modulation such as vibrato (periodic pitch modulation) and tremolo
(periodic amplitude modulation).
The LFO on the Prophet-6 produces a variety of waveshapes, including
triangle, sawtooth, reverse sawtooth, square, and random. Though most
often used for low-frequency modulation, the Prophet-6 LFO can actually
function at speeds that extend into the audible range for extreme effects.
LOW FREQUENCY OSCILLATOR
LFO SYNC
FREQUENCY
The Low-Frequency Oscillator
SHAPE
INITIAL AMT
FREQ 1
FREQ 2PW 1+2AMPFI LTER
Triangle and Random waves are bipolar. That is, their waveshape is positive for half of their cycle and negative for the other half. In the case of the
triangle wave, this makes it possible to generate a natural-sounding vibrato
that goes alternately sharp and at in equal amounts on either side of a center
frequency. Random, also known as “sample and hold,” generates a series
of random values, each held for the duration of one cycle
The square wave, sawtooth, and reverse sawtooth generate only positive
values. In the case of the square wave this makes it possible to generate naturalsounding trills.
Triangle
0
LFO waveshapes
Sawtooth
SquareRandomSawtoothReverse
The Prophet-6 has a sixth “hidden” LFO waveshape that you can use as a
modulation source — noise. To access this, choose random then turn frequency all the
way clockwise. This generates a white noise waveform.
Low Frequency Oscillators
34
Sequential
The LFO can be free-running or synced to the arpeggiator, sequencer, or
MIDI clock for tempo-synced effects such as lter sweeps, tremolo, and so on.
Frequency: Sets the frequency of the LFO waveshape routed to the
destination. See also “LFO Sync” below.
LFO Sync: When on, the LFO synchronizes with the arpeggiator,
sequencer, or MIDI clock. By default, the LFO wave cycle is reset when you
press a key (but is not reset if you press a key while other notes are held).
wave shape of the LFO. A sixth waveshape, noise, can be generated by
selecting random and turning the frequency knob all the way to the right.
Initial Amount: Sets the amount of LFO modulation routed to the
selected destinations. Setting an amount here applies the selected modulation continuously. If you set this parameter to zero but still select a
modulation destination, modulation is only applied when you use the
Mod Wheel.
Freq 1: Selects the frequency of Oscillator 1 as a modulation destination.
Use a triangle wave as a source to create vibrato. Use a square wave to
create trills.
Freq 2: Selects the frequency of Oscillator 2 as a modulation destination.
Use a triangle wave as a source to create vibrato. Use a square wave to
create trills.
PW 1+2: When Oscillator 1 and/or 2 is set to square wave, this modu-
lates the pulse width of the wave. Use a triangle wave LFO to create a
chorus-like effect often used to emulate strings.
Amp: Selects the amplitude level as a modulation destination. Use a
triangle wave LFO to create a tremolo effect.
LP Filter: Selects the Low-Pass Filter frequency as a modulation destina-
tion. Use a triangle wave LFO to create an auto-wah effect. Modulating
the Low-Pass Filter at high frequencies can create interesting timbres.
HP Filter: Selects the High-Pass Filter frequency as a modulation desti-
nation. Modulating the High-Pass Filter at high frequencies can create
interesting timbres.
Prophet-6 Operation Manual
Low Frequency Oscillators
35
Poly Mod
Although the overall sonic character of the Prophet-6 is determined by its
analog oscillators and lters, much of its power to make truly unique and
unusual sounds comes from the Poly Mod section.
POLY MOD
OSC 2FILTER ENV
The Poly Mod section
Poly Mod modulation sources:
FREQ 1SHAPE 1PW 1FILTER
• Filter envelope
• Oscillator 2 frequency
Poly Mod modulation destinations:
• Oscillator 1 frequency
• Oscillator 1 waveshape
• Oscillator 1 pulse width
• low-pass lter frequency
• high-pass lter frequency
You can control how much the source affects the destination by dialing in
a specic modulation amount with the filterenv or osc2 knobs. Modu-
lation amount can either be positive or negative.
Use Poly Mod to create complex harmonic effects ranging from FM
(frequency modulation) to audio-rate lter modulation and beyond. Many
classic sounds on the original Prophet-5 were created through clever use
of Poly Mod.
36
Poly Mod
Sequential
Poly Mod Parameters
Filter Env: Selects the amount of modulation from the Filter Envelope
that is applied to a selected destination. Modulation amount can be either
positive or negative.
Osc 2: Selects the amount of modulation from Oscillator 2 that is applied
to a selected destination. Modulation amount can be either positive or
negative.
When using osc2 as a modulation source, the modulation character is
affected by the waveshape currently chosen for Oscillator 2 (triangle, sawtooth, or
square/pulse). Try setting Oscillator 2 to low frequency (using the lowfreq switch) to
further increase modulation possibilities.
Freq 1:Selects Oscillator 1 frequency as a modulation destination.
Choose osc2 as a modulation source to produce FM effects with their
characteristic complex harmonics and metallic timbre.
Shape 1: Selects the Oscillator 1 waveshape as a modulation destination.
This can animate the timbre of Oscillator 1 in interesting ways.
PW 1: When Oscillator 1 is set to pulse wave, choosing this as a destina-
tion modulates its pulse width. This will animate the timbre of Oscillator 1
in interesting ways.
LP Filter: Selects the Low-Pass Filter cutoff frequency as a modulation
destination.
HP Filter: Selects the High-Pass Filter cutoff frequency as a modulation destination.
Prophet-6 Operation Manual
Poly Mod
37
Arpeggiator
ARPEGGIATORSEQUENCERCLOCK
The Prophet-6 has a full-featured Arpeggiator. Turn it on, hold a chord
and the Prophet-6 will play a pattern based on the individual notes held.
Choose a mode (up, down, random, etc.), an octave range (1, 2, or 3),
and a tempo, then pair it with an appropriately percussive sound, and
you’ll be surprised at the number of creative things you can do.
When hold is active, the Arpeggiator is in “relatch” mode, where playing a new chord latches to the new chord rather than adding notes to the
existing chord.
If you enable hold, you can release the notes on the keyboard and the
Arpeggiator will continue to play. In addition, the Arpeggiator features
auto-latching: With hold on, played notes are held on and arpeggiated,
and any additional notes you play are added to the arpeggio—as long as
at least one key is continuously held.
You can sync the Arpeggiator to external MIDI clock, or even an external
audio signal. When the Arpeggiator is playing, the Sequencer is disabled.
TAP TEMPO
The Arpeggiator section
BPM
To use the Arpeggiator:
ON/OFF
OCTAV ESVALUEMODE
1. Press the Arpeggiator on/off switch to turn it on.
2. Hold down one or more notes on the keyboard. The Arpeggiator plays
them according to the settings you’ve chosen.
3. To latch arpeggiation on (so that you don’t have to continuously hold
down notes) press the hold button.
4. Adjust settings such as mode, octave, bpm and value.
5. To synchronize a delay effect to the Arpeggiator, turn on clocksync in
the Effects section, choose a delay, and adjust its delay time setting as
desired.
Arpeggiator
38
RECORD
PLAY
Sequential
Arpeggiator Beat Sync
is option quantizes keyboard performance of the arpeggiator so that
notes are quantized to the current clock divide setting. Previously, changing notes or chords on the keyboard during arpeggiator playback would
retrigger notes whether or not the note was played precisely on the beat.
With this option enabled, arpeggiator note playback occurs only on the
beat — regardless of the precision of your playing.
To enable Arpeggiator Beat Sync:
1. Press the globalsbutton twice to activate the lower set of parameters.
2. Press program selector button 9.
3. Use the bank and tens buttons as decrement and increment buttons to
step through available settings and select on.
4. Once you’ve chosen the desired setting, press the globals button again
to exit.
Using the Arpeggiator in a Poly-Chained System
As with the Sequencer, in a poly-chained system, the arpeggiator functions nearly the same as it does in a non-poly-chained system. The 6
extra voices are added into the total pool of available voices. Any notes
with long release times are less likely to be cut off as additional notes are
arpeggiated.
An audio signal connected to the rear-panel footswitch - sequence jack can be
used to control arpeggiator (and sequencer) playback. This makes it possible to tempo
sync the arpeggiator to a recorded drum track or other audio source. See “Seq Jack” on
page 15 for more information about choosing the appropriate mode for these behaviors.
Prophet-6 Operation Manual
Arpeggiator
39
Arpeggiator Parameters
Tap Tempo—Tapping the taptempo button sets the tempo from 30 to
250 BPM. The LED ashes at the BPM rate you set. Tap the button at
least 4 times to set the tempo.
BPM: 30…250—Sets the tempo for the arpeggiator in BPM (beats per
minute). The taptempo LED ashes at the BPM rate. When lfosync is
enabled on the low-frequency oscillator, or clocksync is enabled in the
Effects section, the BPM rate affects the LFO frequency and/or delay effect.
When syncing to an external MIDI clock source, the BPM setting has no effect.
Value—Selects a basic note value relative to the BPM. See the table below:
NameTempoTiming Division
HalfBPM/2Half note
QtrBPMQuarter note
8thBPM x 2Eighth note
8th DBPM x 2Eighth note, dot
8th SBPM x 2Eighth note, swing timing
8th TBPM x 3Eighth note triplets
16thBPM x 4Sixteenth note
16th SBPM x 4Sixteenth note, full swing timing
16th TBPM x 6Sixteenth note triplets
32ndBPM x 8Thirty-second note
On/Off—Turns the Arpeggiator on and off.
Octave: 1 Octave, 2 Octaves, 3 Octaves—Set to 1 Octave, only the
keyed notes are arpeggiated. Set to 2 Octaves, the keyed notes and the
notes one octave above them arpeggiate. Set to 3 Octaves, the keyed
notes and the notes one and two octaves above them arpeggiate.
Arpeggiator
40
Sequential
Mode: Sets the order in which notes play when Arpeggiator is on. See the table.
Arp ModeBehavior
UpPlays from lowest to highest note
DownPlays from highest to lowest note
Up + DownPlays from lowest to highest and back to lowest
RandomPlays notes in random order
AssignPlays notes in the order the keys were pressed
Sequencer
The Prophet-6’s sequencer is similar to a classic step sequencer. It allows
you to create a single sequence of up to 64 steps, including rests and ties,
with up to 6 notes per step. In addition, you can play along with a
sequence (provided there is available polyphony), making it a powerful
live performance tool. When the Sequencer is playing, the Arpeggiator is
disabled.
ARPEGGIATORSEQUENCERCLOCK
TAP TEMPO
The Sequencer/Arpeggiator
BPM
An audio signal connected to the rear-panel footswitch - sequence jack can
be used to control sequencer playback. This makes it possible to tempo sync the
sequencer (or arpeggiator) to a recorded drum track or other audio source. See “Seq
Jack” on page 15 for more information about choosing the appropriate mode for
these behaviors.
Prophet-6 Operation Manual
ON/OFF
OCTAV ESVALUEMODE
Sequencer
RECORD
PLAY
41
Programming the Sequencer
Though programming the sequencer is simple, you can create sequences that
are rhythmically and melodically complex by combining a repeating phrase
or bass line with chords, ties, and rests. You can play up to 64 steps with up
to 6 notes held simultaneously per step. For most sequences you’ll probably
want to use sounds with a relatively sharp attack and short release.
Most factory programs have a sequence associated with them. Recall a
program and press the Sequencer’s playbutton to hear its associated sequence.
To program a note sequence:
1. Press the record button.
2. Perform the sequence on the keyboard. The display indicates the
current step as you play.
When recording a chord as a step, as long as you continue to hold at least one
note down, you can keep adding notes to the chord/step, and even use the transpose
buttons to extend the keyboard range while doing it.
3. To add a rest as you play, press the tens/increment button for that step,
then continue playing.
4. To add a “tie” that extends the length of a note, continue to hold down
the note(s) and press the tens/increment button repeatedly to extend the
note the number of steps you want.
5. When you’re done, press play to listen to your sequence.
6. To save the sequence, save the program and they are saved together.
(See “Saving a Program” on page 5.)
If you want to play live along with the sequencer, be sure to leave voices avail-
able. In other words, don’t play 6-note chords for every step in the sequence!
Sequencer
42
Sequential
To play a sequence:
1. Press play. The sequence plays back at the current BPM setting.
2. To stop playback, press playagain.
Alternatively, you can start and stop sequencer playback using a footswitch
connected to the rear-panel seq jack or using MIDI start/stop messages sent from a
DAW or other MIDI device. See “Seq Jack” on page 15 for more information.
Use the bpm, value, or taptempo controls to adjust sequencer playback speed.
To transpose a sequence:
1. Press play. The sequence begins playback.
2. Press and hold recordand press a key on the keyboard. “Middle C”
is the reference point. Playing a note above middle C transposes the
sequence higher by that interval. Playing a note below middle C transposes the sequence lower by that interval.
if you’re using a program with Unison enabled, you don’t need to hold
down the button. You can simply press a note on the keyboard and
the sequence is transposed to that key. (When not using Unison, you
must still hold down the button to enable transposition.)
Remember that “Middle C” is the reference point. Playing a note above
middle C transposes the sequence higher by that interval. Playing a note
below middle C transposes the sequence lower by that interval.
Prophet-6 Operation Manual
Sequencer
43
Stepping Backward to Correct Notes When Recording a Sequence
While you are recording a sequence, it is now possible to step backward
using the Bank/Decrement button to correct notes. You can decrement as
many steps as you like, but each time you step backward the sequencer
erases the step. You must then re-record any steps/notes that occur after
the current step. For example, if you play notes on steps 1-8, then decrement to step 4, you will need to manually re-play steps 5-8 again on the
keyboard.
To step backward while recording a sequence:
1. Record a sequencer normally by pressing the record button, then playing notes on the keyboard. The display indicates the current step as you
play.
2. Press the bankselect/decrement button. This will step back to the
previous step so that you can rerecord it. Stepping back erases the step.
MIDI Note Output from the Arpeggiator and Sequencer
e Prophet-6’s arpeggiator and sequencer can now output MIDI note
numbers. Any notes that you hold on the Prophet-6 keyboard will be
arpeggiated according to the current settings of the arpeggiator and
output over MIDI (or USB) as MIDI notes. Similarly, any notes output by
the sequencer will be output over MIDI (or USB) as MIDI notes. You can
use this feature to drive other MIDI-equipped devices such as synthesizers and drum machines.
To enable MIDI Note output from the arpeggiator and sequencer:
1. Press the globals button then press program selector button 5 (param
xmit).
2. Use the bank and tens buttons as decrement and increment buttons to
step through available settings and select either cas or nas. Your choice
depends on whether you were previously using CC or NRPN to send
MIDI controller data to your external device, as either setting will send
MIDI notes out. Choose cas if CC. Choose nas if NRPN.
3. Once you’ve chosen the desired setting, press the globals button again to
exit.
Sequencer
44
Sequential
To control an external MIDI device:
1. Connect the MIDI or USB output of the Prophet-6 to the MIDI or USB
input of the external device, depending on which type of connection the
external device requires.
2. On the Prophet-6, press the globals button, then press program selector
button 9 (midiout) to select nid (midi) or usb (usb).
3. Press the globals button again to exit the Global menu.
4. On the external device, set the MIDI Channel and MIDI Receive port to
match the Prophet-6.
5. Hold down a chord on the Prophet-6 or start sequencer playback. The
external device should be triggered by the arpeggiated or sequenced
notes.
Using the Sequencer in a Poly-Chained System
In a poly-chained system, the sequencer functions nearly the same as
it does in a non-poly-chained system. In other words, you can create a
single sequence of up to 64 steps with a maximum of six notes (6-note
chords) per step.
The 6 extra voices are simply added into the total pool of available
voices so that any notes with long release times are less likely to be cut
off as additional notes are played.
Additionally, the six extra voices can be used to play live along with the
sequence as it runs.
Prophet-6 Operation Manual
Sequencer
45
Sequencer Parameters
Here are the controls and parameters used when interacting with the sequencer.
Record: On, Off—This switch turns sequencer recording on and off.
Play: On, Off—This switch turns sequencer playback on and off.
BPM: 30…250—Sets the tempo for the Sequencer and Arpeggiator in BPM
(beats per minute). The taptempo LED ashes at the BPM rate. When lfo
sync is turned on, the BPM rate affects the LFO frequency. When syncing to
an external MIDI clock source, the BPM setting has no effect.
Tap Tempo: 30…250—Tap this button at least 4 times to quickly set the
tempo for the Sequencer and Arpeggiator. The LED ashes at the BPM
rate you set.
Value: Sets the note value for each sequencer/arpeggiator step relative
to the BPM. value works with both internal and external clock sources.
The following table lists the values:
NameTempoTiming Division
HalfBPM/2Half note
QtrBPMQuarter note
8thBPM x 2Eighth note
8th DBPM x 2Eighth note, dot
8th SBPM x 2Eighth note, swing timing
8th TBPM x 3Eighth note triplets
16thBPM x 4Sixteenth note
16th SBPM x 4Sixteenth note, full swing timing
16th TBPM x 6Sixteenth note triplets
32ndBPM x 8Thirty-second note
Sequencer
46
Sequential
Master Volume/Program Volume
The master output level of the Prophet-6 is controlled by the front-panel
mastervol knob. In addition, the volume of an individual program
can be set with the prgmvol knob in the miscparameters section. This
is useful for ensuring that your sounds have roughly the same volume
from program to program. Unison sounds in particular can be very loud
compared to other programs.
MASTER VOL
The Master Volume knob
MISC PARAMETERS
PAN SPREAD
P WHL RANGEKEY MODE
The program volume knob (prgmvol) in the miscparameters section
To set the volume of an individual program:
PRGM VOL
1. Choose a program.
2. In the miscparameters section, turn the prgmvol knob to set its
volume.
3. Save the program. (See “Saving a Program” on page 4.)
MIDI volume can also inuence the overall volume of the Prophet-6 if you are
controlling it from an external MIDI source.
Prophet-6 Operation Manual
Sequencer
47
Distortion
DISTORT
AMOUNT
0
DOWNUP
TRANSPOSE
The Prophet-6 provides stereo analog distortion. This can be used to
add warmth, harmonic complexity, and an aggressive edge to sounds.
The character of the distortion is affected by the harmonic content of a
program. Sounds with more high-end will sound different than sounds
with fewer harmonics. To add distortion, use the distortion knob.
The Distortion knob
Transpose
The up and down buttons in the transpose section transpose the keyboard
up or down in octaves. The LED indicates the current keyboard transposition state. Transposing the keyboard also changes the MIDI note
numbers of the keys so that MIDI notes sent are also transposed. Transpose settings are global and are not saved with individual programs.
The Transpose controls
Distortion
48
Sequential
Hold
HOLD
When hold is on, any notes played will continue to play until hold is
turned off. When used in conjunction with the Arpeggiator, notes are
latched on and replaced by any new note(s) struck. If hold is on and at
least one key continuously held down, any new notes played are added to
the arpeggio.
The Hold button
Glide
Glide or portamento causes the pitch of a note to glide up or down from
the pitch of the previously played note. Glide is turned on and off using
the glide switch, but the glideamount must also be set. If the glide
button is on, but glideamount is set to 0, glide has no effect.
GLIDE RATE
The Glide controls
GLIDE
There are four modes that determine how glide behaves.
Fixed Rate (FR): The time to transition between notes varies with the
interval between the notes; the greater the interval, the longer the transi-
tion time. The glide rate is xed. This is the default glide mode.
Prophet-6 Operation Manual
Hold
49
Fixed Rate A (FRA): The same as Fixed Rate, but glide is only applied
when playing legato. That is, glide only occurs when a note is held until
the next note is played. This effectively allows glide to be turned on and
off from the keyboard.
Fixed Time (FT): Glide is set to a xed time, regardless of the interval
between notes.
Fixed Time A (FTA): The same as Fixed Time, but glide only occurs
when playing legato.
To select a glide mode:
1. Press and hold the glide switch. The numeric display shows the
currently selected Glide mode.
2. To select a different mode, continue to hold down the glide switch then
press the bank/decrement and tens/incrementswitches to step through
the other choices.
3. When nished, release the glide switch.
Unison
When unison is on, the Prophet-6 functions like a monophonic
synthesizer in that only 1 note can be played at a time. However, that
one note can be powered by as many as six voices, depending on how
many you choose to use. With up to 12 oscillators powering a single
note (2 oscillators per voice x 6 voices), you can create some very dense,
speaker-rattling sounds.
If you want to create an ultra heavy synth bass, try using Unison!
Unison gives you control over not only how many voices to stack, but
also the amount of detuning between the oscillators, and what note gets
priority if you happen to play more than one note on the keyboard. (This
is called the key assign mode or note priority. See “Key Assign Modes”
on page 52 for details.)
Unison
50
Sequential
UNISON
The Unison button
To use Unison:
1. Press and hold the unison switch.
2. With the Unison switch held down, use the bank/decrement and tens/
increment switches to choose the number of voices to stack, then
release the Unison switch.
3. To detune the oscillators, use the slop knob.
Using Chord Memory
Unison has another useful feature: chord memory. Instead of assigning
voices to a single note, hold down a chord on the keyboard and press the
Unison switch. The Prophet-6 memorizes the notes of the chord. Single
notes played on the keyboard will then trigger all notes of the stored
chord, transposing them as you play up or down the keyboard. Try using
this feature to create powerful chord stabs and hits.
If you save a program that uses chord memory, the chord is saved with
the program. “CHD” will then appear as a choice if you step through
voice stacking options using the banks/decrement and tens/increment
buttons while holding down unison.
If low-note priority is chosen in Global settings, the note that you play corresponds to the lowest note of the chord voicing. Changing the Key Assign Mode to
high-note priority will make the note that you play correspond to the highest note in
the chord voicing.
To use chord memory:
1. Hold down a chord on the keyboard (6 notes maximum).
2. Press the unison switch. The chord voicing is memorized. Play a few
notes to listen to the result.
3. If you save the program, the unison chord memory is saved with it.
Prophet-6 Operation Manual
Unison
51
To clear chord memory:
1. Turn off Unison.
2. Hold down a single note.
3. Press the unison button.
4. Save the program again.
Key Assign Modes
Key Assign (sometimes called note priority) determines what note has
priority when more than one note is played on the keyboard or via MIDI:
• Low-note priority (LO) is most common in vintage synths and is often
used for playing trills by holding a note and repeatedly tapping a lower
note.
• Low retrigger (LOr) causes the envelopes to be retriggered with each
keystroke.
• High note (Hi) and high retrigger (Hir) are similar to the low note
settings, except that the highest note is given priority.
• Last note (LAS) and last retrigger (LAr) give priority to the last note
played.
To choose the Key Assign mode:
1. Press and hold keymode in the miscparameters section. The numeric
display shows the currently selected mode.
2. To select a different mode, continue to hold down the keymode switch
then press the bank/decrement and tens/incrementswitches to step
through the other choices.
3. Release the keymode switch when you’re nished.
Key Assign settings are only relevant to Unison mode. They do not affect poly-
phonic playback.
Unison
52
Sequential
Using Unison in a Poly-Chained System
1023456789BANKSELECT
SELECT
PROGRAM
In a poly-chained system, the maximum number of voices available in
unison mode is 12 voices. In a non-poly chained system, Unison gives
you control over how many voices to stack — from 2 to 6 voices.
In a poly-chained system, stacking options are slightly different. You
can choose to stack either 2, 3, 4, 5, or 12 voices. In other words, setting
voice stacking above 5 voices will stack all 12 voices. There are no
options for stacking 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, or 11 voices in a poly-chained system.
To use Unison:
1. Press and hold the unison switch.
2. With the Unison switch held down, use the bank/decrement and tens/
increment switches to choose the number of voices to stack (2, 3, 4, 5,
or 12 voices) then release the Unison switch.
3. To detune the oscillators, use the slop knob.
Write
The write button saves the currently active program. Saving a program
overwrites a previously saved program.
The Prophet-6 contains a total of 1000 programs. 500 are permanent and
500 can be overwritten. Banks 0-4 are User Banks that can be overwritten. Banks 5-9 are Factory Banks that are permanent. You can edit the
programs of either bank, but you can only save them to Banks 0-4. As
shipped from the factory, presets 000-499 are identical to 500-999.
WRITE
The Write button
Transpose Master Tune MIDI Channel MIDI Clock Clock Port Param Xmit Param Rcv MIDI Control MIDI SysEx MIDI Out
IncrementDecrement
BANK
Program bank, tens, and number selectors
Prophet-6 Operation Manual
Local CtrlSeq JackPot Mode Sustain +/- Alt Tuning Vel Response AT Response Stereo/Mono Pgm Dump
TENS
Write
53
To save a program to the same preset location:
1. Press the write button. Its LED begins blinking.
2. Press a programselector button (0-9) to specify the “ones” digit of the
program.
3. The write button LED stops blinking and the program is saved.
To save a program to a different bank location:
1. Press the write button. Its LED begins blinking.
2. Hold down the bankbutton then press a programselector button (0-9)
to specify the “hundreds” bank of the program. You can only save to
Banks 0-4.
3. Hold down the tensbutton then press a programselector button (0-9)
to specify the “tens” digit of the program.
4. Press a programselector button (0-9) to specify the “ones” digit of the
program.
5. The write button LED stops blinking and the program is saved.
Canceling Save
Sometimes you may want to cancel saving a program before you
commit.
To cancel the Save process before you commit:
• If the write button LED is ashing, press it again. The LED stops ashing and saving is canceled. You can return to editing if you want.
Write
54
Sequential
Comparing Before You Save
Before writing 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 write 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 write 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 write button. It stops ashing and saving is canceled.
Globals
Global settings are parameters that affect all programs. These include
settings such as Master Tune, MIDI Channel, MIDI Clock, and others.
Global parameters are printed in two rows the program number switches
(0 - 9). Press the Globals switch once to access the top row. Press it twice
to access the bottom row. For details on the various Global parameters,
see “Global Settings” on page 12.
GLOBALS
The Globals button
Prophet-6 Operation Manual
Globals
55
To change a Global setting:
PRESET
1. Press the globals button. Pressing it once accesses the top row of
Global parameters. Pressing it twice accesses the top row of Global
parameters. The LED indicates which row is active.
2. Press the programselector button that corresponds to the Global
parameter you want to change.
3. Use the bank/decrement and tens/increment buttons to step through
the available settings until you reach the one you want.
4. When nished, press globals again to exit.
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-6.
Preset
The preset switch toggles “live panel” mode on and off. In live panel
mode the Prophet-6 ignores the currently active preset and reverts to the
current front-panel settings of its knobs and switches. In other words,
what you see on the front panel is what you hear. This is a great mode for
learning, experimentation, and instant gratication.
The Preset button
To enter live panel mode:
• Press the preset button to toggle it off. The Prophet-6 is now in live
panel mode. What you see on the front panel is what you hear. Note
that you can’t change programs or banks with Preset off.
To return to preset mode:
• Press the preset button again to toggle it on. The LED is lit. The
current program is what you hear.
Preset
56
Sequential
Pitch and Mod Wheels
The Prophet-6 has a spring loaded Pitch wheel and a Mod wheel. You
can use these controls to enhance live performance by bending notes and
adding modulation in real time as you play.
In the same way that guitar players use note bends and vibrato to give
their playing expressiveness and character, these two controls can really
help you dene your sound as a performer and take you beyond just
playing notes on the keyboard.
PitchMod
The Pitch and Modulation wheels
Pitch Wheel
You can set a range in semitones for the Pitch wheel, depending on your
playing preference. The range is up to 12 semitones (1 octave). Many
musicians use a range of 2 semitones (a whole step) since this is the bend
range of many acoustic instruments. For guitar whammy bar effects, you
many wish to set a wider range.
To set the pitch bend range:
1. In the miscparameters section, press and hold the pwhlrange button.
2. With the button still held down, use the bank/decrement and tens/
increment switches to choose the number of semitones (up to 12) for
the pitch bend range, then release the pwhlrange button.
Prophet-6 Operation Manual
Pitch and Mod Wheels
57
Modulation Wheel
The Mod wheel controls the amount of modulation applied to any destinations chosen in the low-frequencyoscillator section. This allows you to
“perform” LFO modulation in real time by moving the Mod wheel. This is a
great way to add expressiveness to a sound or performance.
To choose a modulation destination for the Mod wheel:
1. In the low-frequencyoscillator section, choose a modulation desti-
nation as well as a shape and frequency for the LFO. (See “Low
Frequency Oscillators” on page 34 for more details.)
2. To apply modulation only when using the Mod wheel, set the initial
amt knob to zero. (Turing this knob up will apply LFO modulation
continuously — not just when the Mod wheel is used.)
Many programs use the Mod wheel to add vibrato. In this case, Freq 1 and
Freq 2 are enabled as modulation destinations in the low-frequencyoscillator
section. This adds vibrato when you push the mod wheel forward. Set the initialamt
knob to zero to apply vibrato only when using the Mod wheel.
Misc Parameters
The miscparameters section allows you to access controls for a number
of essential functions described below. To set the keymode and pwhl
range, hold down the associated button in the miscparameters section,
then use the bank/decrement and ten/incrementbuttons to step through
available settings.
MISC PARAMETERS
PAN SPREAD
The Misc Parameters controls
Misc Parameters
58
P WHL RANGEKEY MODE
PRGM VOL
Sequential
Pan Spread: Pans the audio in the stereo eld individually per voice. Set
to 0, all voices are panned to the center. As Pan Spread is turned up, the
audio in each voice is gradually moved away from the center by greater
amounts. Every other voice goes in a different direction, left or right.
This creates a broader stereo eld while playing.
Key Mode: Low Note (LO), High Note (Hi), Last Note (Las), Low
Note Retrigger (LOr), High Note Retrigger (Hir), Last Note Retrigger
(LAr)—Selects the key priority when more than one key is played
simultaneously in when in Unison mode. lownote, highnoteandlast
noteare monophonic playback modes that give priority to the lowest,
highest, or last note played, as their names imply.
P Wheel Range: 0...12 Semitones— Selects the range in semitones
when moving the Pitch Wheel forward or backward. Twelve semitones
equals 1 octave.
Program Volume: Sets the volume of an individual program. This is
useful for matching volume between programs.
There is enough gain in the Prophet-6 that if you set some programs to a
high programvolume, clipping distortion may occur. If this happens, try lowering the
programvolume, the levels of the oscillators in the mixer, the VCA envelopeamount, or
the resonance parameter of the low-pass or high-pass lter.
Aftertouch
Aftertouch is a performance feature that allows you to add modulation to
a sound by applying additional pressure to a key after the key is already
down. The greater the pressure applied, the more modulation is applied.
The Prophet-6 provides monophonic (or “channel”) aftertouch, which
means that applying pressure to any key within a chord will apply modulation to all notes currently held.
The Aftertouch section lets you choose the amount of modulation
applied using aftertouch and which parameters are modulated (oscilla-
tor frequency, lter cutoff, etc.). You can set either a positive or negative
amount.
Prophet-6 Operation Manual
Aftertouch
59
For example, if you select the Low-Pass Filter as destination (filterlp),
set a positive amount of aftertouch, then press the keys harder, the lter
cutoff frequency will increase, making the lter open wider and the
sound become brighter.
Conversely, if you select the Low-Pass Filter as destination (filterlp),
set a negative amount of aftertouch, then press the keys harder, the lter
cutoff frequency will be lowered, making the lter close more and the
sound become more muted.
The Prophet-6 provides four different aftertouch response settings for your
convenience. The default setting provides a linear response. To choose a different
response curve, use the atresponse button in the globals section. See page 16 for
more details.
AFTERTOUCH
AMOUNT
The Aftertouch controls
FREQ 1FREQ 2LFO AMTAMPFILTER
Amount: Selects the amount of aftertouch applied to a selected destina-
tion. Positive amount settings apply positive amounts of modulation.
Negative amount settings apply negative amounts of modulation.
Freq 1: Selects Oscillator 1 frequency as an aftertouch modulation desti-
nation. With a positive amount setting, pressing the keys harder will shift
the Oscillator 1 pitch upward. With a negative amount setting, pressing
the keys harder will shift the Oscillator 1 pitch downward.
Freq 2: Selects Oscillator 2 frequency as an aftertouch modulation desti-
nation. With a positive amount setting, pressing the keys harder will shift
the Oscillator 2 pitch upward. With a negative amount setting, pressing
the keys harder will shift the Oscillator 2 pitch downward.
60
Aftertouch
Sequential
LFO Amount: Selects the lfoamount parameter as an aftertouch modu-
lation destination. With a positive amount setting, pressing the keys
harder will increase the amount of LFO modulation to any destination selected in the low-frequencyoscillator section. With a negative
amount setting, pressing the keys harder will increase the amount of
LFO modulation — with the LFO waveform inverted.
Amp: Selects Amplitude as an aftertouch modulation destination. With
a positive amount setting, pressing the keys harder will increase the
volume of a sound. With a negative amount setting, pressing the keys
harder will decrease the volume of a sound.
If the Amplier Envelope’s envamount is set to full, positive amounts of amp
aftertouch will have no effect since the VCA is already at its maximum output level.
LP Filter:Selects the Low-Pass Filter cutoff frequency as a modulation
destination. With a positive amount setting, pressing the keys harder will
open the lter wider and make a sound become brighter. With a negative
amount setting, pressing the keys harder will close the lter more and
make a sound more muted.
HP Filter: Selects the High-Pass Filter cutoff frequency as a modulation
destination. With a positive amount setting, pressing the keys harder will
increase the high-pass cutoff frequency, reducing the low-end of a sound.
With a negative amount setting, pressing the keys harder will decrease
the high-pass cutoff frequency allowing more low frequencies to pass.
Controlling the low-pass or high-pass lter frequency with Aftertouch may or
may not have an audible effect, depending on the cutoff frequency of the lter.
Prophet-6 Operation Manual
Aftertouch
61
Exporting Programs and Banks
You can use the pgmdump command in the globals section to transmit the
current program, bank, or all banks in SysEx format via the selected
MIDI port. This allows you to save your programs so that you can share
them or archive them.
To export a program or bank as a SysEx le over MIDI:
1. Press the globalsbutton once (this enables the upper set of parameters)
then press program selector 8 to select the midisysex command.
2. Use the bank/decrement and tens/increment buttons to select the
appropriate MIDI port — MIDI (MID) or USB (usb).
3. Press globalsa second time (this enables the lower set of parameters)
then press program selector 8 to select the pgmdump command. The
write button begins ashing.
4. Use the bank/decrement and tens/increment buttons to select the
desired option — program (PRO), tens (ten), bank (ban), user banks
(USR), all (all).
5. Press write. The program or bank is exported.
Dumped programs will load back into the same bank and program location in
memory when received by the Prophet-6 via MIDI.
Exporting Programs and Banks
62
Sequential
Calibrating the Prophet-6
The Prophet-6 is calibrated at the factory. Controls such as the pitch and
mod wheels shouldn’t require re-calibration. However, because its oscil-
lators and lters are voltage controlled and can be affected by extremes
of temperature, you may need to use the built-in calibration function to
tune them occasionally.
How and When to Calibrate the Oscillators and Filters
The rst time you use the Prophet-6, please run its built-in oscillator and
lter calibration procedure. Let it warm up for several minutes and come
to its normal operating temperature before doing so.
Repeat the calibration procedure as needed over the next few days of
use. The Prophet-6 learns the range of temperatures at your location and
will keep itself in tune over this range.
Later, if you use the Prophet-6 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. Hold down the preset button and press 0.
2. The front panel LEDs and display begin ashing as the Prophet-6
performs its auto-calibration procedure. Don’t turn off the power while
it’s doing this.
3. When nished, the front panel controls will return to normal and you
can play the Prophet-6 again.
Prophet-6 Operation Manual
Calibrating the Prophet-6
63
Calibrating the Pitch and Mod Wheels
In general, the Pitch and Mod wheels shouldn’t require re-calibration.
However, if you experience what seems like a persistent problem with
either of them, the Prophet-6 has built-in auto-calibration procedure that
you can use to remedy the problem.
To calibrate the Pitch and Mod wheel’s low position:
1. Rotate and hold both wheels in their low position.
2. Hold down the preset button and press 7.
To calibrate the Pitch wheel’s center position:
• With the Pitch wheel centered, hold down the preset button and press 8.
To calibrate the Pitch and Mod wheel’s high position:
1. Rotate and hold both wheels in their high position.
2. Hold down the preset button and press 9.
Resetting the Global Parameters
If you’re trying to track down a problem, it’s sometimes a good idea to
reset the Global parameters to their defaults. This is a quick way to make
sure that the Prophet-6 returns to its factory settings.
To reset all Global parameters to their default settings:
• Hold down the global button and press write.
Calibrating the Prophet-6
64
Sequential
Using USB
The Prophet-6’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-6 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-6 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-6 to respond unpredictably.
MIDI Out and USB can be used at the same time and transmit the same data.
USB Notes
Under Mac OS X, “Prophet-6 Keyboard” 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-6 is connected via USB, the
“Found new hardware” alert appears and it is automatically installed as
“Prophet-6 Keyboard.”
In Windows, if you unplug the USB cable and plug it back in while a
program has the Prophet-6 port open, you may have to resync. That
usually means going to the Prophet-6 Keyboard Properties — in the
Windows Device Manager under “Sound, video, and game controllers”
— and clicking OK. If Prophet-6 Keyboard is no longer listed in the
Device Manager, power the Prophet-6 down and back up again while it
is connected via USB. It should be detected on power up.
Prophet-6 Operation Manual
Using USB
65
Performing OS Updates in a PolyChained System
In a poly-chained system, updating the operating systems of both synths
can be done in tandem. This requires connecting the two synths as
described below. Note that the OS update must be passed to the rst
Prophet-6 using its midiin port. You cannot use the USB port to perform
the OS update in this case.
To enable two poly-chained Prophet-6s to be updated in tandem:
1. With a MIDI cable, connect your MIDI interface to the midiin port of
the rst Prophet-6.
2. Connect the rear-panel midithru of the rst Prophet-6 to the midiin of
the second Prophet-6.
3. Perform the OS update in the normal way. See the instructions included
with the OS update for step-by-step instructions.
Performing OS Updates in a Poly-Chained System
66
Sequential
Prophet-6 Operation Manual
67
Appendix A: Alternative Tunings
By default, the Prophet-6 is set to standard, chromatic western tuning.
Additionally it supports up to 16 additional alternative tunings, which
you can access using the alttuning button in the globals section.
From the factory, the Prophet-6 ships with 16 preset alternative tunings
ranging from Equal temperament to Indonesian Gamelan tunings. If you
want, you can replace these with other tunings that you can nd on the
Internet. These must be in SysEx format. You can download them into
the Prophet-6 using SysEx Librarian for Mac or MIDI-OX for Windows.
Here are descriptions of the default alternative tunings:
Nor (Normal) 12 Tone Equal Temperament (non-erasable)
The default Western tuning, based on the twelfth root of two.
1. Harmonic Series
MIDI notes 36-95 reect harmonics 2 through 60 based on the fundamental of A = 27.5 Hz. The low C on a standard 5 octave keyboard acts
as the root note (55Hz), and the harmonics play upwards from there. The
remaining keys above and below the 5 octave range are lled with the
same intervals as Carlos’ Harmonic 12 Tone that follows.
2. Carlos Harmonic Twelve Tone
Wendy Carlos’ twelve note scale based on octave-repeating harmonics.
A = 1/1 (440 Hz). 1/1 17/16 9/8 19/16 5/4 21/16 11/8 3/2 13/8 27/16 7/4
15/8
3. Meantone Temperament
An early tempered tuning, with better thirds than 12ET. Sounds best in
the key of C. Use this to add an authentic touch to performances of early
Baroque music. C=1/1 (260 Hz)
4. 1/4 Tone Equal Temperament
24 notes per octave, equally spaced 24root2 intervals. Mexican composer
Julian Carillo used this for custom-built pianos in the early 20th century.
Appendix A: Alternative Tunings
68
Sequential
5. 19 Tone Equal Temperament
19 notes per octave (19root2) offering better thirds than 12 ET, a better
overall compromise if you can gure out the keyboard patterns.
6. 31 Tone Equal Temperament
Many people consider 31root2 to offer the best compromise towards just
intonation in an equal temperament, but it can get very tricky to keep
track of the intervals.
7. Pythagorean C
One of the earliest tuning systems known from history, the Pythagorean
scale is constructed from an upward series of pure fths (3/2) transposed
down into a single octave. The tuning works well for monophonic melo-
dies against fth drones, but has a very narrow palate of good chords to
8. Just Intonation in A with 7-limit Tritone at D#
A rather vanilla 5-limit small interval JI, except for a single 7/5 tritone
at D#, which offers some nice possibilities for rotating around bluesy
sevenths. A=1/1 (440 Hz) 1/1 16/15 9/8 6/5 5/4 7/5 3/2 8/5 5/3 9/5 15/8
9. 3-5 Lattice in A
A pure 3 and 5-limit tuning which resolves to very symmetrical derived
relationships between notes. A=1/1 (440 Hz)
A pure 3 and 7-limit tuning which resolves to very symmetrical derived
relationships between notes. Some of the intervals are very close
together, offering several choices for the same nominal chords. A=1/1
(440 Hz)
Created for the Berkeley Gamelan group, this tuning ts an Indonesian-
style heptatonic Pelog on the white keys and pentatonic Slendro on the
black keys, with B and Bb acting as 1/1 for their respective modes. Note
that some of the notes will have the same frequency. By tuning the 1/1 to
60 Hz, Dan found a creative way to incorporate the inevitable line hum
into his scale. Bb, B = 1/1 (60 Hz)
1/1 1/1 9/8 7/6 5/4 4/3 11/8 3/2 3/2 7/4 7/4 15/8
13. Yamaha Just Major C
When Yamaha decided to put preset microtunings into their FM synth
product line, they selected this and the following tuning as representative
just intonations. As such, they became the de-facto introduction to JI for
many people. Just Major gives preferential treatment to major thirds on
the sharps, and a good fourth relative to the second. C= 1/1 (261.625)
A 12-tone approximation of an Arabic scale, which appears in some electronic keyboards designed for use with Arabic music. Not a JI scale, nor
equal tempered. These are the intervals in Cents relative to C:
60 = Cents 0.
61 = Cents +151.
62 = Cents +204.
63 = Cents +294.
64 = Cents +355.
65 = Cents +498.
66 = Cents +649.
67 = Cents +702.
68 = Cents +853.
69 = Cents +906.
70 = Cents +996.
71 = Cents +1057.
72 = Cents +1200
Prophet-6 Operation Manual
Appendix A: Alternative Tunings
71
Appendix C: MIDI Implementation
The Prophet-6 receives MIDI data according to the settings you have
chosen in the globalsettings. In addition, there is interaction between
some of the Program parameters that determine the overall response of
Prophet-6 to MIDI data. Following are the Global parameters that affect
response to MIDI:
MIDI Channel: All, 1…16—Selects which MIDI channel to send and
receive data, 1 to 16. All receives on all 16 channels.
MIDI Clock: Sets the Prophet-6’s ability to send and receive MIDI clock
messages:
• Off: MIDI Clock is neither sent nor received
• Out: MIDI Clock is sent, but not received
• In: MIDI Clock is received, but not sent
• Slave Thru (i-0): MIDI Clock is received and passed to MIDI Out
• In, No Start/Stop (n55): Receives MIDI Clock but does not respond to
MIDI Start or Stop command.
When set to in or slavethru, if no MIDI clock is present at the selected input,
the arpeggiator and sequencer will not function.
Clock Port:MID, USB—Sets the port(s), MIDI or USB, by which MIDI
clock signals are received.
Param Xmit: Off, CC, NR—Changes to the values of front panel controls
are transmitted via MIDI as Continuous Controllers (CC) or Non-registered
Parameter Number (NR). Transmission of parameters can also be turned off.
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.
Param Rcv: Off, CC, NR—Sets the method by which parameter changes are
received via MIDI. As with transmission, NRPNs are the preferred method.
Appendix C: MIDI Implementation
72
Sequential
MIDI Control: Off, On—When On, the synth will respond to MIDI
controllers, including Pitch Wheel, Mod Wheel, Pedal, Volume.
MIDI Sysex: MID, USB— When set to MIDI (MID) it will receive and
transmit them using the MIDI ports/cables When set to USB it will
receive and transmit them using the USB port/cable. MIDI SysEx
messages are used when sending and receiving a variety of data including, programs, alternative tunings, system updates, and more.
MIDI Out: MID, USB—Sets the port by which MIDI data will be transmit-
ted (MIDI or USB)..
MIDI Messages
System Real-Time Messages
StatusDescription
1111 1000MIDI Timing Clock
Received Channel Messages
StatusSecondThirdDescription
1000 nnnn0kkkkkkk0vvvvvvvNote Off. Velocity is ignored
1001 nnnn0kkkkkkk0vvvvvvvNote On. Note off if vvvvvvv = 0
1010 nnnn0kkkkkkk0vvvvvvvPolyphonic Key Pressure
1011 nnnn0vvvvvvv0vvvvvvvControl Change; see “Received Controller Messages”
1100 nnnn0pppppppProgram change, 0-99 for Programs 1-100 within
1101 nnnn0vvvvvvvChannel Pressure
1110 nnnn0vvvvvvv0vvvvvvvPitch Bend LS Byte then MS Byte
current Bank
Notes: 0kkkkkkk Note number 0 — 127nnnn Channel number 0 to 15 (MIDI channel 1-16).
Ignored if MIDI channel set to ALL
0vvvvvvv Value
The following table details how MIDI Continuous Controllers (CCs) are
mapped to Prophet-6 controls. They are transmitted when Param Xmit is
set to CC, and recognized/received when MIDI Rcv Receive is set to CC.
CC#Param
0
Bank Select MSB
1
Mod Wheel
3
BPM
4
Foot Controller
5
Glide Mode
6
Data Enttry MSB
7
MIDI Volume
8
Sub Osc Level
9
Distortion Amount
38
Data Entry LSB
39
Volume LSB
40
VCA Env Amt
41
VCA Env Vel Amt
43
VCA Env Attack
44
VCA Env Decay
45
VCA Env Sustain
46
VCA Env Release
47
Low-pass Env Amt
50
Filter Env Attack
51
Filter Env Decay
52
Filter Env Sustain
53
Filter Env Release
54
High-pass Env Amt
58
Arp On/Off
59
Arp Mode
60
Arp Range
62
Arp Time Signature
64
Damper Pedal
65
Glide On/Off
67
Osc 1 Freq
69
Osc 1 Level
70
Osc 1 Shape
CC#Param
71
Osc 1 Pulse Width
74
Brightness
75
Osc 2 Freq
76
Osc 2 Freq Fine
77
Osc 2 Level
78
Osc 2 Shape
79
Osc 2 Pulse Width
96
Data Increment
97
Data Decrement
98
NRPN Param LSB
99
NRPN Param MSB
100
RPN Param LSB
101
RPN Param MSB
102
Low-pass Freq
103
Low-pass Resonance
104
Low-pass Key Amt
105
Low-pass Vel On/Off
106
High-pass Freq
107
High-pass Resonance
108
High-pass Key Amt
109
High-pass Vel On/Off
120
All Sound Off
120
Reset Controllers
121
Reset Controllers
122
Local Control On/Off
123
All Notes Off
124
Omni Mode Off
125
Omni Mode On
126
Mono Mode On
127
Poly Mode On
Appendix C: MIDI Implementation
76
Sequential
NRPN Messages
The Non-Registered Parameter Number (NRPN) MIDI messages are
used to transmit and receive both global and program parameters. They
are transmitted when MIDI Parameter Send is set to NRPN in Global,
and received when MIDI Parameter Receive is set to NRPN in Global.
The messages are handled in standard MIDI format using the NRPN CC
commands in running status byte format. Below is the format used for
transmitting a NRPN parameter.
Transmitted NRPN Messages
StatusDescription
1011 nnnnControl Change
0110 0011NRPN parameter number MSB CC
0vvv vvvvParameter Number MSB
0110 0010NRPN parameter number LSB CC
0vvv vvvvParameter Number LSB
0000 0110NRPN parameter value MSB CC
0vvv vvvvParameter value MSB
0010 0110NRPN parameter value LSB CC
0vvv vvvvParameter value LSB
The parameter number can be found in the two tables below, one for
Global parameters, and the other for Program parameters. The parameter
numbers and the parameter values are broken into two 7-bit bytes for
MIDI transmission; the LSB has the seven least-signicant bits, and the
MSB has the seven most-signicant bits, though in most cases the MSB
will be zero or one, and never more than two.
When receiving an NRPN, all messages do not necessarily need to be
transmitted, since the synth will track the most recent NRPN number,
though it is usually good practice to send the entire message above.
Once an NRPN is selected, the synth will also respond to NRPN Data
Increment and Decrement commands, which some controllers utilize.
Finally, it responds to one RPN (Registered Parameter Number)
command, the RPN/NRPN Reset command, which can be handy for
resetting the currently selected parameter to a known state.
Prophet-6 Operation Manual
Appendix C: MIDI Implementation
77
Received NRPN Messages
StatusSecondThirdDescription
1011 nnnn0110 00110vvvvvvvNRPN parameter number MSB CC
1011 nnnn0110 00100vvvvvvvNRPN parameter number LSB CC
1011 nnnn0000 01100vvvvvvvNRPN parameter value MSB CC
1011 nnnn0010 01100vvvvvvvNRPN parameter value LSB CC
1011 nnnn0110 00000xxxxxxxNRPN parameter value Increment
1011 nnnn0110 00010xxxxxxxNRPN parameter value Decrement
1011 nnnn0010 01010111111RPN parameter number MSB CC - Reset NRPN param-
eter number (when both MSB and LSB received)
1011 nnnn0010 01000111111RPN parameter number LSB CC - Reset NRPN param-
eter number (when both MSB and LSB received)
Global Parameter Data
The table shows the Global data sent and received on global parameter
dumps, and corresponding NRPN number when sent/received individually.
NRPNRange Description
10240-100Master Fine Tune
10250-24Master Coarse Tune
10260-16MIDI Channel
0 = All
10270-3MIDI Clock Mode
0 = Off
1 = Master
2 = Slave
3 = Slave Thru
10280-1MIDI Clock Port
0 = MIDI Port
1 = USB
10290-2MIDI Param Send*
0 = NRPN
1 = CC
2= Off
10300-2MIDI Param Receive†
0 = NRPN
1 = CC
2= Off
10310-1MIDI Control Enable
0 = Off
1 = On
10320-1MIDI SysEx Enable
0 = Off
1 = On
*Controller received, but not transmitted.
†Controller transmitted, but ignored when received.
Sequencer Normally Closed
3= Sustain Normally Closed/
Sequencer Normally Open
10410-3Velocity Response
10420-3Aftertouch Response
10430-1Mono/Stereo
0 = Stereo
1 = Mono
10440-16Alt Tuning
Appendix C: MIDI Implementation
78
Sequential
Program Parameter Data
The following table lists Prophet-6’s program parameters.
NRPNValueDescription
00-60Osc 1 Freq
10-1Osc 1 Sync
20-127Osc 1 Level
30-254Osc 1 Shape
40-255Osc 1 Pulse Width
50-60Osc 2 Freq
60-254Osc 2 Freq Fine
70-127Osc 2 Level
80-254Osc 2 Shape
90-255Osc 2 Pulse Width
100-1Osc 2 Low Freq
110-1Osc 2 Key On/Off
270-127Osc 1 Sub Level
280 -3Glide Mode
290-1Glide On/Off
300-127Glide Rate
310-24Pbend Range
320-127Noise Level
330-127Slop
450-164Low-pass Freq
460-255Low-pass Res
470-2Low-pass Key Amt
480-1Low-pass Vel On
490-164High-pass Freq
500-255High-pass Res
510-2High-pass Key Amt
520-1High-pass Vel On
620-127Voice Volume
630-127Pan Spread
640-127Distortion Amt
660-127VCA Env Amt
670-127VCA Env Attack
NRPNValueDescription
680-127VCA Env Decay
690-127VCA Env Sustain
700-127VCA Env Release
710-1VCA Env Vel On/Off
770-254Low-pass Env Amt
780-127Filter Env Attack
790-127Filter Env Decay
800-127Filter Env Sustain
810-127Filter Env Release
820-254High-pass Env Amt
880-254LFO Freq
890-255LFO Initial Amt
900-4LFO Shape
910-1LFO Sync
930-1LFO Freq 1
Dest On/Off
940-1LFO Freq 2
Dest On/Off
950-1LFO PW 1, 2
Dest On/Off
960-1LFO Amp Dest
On/Off,
970-1LFO Low-pass
Dest On/Off
980-1LFO High-pass
Dest On/Off
1090-254Pressure Amt
1100-1Pressure Freq 1
Dest On/Off
1110-1Pressure Freq 2
Dest On/Off
1120-1Pressure Low-pass
Dest On/Off
1130-1Pressure High-pass
Dest On/Off
1140-1Pressure VCA
Dest On/Off
Prophet-6 Operation Manual
Appendix C: MIDI Implementation
79
NRPNValueDescription
1150-1Pressure LFO Amt
Dest On/Off
1190-5FX 1 Select
1200-127FX 1 Mix
1210-255FX 1 Param 1
1220-127FX 1 Param 2
1230-1FX 1 Sync
1270-9FX 2 Select
1280-127FX 2 Mix
1290-255FX 2 Param 1
1300-127FX 2 Param 2
1310-1FX 2 Sync
1350-1FX On/Off
1430-254PolyMod Filter Env
Amt
1440-254PolyMod Osc 2 Amt
1450-1PolyMod Freq 1
Dest On/Off
1460-1PolyMod Shape 1
Dest On/Off
1470-1PolyMod PW
1 Dest On/Off
1480-1PolyMod Low-Pass
Dest On/Off
1490-1PolyMod High-Pass
Dest On/Off,
1560-1Unison On/Off
1570-6Unison Mode
1580-5Key Mode
1600-1Arp On/Off
1610-4Arp mode
1620-2Arp Range
1630-9Arp Tim Sig
16730-250BPM
1680-1Seq On/Off
1690-63Seq Length
1700-1Seq Mode
1710-1Seq Play Mode
NRPNValueDescription
236-25532 - 125Name 0-19
256-31912-108Seq Step 1-64
Note 1
320-3830-127Seq Step 1-64 Vel 1
384-44712-108Seq Step 1-64
Note 2
448-5110-127Seq Step 1-64 Vel 2
512-57512-108Seq Step 1-64
Note 3
576-6390-127Seq Step 1-64 Vel 3
640-70312-108Seq Step 1-64
Note 4
704-7670-127Seq Step 1-64 Vel 4
768-83112-108Seq Step 1-64
Note 5
832-8950-127Seq Step 1-64 Vel 5
896-95912-108Seq Step 1-64
Note 6
960-10230-127Seq Step 1-64 Vel 6
10240-100Tuning Fine
10250-24Tuning Coarse
10260-16MIDI Channel
10270-4MIDI Clock
10280-1MIDI Clock Port
10290-2MIDI Param Send
10300-2MIDI Param Receive
10310-1MIDI MIDI Control
10320-1MIDI SysEx Control
10330-1MIDI Out
10350-1Local Control
10370-2Pot Mode
10390-3Seq Jack
10400-3Sustain Polarity
10410-3Velocity Response
10420-3At Response
10430-1Stereo Mono
10440-16Alt Tuning
Appendix C: MIDI Implementation
80
Sequential
Control NRPN Data
The following table lists the Prophet-6’s control NRPN data. It is
received and transmitted but not saved as part of a program.
NRPNValueDescription
10880-1Seq Play/Stop *
10-1Osc 1 Sync
20-127Osc 1 Level
30-254Osc 1 Shape
*Only available in normal Seq jack mode.
Sysex Messages
Universal System Exclusive Message (Device Inquiry)
StatusDescription
1111 0000System Exclusive (SysEx)
0111 1110Non-realtime message
0vvv vvvvIf MIDI channel is set to 1 - 16, 0vvvvvvv must match (unless MIDI Channel = ALL); always
0000 0110Inquiry Message
0000 0001Inquiry Request
1111 0 111End of Exclusive (EOX)
responds if 0vvvvvvv = 0111 1111.
The Prophet-6 responds with:
StatusDescription
1111 0000System Exclusive (SysEx)
0111 1110Non-realtime message
0vvv vvvvIf MIDI Channel = ALL, 0vvvvvvv = 0111 1111. Otherwise 0vvvvvvv = Channel Number
0000 0110Inquiry Message
0000 0010Inquiry Reply
0000 0001DSI ID
0010 1101Prophet-6 ID (Family LS)
0000 0001Family MS
0000 0000Family Member LS
0000 0000Family Member MS
0jjj nnnnMain Software version: jjj - Minor rev; nnnn - Major rev
1111 0 111End of Exclusive (EOX)
Prophet-6 Operation Manual
0 - 15.
Appendix C: MIDI Implementation
81
Request Program Dump
StatusDescription
1111 0000System Exclusive (SysEx)
0000 0001DSI ID
0010 1101Prophet-6 ID
0000 0101Request Program Transmit
0000 00vvBank Number, 0 - 9
0vvv vvvvProgram Number, 0 - 99
1111 0 111End of Exclusive (EOX)
The Prophet-6 will respond by sending out the Program Data in the
format described below in Program Data Dump.
Request Program Edit Buffer Dump
StatusDescription
1111 0000System Exclusive (SysEx)
0000 0001DSI ID
0010 1101Prophet-6 ID
0000 0110Request Program Edit Buffer Transmit
1111 0 111End of Exclusive (EOX)
The Prophet-6 will respond by sending out the current Program edit
buffer in the format described below in Program Edit Buffer Data Dump.
Request Global Parameter Dump
StatusDescription
1111 0000System Exclusive (SysEx)
0000 0001DSI ID
0010 1101Prophet-6 ID
0000 1110Request Global Parameter Transmit
1111 0 111End of Exclusive (EOX)
The Prophet-6 will respond by sending out the current values of Global
Parameters in the format described in Global Parameters Data Dump.
Appendix C: MIDI Implementation
82
Sequential
Program Data Dump
StatusDescription
1111 0000System Exclusive (SysEx)
0000 0001DSI ID
0010 1101Prophet-6 ID
0000 0010Program Data
0000 00vvBank Number: 0 - 9
0vvv vvvvProgram Number: 0 - 99
0vvv vvvv1024 bytes expanded to 1171 MIDI bytes in “packed MS bit” format
1111 0 111End of Exclusive (EOX)
Program Edit Buffer Data Dump
StatusDescription
1111 0000System Exclusive (SysEx)
0000 0001- ID
0010 1101Prophet-6 ID
0000 0011Edit Buffer Data
0vvv vvvv1024 bytes expanded to 1171 MIDI bytes in “packed MS bit” format
1111 0 111End of Exclusive (EOX)
Global Parameters Data Dump
ValueDescription
1111 0000System Exclusive (SysEx)
0000 0001DSI ID
0010 1101Prophet-6 ID
0000 1111Main Parameter Data
0vvv vvvv50 nibbles (LS then MS) for 25 Global parameters
1111 0 111End of Exclusive (EOX)
The Global Parameters Data Dump is not recognized when received; it is only
transmitted when requested. NRPN messages are used to change Globals.
Prophet-6 Operation Manual
Appendix C: MIDI Implementation
83
Packed Data Format
Data is packed in 8 byte “packets”, with the MS bit stripped from 7 parameter bytes, and packed into an eighth byte, which is sent at the start of the 8
byte packet.
This explains why it takes 1171 MIDI bytes to transmit 1024 Program data bytes.
Appendix D: Support
Troubleshooting
Here are a few suggestions for resolving problems that may occur.
The sequencer or arpeggiator has stopped running.
Check the Clock settings (Global button 3) to ensure the Prophet-6 is set
to Out or, if set to In, make sure the Prophet-6 is receiving MIDI clock.
Some of the programs sound different than before.
Check the Mod Wheel position. The Mod Wheel can do a lot more than
just add vibrato. Also, check the Clock settings (Global button 3) to
ensure the Prophet-6 is set to Out or, if set to In, make sure the Prophet-6
is receiving MIDI clock.
There is a ground hum in the audio output.
USB can cause ground loops, so try to resolve any grounding issues
between the computer and the Prophet-6. Or use MIDI, which is optoisolated.
Appendix D: Support
84
Sequential
The Prophet-6 is behaving erratically.
This is almost always caused by a MIDI data loop. Make sure that any
MIDI Thru functionality is turned off on the MIDI interface/hardware or
in the MIDI software application (sequencer or whatever). Disconnect
all the Prophet-6’s MIDI connections—MIDI and USB cables—and see
if the problem persists. You can also monitor the MIDI trafc with MIDI
Monitor (Mac OS) or MIDI-OX (Windows) to see if the Prophet-6 is
being overrun with duplicate messages.
MIDI System Exclusive data is not be transmitted/received.
Check the SysEx settings to make sure the correct port is selected (MID,
USB) using Global button 8.
The Prophet-6 plays out of tune.
Check Master Tune (Global button 1). If it seems correct, calibrate the
oscillators and lters.
To calibrate the oscillators and lters:
1. Hold down the button and press 0.
2. e front panel LEDs and display begin ashing as the Prophet-6
performs its auto-calibration procedure. Don’t turn o the power while
it’s doing this.
3. When nished, the front panel controls will return to normal and you can
play the Prophet-6 again.
.It is not necessary to run the calibration routine on a regular basis. You should only
run it if you are experiencing problems.
Prophet-6 Operation Manual
Appendix D: Support
85
Recovering from a Failed OS Udate
In very rare cases, the Prophet-6 OS might fail to load correctly when
you update. There is now a safe and easy way to recover in such situations. The Prophet-6 is now equipped with a MIDI boot loader, which
will allow you to reload the OS in the event the you accidentally “brick”
your synth (permanently freeze it) while updating its OS.
To restore your Prophet-6 if it is frozen.
1. Power on the Prophet-6 while holding the write switch to enter boot
loader mode. You’ll see an animation in the main display.
2. Use a MIDI cable (not USB) to transmit the new OS to your synth. You
must use a standard MIDI cable for this. USB MIDI doesn’t work in
boot loader mode.
3. As the OS loads, you will see the main display count backwards from
999. When it gets to 0, another countdown will begin between the main
display and the effects parameter 1 display. Do not power down until
this countdown has nished. The Prophet-6 will restart itself when it is
done.
If your Prophet-6 is currently equipped with OS 1.2 (which is included with
Prophet-6 serial numbers #2415 and later) you cannot downgrade to an OS version
earlier than 1.2. If you try, your Prophet-6 will freeze. If this happens, you can enter
recovery mode by holding the write button while powering up as described above.
You can then update your synth to the latest OS via MIDI DIN (not USB).
Appendix D: Support
86
Sequential
Contacting Technical Support
If you are still having a problem with the Prophet-6, contact Technical
Support at support@sequential.com. Please include your Prophet-6’s
serial number, the version of the operating system (displayed on startup),
and the purchase date.
If you have not already reset the Global parameters and run the calibration
routines (see Troubleshooting, above), you should do it before contacting Technical
Support. It’s probably the rst thing they’ll ask you to do.
Warranty Repair
Sequential warrants that the Prophet-6 will be free from defects in
materials and/or workmanship for 1 year from the date of purchase.
Please register your product online at www.sequential.com to establish
the date of purchase. (This is not a requirement for warranty service, but
it will help expedite the process.)
Please contact support@sequential.com to determine the best course of
action for getting your Prophet-6 repaired. For your own protection, as
well as ours, please do not return any product to Sequential without a
return authorization (RA) number. To issue an RA number, Technical
Support needs:
• Your name
• Your return address
• Your email address
• A phone number where you can be reached
• Your Prophet-6’s serial number
• The date of purchase and where purchased
If you need to return your instrument for repair, you are responsible for
getting it to Sequential. We highly recommend insuring it and packing in
the original packaging. Damage resulting from shipping a product with
insufcient packaging is not covered by warranty.
Prophet-6 Operation Manual
Appendix D: Support
87
Sequential LLC
1527 Stockton Street, 3rd Floor
San Francisco, CA 94133
USA
www.sequential.com
DSI-10079R - 2/19
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