The Sequential Circuits Prophet-5, introduced in 1978, is a polyphonic analog synthesizer that became a milestone in the music industry for being the first fully programmable polyphonic synthesizer. The Prophet-5 features five voices, each with two oscillators, and includes a rich, warm sound that has been widely used in various music genres. Notable users include Kraftwerk, Duran Duran, No Doubt, Vince Clarke, Phil Collins, Peter Gabriel, Depeche Mode, and Radiohead. The Prophet-5's ability to store patches was revolutionary, allowing musicians to easily recall complex sound settings.
he Prophet-5 features five voices, each equipped with two Voltage-Controlled Oscillators (VCOs), providing sawtooth, triangle, and pulse waveforms. It includes a 4-pole resonant low-pass filter, which adds depth and character to its sound. The synthesizer's envelope generators offer Attack, Decay, Sustain, and Release (ADSR) parameters, and it includes a poly-mod section for advanced modulation options.
This model is the Rev 3.3 : the final version, taking a MIDI retrofit and also capable of microtonal tuning. The audio quality of the Rev 3 is different, however, as it uses Curtis chips instead of Rev 2's SSMs; many people think the Rev 3 units sound 'thinner'. The Rev 3, however, is considered the most reliable of all of the different versions and offers 120 memory patches, larger than the 40 patches of the Rev 1.
