Hi guys.
I own OT mkii.
Consider buying a main synthesizer.
The candidate I think is Prophet6 Desktop or Analog Four mkii.
I want to have an analog sound and I want rich sound.
What is superior in terms of sound quality?
As I felt, Prophet6 sounded more full and rich.
I want to ask about the views of other real Users.
+1 for prophet 6. I have the ob6 and it’s a total beast.
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Definitely Prophet 6. I have not switched on my A4 I ever since I bought mine. Check Parastic YT videos for some nice demos. The filters and immediate tweak-ability, great sounds and quite good sequencer and arp. Whats not to like. Safe yourself a trouble and just buy the damn thing. Its DSI.
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The Prophet 6, no doubt.
I own one. And I’ve owned an A4MKII, and have been using other people’s A4:s from time to time.
For sheer sound, if you’re looking for that classic definition of an analogue synth, the Prophet 6 beats everything.
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Haven’t heard an A4mk2 but Prophet 6 in a different league to the A4mk1
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I own a mk1 and a prophet 6. They’re completely different machines so its hard to compare them. If you’re primary target is a classic analog poly sound then the prophet wins. Other than sound quality, there’s a LOT that the A4 does that the prophet cannot do especially in terms of sequencing and layering sounds. The prophet is way simpler and less flexible than I initially assumed (eg. the mod wheel is not assignable and can only affect the LFO depth). Also its digital effects are just ok and the distortion feature is not great on most sounds. For a “main synthesizer” i would pick A4 for its sequencer and the synth engine flexibility.
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There are some criteria you could consider:
- classical sound of the P6 vs. non-classical sound of the A4
- relatively traditional sound engine of the P6 vs quite complex facilities of the A4
- one timbre of the P6 vs 4 timbres of the A4
- workflow
- personal taste
If you like the sound of the P6 much more then good examples from the A4 and if this is the most important criterium for you, go for the P6.
If you need rich polyphonic chords, look elsewhere. IMO the P6 would at least need 8 or even more voices to excel at big chords with long tails. Such like the Prophet Rev 2 or Prophet 12 come to my mind, and others of course, but let’s stay with Dave Smith. The A4 is not well equipped for such purpose too.
If you would like to create many and very different tones, or some experimental things, go for the A4. This said … the A4 can create classical sounds too, but they will not replace or imitate a P6.
If you don’t need more than one synth timbre to go with the OT, both are excellent and you can sample with the OT anytime to layer sounds.
If you want to have the OT and more than one synth timbre, you either have to sample the P6 to the OT or you can have four independent timbres and sequenced tracks of the A4.
Technically speaking. A combination of OT and A4 gives us more options, flexibility, more powerful sequencing, and more live performance capabilities, compared to a combination of an OT and a P6 desktop.
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I guess that’s an opinion not an advice.
My opinion is 4 notes are enough for pads 
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- price
Since the P6 costs almost twice as much as an A4 this is not really a fair comparison.
A4+Digitone against P6
(now it’s a fair game )
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It depends on what we call a big cord.
Having typically 4 notes with my right hand and three notes for my left counts up to 7 already. On the piano I play this often. Problem with most synths having less than 8 voices is, that particularly big ambient cord patches with long notes tend to “steal voices”. There is a reason, why there was a Matrix 12 after all. Six voices are not enough to have overlapping notes when playing such “big chords”, which sometimes may be required.
If we only play cords in a trance way as stabs, six will be enough, but also there I have seen up to 8 notes in the piano roll beeing in use
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TBH … IMO against A4 and DN the P6 can only prevail, if the particular sound of the P6 is desired. Even the Prophet Rev 2 offers much more flexibility. The modulation capabilities of A4 alone outperform a P6. Together wirh another Elektron box, well …
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I loved the A4 mki I used to have.
The question is do you want the synth to be played live or via sample slot on the OT?
If you prefer different voices to be played live out of the synth- go A4
If you don’t mind having to midi-control/sample the synth- you’ll probably get more out of the P6
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At the same time
A4 will win on simultaneous multi-timbrality
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Absolutely true for getting too much thickness, if such cords are played on a synth. It depends on the patch and the purpose. I do this for more ambient textures, which will be in the background and have to built up a slowly flowing transcendenting feeling. It sounds good, if I pick some notes off one hand and play them with the other, or vice versa, and getting as much as possible space in between. Like in “playing two notes of a third or a fifth not directly in one register, but one or two octaves apart”.
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This is of course totally subjective, but I have to agree that playing 8 note chords on my prophet 08 has never felt like a necessity. I HAVE used all 8 voices and it’s nice to have if I want notes ringing out, overlapping the next. But quite often 6 is just enough, and as previously stated, if it’s not “ambient” (on a side note, I read a review of a techno record some time ago and the guy wrote about ambient tracks being the “skit”-tracks made by rap artists in between songs equivalent to the techno world, and I have to agree) 8 or more notes of the same sound from a synthesiser that often covers the majority of frequencies is not wanted anyways and will in the end be cut out of the mix to allow other instruments breathing room. Most of the time that is, not all the time ofc. Just my two coins
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Oh, right. Get the prophet 6!!! My god it sounds lovely, and you can just sample it anyway with the OT, and then sequence it live! :)))))))
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I just messed around with a prophet 6 a couple days ago for an hour. wonderful instrument, that.
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As much as I love these two synths I would say: trust your ears. Your personal taste should definitely play the biggest part in the decision (apart from knowing the technicalities like “this one has a sequencer”, etc.).
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Can’t speak for the A4mkii, but I had an AK for a hot minute, and then I got a P6. AK was sold the next week. A4mkii may be multitimbral, but the two fewer voices kinda puts a damper on that. 4 monosynths in a box? I’m good. Unless you are using it for drum patches. I mean A4 is a cool machine. But if you already have an Octa, and are considering moving into high end analog, don’t mess around with a middle class synth. just do it. P6.
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