Does anyone here know anything about the legendary Dave Smith synthesizers!?
I’m looking for a synthesizer similar to the Prophet 12 Module. Can any sequential be compared to this module? It has to be sequential. I think this powerful characteristic sound cannot be implied by anyone else.
The closet thing to the Prophet 12 is probably the Pro 2, and they’re very different.
Basically, the Prophet 12 is pretty unique, even within the Dave Smith/Sequential lineup.
Thank you! yes, it sounds really unique too. It’s a shame that the price has gone up so much.
The prophet 12 is the most similar thing to a prophet 12.
Your question doesn’t really make sense to me, as you didn’t explain why you couldn’t just get a prophet 12 if you wanted a prophet 12. I guess the prophet VS also use digital oscillators but you can’t import samples in it (and is even more expensive).
And it’ll probably keep going up too. They’re probably never going to be cheaper/easier to get hold of than they are now.
because it’s hard to get for a decent price, so I’m looking for something similar from his synths. But I already thought that this synth is unique.
The price right now is already decent enough because it’s only going to get more expensive in the future. Sometimes all you have to do is pay up if you really want something.
all right boss, thank you!
Short answer would be the one @Fin25 gave you that the Prophet 12 is indeed unique even when compared to other DSI/Sequential synths. The longer version would depend on which kinds of sounds keep pulling you towards the P12?
The Prophet 12 is known as THE modulation monster in the Sequential product line but if it’s the slightly more vanilla sounds you’re after, the P12 (to me at least) at its core is a Prophet synth so a Prophet 6 or maybe a Take 5 or a Rev2 might give you good value.
If you need the synth to be bitimbral like the P12, the Rev2 will give you that.
There’s the Poly Evolver, which I believe is the closest and even worse to find and impossible at a decent price, and also its age, of course.
But really, even that one doesn’t compare to the dust and dirt that the Prophet 12 can produce like no other. I’ve been on the Prophet 12 module for years and it’s on everything I do. Encoders are getting wobbly, sideburns have their dents, there’s marks and scratches on the metal now … but this one’s not retiring until the world’s out of electrical power.
Having said that, the Prophet 12 is an acquired taste, and not one you necessarily want or need to pursue. It’s a Sequential so it’s good at everything, but it’s not difficult to outmatch it in more classic synth sounds., And it’s a bit rowdy in the frequency department, difficult to tame and lots of little things going on that can turn downright ugly in recordings when you start mixing the results. I’d never get it for classic vintage tones, thundering bass lines or disco leads, for example.
It’s more of a sound design and texture creation instrument, where it sits comfortably in the mid range and touching on low and high range, but provides an output in character that you just won’t find elsewhere.
Closest non-sequential I ever heard was the Summit. And that one didn’t even come close.
If it’s the dust of the P12 you’re looking for, there’s really nothing but the P12. But if it’s the heavy modulation, stacked timbrality, and VA sound, the Micromonsta 2 comes close for me — especially with the filter type set to the less “mean” settings.
It only has 3 osc + noise, and only two of them can FM (so, essentially, 2op FM). And only a single-tap delay (though it’s incredible reverb makes up for it). But the MM2 supports MPE, which is my #1 feature request for the P12. And is much smaller, runs much cooler, and takes less power (can easily run off a USB power bank) if any of that is important to you.
Best of all, it’s still being produced and is downright cheep! Worst of all: it’s backordered and I think there’s a waiting list?
i watched some clips about the p12 on youtube and i immediately liked the rough sound. but also had the feeling that he is quite present down there. I’m all about getting hold of such a sound and having many functions at the same time. plus it’s a double synth. I think I’ll save for that.
I’ve had the rev2 on my radar for a long time. but somehow i think it doesn’t have that charm like the P12. still not a synthesizer to look away.
I already had the take5. I didn’t hand it in because I didn’t like it, but because I changed the setup again. the take5 is a great synthesizer and what I really enjoyed about it was its accessibility, so tinkering with a sound was a lot of fun. very expressive and never too precise due to the analogue sound.
I think Prophet X shares some lineage (mix of va and sample) but they told me at one point there will never be a module version of it. Groovesynthesis 3rd wave is made by the DSP programmer that did all the DSP stuff for DSI, no module there either but perhaps something to keep an eye on. It might be worth looking at the Waldorf M also, getting it prompted the sale of my Pro 2, obviously the filters are wildly different but I think it goes beyond Pro 2/12 when it comes to digital grit and dusty dirt.
yes, the M isn’t bad either, I already had it, but also handed it in again. it also sounds very unique with a sound that is strong in character, but then again too shrill and digital for my taste that I would rather have saved the money for something else or would rather reach for the iridium. But what I found interesting about the M mega was the possibility of looping the envelopes and adding the wavetables of the assigned envelope to taste. that was really interesting. you could also bend the envelope curves to taste, i really miss that. that was cool.
Not in the Seq/DS family but the Hydrasynth has a very similar workflow, tons of Modulations and a great sounding.
Definitely the Hydrasynth, definitely not bad either. but here i always think that it sounds too precise, like a plugin, i.e. with less character. which doesn’t have to be a bad thing if you want clear sound. but I can also be wrong. but had tried it once in a shop. I can still remember here that the UDO6 was also quite nice, there was an immediate feeling of, yes, that could really be something interesting. but it’s just too expensive, like the P12 
it sounds like you have experience with other similar hardware synths. none of the synths mentioned above are truly “cheap,” except the micromonsta 2. you may be able to do similar things with other hardware or even VSTs, but i think you should just save your money for a P12 someday if that’s what you’re looking for. in the sequential line, it’s unique. there’s definitely feature crossover among models, but the P12 is kind of its own unique thing. it does suck that they discontinued it, but at least they’re still available. also, mine is not for sale. sorry…
I will do that too. I’m curious to see if the price goes up or stays that way. currently you can get the module for 1500 - 2000 Euro.
Hmm, have you had the chance to use a P12? It isn’t a big sweet spot synth imo takes a lot of little tweaks to find sounds, lot of control over the sound but sometimes you design a sound and it just doesn’t sit within a sweet spot on it, and 10 minutes of tweaking later you realize that sound may never sound good on it. It could be down to taste I suppose as I don’t find the M shrill at all, especially with its filter being very buttery compared to dsi stuff which is a bit more aggressive.