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24-594: Before the introduction of the Polysix, Korg had not yet ventured into the market of modern, polyphonic synthesizers that featured dynamic voice allocation. During this period, the market was dominated by microprocessor-controlled synthesizers such as the Sequential Circuits Prophet 5 and the Oberheim OB-X . Instead of directly competing with these high-end synthesizers, Korg aimed to create

48-501: A sawtooth wave , variable pulse wave, or pulse-width modulation (PWM) outputs, with the PWM option having a dedicated low-frequency oscillator (LFO). Additionally, a sub-oscillator provides the option to add a square wave at one or two octaves below the main VCO pitch. The filter has controls for cutoff frequency, resonance, envelope amount and keyboard tracking. Its envelope generator, which

72-612: A 10-voice, double-keyboard version, the Prophet-10 . Sequential introduced new versions in 2020, and it has been emulated in software synthesizers and hardware. Sequential also released several further Prophet synthesizers, such as the Prophet '08 . The Prophet-5 was created in 1977 by the American engineers Dave Smith and John Bowen at Sequential Circuits . At the time, Smith had a full-time job working with microprocessors ,

96-737: A Braemar tape drive , which was more reliable and could store about four times as many sequencer events. In 2020, Sequential released a new version, the Prophet-5 Rev4, with additional memory and features. They also released a new version of the Prophet-10, with the same external design as the Prophet-5. Unlike its nearest competitor in the 1970s, the Yamaha CS-80 , the Prophet-5 has patch memory, allowing users to store sounds rather than having to reprogram them manually. It has

120-452: A cassette port for backing up patches, and an arpeggiator. The release of the Polysix was just months before Roland introduced the Juno 6 , which was a main competitor to the Polysix, and also featured a single oscillator per voice and an onboard chorus effect. The Polysix features a straightforward synthesis architecture. Each of its voices is equipped with one oscillator capable of producing

144-573: A more accessible and cost-effective instrument with the Polysix. Upon its launch, the Polysix was one of the first polyphonic analog synthesizers available for under $ 2,000 in the United States and £1,000 in the United Kingdom, marking a significant milestone in making polyphonic synthesis more accessible to a wider audience. In order to reduce costs, the Polysix was designed with only one oscillator per voice, unlike its contemporaries,

168-677: A new Prophet-10, initially released as a ten-voice single manual monotimbral version of the Rev 4. Bowen provided consultation for Native Instruments during the development of the Pro 5 software synthesizer emulation, released in 1999. It was followed by the Pro 52 in 2000 and the Pro 53 in 2003. Bowen also provided consultation for Creamware for their 2003 software emulations, the Prophet and Prophet Plus. Arturia , U-he and Softube released emulations in 2006, 2018 and 2023. Hardware clones include

192-443: A new technology. Smith conceived the idea of combining them with synthesizer chips to create a programmable synthesizer; this would allow users to save sounds to memory , rather than having to recreate them manually. He did not pursue the idea, assuming Moog or ARP would design the instrument first. When no instrument emerged, in early 1977, Smith quit his job to work full-time on the idea. Initially, Smith and Bowen developed

216-529: A proprietary serial interface that allows the user to play using the Prophet Remote, a sling-style keytar controller; the interface cannot connect the Prophet-5 to other devices. Sequential produced a MIDI interface that could be retrofitted to later Prophet-5 models. Third-party MIDI interfaces have also been offered. Before the Prophet-5, synthesizers required users to adjust cables and knobs to change sounds, with no guarantee of exactly recreating

240-675: A software emulator of the Polysix as part of the Korg Legacy Collection , which offers a digital emulation of the Polysix with modern features like MIDI compatibility and additional controls. The Polysix Legacy engine was included as part of the LAC-1 expansion for the Korg OASYS in 2006, and was also included as one of the sound engines in the Korg Kronos , released in 2011. In 2013, Korg introduced an iOS emulation of

264-401: A sound. The Prophet-5, with its ability to save sounds to patch memory, facilitated a move from synthesizers creating unpredictable sounds to producing "a standard package of familiar sounds". The Prophet-5 became a market leader and industry standard. According to MusicRadar , the Prophet-5 "changed the world – simple as that". The Cars keyboardist Greg Hawkes used the Prophet-5 for

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288-474: A sound. Sequential used microprocessors to allow users to recall sounds instantly rather than having to recreate them manually. The Prophet-5 facilitated a move from synthesizers creating unpredictable sounds to producing "a standard package of familiar sounds". The Prophet-5 became a market leader and was widely used in popular music and film soundtracks. Between 1978 and 1984, about 6,000 units were produced across three revisions. In 1981, Sequential released

312-449: Is of the ADSR type, includes a unique centre-zero control, allowing users to choose between normal and inverted envelope shapes. The VCA can be operated from either the envelope or a gate signal. The combined output of all voices can be processed through an effects section, which provides three modulated delay-based effects: Chorus, Phaser or Ensemble. These effects significantly enhance

336-481: The Polysix for the iPad called iPolysix as well as a Polysix instrument for Propellerhead Reason 7 . Prophet-5 The Prophet-5 is an analog synthesizer manufactured by the American company Sequential . It was designed by Dave Smith and John Bowen in 1977. It was the first polyphonic synthesizer with fully programmable memory . Before the Prophet-5, synthesizers required users to adjust controls to change sounds, with no guarantee of exactly recreating

360-588: The Prophet name, including the Pro-One, the Prophet VS, the Prophet '08 and the Prophet-6. They also released samplers , such as the Prophet 2000 and the Prophet 3000. In 2020, Sequential announced a new version of the Prophet-5, the Rev 4. It adds features including USB and MIDI connectivity, velocity and aftertouch sensitivity , polyphonic glide, and two sets of filters. Sequential also announced

384-554: The Prophet-10, a synthesizer with ten voices of polyphony . However, it was unstable and quickly overheated, creating tuning problems. Smith and Bowen removed half the electronics, reducing the voices to five and creating the Prophet-5. Smith demonstrated the Prophet-5 at the NAMM Convention in January 1978 and shipped the first models later that year. Three versions were built between 1978 and 1984. The first, Revision 1,

408-464: The Prophet-5 and OB-X, which featured two oscillators per voice. To compensate for this limitation, the Polysix incorporated built-in chorus, phaser, and ensemble effects, each with adjustable intensity, which were creating utilizing a bucket brigade analog delay line design. At the time of its release, the inclusion of an on-board chorus was relatively uncommon. The Polysix offered six-voice polyphony and also included 32 memory slots for patch storage,

432-428: The Prophet-5 his "old warhorse", using it for many sounds on his 1986 album So . Brad Fiedel used a Prophet-10 to record the soundtrack for The Terminator (1984), and the filmmaker John Carpenter used both the Prophet-5 and Prophet-10 extensively for his soundtracks. The Greek composer Vangelis used the Prophet-5 and the Prophet-10, such as in the soundtrack of Blade Runner (1982). The Prophet-5

456-463: The hits " Let's Go " (1979) and " Shake It Up " (1981). Kraftwerk used it on their 1981 " Computer World " Tour, and Phil Collins used it on his 1981 single " In the Air Tonight ". Japan used it frequently, such as on their 1982 hit single " Ghosts ". Michael Jackson used it extensively on Thriller (1982), and Madonna used it on Like a Virgin (1984). Peter Gabriel considered

480-471: The sound, contributing to its richness and depth, a key feature at the time of release. One weakness of the technology was the construction of the KLM-367 programmer board. To store the sounds, the volatile RAM chip had to be buffered by a storage battery . This battery would start leaking after a couple of years, and the alkaline battery fluid would eat away the traces on the programmer board PCB, damaging

504-411: The synthesizer, as well as shorting circuitry as the battery fluid is conductive. To fix it, the broken PCB traces have to be replaced by soldering connections; as an alternative, there are clones of the programmer board available made by several sources. As the original Polysix did not have MIDI , retrofits have been made available e.g. by Kenton, Tubbutec, and Kiwi Electronics. In 2004, Korg released

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528-520: Was hand-assembled and produced quickly to generate initial revenue; only 182 were made. Revision 2 was mass-produced in quantities over 1,000; this model was more robust, added cassette patch storage, and replaced the koa wood casing with walnut. Revision 3 replaced the Solid State Music (SSM) chipset with Curtis (CEM) chips, necessitating a major redesign. According to Sound on Sound , Revision 3 "remained impressive and pleasant to play, but

552-512: Was slightly cold and featureless by comparison to earlier models". In all, approximately 6,000 Prophet-5 synthesizers were produced. In 1981, Sequential Circuits released the Prophet-10, featuring 10 voices, 20 oscillators, and a double manual keyboard. Like the Prophet-5 Revision 3, it uses CEM chips. The first Prophet-10s used an Exatron Stringy Floppy drive for saving patches and storing sequencer data. Sequential later moved to

576-615: Was widely used by 1980s synth pop acts such as Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark , Tears for Fears , Thompson Twins , Thomas Dolby , Devo , Eurythmics , Soft Cell , Vince Clarke and Pet Shop Boys . Radiohead used it on their 2000 album Kid A , on songs including " Everything In Its Right Place ". Other users include Giorgio Moroder , Tony Banks , Tangerine Dream , Jean-Michel Jarre , Dr. Dre , Richard Wright of Pink Floyd , Rick Wakeman , Pendulum , BT and John Harrison . Smith released several synthesizers with

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