Review: Dave Smith Instruments Prophet '08
Apr 1, 2008 12:00 PM, By Jason Scott Alexander
THE FORECAST CALLS FOR AN ANALOG FUTURE
FAT IS WHERE IT'S AT
Programs are composed of two layers, A and B, each capable of holding a different patch. Those can be split into two zones of four-note polyphony each, or stacked for a four-oscillator and double-filter tone (again resulting in four-note polyphony). Pressing the Edit Layer B button once flips controls to affect the second layer patch and, subsequently, back to the first layer. In normal eight-note mode, that's a great way of quickly toggling between two completely different sounds within a single patch for a live performance. The eight voice-assignment LEDs on the front panel give you a clear indication of how voices get consumed as you play.
If it sounds like things can get fat in a hurry, you ain't heard nothin' until you try the various unison modes: The monophonic 1 Voice mode produces a classic, two-oscillator unison that is sleek but not chorused; All Voices stacks every available voice in unison for a maximum blend; and All Detune 1-3 does the same, but with three selectable levels of detuning, from fat to morbidly obese, making 16-oscillator trance leads and super-Hoover sounds possible.
Unison, arpeggiator and gated sequencer are set and stored independently for each layer, allowing some very interesting sound control combinations. If you hold Edit Layer B while in Stack or Split mode, it links both layers of parameters for simultaneous control in a live show.
AURAL DIVINITY
The Prophet '08's 256 factory programs pay homage to the Prophet-5 and other synths, as well as explore modern sound design and IDM/electronica. Superthick sub-wobbles, explosive kick basses, chunky electro-organs and pianos, massive trance pads, detuned Euro stabs and leads should please artists from dub to club.
Many programs use the gentle 2-pole filter to re-create the lush tones of the Oberheim OB-series. But with heavily resonant 4-pole dialed in, the filters scream. I squeezed out some juicy squelchbox riffs with ease and hauled the old OSCar synth from the trashcan by boosting resonant peaks of identical layers and separating their cutoffs with modulation. Rippin' raunchyness.
On other presets, sharp cutoff-resonance settings make you forget that the Prophet '08 has no physical highpass or bandpass filter, allowing for silky Roland Jupiter-type strings and Korg Mono/Poly arpeggio fare. Taking on the venerable Yamaha CS-80, several patches show off the '08's rich and wide detuning, including the gorgeous “40scStrings” preset, Vangelis pads and Toto-esque brass presets. Some hip-hop and electro-inspired presets — such as “bOOmChick” — use step sequencers to make simple yet highly organic beats. I got a kick out of tweaking the bass and lead layers of “No Corn Yet” to put my own spin on the classic sequence.
Accustomed to the grungy distortion and multiple chorus/digital feedback delay lines of my Evolver, I was a surprised to see that not even a basic effects section was included. Apparently, Dave decided to take the analog high road and not incorporate a stage of A/D or D/A conversion into the Prophet '08 signal path; I can't fault him for that. As consolation, external processing is straightforward and flexible; plugging cables into Output B will automatically extract the sound of Layer B from the main outs and route that portion to the secondary outputs, letting you apply two independent buses of effects. I would love to see some auxiliary inputs, however, for true analog processing of external signals through the Curtis filters and snappy envelopes.
REVELATION
I'm a soft-synth junkie, but nothing beats the immediacy and density of true analog. The Prophet '08 stands up against any of my museum-piece mono synths, sounds thicker than my beloved Jupiter-8 and delivers the overall sonic character of the original Prophet-5, only with significantly more power. Neither software nor virtual analogs can compete with the snappiness of the '08's envelopes or its porterhouse-thick oscillators. Detuning the VCOs slightly imparts a buttery texture, while unleashing the glide function is positively trippy.
The Prophet '08 encapsulates everything that is great about analog synthesis, favorably extended with modern features we now take for granted. With no menus to surf, it makes a dream axe for the stage. It marks a new era of Dave Smith classics. The Prophet '08 gets my vote for best analog poly synth…ever.
DAVE SMITH INSTRUMENTS
PROPHET '08 > $2,199; PROPHET '08 MODULE, $1,649
Pros: Gorgeous sound that is 100-percent analog from beginning to end. Eight voices featuring the same Curtis filter chips as in the original Prophet-5. Retro 4-by-16-step gated sequencer, arpeggiator, quad LFOs and powerful modulation section. Knob-per-function design. Intangible cool factor.
Cons: No USB, effects section or analog input.
Contact: www.davesmithinstruments.com
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