The breakthrough in analog synths - what was it?

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I remember babysitting an EMI mono synth for friend while he was traveling in the 70's.

You had to let it run for at least 15 minutes or something, then adjusting octave to be right - then tune to pitch. This over and over a couple of times before it plays in tune.

Then redo this in between for the next hour or so.

Recommendations were to always have it powered up at least once a month - to keep electrolythic capacitors in shape. So very much concern about the discrete components in there to be as good as possible.

In consert he had to do the same thing, sneak up on stage in darkness and tune stuff to be ready for entrance.

It was pretty much the same with Moog as I understand - run it for two hours or something before oscillators were warm and stable.

Was it Prophet 5 that made the breakthrough?
And what was it that made oscillators work over keyboard range without serious tuning issues?

In later 80's I don't remember this was an issue at all - Roland Jupiter etc.

And this Prophet 6 is no exception it seems - nothing mentioned other than pure analog signal path - but how are fully analog oscillators kept stable?

Is there true story that it's semi analog - or?
It's tuning itself to a digital oscillator on the side, or?

Really curious about the history here.

Any input on this?

Best regards

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The beakthrough for me was patch memories. I was changing 20+ parameters between songs - at least all the synths back then had knobs.

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Yes, that's a big one.

I think maybe Prophet 5 first one with patches as well?

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lfm wrote:- but how are fully analog oscillators kept stable?

Is there true story that it's semi analog - or?
It's tuning itself to a digital oscillator on the side, or?

Really curious about the history here.

Any input on this?

Best regards
Better components,better overall construction. Use of temperature compensated components.

Nowadays you can make analog oscillators that are really stable without digital help.
In fact so stable they now reintroduce tuning errors.

So i'm positive the Prophet 6 is completely analog (the signal path that is).

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Thanks.

You wouldn't be trading a Jupiter 8 while getting a P6 are you? ;)

Nah, I could probably not afford it anyway. :(

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The Powertran Transcendent 2000.

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the prophet six has temperature sensors all over the place sending information to digitally controlled oscillators. that's how it keeps tune.
Nick Batt from Sonicstate talks to Dave Smith about it on a NAMM 2015 youtube clip. Watched it yesterday.
I'm tired of being insane. I'm going outsane for some fresh air.

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I'm tired of being insane. I'm going outsane for some fresh air.

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werp wrote:the prophet six has temperature sensors all over the place sending information to digitally controlled oscillators. that's how it keeps tune.
Nick Batt from Sonicstate talks to Dave Smith about it on a NAMM 2015 youtube clip. Watched it yesterday.
Good input, thanks.

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The oscillators are VCO's so there's probably a D/A somewhere in between. :P

The tuning might be incorporated differently, but the principle is the same as in any old poly synth with VCO's, some examples are Jupiter 6/8, Memorymoog, Prophet 5, Prophet 600, Prophet T8, Oberheim OBX/OBXa/OB8/Matrix 12/Xpander. The difference was obviously that the older synths didn't have as fast processors as we have today, which is probably why the tuning wasn't as tight/accurate. For what it's worth, all the modern Moog synths also have digital tuning of their VCO's.

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As for breakthroughs in analog synths, I'd say the following top 3:

1. Polyphony - I think Oberheim was the first true polyphonic synth with the Four Voice.
2. Programmability - Prophet 5 was the first programmable poly synth (i.e. saving patches?)
3. MIDI - Not to forget MIDI. The Prophet 600 and the Roland Jupiter 6 were the two first synths that "talked" to each other if I recall correctly.

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eXode wrote:The oscillators are VCO's so there's probably a D/A somewhere in between. :P

The tuning might be incorporated differently, but the principle is the same as in any old poly synth with VCO's, some examples are Jupiter 6/8, Memorymoog, Prophet 5, Prophet 600, Prophet T8, Oberheim OBX/OBXa/OB8/Matrix 12/Xpander. The difference was obviously that the older synths didn't have as fast processors as we have today, which is probably why the tuning wasn't as tight/accurate. For what it's worth, all the modern Moog synths also have digital tuning of their VCO's.
that's what I meant :oops: digital tuning....digital control via temperature, of voltage controlled oscillators...didn't have my head screwed on properly this morning.
Not sure it's any better right now to be honest :neutral:
I'm tired of being insane. I'm going outsane for some fresh air.

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eXode wrote:As for breakthroughs in analog synths, I'd say the following top 3:

1. Polyphony - I think Oberheim was the first true polyphonic synth with the Four Voice.
2. Programmability - Prophet 5 was the first programmable poly synth (i.e. saving patches?)
3. MIDI - Not to forget MIDI. The Prophet 600 and the Roland Jupiter 6 were the two first synths that "talked" to each other if I recall correctly.
Now history starts to unfold, thanks.

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eXode wrote:As for breakthroughs in analog synths, I'd say the following top 3:

1. Polyphony - I think Oberheim was the first true polyphonic synth with the Four Voice.
2. Programmability - Prophet 5 was the first programmable poly synth (i.e. saving patches?)
3. MIDI - Not to forget MIDI. The Prophet 600 and the Roland Jupiter 6 were the two first synths that "talked" to each other if I recall correctly.
First polyphonic? Not the four voice. I think my Oberheim TVS-1 claims that position.
Oberheim.png
I'm the original owner (no wise-cracks) and it still sounds great.
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I thought the minimoog was like a breakthrough?....i thought the jupiter 8 had midi first,correct me if im wrong on that one;)
live 11 / Arturia collection / many Softube plug ins / thats it

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