Producer’s Guide To | DSI Prophet Rev2
How to…
Add grit, randomness and ‘fibre’
How to…
Set up modulation in a flash
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From the distortion and ring mod effects through to slop and audio mod (audio from osc 1 is used to modulate the filter’s cutoff), plus using noise alongside the oscillators (and for modulation), you have a lot to play with. DCO synths are generally cleaner than VCO synths, but handily, the stability of the tuning and the stable waves in the Rev2 all allow you to be very detailed with the application of grit and texture. Try keeping a clean sound on layer A and then use a copy of that sound (or a different sound) on layer B with the distortion effect active; this gives you control over the distorted element of your sound.
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One of the things that used to slow us down on the Prophet 08 was setting up modulation routings – it wasn’t the most intuitive synth in this regard. That’s all changed with the Rev2, and more often than not, it’s simply a question of holding the source button in the mod section, then turning any knob/parameter to set that as your mod source, then holding the destination button and turning any knob/parameter to set that as the mod destination. Again, with the LFOs, simply hold down one of the four LFO buttons, turn the knob you want to assign it to and you’re set. This is a huge timesaver.
How to…
Get more mileage from one oscillator
How to…
Choose your filter model
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It’s tempting to always use both oscillators layers plus the sub, but you can get some great sounds by approaching sound design in a ‘less is more’ way. You can take a simple saw wave and modulate its shape via an LFO, add some pan spread, and then apply the chorus effect for thickening, while modulating that too via any source you choose. Also, be sure to use all the available controllers such as mod wheel, aftertouch and foot control (assigned to various parameters) and you’ll find you can take a basic sound and send it skywards! In particular, the effects and modulation are your best friends in this scenario.
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The Curtis low-pass filter has 2-pole and 4-pole modes. The resonant 4-pole filter (24dB slope) lets through less high-frequency content than the 2-pole (12dB slope) and it selfoscillates too, so it’s better for more gooey, resonant and warmer/liquidy/ effect sounds, whereas the 2-pole mode is better for more textured and wiry/fibrous/brassy/sizzly sounds. Try combining two layers, one using 4-pole and one 2-pole mode for interesting textures, and don’t forget to use the digital resonant high-pass filter – it sounds great and can also be modulated by envelope 3 or via an LFO to add an animated texture.
Poly and gated sequencing The sequencer in the Rev2 is a very useful and pretty deep feature. Firstly, when used as a poly-sequencer, you can have up to six notes stacked at a time per step (up to 64 steps are available) and this is great for coming up with chord sequences, or for using as a backing or accompaniment (especially when synced to other gear over MIDI). Providing you don’t use all six notes on every step, you could also still play over the top when using one layer, or alternatively, you can use two sequence layers running simultaneously. In addition, when using gated mode you have four x 16-step sequences available which can sequence notes or route to several mod destinations simultaneously – great for evolving textures. You can also set the gated sequencer so that it only advances when a key is pressed, which is great for playing along with other live instruments or with bands. The slew parameter is also particularly handy for obtaining smooth transitions between sequencer steps. 58