Sequential Circuits’ Prophet-5 might be the venerable synth-maker's most iconic instrument, but when it comes to flexibility, versatility and raw power, it's the Prophet-10 that stands tall.
Released in 1980, this mammoth synthesizer packed two Prophet-5s in a single chassis and complemented these with a then-innovative polyphonic sequencer. Two keyboards, 20 voices, 10 oscillators and a highly configurable bitimbral architecture made this an 85lb powerhouse of an instrument that - though it understandably didn't sell as well as its more affordable and portable little brother - went down in history as one of SCI's most ambitious releases.
An OG Prophet-10 will set you back around $10,000 in 2024, but thanks to Cherry Audio, you can capture the sound of this revered instrument for a whole lot less. This week, Cherry Audio released P-10, a synth plugin that faithfully recreates the sonics and architecture of the original Prophet-10, with 16-voice polyphony and a handful of modern tweaks thrown in for good measure.
Cherry Audio has lovingly modelled the Prophet-10's Curtis 3340 oscillators and 3320 filters to achieve a convincing emulation of its sound, and has also recreated all of the Prophet-5 and Prophet-10's original factory presets, giving you an extensive collection of over 500 sounds that have been heard across countless '80s classics.
Like the Prophet-10, P-10 is configurable as two independent synths, so you're able to layer two presets together or alternate between two timbral layers with each keystroke, a feature that should make for some complex and varied patterns. Each layer has separate, dedicated controls for all parameters, and unlike the original, can be split across the keyboard. P-10 is equipped with two independent effects chains that can be applied per-layer or globally, offering a choice of distortion, phaser, delay, reverb and chorus.
The synth has been brought into 2024 with the addition of velocity sensitivity, polyphonic aftertouch, an arpeggiator and a four-track step sequencer, along with expanded modulation capabilities. Alongside mono modulation that can use either an LFO or noise generator as its source, P-10 recreates Prophet-10's then-groundbreaking Poly Mod feature, in which each of its voices can be independently modulated. Modulation can also be routed in via any external MIDI controller or aftertouch-equipped keyboard.
Available for macOS and Windows in AU/VST/VST3/AAX and standalone formats, Cherry Audio P-10 is rather generously priced at $59.
