Sequential Circuits Prophet VS
The Sequential Circuits Prophet VS is a digital synthesiser used by Prince on the Sign O The Times album. Prince acquired the keyboard in the summer of 1986, and it became one of the main keyboards on the Sign O The Times album.
It can be heard on "Play In The Sunshine", "If I Was Your Girlfriend", "U Got The Look" (Filmmusic patch[1] ) and "Adore" from Sign O The Times, and "Bob George" and "Rockhard In A Funky Place".[2]
Wendy and Lisa are also reported to have played a VS on their version of Strange Relationship, although this was recorded before the Prophet VS was released.
Dr Fink played a Prophet VS on the Sign O The Times, Lovesexy and Nude tours. It was later used by Tommy Barbarella for recreating the analogue synthesiser sounds from the earlier records.[3]
References
- 1YouTube (2020) How to Get Prince's Choir Effect ("U Got The Look") - Prophet VS "Film Music"
- 2Tudahl, Duane (2021) Prince and the Parade and Sign O The Times Era Studio Sessions 1985 and 1986
- 3Musician (1992) The New Power Generation Learns That Playing With Prince Is A Privilege Both Sublime And Gruesome
Specifications
| Synthesis | Vector Synthesis |
|---|---|
| Polyphony | 8 Voice multitimbral |
| Oscillators | Four oscillators with 128 Waveforms (96 Preset, 32 User) |
| Samples | 100 PCM samples |
| LFOs | Two |
| Filter | Low pass |
| Envelope | 3 x 5 stage envelope generators |
| Keyboard | 61 keys with velocity and aftertouch |
| Controls | Pitch and modulation wheels |
| Memory | 100 patches |
| Effects | Chorus and panning |
