Sequential Prophet 10 Special Edition: Happy 50th, Sequential!
New wood case, exclusive cover and certificate of authenticity
As Sequential marks its 50th anniversary, it is releasing a special version of its main synthesizer, the Rev. 4 Sequential Prophet 10 Special Edition.
How do you celebrate 50 years of a big music technology company. I bet the team at Sequential HQ will have a small party soon.
Previous owners might be cleaning and taking care of their cars to make them shine again.
Sequential has decided to give us a special version of their famous Prophet 10, called the Prophet 10 Special Edition. There are only 150 of these available.
This new version has a unique Lacewood design and includes a certificate to prove it’s real. It also comes with a nice embroidered case for protection.
A Short History of Sequential Circuits
Dave Smith started his company, Sequential Circuits, in 1974. Their first product was the Model 600 sequencer.
Only a small number of these were sold, but in three years, Dave and John Bowen created one of the most important and sought-after synthesizers ever.
The Prophet 5 was the first fully programmable polyphonic analog synthesizer in the world. Its design and sound shaped music during a time that was much bigger than its six years of production. In those six years, there were three updates.
The Rev2 is praised and criticized in equal amounts.
Many people say its sound is the best example of a Prophet 5 tone, but they were known to have a lot of problems.
The Rev3 used new CEM chips instead of the old SSM chips. While it was still a great synthesizer, many people think it didn’t have the same special sound as the ones made before it.
Halfway through the time the Prophet 5 was around, the company, now called Sequential, released the Prophet 10.
This was basically two Prophet 5 keyboards piled on top of each other in a big case with two keyboards.
They got too hot and were big and hard to handle, but they looked impressive.
MIDI stands for Musical Instrument Digital Interface. It’s a way for electronic musical instruments and computers to communicate with each other. With MIDI, you can send music information, like notes and sounds, between devices to create and control music easily.
We shouldn’t forget MIDI, a communication system that is still used today.
Dave was one of the original creators of this technology, and it is definitely one of his biggest accomplishments.
Sequential went out of business in the late 1980s. Its founder and team were bought by Yamaha, who then acquired KORG. Dave left the company soon after.
Between that time and 2002, Dave created one of the first software synthesizers for PCs. Later, he returned to making hardware with Dave Smith Instruments (DSI).
The Comeback of Sequential
In 2015, Yamaha gave the brand back to Dave, and since then, they have been making great analog and hybrid synthesizers.
The return of the Prophet 5 in its Rev. 4 version was one of the most awaited synthesizers ever. It was just as good as expected.
The Prophet 10 was brought back to life, and it looks just like the Prophet 5, thanks to new and improved synthesizer technology.
This is the instrument that Sequential has chosen to celebrate its 50th birthday with.
Sadly, Dave died in May 2022. He left behind many important inventions and a strong sense of ethics that positively impacted many lives.
The Sequential Prophet 10 Special Edition
The Lacewood design is special because of its unique patterns, and the stitched cover will protect it when it’s not being used.
A certificate of authenticity and a special name tag on the synth show that it’s one of a kind.
