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This isit!!! The Sequential Circuits PROPHET VS RACK digital vectorsynthesizer. Rare (unobtainium), and even rarer in this MINT- rack face condition and with thesespecifications.
The second to last instrument Sequential ever made, less than 200 of these Prophet VS Racks were actually made, all in 1987. At the time, the Prophet VS Rack was considered a minor product by the company itself (no separate Operations Manual for the Prophet VS Rack was produced, and the color Prophet VS keyboard brochure was simply “updated” with a note on the front that stated “Now Available in Keyboard and Rack-Mount Versions!”). At the time, Sequential was intent on launching the ill-fated Prophet 3000 sampler, whose failure ultimately forced the company to fold late in 1987. (That is, until Dave Smith Instruments changed its name to Sequential in 2018!)
This sale includes:Sequential Circuits PROPHET VS RACK digital vector synthesizer (user switchable USA/EU voltage (110v or 220v)); yes, this is the only model that includes the musically distinctive vector waveform synthesis (realtime joystick controlled modulation/mixing of four unique high-quality digital waveforms), with the warmth of true analog filters (VCF) and amplifiers (VCA), DUAL LFOs and analog chorus. The Prophet VS stands in a class of one with a most unique sound signature that is a true joy to play and hear;Original Vector Joystick, Data Entry slider knob, Balance knob and Master Volume Knob (most Prophet VS Racks suffer from non-original “replacements” of these unobtainium items).
Operating System Ver. 1.2 (rare and last, most expansive and most stable OS version) (see photo of startup screen “Sequential r1.2”). This OS was only available from Sequential by installing special IC chips.
Internal memory bank fully populated with both stock AND CUSTOM PATCHESOriginal paper Owners Manual for Prophet VS (Sequential only ever made one version of the Operations Manual for the Prophet VS, hence the picture of the keyboard version on the cover)
Original October 2018 paper receipt from an established (storefront & website) vintage synthesizer repair shop in Seattle, Washington detailing the master synth technician’s inspection and internal cleaning of this instrument, including lithium battery power measurement and recommended diode and capacitor replacements (which receipt confirms such recommended replacements were indeed performed).
Power cord
Fully functional. MINT- rack face condition (see photos and Condition Description above for details). Display backlight is original andfully functioning. Never exposed to smoke. Original owner. Never used live. I recently sold my beloved Prophet VS Keyboard on eBay, please do look at my feedback for that sale and other items I have sold. It is time for others to enjoy these instruments as much as I have!
Very hard to find in MINT- rack face condition, and especially with the rare OS Ver.1.2. These were over-engineered and built by American craftsmen like atank, to last.
Such an elegant musical instrument: Consider these features: The most fully-developed hardware version of vector waveform synthesis (realtime joystick controlled digital waveform modulation/mixing) ever made, to this very day. Vector synthesis permits the musician to create musical, moving and morphing leads and pads in real time and in sync with any backing track. A unique form of synthesis found in only a couple of synths, and none more fully developed (with analog processing) to realize startlingly unusual, musical sounds than the Prophet VS.
Luscious analog filters (VCF), amplifiers (VCA), DUAL (!) LFOs, and analog chorus, all controllable from the below-described control matrix;Alternate Release Footswitch and second Footswitch expression controls for maximum realtime sonic control (along with the Vector Waveform Joystick, of course). An intuitive, easy-to-use, realtime arpeggiator: Indeed, the arpeggiator on the Prophet VS is one of the most expansive and creative arpeggiators ever released by any keyboard manufacturer.Extensive, easy-to-use modulation matrix: Program control of almost any parameter from almost any other parameter: For example, program Velocity to control Filter Cutoff, etc. Direct dedicated panel buttons make modulation source and destination programming a breeze.Random patch generator: Why doesn’t every synth have this?DIN-MIDI In (Responds to Velocity and AFTERTOUCH messages!), MIDI Out, and SWITCHABLE MIDI Thru or 2nd Out.
Luxurious textured steel covering the instrument: Truly striking in appearance compared to most garden-variety synths.
Sounds programmed on the Prophet VS using vector waveform synthesis soundlike no other type of synthesis – not analog subtractive; not Fourier; notstandard digital waveform; not FM; not sampled acoustic, etc). TheProphet VS stands alone in this respect. Just check out some YouTubevideos on the subject. Only a couple of hardware synthesizers ever providedfor vector synthesis; and those were not as advanced as the Prophet VS and didnot include analog processing (filter, amps, dual LFOs, chorus) – and withinferior musical results.
A word about playing the Prophet VS Rack: Like the mightyYamaha CS-80 with its unique performance-oriented controls (for example, ribbonstrip controller), or the Roland Jupiter-8 (with its extensive real-timesplit/layer/arpeggiator functions), the real potential of the Prophet VS isonly realized with the front panelreal-time user controllable Vector Synthesis Joystick. The Joystickfunction is one of the most unique aspects of the Prophet VS and an inherentpart of its sound, and is something that is simply lost to the musician playingthe Prophet VS Rack remotely from another keyboard (as a MIDI mastercontroller) unless the Prophet VS Rack is within reach of the playing musician.
A word to “bargain shoppers:” Yes one might find a ProphetVS Rack listed on the rare occasion for less; but those are often: Hard-used, withscratched/chipped/dented rack faces;Mis-matched non-factory “replacement” Vector Joystick, Data Entry slider knob, Balance knob and/or Master Volume Knob;Inoperative backlight or dubious non-stock”custom” backlight (often changing the stock character/field colors);No manual;No documentation;With the more common, less powerful and lessreliable earlier software version; and
Sold by volume dealers who bought it aspart of a wholesale lot and only switched the poor thing on to see if it powersup before immediately listing it on eBay!
Please do compare apples toapples.
Like Roland Jupiter-8s that went for little and then began their steady marchnorth in value, classic rare digital synthesizers continue to increase rapidlyin value. This listing presents a rare opportunity to obtain amuseum-quality, fully loaded and most-desired variant of one of the most rareforms of hardware synthesis, for a reasonable price. Bid accordingly.
I am the original owner, having bought this from an authorized SequentialCircuits dealer in 1987; this item comes from my personal studiocollection. I am not a reseller of “B-stock” or bulk dealerlots. See my long history of selling on eBay.
Note to foreign buyers: (1) Disregard eBay’s shipping calculator;I will provide an invoice to the winning bidder for the actual least expensive FedEx (NOT UPS/USPS) shipping method charge to me to ship withtracking; (2) Any customs duties, charges or fees levied by your government areyour sole responsibility. For foreign buyers, after sale and payment Isend an eBay Message attaching a photo of the paid shipping invoice so thebuyer can confirm that not one penny more was paid for shipping than what theshipping company charged me.
Specifications:Polyphony – 8 Voices; 2-part multitimbral Oscillators – 96 preset waveforms + 32 userwaveforms LFO – Two, each with own envelopegenerator Filter – Curtis analog (digitally controlled)4-pole lowpass with its own envelope generators Envelopes – 5 stage amp, filter and mixenvelopes MIDI In – Responds to velocity and aftertouch messages Memory – 100 patches Effects – twin chorus, stereo effects panningof individual oscillators/individual voices Arpeggiator – FullyProgrammable + real-time programmable (user can define note order by playing,etc.) Control – DIN-MIDI full implementation(In/Out/SWITCHABLE Thru or Second Out), Alternate Release (footswitch), second Footswitch
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Category: Musical Instruments and Gear:Pro Audio Equipment:Synthesizers
Location: Seattle, Washington