Prophet-5

The Prophet-5 was created in 1977 by the American engineers Dave Smith and John Bowen at Sequential Circuits. At the time, Smith had a full-time job working with microprocessors, a new technology. Smith conceived the idea of combining them with synthesizer chips to create a programmable synthesizer; this would allow users to save sounds to memory, rather than having to recreate them manually. He did not pursue the idea, assuming Moog or ARP would design the instrument first. == Production ==

Three versions were built between 1978 and 1984. The first, Revision 1, was hand-assembled and produced quickly to generate initial revenue; only 182 were made. Revision 2 was more robust, added cassette patch storage, and replaced the koa wood casing with walnut. ==Features==

Unlike its nearest competitor in the 1970s, the Yamaha CS-80, the Prophet-5 has patch memory, allowing users to store sounds rather than having to reprogram them manually. It has a proprietary serial interface that allows the user to play using the Prophet Remote, a sling-style keytar controller, but the interface cannot connect the Prophet-5 to other devices. Sequential produced a MIDI interface that could be retrofitted to later Prophet-5 models. Third-party MIDI interfaces have also been offered. == Impact ==

Before the Prophet-5, synthesizers required users to adjust cables and knobs to change sounds, with no guarantee of exactly recreating a sound. The Prophet-5, with its ability to save sounds to patch memory, facilitated a move from synthesizers creating unpredictable sounds to producing "a standard package of familiar sounds". The Prophet-5 became a market leader and industry standard. According to MusicRadar, the Prophet-5 "changed the world – simple as that". The Cars keyboardist Greg Hawkes used the Prophet-5 for the hits "Let's Go" (1979) and "Shake It Up" (1981). Kraftwerk used it on their 1981 "Computer World" Tour, and Phil Collins used it on his 1981 single "In the Air Tonight". Japan used it frequently, such as on their 1982 hit single "Ghosts". Michael Jackson used it extensively on Thriller (1982), and Madonna used it on Like a Virgin (1984). Brad Fiedel used a Prophet-10 to record the soundtrack for The Terminator (1984), and the filmmaker John Carpenter used both the Prophet-5 and Prophet-10 extensively for his soundtracks. The Greek composer Vangelis used the Prophet-5 and the Prophet-10, such as in the soundtrack of Blade Runner (1982). Radiohead used it on their 2000 album Kid A on songs including "Everything In Its Right Place". Other users include Tears for Fears, Thompson Twins, Thomas Dolby, Devo, Eurythmics, Soft Cell, Vince Clarke, Pet Shop Boys, Giorgio Moroder, Tangerine Dream, Rick Wakeman, Pendulum, BT and John Harrison. ==Successors and emulations==

Smith's companies released several synthesizers with the Prophet name, including the Pro-One, the Prophet VS, and the Prophet-6. They also released samplers, such as the Prophet 2000 and the Prophet 3000. In 2020, Sequential announced a new version of the Prophet-5, the Rev 4. It adds features including USB and MIDI connectivity, velocity and aftertouch sensitivity, polyphonic glide, and two sets of filters. Bowen also provided consultation for Creamware for their 2003 software emulations, the Prophet and Prophet Plus. Other hardware clones include the Behringer Pro-16 (prototype revealed at NAMM 2025), and PikoPiko Factory's open-source Profree-4, released in 2022. ==References==