I deliberately listened without looking at my screen to avoid any kind of bias. I own a few vintage polysynths: Memorymoog, OB-8, MKS-80. I also have an OB-6 and recently sold my Prophet-6 keyboard in hopes of downsizing to the module because 4 octaves is not ideal for a polysynth, for me. Here are my thoughts: 1) I noticed the difference in sound most with unison patches where the vintage knob seemed to be turned up. I noticed the difference in envelope rates, which reminds me of the OB-8. 2) Otherwise, most of the mojo could be captured with the slop knob. That is probably the most defining feature listeners would notice first. Our ears are more sensitive to changes in pitch before noticing differing envelope rates. 3) I think I’ll value the extra features the 6 offers in a modern music making environment. Especially things like tempo synced LFOs. 4) For those reasons, I will still get the Prophet 6 module which is also about half the cost of the Prophet 5 keyboard.
I may still go in and try out a P5, but this video almost certainly saved me $1500. I love the look and extra octave of the P5, but with the addition of the vintage knob, the P6 seems like the only reasonable choice. It is a real testament to Sequential and Dave Smith that they provided this to their customers. Thanks also to Loopop for the great vid.
As a very happy Prophet 6 owner and user, I got slightly more than 50 percent, but not convincingly much. The P10 sounds just a tiny bit "fuller" overall, if that makes sense, but nowhere near a decisive difference. Having not much space left in my home studio, I will stay with what I have and relax. Thank you both (you and Julian) very much! I will have a much better sleep after that, after some weeks of hard to supress gear fever! :-) Isn't it funny, how the Prophet 5/10 Rev. 4 finally takes away doubts about how well done the P6 really is? Both are just wonderful instruments, but for practical reasons (size, weight, effects) I definitely prefer my P6 now for what I want to do with it.
Thanks for sharing. I took a different approach and just wrote down the sounds that I like most. And I ended up with a random mixture of 6s and 10s. I'm sure there are some differences but ultimately both are great sounding synths.
Thank you for doing this. It is impressive how well they captured the vintage sound in the Prophet 6. I like the updated features too. But there were definitely some moments in J3PO's video where the Prophet 5 wowed me over the 6.
@@mosspa1 there is more to what the synth can do beyond the raw oscillators. Just because there is overlap between them doesn’t mean they are the same. There are sounds that only the 5 can make and sounds that only the 6 can make.
I am so grateful that this video exists, what a lesson in perception! Blind tests are the only true judge. On J3PO's video I thought I heard a much bigger difference but here everything is properly gain matched and the differences are insignificant (particularly now that the P6 has the Vintage knob). I love the aesthetics and history of the P5 but undoubtedly the P6 is the rational choice unless nostalgia is they key factor. Thanks mr loopop!
There's just very slight difference. I Think 10 have slight more hair/buzz. The noise was also very revealing. Filter on 10 seems slightly more smooth. But to me there's not enough difference to go with the more expensive
I second that. Same conclusion. Then again if you need to have the original on show then the 10 will impress customers like the Mini Moog re-issue does but if you are in a home studio and it's your own personal set up then the Prophet-6 makes the most sense to have as it does practically everything that the 10 does and it has features that the 10 doesn't.
I've always wanted a Prophet 5, and I bought a 6 a month before Sequential announced the 5 rerelease. Last year I bought a Prophet 10 and now I have both. They can sound very similar but I use them in different ways to maximize their feature sets. I love Sequential
Too funny. I am in the same boat as you. I bought my 6 then a month later the 10 came out but I was already committed to the 6. I couldn't resist so I got the 10 a year later. I am still undecided if I should sell one and get an Oberheim or keep them both.
So Sequential released a beta update to the Prophet-6 to add the Vintage Knob effect to the SLOP knob. I’ve applied the update last night. That vintage effect on the P6 sounds amazing. Gives so much depth and character that the P6 was missing. Also, you have the option to switch between SLOP and vintage through the Global settings.
I understand the desire for detailed comparison between these two instruments, but I think it's more useful to focus on the differences instead of the resemblance. J3PO also mentions this in his video; use the P6 with extra sub osc, HP filter, panspread, lfo sync, better glide mode and play the P5/P10 with it's vintage knob, rev 1/2 filter, extra octave (and additional 4 voices in case of the P10) In the end it's not the raw sawtooth which sells you the instrument, it's the whole package.
I couldn’t tell the difference initially, then I realised the 10 has more background noise, as one would expect from a true vintage synth. Got them all right after that. If I was just after the sound, I get the 6, but the 5/10 has a historic and nostalgic element that I think I’d pay the extra €700 for. However, I’d go a Polybrute ahead of a 6. Great that there are so many options.
Sequential released prophet 5 module, which is same price level then prophet 6 module, so I think decision point is really the filter modes on 5 vs effects on 6
@@gergokovacs3332 for me, the effects don’t matter. Filters on the 5 are cool, but I think what I’m more torn about is analogue modulation vs digital. I think the analog modulation sources tend to sound a lot better. I just got a used 8, and it sounds amazing, but the resolution of the lfos and the pots controlling the envelope seems kinda low and modulation isn’t quite as smooth, and you don’t have as much control. But the digital control gives you so much more modulation options to make deeper and more interesting patches on the 6, and the 08 for that matter.
@@Space_pulse the modulation is the same on both of these.. they both have digital envelopes and lfo, and analog poly mod. The Rev 2, pro 3, and take 5 all don't have poly mod and are cheaper since there is no analog modulation signals.
@@wurlinnawurl thanks for clearing that up. I was assuming the reissue synths were all analogue through and through cuz of how they market them as 100% analog. I ended up getting a Take 5 and love it, though. I feel like the modulation is a bit higher resolution that the Prophet 08 was. Maybe some more interpolation going on or something? Maybe just my imagination. Great synth. Hard to go wrong with anything that says Dave Smith or Sequential on it.
Interesting ... and nicely done. I've listened on two different interface/amp/speaker sound setups. I'm not in the market for either, but if I was, to my cloth ears there's little I am hearing to choose either ... so features and form-factor would make it a P6 desktop regardless of cost ... and that's a big difference too!
Personally I think it would be better to do an entire video using a recording of the Prophet 6 but advertise it as the Prophet 5...just to see the comments section.
They both sound amazing, but honestly none sound bad in any regard. Definitely indistinguishable in a mix too. Probably stick to the P6 for the price tbh.
Touche! Smart move. Yeah, Im keeping my OB (which I love) and eyeing the Matriarch. Thinking about selling the Sub37 CV for the Matriarch. The Sub is a great synth, I just want the added flexibility of the Matriarch. Just a matter of personal choice. P6 module may be in the mix at some point.
It's amazing how the brain works... The main point I learn from this video is that listening to something and actively playing on the machines are two very distinct animals. I still feel that playing my P5 Rev4 and my P6 are very different activities... But admittedly, when I listen back, I couldn't tell the difference...
P6 sounds clearer and more focused. P10 sounds more warm and hazy. I guess it depends which of those you like more and what features you want. Otherwise they sound very similar.
I’m glad you did this video because the blind test made me realize that the p10 is a bit fuller sounding in the chords. I missed the first test, but got the next 4 100% correct, so hopefully it means I have good ears 😇
Has anyone notice that the Prophet 5/10 and the Prophet 6 have different saw waveforms? The Prophet 6 has a normal saw waveform (increasing), the Prophet 5/10 has a ramp saw (or inverse saw) waveform instead as shown here in the video.
6:15 I got all of those filter sweeps right but the other tests: just random, very hard to distinguish. The reason was they sounded different at 6:15+ but it may be because he didn't catch all the harmonics at the end on the P6 or maybe he did. The P5/P10 filter sweep seemed to run a little more slowly so it was easy to tell IMO.
I had the same questions you did on Julian's video, and at the time chalked it up to my laptop speakers. So I watched this one on my studio monitors. I found even when my guesses were *statistically significant* above 50/50, identifying them correctly just pushed my brain into confirmation bias. Like, identifying it correctly is the game, but my brain tried to make it about which one sounded better. And funnily enough, the ones where I thought I was basing my choices on which one sounded better, it was much more close to coin flipping.
I have the original P5, and I tried the P6 several times thinking I would get the modern version as a replacement (and end up with extra cash for other gear). But the P5 just sounds better. This video confirms my impression even though I admit it's often very close.
I didn’t participate for any of the sounds that I disliked and would never use. But I did participate with the sounds I like (resonant sweep, etc) and I was 100% correct on all of them. The 10 sounded better on every example. It also just looks so much better. I look at a P6 and have zero interest in playing one and wouldn’t buy it even for $1000. The P10 is constantly tempting me since it came out despite knowing that I don’t need it and have all the poly analog I need.
I got most of the ones I heard but the strings and PWM ones all sounded similar. I will admit that watching the J3PO video ang him playing the boards does influence the way I originally heard the sound.
p6 triangle is killer, nailed that test, others i don't know (worse than 50/50), numbering of the takes would help, sometimes it is hard to distinguish which sample is which, and i like 1/2 filter sweep :)
Reminds me of this upload with a blind test between Repro-5 and a Prophet-5, when I was looking at the Prophet-5 I 'felt' it should be warmer and it influenced my choices, but blind it was much harder to tell the two apart. The only 'easy' one here was the filter test as the Prophet-5/10 has quite a hiss to it, of course I'll put money on people swearing the difference is night and day ;) Great stuff (both of you).
Great blind test!!! 👍🏻👏🏻The most effective element of differentiation between the two is the P5 is noisier than the P6. Now that the P6 has the Vintage mode the main rational difference is the interface. Although I think the keyboard size and interface of the P5 is a huge factor in favor of P5, I just dream of a P6 Rev2 with big knobs and 61 notes keyboard (and why not polyphonic aftertouch). ❤️🙏🏻
If you’ve never listened to the comparison of OG Prophet 5 vs the oft maligned Prophet 08 done by Inhalt, it may surprise you. Also, thanks for pointing out that if you get half right, it means you couldn’t tell AT ALL. People seem to not understand statistics and what they mean.
I find it easier to spot the difference in the bass notes. Sounds like the 10 has more growl/attitude in the low end. Maybe that's just my headphones/ears though. I have to admit, the release of the 5/10 has slightly spoiled the 6 for me (which I already had a hard time justifying the cost of). Even though I like most of the 6's extra features, I think I'd always regret not having the Rev 4's slight edge in sound and better looks. Although, if they added a vintage option to the 6, that would kill much of the FOMO.
Hey mr loopop this is a bit off topic, but I'm curious if the Roland UM-ONE-MK2 would be what I need to attach a roland jp-08 and/or volca beats into Ableton on my PC. I have an ASIO 2 in 2 out soundcard. I also have the 1/4 inch and 3.5mm little adapters
I enjoyed the original video but noted that he never quite matched the gain. 🤔 as such it was easy on some of these comparisons to spot the slightly quieter 6. 🤓 that being said I suspect that all this attention will boost sales of both and as much as I’d love to have the 10 for ‘vintagy-vibey-goodness’ the similarities in sound and the 6’s extra features would point me in that direction 🙃
It’s crucial that the P5 have some patches with the Rev1, 2, and 3 autotunes. The autotunes make the most difference. If comparing the P6 and P5 (with CEM filter selected) and both are using the modern autotune they will most likely sound very much the same.
It was easy to hear a difference in the filter sweep because one went lower than the other. Could hear a clear difference in the polyphony test too, but only in the test cases which had more than 6 notes. Otherwise, I would never know the difference between the two. Some things were a little different, but not enough that I'd ever notice it in a mix. Given the extra features and lower price of the P6, I'd call it a clear winner. It's more for less. That said though, the P5/P6 has never really been my thing. I'm more into the sounds of the Pro2 / Pro3.
Perhaps using studio cans it'd be easier to tell a difference. But I listened in more of an average listening environment, so the differences weren't usually big enough to matter.
I have no idea how but I somehow got almost all of these correct. I can definitively say I *can* tell the difference in a blind test and that I like the Prophet-5/10 more; the bass tones are just richer on that synth compared to the Prophet-6.
The Prophet 5 has a rounder, fuller pleasing sound to it's low end. My vote goes to the Prophet 5/10 but they both sound grand. I think the Prophet 6 is a better choice for anyone who wants more sound design options and still have the Prophet synth bragging rights.
@@lowstaar no there was just a filter issue that was fixed early on. There is no issue now but yes the p10 is slightly noisier but can easily be eq’d. I think it’s just cuz it’s a “spicier” synth that can be cut if needed
is there a reason why the 10 has more high noise- especially audible on the filter test? hopefully this is a recording artefact and not from the synth?
I gave up after Saw #2. Obviously intelligible to my ears! I own a Prophet 6 and am happy it's not too far of at all. Had the 5/10 been released this time last year, I would most definitely have gone for it! Personally, the only other PolySynth I would consider would be one of; a faithful modern ANALOG!! replica of the ALL 3 Jupiter models made by Roland themselves ( i swear there missing out big time on this market for us hardware lovers and the next generation wondering what we 70's kids grew up with). A great demonstration as always dude, very informative :) xx
Is it really no one hearing the big difference in the oscillators? I own both. The P6 osc sound "smeared" in comparison to the P5. Just going through presets you get wowed on p5 which you don't on p6!
I was right only about 1/2 the time. I think what you are buying with the P5 and P10 is the form factor, the history of buying a close reproduction of the original 80's icon keyboard, like buying a restored classic car for the weekend drives. Perhaps if and when gigging returns to civilization, and if one could afford it, take the P6 out for gigging as it's smaller and lighter, and keep the 5/10 in the studio or back home as I think J3PO I think himself suggested.
Some categories I picked 100% but others I'd miss. Some I got 100% backwards. Will say that I could hear a broadband whitenoise in the P10 example. Very faint hiss. Wondering if that was J3PO inputs or from the P10?
Hi, I use MOscilloscope and MAnalyzer by a company called Melda - they’re free with some limitations in the MFreeFXBundle. Occasionaly I’ll use scopes by VCV
Part of what I noticed with headphones on is that the 10's envelope seems to be a bit more ballsy in the transients. Almost like every time keys are played you are catching the waveform at an unready state in the cycle. That would almost be as if the sound of the patch is constantly running and you are only revealing or releasing it like a dog that is just dying to chase a rabbit by hitting the keys. The 6 sounds a bit more curated or kept, slightly more prim and proper. Overall the 10 sounds slightly brighter and more wide open free, and has some kind razor silkiness quality to its over all tonal character. I love them both and I think I am getting a 6 soon as for my uses in the studio and live it has more utility.
The vintage algorithms on the P5/10 are what set it apart, no question, particularly as the emulation in the P5/10 goes beyond VCO drift and into areas cuch as simulation of analogue ADSR behaviour that changes according to the filter being used. That's where the mojo comes from, and other hardware manufactuers have also realised this. Software developers realised it a long time ago. The SSM filter circuit is the other big difference. Both synths are otherwise surface-mount PCB analogue synths with pretty tight analogue electronics. Physical size and presence is also what you're paying for in the P5/10, and there's a significant cost bump when making an instrument of that size and scale. Personally, I'd rather have a Polybrute and program my own 'vintage' ;)
Unfortunately, like the excellent videos by J3PO and loopop, your comment didn‘t age well due to the vintage function on the P 6. ;) As for your last sentence: agreed. I have a PolyBrute plus Repro-5 and am happy with it.
I could not convincingly tell them apart. However, the filter sweep is revealing. It sounds like the prophet 10 has less low end extension than the prophet 6.
Awesome blind test! There's generally more noise in the P10 compared to the P6, but in terms of tone, I think I prefer the P6 to the P10. If only the P6 had 8-voice polyphony, but it seems that Behringer will be covering that for us soon.
P5/10 has noise so it is very easy to define it in the blind test (which is good tho). P6 filter sound not so good and some waveforms has strange high frequency sizzle. But dat noise in p5/p10 ((((
I didn't forget it, I mention in the beginning there are mix and modulation differences between the two, and refer people to J3PO's video, which discusses this and other mix and mod features.
Really comes down to whether you need the ten voice polyphony. About 50/50 which I prefer - and no way in hell I can afford both. I've a 600 that I was going to trade. May be the 6 is more sensible than the 10!
The p5/p10 has a certain something that I can't nail but telling them apart became easier as the comparisons progressed. The filter (especially with the vintage knob) has a better spread.
I found it very easy to tell the difference. I can't find it in the comments but has anyone else noticed the noise that is ever-present in the P10? I wonder if it is test equipment related or intrinsic to the synth. The same noise is there for the P6 but goes away as soon as it's played.
Hi, I use MOscilloscope and MAnalyzer by a company called Melda - they’re free with some limitations in the MFreeFXBundle. Occasionaly I’ll use scopes by VCV
To nick a favourite saying, for me the filter sweep on the Prophet10 had the more ‘sing song harmonic’ quality than the P6. I preferred the filter on the P10 but some of the chord sounds I preferred the P6
I have both of these and I have to admit that for the first week or two I was surprised how close they were and even had minor arguments about it. I was almost certain that live or on a recording I wouldn't be able to hear the difference. That being said, after spending a lot more time with the P10, it definitely has sonic advantages once you factor out stereo and effects. I can tell the difference in the room (anecdotal, I realize). Obviously the P10 is this wonderful big nostalgic thing to look at as well. That being said I did get a couple of these wrong so who knows? The experience of programming/playing the P10 with the improved keybed, extra octave and greater overall 'throw' distance with the knobs makes it a more full experience. Does that matter to you? Maybe, maybe not. Still wouldn't sell the 6 unless I really needed to (it's my main live synth...if shows ever come back). I was impressed with it when it came out and it hasn't lost any favor over time even with the arrival of its big sibling. An interesting discussion all-around.
I was able to tell with the filter on on a phone speaker so I definitely want the 5 or 10 even more now and will use the U-He Repro if I want to save money :p
Yes, I had the feeling that the 5/10 had more harmonics than the 6! I’m not sure idea if my explanation is correct, but I felt that the 5/10 had definitely a richer sound, even though it was slightly richer.
Tried the filter part blindly just to see and failed miserably. The rest I didn't care about as much as I wasn't expecting anything. But yes, they sound so close that it doesn't matter. My rule of thumb: if it makes less of a difference than changing guitar strings, then don't worry about it.
I thought the 6 picked out a few more harmonics here and there, maybe the 6 has a hint more midrange in its filter (tiny !!!) I often think that these type of demos are put together by people who are bias one way or another so an empthesis is always put on proving something they feel should be proved ! In this case it's an even match so why spend ££££ more, and in another demo it's the opposite ! You only really know the truth owning both yourself
It´s always the same: it´s bean counting. And it´s the same with the cult about old synths, especially analogue synths. In the end I wished that people would spend more time for practicing piano than looking for that tiny differences between synths. And if they would do so I would guarantee that there would be a huge difference between their previous and current skills - and that means: they would sound way better.
At the start i got only half right but after half the video i got everything right. Still those differences are not to quality of sound i think but just a bit different in shape. Since i allready got a REV2 i wont buy anyone still, Maybe ill try to swap the REV2 in future but it will take some more time to play through the REV2 ;)
Inducing ear fatigue in order to create similarities isn't a good comparison. Also as the original video states, its not the similarities that are of importance to each instrument. Unless you want to save money. However if you want to save money don't buy a prophet, you'll probably be happy with something much cheaper. But if you hear the differences and feel like that degree of expression is important to you then you have to have one and the P10 is really going to nail that down for you. The P6 is more balanced, offering a lot more tools for a complete sound design experience in one synth. Personally, I'd rather invest in the 10 and then source my own effects and utilities. That raw sound is going to go a lot further and sound utterly jaw dropping in the right conditions. The original video shows this with the filter and vintage comparisons to which no synth can come close to in its price range.
If you really, really pay attention the 6 is a tiny bit sharper. I don’t think enough to cut through a mix. Once you add the filters the difference becomes even less noticeable, you need really good pair of headphones, however the 10 seems a bit noisier.
Strangest thing - for the test at 3:31, I could hear the difference even on my lowly laptop speakers. The '10' seemed to have a 1-octave lower artifact. Both good, but surprised I could hear it on such a small speaker.
