my friend had one of these, and I was playing in the wildest punk band in Hollywood at the time (Twister Naked) and one night around 1997, the singer and I took a 8 hour trip down trips Ville while our friend made that prophecy sound like drops of water falling into an infinite pool of water. In the morning when the sun came up, I was a synth junky nerd. I started selling some of my guitars and stuff and embarked on the synth junkie lifestyle of obsession. I always wanted one but never got one. Great vid like usual.
I bought a Prophecy. I walked into a music store and somebody was playing it. It was one of those 'wow' moments I rarely experience nowadays. Mine got stolen in a burglary in 2000, but I still maintain that the Prophecy's modulation log and ribbon strip make for one of the most expressive synths you'll find. The closest keyboard players will get to lead guitar - as The Prodigy demonstrated.
I Recently purchased a Korg Z1 which is a polyphonic version of the Prophecy and it's been a blast! A truly powerful machine and a great bang for the buck in today's market. I will admit though, that it is quite difficult and confusing to make custom presets on the tiny LCD screen and limited controls, but it's definitely still doable after a bit of practice.
I really don't understand the Z1's lack of fandom. It has great playability, plenty of real-time tweaking options (including the middle knobs that can easily be setup to control multiple destinations) and a pretty unique set of sound engines. It doesn't have a "fat" sound but what it does, it does really well. Why is it not liked?
The Z1 LCD is literally FOUR times the size of the Prophecy's, PLUS it's fully graphical. Even full workstations and suoer complex synths, by various major manufacturers, used the identical display until 2015, or later (around 20 years after Z1). Korg still uses it on Kross, a full workstation/advanced synth.
I bought one of these in 1997 and I still have it. It’s so complicated, but it opened the world to what you can do with one synth voice. I have the plugin version now, but have to play it with the vintage for full effect. Fun fact: they originally were going to make it a keytar. The odd shape makes much more sense with that in mind.
Once again a gear I ever heared about its like a sound/ gear history channel and the best Audio Piltz is already a legend and so good and fun to explain everything to a novise as me. Every friday is my gearday. Love Audio Pilz.
catching up on back episodes today while working late-ish on a us friday. Of all of the songs that you have produced for this channel that i have heard...this is by far my favorite! You put the keyboard in a very good light!
This thing was digital 90s badassery. Just bought another Triton after selling my original version 18 years ago - going to stick a (now very pricey!!) EXB-MOSS board in it and rave my face off.
"I assume people would self medicate to this" - well, you're not wrong and I feel called out. This was one of those dream synths years ago, when I had the Korg Triton. In fact the MOSS expansion board was built on the tech from OASYS which if I recall was how the Prophecy, Z1 and this expander board came to be. I was never able to source one (let alone afford it after spending £2k on a Triton lol)... and regretted it to this day. If I get spare cash and a Z1 comes up on the market - I'd buy it in a heartbeat. The Korg Prophecy sold me on the modelling synthesis, but that menu and manual - ouch.
Awesome video. I am not so much into synths but I watched and enjoyed it thoroughtly. Probably because of funny memes and good jokes. Keep it up bro. Good luck
Just recently replaced the audio out Jack's on my prophecy (Prophecy is notorious for those jacks coming lose from the board) Anyway, it's a great machine and I was happy to give it some love.
I kept coming back & watching this video one too many times. I finally caved in & just ordered my own Prophecy, there really isn't anything that quite sounds the same. I also got a midi librarian/editor to keep my sanity intact (i hope). You win again Florian! 😆
Have you considered doing a video about the MC-101 or 707? I just bought a 707 yesterday and it has been an amazing machine to work with so far, but with plenty of strange design choices and oddities to justify an episode.
You had me laughing so hard !!!! Very funny and clever video!! I used to have one back in the day ....i wonder how many owners used to create sounds from scratch...i am guessing the bulk would just mess around with the presets but correct me if I'm wrong ...all in all a total disaster to edit but nice sounds
Nooooooooooo this was my first ever synth in the 90's - paid $90 a week for like a year on min wage at the time. I absolutely loved it, great sound for the era and really unique tones from the presets, but yeah it sucked for bass and the programming was just Nope ! Loved the vid as always brother - thanks so much for making every Friday that much more fun !!
When the Prophecy came out, I was going to school and playing drums semi-professionally. Drum gear was the financial priority, but I wanted that thing so bad. I nearly pulled the trigger but thought better of it. I don’t regret that choice because I acquired a Minimoog months later (for half the price of the Korg). Selling that minimoog is a major regret though. 😂 Still that Korg Prophecy was mind-blowing at the time, at least for me.
6:50 Your VERY dry left hand thumb is introducing some nasty "aliasing artifacts" as it skips across the ribbon surface. I recommend eating a healthy portion of Stelze, sans utensils, before a reshoot of this scene - for a much smoother operation of this device! 😄
This thing sounds fucking KILLER, I'd be hunting one down right now if I had the funds to burn. Maybe after Christmas. Where would I be without Bad Gear??
Also, any solo synth that was cool enough for Zawinul (”the baddest MF”) is cool enough for me. I have the MOSS expansion in my Triton Studio, isn’t it the same?
the Prophecy has wave shaping that is lacking in the Moss plus i've read the Moss doesn't have the same edge. I have the Prophecy, as well as it's VST, and the VST is fine but it doesn't posses the same depth or power...but still fun to play with and it has a poly mode 😁
Totally agree - it sounds ancient and futuristic at the same time, and has bags of character; Korg would make a killing reissuing this (with a better screen)
@@allanroneyThe Solo-Tri Prophecy expansion board for Trinity gives you huge touchscreen for programming ease (plus lots of other improvements over the Prophecy minisynth).
@@AudioPilz I may be mistaken, but there might be an editor for it that should make it a more enjoyable experience. Sound Quest is always an option if you are so inclined to take advantage. Patch Base has one as well I believe for Mac and iPad.
@@AudioPilz there was a PC sysex editor that had a great UI - unfortunately my license no longer works as I guess the server shut down in 2005 or something. Mine is presets only now !
@@AudioPilz Ken Danger (332 The Rhumba of the Beast) could just change your mind, stick this through a good distortion pedal and industrial metal this thing !!! Alex Ball might have his number still !!
Seriously, how do you achieve this productivity? Your throwing out 3 jams in every video, and everything sounds so good. Just how? And of course: just wow!
The Prophesy was one of my first synths. It’s a very deep machine with a very capable arpeggiator. It also worked great as my master controller for my external gear. Loved it.
The prophecy was my first synth. In the 9th grade I did an internship at a German province music shop just because they had one there. They even borrowed me the manual. With 14 I did my confirmation (as an atheist I'd certainly go to hell for this) to afford one for 1450 DM. Up to this day I could program the Prophecy with blindfolded eyes. Not every aspect aged well. But there are certain sounds you can hardly achieve otherwise.
Dude that was impressive.. the manual on that thing is crazy. we borrowed it from a friend, we had it for 2 years & felt like we had only just scratched the surface..
20 years ago, I was desperately looking for the long discontinued Prophecy when I found a brand new Korg Z1 in an unopened package. It's basically a Prophecy but with 12-voice polyphony. It definitely has a very unique sound. The Trumpet is easily the BEST emulation I've ever heard and with the large ribbon, it's expressive to a degree where it's hard to tell it from the real thing.
Speaking about 90s instruments, @AudioPilz, how about the Yamaha Romplers, MU50, MU80 and such? Would be interested in your opinion on those... ;) (side note: i have a DB50XG daughterboard laying around, which basically is a MU50 stripped off all UI - still trying to code a µC based UI for it to use it standalone)
What an absolute winner… the Prophecy is brilliant and extremely expressive. I got mine in ‘97 and carried it around with me on a date with my then girlfriend… the great thing is that my Prophecy is still in my studio upsetting my neighbours and my girlfriend could see the writing on the wall and married me anyway both are still happy with the arrangement. What took you so long to review this korg gem… I think the last korg you liked was the microkorg so are we to wait another couple of years for the hipster eclipse of another magic korg. It’s getting a bit regular. Hey your keyboard skills are improving probably Because of the bigger keys. I prefer this to the Z1 Great video 👍☢️
the 90s VA synths are beginning to really have a nostalgic sound of their own. the prophecy prices have been escalating in Brazil with no sign of stopping the tide...
It looks like an abomination, something a mother would not even love, yet I want one. Why? WHY Florian? WHY! You've brought this unwanted creation to my attention, and I hate it as much as I love it, and now I want one. Ah. Pilz speaking (This is a word for Beer). Have a great weekend and thanks for introducing us all to something we cant possibly want but...have to have.
"Can it still hold up today?". Actually the question is, "can today's gear match this?". When i play my Prophecy it feels like I've got the real deal in my hands (and ears) while modern synths are clones trying to imitate its (and others) sounds.
Hey man, been binging this series and saw the new vid so I thought I'd drop a comment. When I was younger I would watch synth content while not understanding it. Now I know slightly more than absolutely nothing about music. The way you explain this shit is really digestible, even for an audio normie like me. Good work man, I appreciate this channel a lot
The humor and style make it easy to miss what an amazing job Bad Gear does when breaking down the functions and features of the instruments. Honestly these videos are more informative and useful than 99% of the "in-depth" reviews other channels have made of the same gear.
The prophecy was the first great VA synth imo. Honestly, probably my favorite digital synth of the 90s. Sure, hard to create new sounds, but the presets were insanely good for the time.
Growing up in the Age Of The Workstation, the prophecy was the first synth I played that didn’t sound like Yanni. Rather, the presets sounded like something on a Depechmode, Tangerine Dream, or Hawkwind album. I think that was the moment I truely became a synth enthusiast.
the Prophecy can generate very complex and fresh sounds, I usually combine it with my modular, or my odysee, it was so ahead of its time that the interface was not ready for its capabilities, it requires patience but it is not bad, it happens that we have become accustomed to the easy thing, to touch two knobs and let the machine do everything for us ...thanks for this review !! 😃😃
You are definitely NOT and "Amateur Knob Twiddler" (lol!) - as you stated on at the 9:10 mark. You are an accomplished musical artist! Another amazing video! Thank You!
The Prophecy is the only piece of gear that I sold at one point (because changes in artistic approach), only to get another one later. True one-of-its-kind thing.
I have owned two Korg Prophecies. I really wish I still had one. Back in the nineties they were also big with people making industrial and EBM mainly because of the arpeggiator and also the aggressive distorted leads and basses. In fact I remember going to gigs and Camden and it seemed to be di rigueur for the keyboard player in any self respecting industrial band to have a Korg Prophecy and an EMU Audity 2000 in their rigs.
Wow! Prophecy was my first synth, bought it in '95 second hand. I still have it and still use it. Absolutely love its sonic palette, and patching it isn't too bad once you get used to it. Ctrl panel also has a plugin for programming Prophecy.
My mate (who I just threw this video at) had one at uni in the late 90s, we spent soooooo long trying to figure it out. I can't even remember if there was a manual - there were definitely a lot of late nights, much head scratching over sysex, a few dodgy copies of Cakewalk, many missed lectures and some really terrible soapbar 🙂 He just told me he gave it to a neighbour about ten years ago 😭
The 90s were full of synths pushing the boundaries digitally and the Prophecy is very much a love/hate instrument. I think we need a Badgear episode on the Yamaha EX5/EX5R, another synth trying to do a lot… great episode!
Those EX5 sample load times.......almost as fast as loading a game on the Commodore 64 via tape. It did sound great though, had the EX7 and did many complete tracks on it
Under rated synth Moi je l'adore Pour moi, meilleur synthé digital monophonique au monde Je prefere les Analos, mais lui tot comme l'Alesis ION ont une place de choix dans mon studio Super vidéo And the best editor for Win XP is progenie
The Prophesy was right with the Nord Lead in bringing “ analog “ subtractive synthesis back into the music production zeitgeist. The Korg VST is great and brought back a lot of the joy of its engine. I do miss the ribbon wheel however . It would be fantastic if Korg brought this synth back beefed up a bit in its Wavestate / Modwave /Opsix platform with that ribbon wheel intact .
This episode was awesome! Definitely a synth I forgot about in its obscurity!!! I would love it if Behringer were to recreate this one but make it a 6 voice poly!!
Amateur knob twiddles indeed!! I bought one of these when they launched, paying ONE THOUSAND quid for it (if you don’t know what a quid is, it’s the same as a smackeroonie) - I already had a 101 and hoped the Korg would give me a different sound. It did exactly that, but was so complex I ended up using mostly presets. It did sound (and does sound) wonderful at what it does and it was lovely to be reminded of the virtual winds and plucks you demonstrated in this video, so thank you as always - great honest and transparent reviews! I ended up selling it in the late 90s for much less than half of what I had paid ….
Stick with Roland, the manufacturer that keeps on giving. The Prodigy used The Prophecy and I have one, I know I own a lot of bad gear, but surely this synth is forgiven it’s short falls because of the sounds and programming possibilities it contains.
The Prophecy was my first real synth. It was a lot of fun. Ended up eventually selling it to finance a Z1ex, which I still have today. But there was something about the Prophecy that was a lot more immediate than the Z1 that I still miss to this day.
For anyone with a prophecy who didn't know: if you adjust or modulate the noise pre filter in the Comb oscillator and clip the output max, adjusting the comb feedback morphs between gritty random pulses and straight metal head grind noise. Tune the filter to the keys and morph between granular sine with the filter set to near max resonance and cello like bowed string tones. The comb can be set up as a physical modeling oscillator with the right modulation mapping. I've definitely made more convincing distorted guitar leads using combed saw and noise relegated to transient plucking effect and serial filter arrangement. This synth is silly powerful, and I wish I hadn't loaned it out. With a DAW this is practically the only sound design tool needed for every sort of sound, once you've memorized the maze or gotten the right editor, VST plugin you say. That would make this beast a real asset to those who get dizzy looking at the green on green and clicking the red glowing domes. I actually swapped the original nobs out for better older looking things. Didn't improve the looks but made grabbing those slippery rounded hamburger bun assignable nobs obsolete.
This review is spot on. I had one of these. Some of my favorite sounds ever were made on it. Back then I had soundiver to program it and it was still a pain point. I haven't really missed it... until I saw this of course. Thanks for the flashback!
Once again, Florian is ticking all the boxes and shows, no matter how much you despise all the worlds most hated audio tools: If you ain't got it, you ain't got it. No matter how bad your gear is...
Audiopilz: *slaps roof of YT channel*
Full Tracks, Extended Jams, Sample Packs: www.patreon.com/audiopilz
Agree 💯
I wonder if the Meeblip line, from the SE to the Anode, Geode, and Triode would make for a great episode series
most normal people aren't synth nerds.
@@fdarchives_ well they bloody well should be.
@docwhammo z1 was like prophecy's big bro right? (totally forgot about the Z1!) any negative differences?
How can this channel not have a million subscribers already? It's an absolute crime.
I agree!!! (Thanks;)
Maybe the Synthicate prevented it...
Yeah, I've said the same before too. Somthings fishy!! 🤔
Absolute true. But time will come I suppose
I've told all two of my synth friends about it, so I'm doing my part.
my friend had one of these, and I was playing in the wildest punk band in Hollywood at the time (Twister Naked) and one night around 1997, the singer and I took a 8 hour trip down trips Ville while our friend made that prophecy sound like drops of water falling into an infinite pool of water. In the morning when the sun came up, I was a synth junky nerd. I started selling some of my guitars and stuff and embarked on the synth junkie lifestyle of obsession. I always wanted one but never got one. Great vid like usual.
I love to hear about moments of epiphany like this! Thanks!
This is an amazing story!
@@spkoftdvl ya , it was an amazing moment. I hated synths until that moment haha . but then, it was all clear and understood.
I bought a Prophecy. I walked into a music store and somebody was playing it. It was one of those 'wow' moments I rarely experience nowadays. Mine got stolen in a burglary in 2000, but I still maintain that the Prophecy's modulation log and ribbon strip make for one of the most expressive synths you'll find. The closest keyboard players will get to lead guitar - as The Prodigy demonstrated.
Yeah, the lead guitar is strong in this one!
I Recently purchased a Korg Z1 which is a polyphonic version of the Prophecy and it's been a blast! A truly powerful machine and a great bang for the buck in today's market. I will admit though, that it is quite difficult and confusing to make custom presets on the tiny LCD screen and limited controls, but it's definitely still doable after a bit of practice.
Nice one!!!
I really don't understand the Z1's lack of fandom. It has great playability, plenty of real-time tweaking options (including the middle knobs that can easily be setup to control multiple destinations) and a pretty unique set of sound engines. It doesn't have a "fat" sound but what it does, it does really well. Why is it not liked?
The Z1 LCD is literally FOUR times the size of the Prophecy's, PLUS it's fully graphical. Even full workstations and suoer complex synths, by various major manufacturers, used the identical display until 2015, or later (around 20 years after Z1). Korg still uses it on Kross, a full workstation/advanced synth.
I bought one of these in 1997 and I still have it. It’s so complicated, but it opened the world to what you can do with one synth voice. I have the plugin version now, but have to play it with the vintage for full effect.
Fun fact: they originally were going to make it a keytar. The odd shape makes much more sense with that in mind.
Yeah, like the Korg 707
The beauty of the prophecy is that it makes the VA a synthesis style of its own. Like FM, PWM, and so on.
Agreed!
Once again a gear I ever heared about its like a sound/ gear history channel and the best Audio Piltz is already a legend and so good and fun to explain everything to a novise as me. Every friday is my gearday. Love Audio Pilz.
Thank you so much!!!❤️❤️❤️
catching up on back episodes today while working late-ish on a us friday. Of all of the songs that you have produced for this channel that i have heard...this is by far my favorite! You put the keyboard in a very good light!
Thank you so much!!!
Thank you, AudioPilz, for all the work you put into this video. My Prophecy is bent from someone jumping on it. I love it
Thank you so much!!!
This one was an absolute gem. How have I never heard of this one??
It's an underground legend!
Too young maybe? Anyway.. keep exploring, it is funny state to be
I really liked my time with the Prophecy in the late 90's!
Nice!
Same here, I made some good BigBeat and Ambient stuff with this synth, which is so 90ies.
Got this synth in 96, still think it's one of the most sexy looking. Sounds good too.
Definitely not in it for the looks either;)
I never would have thought that The Prophecy was bad gear. It even was used for that badass acid line in Smack My Bitch Up!
It's all over Fat of the Land
This thing was digital 90s badassery. Just bought another Triton after selling my original version 18 years ago - going to stick a (now very pricey!!) EXB-MOSS board in it and rave my face off.
Nice!!!
"I assume people would self medicate to this" - well, you're not wrong and I feel called out. This was one of those dream synths years ago, when I had the Korg Triton. In fact the MOSS expansion board was built on the tech from OASYS which if I recall was how the Prophecy, Z1 and this expander board came to be. I was never able to source one (let alone afford it after spending £2k on a Triton lol)... and regretted it to this day. If I get spare cash and a Z1 comes up on the market - I'd buy it in a heartbeat. The Korg Prophecy sold me on the modelling synthesis, but that menu and manual - ouch.
Yeah, the Z1 is such a powerful instrument!
Brilliant stuff every time !
Thank you!!!
Awesome video. I am not so much into synths but I watched and enjoyed it thoroughtly. Probably because of funny memes and good jokes. Keep it up bro. Good luck
Thank you so much!!!
Prodigy used this on a lot of the tracks on fat of the land. So it made it's way into once underground anthem classics. Still looks hideous though 😆
It seems like Liam Howlett was happy when it finally broke;)
@@AudioPilz lol. Probably for the best
I can't believe you didn't show the "smackmybitchup" preset. But the dancing Dark Souls clips fron The Pruld confirm you are still a man of culture.
That Pruld clip had me rofling. Thanks!
Just recently replaced the audio out Jack's on my prophecy (Prophecy is notorious for those jacks coming lose from the board) Anyway, it's a great machine and I was happy to give it some love.
They're more or less inherently broken;)
I kept coming back & watching this video one too many times. I finally caved in & just ordered my own Prophecy, there really isn't anything that quite sounds the same. I also got a midi librarian/editor to keep my sanity intact (i hope). You win again Florian! 😆
Thanks!!! Nice!!!
1:41 I'm surprised you didn't include video from Trombone Champ for this part. It would have fit perfectly.
True that! A missed opportunity!
The Volca Wavestation is amusing :)
I really liked that one
Have you considered doing a video about the MC-101 or 707? I just bought a 707 yesterday and it has been an amazing machine to work with so far, but with plenty of strange design choices and oddities to justify an episode.
Great suggestions, these are moving up my list!
I still remember the first time I saw somebody play one in a live set. Punisher. Michelle got one, when it came out.
Cool!
You had me laughing so hard !!!! Very funny and clever video!! I used to have one back in the day ....i wonder how many owners used to create sounds from scratch...i am guessing the bulk would just mess around with the presets but correct me if I'm wrong
...all in all a total disaster to edit but nice sounds
Thank you!!!
Holy Crap i've been waiting for you to cover this synth since I found your channel haha. makes me wish I still had mine :')
Nice! I hope it was worth the wait!
Nooooooooooo this was my first ever synth in the 90's - paid $90 a week for like a year on min wage at the time. I absolutely loved it, great sound for the era and really unique tones from the presets, but yeah it sucked for bass and the programming was just Nope !
Loved the vid as always brother - thanks so much for making every Friday that much more fun !!
Thanks! Have a nice weekend!
Fuck the anxiety of owning this thing kicked in while watching this. I'm glad I got it sold.
Yeah, fear of the menu is real;)
OH GOD IT'S SO FUNKY AND SO 90S I WANT ONE
damn you audiopilz for making me want a damn lego hotdog
Mmmmmh, Lego hot dog;)
Think of what this could have become if it had an ARP 2600 interface with all the patch options...whew...
Yeah, it's mind blowing
When the Prophecy came out, I was going to school and playing drums semi-professionally. Drum gear was the financial priority, but I wanted that thing so bad. I nearly pulled the trigger but thought better of it. I don’t regret that choice because I acquired a Minimoog months later (for half the price of the Korg). Selling that minimoog is a major regret though. 😂 Still that Korg Prophecy was mind-blowing at the time, at least for me.
Nice, Minimoog. That was worth it;)
This synth + this channel = kismet
🙏
Not sure why... But, I always wanted this synth
Same here. Not so sure any more;)
damn i remember lusting after the Prophecy back in the day, but always knew it would be totally impractical for me
Yeah, it's the stuff of legends!
Ah yes, the Enner: a paragon of intuitive and easy-to-use UI.
I'd love to see a Bad Gear episode on it but I haven't seen many complaints about it. Oh well.
I'd say the Enner comes from a different reality;)
6:50 Your VERY dry left hand thumb is introducing some nasty "aliasing artifacts" as it skips across the ribbon surface. I recommend eating a healthy portion of Stelze, sans utensils, before a reshoot of this scene - for a much smoother operation of this device! 😄
I know, I got super sensitive skin. I treat it very nicely but each time I touch any sharp edges you will see it in 4K;)
Still waiting for you to do Playtime Engineering's Blipblox. Or the Blipblox After Dark.
Great suggestion, thanks!
@@AudioPilz Nice.
Uhhhh, yeah. Now I want one. Thanks.
Always a pleasure;)
Watching this, I miss my Prophecy so deeply.
You haven't tried to program it in a while then;)
Mmmm Angelica Houston as Morticia. I'm just here because I need a little pepper for my chicken... can't touch this 90's.
Mmmmmh, pepper chicken...
It sounds fuckin awesome!
😀
Absolut Hammergeil....
😀😀😀
It sounds great, but without an online editor, it's unlikely most will get much further than twiddling presets (Inc me! :[])
This thing can be quite a challenge!
This sure is something, this one. It looks like a workstation, but it's mono, and it's just stinkin' virtual analog and a couple other whatevers.
I like that stank quite a bit;)
I at least figured out about the Z1
*punches air* still not got a board for my triton extreme 88 yet, but softvare I do have (yeh it’s the MOSS board, but it’s the same ish.
Software will do;)
@@AudioPilz yup. At the prices they’re at software will
Hermann Hesse reference👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
😀😀😀
I just bought one 😳
Sounds crazy, but because your reviews are so good, it can’t be long until synth companies send you gear to appear on bad gear 😂
They're still ghosting me;)
The Prophecy absolutely slayed for leads. Really fun to play as well.
A real solo synth!
This thing sounds fucking KILLER, I'd be hunting one down right now if I had the funds to burn. Maybe after Christmas. Where would I be without Bad Gear??
Also, any solo synth that was cool enough for Zawinul (”the baddest MF”) is cool enough for me. I have the MOSS expansion in my Triton Studio, isn’t it the same?
the Prophecy has wave shaping that is lacking in the Moss plus i've read the Moss doesn't have the same edge. I have the Prophecy, as well as it's VST, and the VST is fine but it doesn't posses the same depth or power...but still fun to play with and it has a poly mode 😁
This synth sounds to me te be the best synth ever featured in the series: totally unpredictable yet sonically pleasing.
👍
It really sounds odd. Love it.
Totally agree - it sounds ancient and futuristic at the same time, and has bags of character; Korg would make a killing reissuing this (with a better screen)
@@allanroneyThe Solo-Tri Prophecy expansion board for Trinity gives you huge touchscreen for programming ease (plus lots of other improvements over the Prophecy minisynth).
I need to sell my Kawai Spectra, please do a video about it :D
Oh damn, let's see if we can find an excuse for that;)
I got a softspot for Kawai 🥸
I bought a Yamaha DJX2B because of this channel. And I had it circuit bent.
@@kevinbirge2130 I have an OG DJX because of this channel. Love it
@@unclebuttonz7865me to as the of DJx I'd underated due to the six track recorder if the step sequencer looped it would be even better
Only a week after the documentary! Have you no shame? 😜
Public display of Prophecy;)
@@AudioPilz Meta.
Very fitting. We need another fairytale from 1001 Arabian Nights. What was Genie testing again?
This falls in the Badass Gear category. This, despite all of its flaws, is still a fantastic sounding and deep piece of kit that I would love to have!
I really like the sound but the UI is such a nightmare;)
@@AudioPilz I may be mistaken, but there might be an editor for it that should make it a more enjoyable experience. Sound Quest is always an option if you are so inclined to take advantage. Patch Base has one as well I believe for Mac and iPad.
@@AudioPilz there was a PC sysex editor that had a great UI - unfortunately my license no longer works as I guess the server shut down in 2005 or something. Mine is presets only now !
Yeah that's an idea - Lets have some Badass Gear episodes!
@@AudioPilz Ken Danger (332 The Rhumba of the Beast) could just change your mind, stick this through a good distortion pedal and industrial metal this thing !!! Alex Ball might have his number still !!
Seriously, how do you achieve this productivity? Your throwing out 3 jams in every video, and everything sounds so good. Just how? And of course: just wow!
Thank you so much!!! Just trying to keep things going...
Sounds really great ! By the way, congratulations for your collaboration with Alex Ball about Korg history !
Thank you!!! Alex' documentary is so great!
WOLCA!
The Prophesy was one of my first synths. It’s a very deep machine with a very capable arpeggiator. It also worked great as my master controller for my external gear. Loved it.
Great controller features!
All these earlier digi synths with abysmal displays make me ever more thankful to all those unsung heroes creating graphical SysEx editors 👏
Yeah, certainly more fun with an editor
I had a win95/98 editor - sadly it no longer works
The prophecy was my first synth. In the 9th grade I did an internship at a German province music shop just because they had one there. They even borrowed me the manual.
With 14 I did my confirmation (as an atheist I'd certainly go to hell for this) to afford one for 1450 DM.
Up to this day I could program the Prophecy with blindfolded eyes.
Not every aspect aged well. But there are certain sounds you can hardly achieve otherwise.
Nice!!!
Dude that was impressive.. the manual on that thing is crazy. we borrowed it from a friend, we had it for 2 years & felt like we had only just scratched the surface..
20 years ago, I was desperately looking for the long discontinued Prophecy when I found a brand new Korg Z1 in an unopened package. It's basically a Prophecy but with 12-voice polyphony. It definitely has a very unique sound. The Trumpet is easily the BEST emulation I've ever heard and with the large ribbon, it's expressive to a degree where it's hard to tell it from the real thing.
Nice find!
This channel is outrageously good! Love your jams and how artsy the presentations are. You are a talented artist.
Thank you so much!!!
This is it. We found the most 90s instrument!
I agree!!!
no that was the cs-80
A Quasimidi Raven appears out of nowhere. Not sure if it counts as an instrument though 😁
Speaking about 90s instruments, @AudioPilz, how about the Yamaha Romplers, MU50, MU80 and such? Would be interested in your opinion on those... ;)
(side note: i have a DB50XG daughterboard laying around, which basically is a MU50 stripped off all UI - still trying to code a µC based UI for it to use it standalone)
I thought the Ensoniq Fizmo was the most 90s synth? Most 90s-looking, anyway.
What an absolute winner… the Prophecy is brilliant and extremely expressive. I got mine in ‘97 and carried it around with me on a date with my then girlfriend… the great thing is that my Prophecy is still in my studio upsetting my neighbours and my girlfriend could see the writing on the wall and married me anyway both are still happy with the arrangement.
What took you so long to review this korg gem… I think the last korg you liked was the microkorg so are we to wait another couple of years for the hipster eclipse of another magic korg. It’s getting a bit regular. Hey your keyboard skills are improving probably Because of the bigger keys. I prefer this to the Z1
Great video 👍☢️
Thanks! I did like the Korg 707 quite a bit;)
🤩👍
Why prefer Prophecy over Z1?
@@ShallRemainUnknown Chunkiness and the full Log experience
the 90s VA synths are beginning to really have a nostalgic sound of their own. the prophecy prices have been escalating in Brazil with no sign of stopping the tide...
I'm totally into 90s VA sounds! It's the same around here
It looks like an abomination, something a mother would not even love, yet I want one. Why? WHY Florian? WHY! You've brought this unwanted creation to my attention, and I hate it as much as I love it, and now I want one. Ah. Pilz speaking (This is a word for Beer). Have a great weekend and thanks for introducing us all to something we cant possibly want but...have to have.
Have a nice weekend!
the exact same thing happened to me and i had a like new one recently shipped over from japan for an amazing deal ($375)
A the Prophecy, the ugliest synth ever in my opinion. Never touched it, solely because it's so ugly.
You should totally give it a try (although it might be to 90s;)
"Can it still hold up today?". Actually the question is, "can today's gear match this?". When i play my Prophecy it feels like I've got the real deal in my hands (and ears) while modern synths are clones trying to imitate its (and others) sounds.
There's some truth to that!
Hey man, been binging this series and saw the new vid so I thought I'd drop a comment. When I was younger I would watch synth content while not understanding it. Now I know slightly more than absolutely nothing about music. The way you explain this shit is really digestible, even for an audio normie like me. Good work man, I appreciate this channel a lot
Thank you so much!!!
The humor and style make it easy to miss what an amazing job Bad Gear does when breaking down the functions and features of the instruments. Honestly these videos are more informative and useful than 99% of the "in-depth" reviews other channels have made of the same gear.
The prophecy was the first great VA synth imo. Honestly, probably my favorite digital synth of the 90s. Sure, hard to create new sounds, but the presets were insanely good for the time.
Really like the presets too!
Growing up in the Age Of The Workstation, the prophecy was the first synth I played that didn’t sound like Yanni. Rather, the presets sounded like something on a Depechmode, Tangerine Dream, or Hawkwind album. I think that was the moment I truely became a synth enthusiast.
Yeah, that thing can be quite psychedelic...
I laugh every week when you include snips of those old Roland video manuals… never gets old!
Happy to hear that. Thanks! The Korg ones are fun too;)
Rumour has it that Monty Python is now working on either a Roland manual or scetch...
@@michelvondenhoff9673 Sadly they havent been funny for decades and most of them have turned into everything they used to pillory
the Prophecy can generate very complex and fresh sounds, I usually combine it with my modular, or my odysee, it was so ahead of its time that the interface was not ready for its capabilities, it requires patience but it is not bad, it happens that we have become accustomed to the easy thing, to touch two knobs and let the machine do everything for us ...thanks for this review !! 😃😃
Thanks for watching!
I owned one of these. I love this synthesizer. Problem was the jacks on the back were known to break so I had it fixed and I sold it.
This one had this issue too!!!
You are definitely NOT and "Amateur Knob Twiddler" (lol!) - as you stated on at the 9:10 mark. You are an accomplished musical artist! Another amazing video! Thank You!
Thank you so much! Amateur Knob Twiddler - Professional Gear Speedrunner;)
Great video! Check out the Nathan Fake album, Providence. It's got Prophecy all over it and sounds amazing:)
Thanks!!! I'll give it a closer look
The Prophecy is the only piece of gear that I sold at one point (because changes in artistic approach), only to get another one later. True one-of-its-kind thing.
Same reason, except I bought three over the years. Would love to see Korg do an update version (Prophecy 2)
Legend!
Me 3
I have owned two Korg Prophecies. I really wish I still had one. Back in the nineties they were also big with people making industrial and EBM mainly because of the arpeggiator and also the aggressive distorted leads and basses. In fact I remember going to gigs and Camden and it seemed to be di rigueur for the keyboard player in any self respecting industrial band to have a Korg Prophecy and an EMU Audity 2000 in their rigs.
Yeah, that thing can be SUPER noisy!
This synth had some amazing tones. I have no idea how this got to be on "Bad Gear." 🤔
You can call it controversial if you will;)
Wow! Prophecy was my first synth, bought it in '95 second hand. I still have it and still use it. Absolutely love its sonic palette, and patching it isn't too bad once you get used to it. Ctrl panel also has a plugin for programming Prophecy.
Nice!
My mate (who I just threw this video at) had one at uni in the late 90s, we spent soooooo long trying to figure it out. I can't even remember if there was a manual - there were definitely a lot of late nights, much head scratching over sysex, a few dodgy copies of Cakewalk, many missed lectures and some really terrible soapbar 🙂
He just told me he gave it to a neighbour about ten years ago 😭
You have to find that neighbor!!!
@@AudioPilz he just told me he got his Bass Station back, but where's the f@%k+&g Prophecy?? I need to give it a slap 😊
Ozric Tentacles were big fans of the prophecy
Nice!
Oh really, makes sense!
The 90s were full of synths pushing the boundaries digitally and the Prophecy is very much a love/hate instrument. I think we need a Badgear episode on the Yamaha EX5/EX5R, another synth trying to do a lot… great episode!
Thanks! Great suggestion!
Those EX5 sample load times.......almost as fast as loading a game on the Commodore 64 via tape. It did sound great though, had the EX7 and did many complete tracks on it
Hm Florian, let‘s see how many bed room composers have read „Glass Bead Game“ and also watch this show. My guess - less than 10.
Hermann Hesse is the GOAT!
Bingo..
Great vid as always. Whatever the shortcomings may be with this thing, I am really liking the sounds coming out of it.
Same here!
Under rated synth
Moi je l'adore
Pour moi, meilleur synthé digital monophonique au monde
Je prefere les Analos, mais lui tot comme l'Alesis ION ont une place de choix dans mon studio
Super vidéo
And the best editor for Win XP is progenie
👍👍👍Merci!!!
The Prophesy was right with the Nord Lead in bringing “ analog “ subtractive synthesis back into the music production zeitgeist. The Korg VST is great and brought back a lot of the joy of its engine. I do miss the ribbon wheel however . It would be fantastic if Korg brought this synth back beefed up a bit in its Wavestate / Modwave /Opsix platform with that ribbon wheel intact .
I'd take a Volca Prophecy too;)
This episode was awesome! Definitely a synth I forgot about in its obscurity!!! I would love it if Behringer were to recreate this one but make it a 6 voice poly!!
It has already been recreated to 12 voice poly by Korg with the mighty Z1.
There's a VST too!
IMHO, one of the best digital synths ever (along with Z1, OASYS, Solaris, Spectralis 2, Microwave II and Q).
Definitely the stuff of legends!
Korg recently released a VST version of this too, I've bought it and its excellent!
Really gotta give that one a try!
Amateur knob twiddles indeed!! I bought one of these when they launched, paying ONE THOUSAND quid for it (if you don’t know what a quid is, it’s the same as a smackeroonie) - I already had a 101 and hoped the Korg would give me a different sound. It did exactly that, but was so complex I ended up using mostly presets. It did sound (and does sound) wonderful at what it does and it was lovely to be reminded of the virtual winds and plucks you demonstrated in this video, so thank you as always - great honest and transparent reviews! I ended up selling it in the late 90s for much less than half of what I had paid ….
Nice, thanks!
The third jam introductions are always 10/10
Thank you!!!
Stick with Roland, the manufacturer that keeps on giving. The Prodigy used The Prophecy and I have one, I know I own a lot of bad gear, but surely this synth is forgiven it’s short falls because of the sounds and programming possibilities it contains.
The sounds are actually really nice;)
The Prophecy was my first real synth. It was a lot of fun. Ended up eventually selling it to finance a Z1ex, which I still have today. But there was something about the Prophecy that was a lot more immediate than the Z1 that I still miss to this day.
I'd love to hear them side by side
For anyone with a prophecy who didn't know: if you adjust or modulate the noise pre filter in the Comb oscillator and clip the output max, adjusting the comb feedback morphs between gritty random pulses and straight metal head grind noise. Tune the filter to the keys and morph between granular sine with the filter set to near max resonance and cello like bowed string tones. The comb can be set up as a physical modeling oscillator with the right modulation mapping. I've definitely made more convincing distorted guitar leads using combed saw and noise relegated to transient plucking effect and serial filter arrangement. This synth is silly powerful, and I wish I hadn't loaned it out. With a DAW this is practically the only sound design tool needed for every sort of sound, once you've memorized the maze or gotten the right editor, VST plugin you say. That would make this beast a real asset to those who get dizzy looking at the green on green and clicking the red glowing domes. I actually swapped the original nobs out for better older looking things. Didn't improve the looks but made grabbing those slippery rounded hamburger bun assignable nobs obsolete.
Nice technique!
This review is spot on. I had one of these. Some of my favorite sounds ever were made on it. Back then I had soundiver to program it and it was still a pain point. I haven't really missed it... until I saw this of course. Thanks for the flashback!
Thank you so much!!!
whoa, this thing is NASTY, I love it.
Legend!
I had one in the late 90’s and it was the most distinct part of my Industrial band’s songs, I simply loved this thing
Nice! Certainly great for industrial!
Once again, Florian is ticking all the boxes and shows, no matter how much you despise all the worlds most hated audio tools: If you ain't got it, you ain't got it. No matter how bad your gear is...
Thank you so much!!!
My buddy bought this back in the day. He made some incredible psy-trance music with it that still sounds legit to this day.
Great for that genre!!!