Can someone please make a proper Prophet VS plugin?

[V0RT3X]

I would absolutely love to have a proper Prophet VS emulation. The Arturia version is ok, but it's just missing a lot of the vibe that makes the real-deal so great. I know the Vector Sector plugin was good back in the day, but the Dev went belly up and finding a second hand copy is next to impossible.

Here are some awesome demos of the Prophet VS.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdHrkSPsT4g

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqtVmESoTVc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2b2MqwQzTMU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGHx7R_bFeQ


Hopefully some amazing developer steps up to the challenge.

[Spitfire31]

I second the subject line!

Finding a copy of Vector Sector wouldn't do much good (if you don't get the computer it's authorised on as well) since it was C/R and I think it was handled manually. In fact, I keep an old Power PC desktop Mac alive just for Vector Sector. And for Broomstick Bass…

I guess the currently most hopeful route might be to keep nagging at Arturia to improve their VS model with those nice aliasing artefacts.

/Joachim

[fuse]

My copy of "Vector Sector" ist copy protected by serial number.
Runs fine under Windows 10.

[Spitfire31]

Good for you, then! I believe that the PC and Mac versions were different in that respect. Mine (Mac) was/is C/R and, sadly, Power PC only, no Intel permitted.

/Joachim

[Ingonator]

Beside the Arturia plugin taht i got since it was released i also have the free Augur plugin but this is discntinued, quite old and 32-bit only.
The Arturia version seems to be the onlyone still up and running and should get updates in the future.

Anyway another VS emulation would not hurt for sure and i would be happy to see one.

[egbert101]

<delete>

[Big Busker]

Found an old freeware VS emulation VST (Win, probably 32-bit). Worth a look, especially since it accepts VS patches.
I'll also put this on the freeware classic VSTs thread.

http://www.manfreda.org/prophet-vs/virtualvs

[Dasheesh]

Needs to be a poly evolver IMO

[stikygum]

You could check out Synthmagic's Vector X.

http://www.synthmagic.co.uk/vector-x.html

[Ingonator]

Found an old freeware VS emulation VST (Win, probably 32-bit). Worth a look, especially since it accepts VS patches.
I'll also put this on the freeware classic VSTs thread.

http://www.manfreda.org/prophet-vs/virtualvs

I just downloaded and tried to install on Windows 10 64-bit.

This has several drawbacks:
- Last version from 2004 so very old
- Standalone software (32-bit) and does no seem to include a VST plugin
- a ROM image of the VS is needed to run the software which does not seem to be included
- The GUI seems to repöicate teh original hardware so you have a lot of buttons and a data entry fader

Could not judge sound wise but i doubt it will sound really better than the Arturia VS plugin
Until Prophet V2 the Arturia plugin could also import original Sysex files that you could convert to V3 with the VC5 Preset Updater conversion tool.


Speaking about free plugins there was also Augur (didscontinued) which is still working in Windows 10 here (while it is 32-bit).


The Arturia plugin is the only VS emulation that was not discontinued and that runs properly in modern OS and hosts and is avaialble as 64-bit and all plugin formats (including also 64-bit AAX for Pro Tools 11 and 12). If like me you still got an older license besides V-Collection 5 you could still use the older version to import Sysex files.
The hybrid synth included in Propet V where you could combine modules of the Prophet VS and 5 is quite nice too and is also unique.


I also got a hardware Wavestation EX (sice 2004) and the Wavestation plugin (since 2006) and while it is no proper VS emulation like the VS it uses vector synthesis and also includes the VS waveforms, not to forget that like the original VS it was built by Dave Smith and John Bowen. With the wave sequencing the wavestation could create sounds not possible with the VS and most other synths. The plugin also includes a resonant filter mode (opposing to the hardware).

Based on samples from my Wavestation EX i also got the included VS waveforms as single WAv files and as wavetables.
There is also a VS wavetable for the Waldorf Blofeld available here (and SQ-80 too):
http://synth.stromeko.net/Downloads.html


As already mentioend above there is also a VS Kontakt 5 library from Synth Magic.



Anyway a new Prophet VS emulation also using the latest analog filter modeling would be great indeed.

[stratum]

Is there enough information about the hardware so that a model can be created without actually having one?

[Spirit2017]

I have the Virtual VS running.But this is a standalone application.
The sound is good only the filter is bad.
I have all sysex cards from the past.
Maybe someone can rework this a plugin?
This software is a full Prophet VS

[Spitfire31]

Is there enough information about the hardware so that a model can be created without actually having one?

That's the thing with the Vector Sector – it was made by Geoffrey Joffe, who worked for Sequential on the h/w VS…

/Joachim

[Ingonator]

Is there enough information about the hardware so that a model can be created without actually having one?

There were alraedy multiple approahces to the VS including the Arturia.
To get something better than what was already done owning the hardware seems to be essential.

The best emulations currently available seemed to be done while having access the hardware at least for the time of development of the plugin. The deveopler does not to have to own himself but at least have access to it. For example with The Legend Richard at Synapse Audio had access to two Minimoog Model D's from BigTone studios (on which the two revisions in the plugin are based on).

The analog fiter in the VS is based on a CEM 3372 chip that also seemed to be used in the Prophet T8, Prophet 600, Rhodes Chroma Polaris, Akai AX80 and Oberheim Matrix-12/Xpander.
The Matrix-12 filter while based on the same chip is much more complex, actiually one of the most complex analog multimode filters.
The CEM 3379 used in e.g. the Ensoniq ESQ-1/SQ-80 seems to be comparable. Those chips besides the filter also contain a mixer and VCA while the major difference of the CEM3372 and 3378 seems to be the stereo panning (2 channel mixer) in the CEM3378.

While i never owned and used a real Prophet VS i currently own an Ensoniq ESQ-1 with the CEM 3378 filter chip (actually 8 chips with one for each voice...) and a Korg Wavestation EX (also with a few dedicated VS soundbanks available).
Like the VS the ESQ-1 is a nice hybrid synth with digital Oscs (3 Oscs in ESQ-1, 4 in the VS) and a real analog filter. In parts like available mod sources, Osc Sync and Ringmod teh ESQ-1/SQ-80 might be superior.
As each of teh 3 OScs in the ESQ-1/SQ-80 has it's own VCA (besides the main VCA with panning modulation) in combination with the up to 4 envelopes (each with 3 levels and 4 times) you could get results comparable to vector syntheis.

[stratum]

So theoretical possibilities aside, realistically, what we have is Virtual VS , it can read the VS roms, and roms are in the net, but the filter needs to be improved. If the author releases Virtual VS source code, something can be done about it.