GForce Sequential Prophet-5

[zerocrossing]

This is a bit of a weird pull, as we're talking about a fully digital synth, and actually, Korg didn't "nail" the hardware Wavestation, because I too owned one, and I sold it because the software actually sounds better

Yes, it sounds like how they would have made it if they had better/cheaper tech at the time they made the hardware, and didn't have to compromise for those reasons. I prefer it, although as I was very used to the hardware (which I still have and used extensively), I still like the sound of the hardware too. It's easier to downgrade higher fidelity audio to a less pristine sound, than it is to go the other way.

due to the fact that they used the full 16 bit PCM wave files, where the hardware was using 12 bit PCM, and sounds noticeably better... or worse, if you are hoping for the original lower resolution model.

You're getting a bit confused in your facts here. The hardware was not 12-bit PCM, the hardware used 16-bit ~32KHz samples (same as the M1), but for the plugin, they re-outputted the samples at the full 44.1KHz and used them that way, and *that's* the reason it sounds brighter. It's not a "resolution" issue (as so few things in audio actually are) and if the plugin is too clean/bright, you just need to roll off the highs a little, and for extra measure do something to simulate the early 90s-era DACs which roughen up the output a little. But rolling off the highs is most of the difference really, and is trivially done if you prefer that sound.

You probably meant all that and just typed out something quickly which came out wrong, but it's good to stop the misinformation before other people read them as fact and continue to parrot wrong info, hence why I jumped in...

Are you sure? I swore I read that at the time I got the plugin... but that was long ago. I noticed the better audio quality and went looking for the reason why. I could also be misremembering what I found. Anyway, the reason doesn't matter much, though I can imagine if someone preferred the original sound they'd stick with the hardware. My biggest reason for buying the plugin wasn't really the sonic quality, but because the editing was a lot easier.

[EvilDragon]

Yes that is a fact, the plugins are using higher fidelity samples than the hardware units do. But that's a bit offtopic here, hehe

[Funkybot's Evil Twin]

Thanks, waiting to hear your verdict overall of the match or not so great match as the case may be.
rsp

My first impressions are generally really good. I haven't tried to do an A/B compare yet though or anything.

I had Starsky's video on at work yesterday listening through headphones and definitely thought there was a little "punch" missing, but I've yet to try for myself. And it wasn't a huge difference. I'm starting to think something he doesn't capture in his test methodology is the VCA behavior as you stack voices. With individual notes, they sounded very close but with polyphony, there was a small something missing from the software in his test. I'm wondering if it's the VCA behavior and that's the tiny bit of missing sauce. I also suspect that's an area Arturia fell way short on with the MemoryV which sounds small to me as you add voices.

But yeah, I'll do a deeper dive this weekend.

[Neon Breath]

Sound quality speaking only (without considering workflow or features or any bells & whistles), I wonder if there is a huge sonic gap with u-He Repro's? I don't have much appetite for another Prophet synth since Repro is top notch already, unless this one is totaly mindblowing. (gonna demo it of course when I have some free time, but I was wondering since alot of you already did)

[IvyBirds]

Don't you all agree that you don't get that certain hardware DAC or actual analog feeling from the Prophet in digital? I always check the Youtube and almost none of that classic hardware sound seems audible in the examples so people might not know. It's alot more expensive to go all hardware so I know even I tend to way prefer software based stuff. For more than just cheapness. GForce is real fun.

There is not DAC on real Prophet 5

Prophet 5 has DAC because it is an analog synthesizer with patch memory, a DAC is required.

It's just to control few thing such the vco, the audio is fully analog

But Audio has to go somewhere right ? in to audio interface which has DAC that can affect the sound.

If your Audio interface is coloring your sound that badly in 2026 you are doing it wrong

However the DAC on your interface is also processing the audio from your plugins and every other sound your DAW is playing the exact same way so a recorded hardware Prophet 5 being played back through the DAC of your interface will end up being colored exactly the same as the a Prophet 5 plugin

Incoming audio doesn't go through a DAC at all. A DAC converts digital data to analog voltages that can be amplified and heard through speakers or headphone. So a DAC is strictly for output only

Incoming audio gets converted from analog voltages to digital information about those voltages using an analog to digital converter

In 2026 the actual incoming ADC and outgoing DAC are super transparent even on cheap Behringer units because every cell phone, laptop, computer, Blu-ray Player, CD Player, TV, Car Stereo, tablet, uses them and factories in Asia crank them out by hundreds of millions every year. With economies of scale that large they are able to produce high quality convertors at super cheap prices

Expensive Audio Interfaces usually have better analog components and higher quality drivers, some of them have transformers and other analog sweeteners on the inputs, but they apply equally to everything running through them and are not a function of the synth itself and would be just as effective if you send analog audio from a plugin through them

[zerocrossing]

Thanks, waiting to hear your verdict overall of the match or not so great match as the case may be.
rsp

My first impressions are generally really good. I haven't tried to do an A/B compare yet though or anything.

I had Starsky's video on at work yesterday listening through headphones and definitely thought there was a little "punch" missing, but I've yet to try for myself. And it wasn't a huge difference. I'm starting to think something he doesn't capture in his test methodology is the VCA behavior as you stack voices. With individual notes, they sounded very close but with polyphony, there was a small something missing from the software in his test. I'm wondering if it's the VCA behavior and that's the tiny bit of missing sauce. I also suspect that's an area Arturia fell way short on with the MemoryV which sounds small to me as you add voices.

But yeah, I'll do a deeper dive this weekend.

Each voice has its own VCA, though, so why would polyphony have an impact? Could it possibly be the effect of driving the audio input on whatever Carr is using? I’ve made the mistake of driving my Apollo’s input a bit and mistaking it for hardware being a bit brighter.

[Synthbuilder]

I bought it. It's generally very good and I can see myself using it quite a bit. I do find the user interface a little blurry but it's easy enough to find your way around it. I'm not so keen on the way velocity and aftertouch are mapped via the individual pull down menus and control knobs. I think I would have preferred a matrix based system for all the modulation routings.

I'm not sure they got the rev 1/2 filter quite right at the higher resonance settings, but it's a useful sounding filter in its own way. I do like how easy it is to stack the two layers together. And each layer can have up to 10 voices of polyphony which is great. I also like how, unlike on the original Prophet 5, you can chose between voice re-trigger or cyclic polyphonic note assignments. Sadly, this is a global setting and not per patch.

However, I don't like just how out of tune it is. Yes, I know it's supposed to replicate a real analogue synth, but some voices are up to +10 cents out of tune, even with the vintage control turned down to its minimum value. I don't remember my old rev 3.3 ever being that bad. So it's fine for pads, less so for searing lead lines.

[Lbdunequest]

Don't you all agree that you don't get that certain hardware DAC or actual analog feeling from the Prophet in digital? I always check the Youtube and almost none of that classic hardware sound seems audible in the examples so people might not know. It's alot more expensive to go all hardware so I know even I tend to way prefer software based stuff. For more than just cheapness. GForce is real fun.

There is not DAC on real Prophet 5

Prophet 5 has DAC because it is an analog synthesizer with patch memory, a DAC is required.

It's just to control few thing such the vco, the audio is fully analog

But Audio has to go somewhere right ? in to audio interface which has DAC that can affect the sound.

If your Audio interface is coloring your sound that badly in 2026 you are doing it wrong

However the DAC on your interface is also processing the audio from your plugins and every other sound your DAW is playing the exact same way so a recorded hardware Prophet 5 being played back through the DAC of your interface will end up being colored exactly the same as the a Prophet 5 plugin

Incoming audio doesn't go through a DAC at all. A DAC converts digital data to analog voltages that can be amplified and heard through speakers or headphone. So a DAC is strictly for output only

Incoming audio gets converted from analog voltages to digital information about those voltages using an analog to digital converter

In 2026 the actual incoming ADC and outgoing DAC are super transparent even on cheap Behringer units because every cell phone, laptop, computer, Blu-ray Player, CD Player, TV, Car Stereo, tablet, uses them and factories in Asia crank them out by hundreds of millions every year. With economies of scale that large they are able to produce high quality convertors at super cheap prices

Expensive Audio Interfaces usually have better analog components and higher quality drivers, some of them have transformers and other analog sweeteners on the inputs, but they apply equally to everything running through them and are not a function of the synth itself and would be just as effective if you send analog audio from a plugin through them

You route prophet to audio interface input - coloration stage 1. You hear the sound thro audio interface output - coloration stage 2

In plugin you only have coloration on the output

So if you dont understand that 2 saturation stages colors sound more then 1, you are doing something wrong because i dont know how else to explain.

P.s. cheap interfaces will have a very big difference in dacs. Its called Dynamic range. Even 10 db difference is very very noticable.

Ive put all this in to practice therefore so i dont need an opinion to invalidate myself. But thank you for your opinion.

[Vortifex]

Is it necessary to quote 6 posts when you're replying? My scrolling thumb is gonna get worn out...

[234north]

Sounds good to me. Close enough to my real rev4 that I'm not going to quibble as it cost me $84US and my rev4 was about 4000.

[Funkybot's Evil Twin]

Is it necessary to quote 6 posts when you're replying? My scrolling thumb is gonna get worn out...

I really wish KVR defaulted to limiting quotes to one level like other forums I use. But we digress.

[Funkybot's Evil Twin]

Each voice has its own VCA, though, so why would polyphony have an impact? Could it possibly be the effect of driving the audio input on whatever Carr is using? I’ve made the mistake of driving my Apollo’s input a bit and mistaking it for hardware being a bit brighter.

There has got to be some kind of summing/voice mixer circuit before the output though. Could hypothetically be happening in there. Could be coloration from the post-Prophet signal path too. Could even be confirmation bias.

[Uncle E]

That is simplistic to the point of being meaningless.

Maybe not? The Martin Stürtzer video backs up what zvenx was saying, that most people wouldn't be able to pick them apart even outside of a mix.

[Uncle E]

Sound quality speaking only (without considering workflow or features or any bells & whistles), I wonder if there is a huge sonic gap with u-He Repro's?

When I use them side-by-side, I don't hear a huge sonic gap in the basic characters, particularly when the GForce is in REV 3 mode. The differences are bigger in the comparison video.

[zvenx]

I said this elsewhere.