Prophet T8

Back in 1983, this synth broke new ground as the first polyphonic analog with a real wooden, weighted 76-note keyboard that responds to velocity and polyphonic aftertouch—letting pianists dive into electronic sounds without compromise.

Each of its 8 voices packs two analog VCOs, a 24dB/octave low-pass filter, dual ADSR envelopes for VCF and VCA, and poly modulation routing filter envelope or Osc B to frequency, pulse width, or filter. Dual LFOs (one per keyboard half) range from 0.005 to 40Hz, with Osc B doubling as a low-freq modulator, plus noise generator and comprehensive mod matrix. Controls include pitch/mod wheels, programmable split/layer/unison modes, and MIDI I/O for omni/poly operation across 16 channels. It stores 128 patches non-volatily, with a 670-note real-time sequencer that captures velocity and loops up to 8 tracks.

Players love its Prophet-5-like warmth and expressiveness, especially the aftertouch sculpting leads or pads in real time, though some note the sequencer feels basic by today's standards. A serviced unit plays like a dream, perfect for blending classic analog tone with tactile control.