Prophet VS

Back in 1986, this synth pioneered vector synthesis, letting you blend four distinct waveforms per voice with a simple joystick swipe—Sequential's bold first step into digital territory before they closed shop.

Eight voices of polyphony drive 32 digital oscillators total, each picking from 127 waveforms (96 factory, 32 user), mixed dynamically on X and Y axes for timbres that morph in real time via envelopes, dual LFOs, velocity, aftertouch, or key tracking. That mix feeds into a warm analog Curtis low-pass filter and VCA, then per-voice panning and a stereo BBD chorus with depth and rate knobs for lush, evolving pads that soften the digital edge. The 61-note velocity-sensitive keyboard sits under pitch/mod wheels, with a 32-character LCD, data slider, and buttons for programming 100 patches, plus split/dual modes, unison stacks, and a versatile arpeggiator holding up to 120 notes. MIDI is robust for the era, handling vector controls and dumps seamlessly.

Players still chase these on the vintage market for their one-of-a-kind joystick-driven sounds—think glassy, alien textures no other Prophet nails—though some note the editing can feel fiddly without modern tweaks.