Revised envelope shapes: inspired by Prophet 5 rev 1/2

The upgraded Prophet 600 offers two envelope shapes: exponential and linear. These are software generated and in versions 2.0 and 2.1 RC3 they are really exactly that: a pure exponential shape and a pure linear shape. Some users argue that a musical choice is somewhere in between. To the ear, the exponential shape drops very quickly at the beginning and then it tails off long. The linear shape on the other hand is thicker in the early decay phase but then it drops hard to zero. The human ear is stunningly sensitive to envelope shapes, even at very low volumes.

In a recent nice YouTube video Starsky Carr directly compares the Prophet 5 (rev 4) envelopes to the Prophet 600 addressing exactly this finding: Prophet 600 vs Prophet 5 // Is the 600 a better value option? - YouTube

Now: the 2022 firmware has completely revised linear decay and release shapes, which are linear at the start but then tail off smoothly. To some degree the shape was inspired by the Prophet 5 rev 1/2 envelope shape. The figure shows the difference between the pure linear (red dashed) and the new smoother shape.

Comparison of Prophet 600 linear envelope shape with the new linear envelope shape with smooth roll off

In the 2022 firmware the pure linear shape is replaced - there does not seem to be a real case for keeping a strictly linear shape, at least not something that couldn't also be done with the new shape. Looking forward to the qualitative feedback from beta testers.

Arriving at the final shape was the result of many iterations and extensive audio testing of a group of dedicated Prophet 600 users. Great team work!

Comments

  1. AnonymousMay 22, 2022 at 6:52:00 PM GMT+2

    The new envelopes sound great, prefer them over the pure lin and exp shapes in original gligli. They really do feel more musical

    ReplyDelete

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