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Table of Contents
Related Manuals for Sequential Prophet-6
Summary of Contents for Sequential Prophet-6
- Page 1 Operation Manual...
- Page 3 Operation Manual Version 1.0 June 2015 Dave Smith Instruments/Sequential 1527 Stockton Street, 3rd Floor San Francisco, CA 94133 ©2015 Dave Smith Instruments www.davesmithinstruments.com...
- Page 4 This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) This device may not cause harmful inter- ference and (2) this device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation. This Class B digital apparatus meets all requirements of the Canadian Interference-Causing Equipment Regulations.
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Page 5: Table Of Contents
Table of Contents A Few Words of Thanks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ix Getting Started . - Page 6 Low Frequency Oscillators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31 Poly Mod .
- Page 7 Calibrating the Prophet-6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
- Page 8 Credits and Acknowledgements Sound Design Josheph Akins Kurt Kurasaki Robert Rich John Bowen Matia Simovich Kevin Lamb Richard Devine Jason Lindner James Terris Peter Dyer Cord Mueller Mitch Thomas Tim Koon Drew Neumann Taiho Yamada The DSI Crew Ashley Bellouin, Fabien Cesari, Bob Coover, Carson Day, Chris Hector, Tony Karavidas, Mark Kono, Andrew McGowan, Joanne McGowan, Tracy Wadley, and Mark Wilcox.
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Page 9: A Few Words Of Thanks
A Few Words of Thanks Thank you for purchasing the Prophet-6. We take a lot of pleasure in creating all of our instruments but bringing the Prophet-6 to life was particularly satisfying. In many ways it brings my 40-plus years of designing synthesizers full circle. I’ll tell you why. -
Page 11: Getting Started
The Prophet-6 is first and foremost a performance instrument. All of its sound-shaping controls are immediately accessible on its front panel, packing a tremendous amount of power and versatility into a compact, easy-to-use format. -
Page 12: Sound Banks
Sound Banks The Prophet-6 contains a total of 1000 programs. 500 are permanent and 500 can be overwritten. Banks 0-4 are User Banks that can be overwrit- ten. Banks 5-9 are Factory Banks that are permanent. You can edit the programs of either bank, but you can only save them to Banks 0-4. -
Page 13: Editing Programs
Prophet-6. Editing Programs Because all of the sound-shaping controls of the Prophet-6 appear on its front panel, editing an existing program is simple: just turn a knob and listen to its effect. -
Page 14: Creating A Program From Scratch
Live Panel Mode The Prophet-6 also features a “live panel” mode in which its sound switches to the current settings of its knobs and switches. In other words, the current preset is ignored and what you see on the front panel is what you hear. -
Page 15: Saving A Program
“tens” digit of the program. 4. Press a button (0-9) to specify the “ones” digit of the program selector program. 5. The button LED stops blinking and the program is saved. write Prophet-6 Operation Manual Getting Started... -
Page 16: Canceling Save
Canceling Save Sometimes you may want to cancel saving a program before you commit. To cancel the Save process before you commit: • If the button LED is flashing, press it again. The LED stops flash- write ing and saving is canceled. You can return to editing if you want. Comparing Before You Save Before saving a program to a new location, it’s a good idea to listen to the program in the target location to make sure you really want to overwrite it. -
Page 17: Moving To The Next Level
Pot Modes and determine which works best for you when you’re editing sounds. You’ll also find information about MIDI setup. Read this to more effectively integrate the Prophet-6 into your MIDI rig. To get the most out of the Prophet-6’s live performance capabilities, read up on using a footswitch or expression pedal. -
Page 18: Connections
For bidirectional MIDI communication with a computer. The 2 . USB— Prophet-6 is a Class Compliant USB device and does not require addi- tional drivers when used with Mac OS or Windows. See Using USB on page 58 for more information. - Page 19 Once connected, you can use the pedal to control the cutoff frequency of the low-pass filter to add expressiveness to live performance. Unbalanced, ¼ inch audio outputs. The Prophet-6 8 . Audio Outputs— sounds great in stereo, but can be switched to mono if needed. See “Mono/Stereo”...
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Page 20: Global Settings
Global Settings Global settings are parameters that affect all programs. These include settings such as Master Tune, MIDI Channel, MIDI Clock, and others. Global parameters are printed above the numeric program selector switches (0 - 9). Use the Globals switch to choose between the two sets. The red LED indicates that the upper row is active. -
Page 21: Globals - Top Row
Selects which MIDI channel to send and 2 . MIDI Channel: All, 1…16— receive data, 1 to 16. All receives on all 16 channels. Sets the Prophet-6’s ability to send and receive MIDI 3 . MIDI Clock: clock messages: •... - Page 22 You could, for example, turn the filter frequence knob on cutoff the Prophet-6 and have it affect the cutoff frequency of another synthesizer. For a list of Prophet-6 CCs and NRPNs, see Appendix D. NRPNs are the preferred method of parameter transmission, since they cover the complete range of all parameters, while CCs are limited to a range of 128.
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Page 23: Globals - Bottom Row
Prophet-6. When off, the controls are transmitted via MIDI but do not directly affect the “local” synth (that is, the Prophet-6). This is primarily useful for avoiding MIDI data loops that can occur with some external sequencers. - Page 24 There are two types of momentary footswitches, normally open and normally closed. Either type can be used with the Prophet-6. Not sure which type you have? If the behavior of the footswitch is the opposite of what is expected —...
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Page 25: Oscillators
Oscillators provide the raw building blocks of the Prophet-6’s sound by producing waveforms, each of which has its own inherent sound charac- ter based on its harmonic content. The Prophet-6 has two oscillators, plus a sub oscillator and a noise generator per voice. Level controls for each of these are located in the Mixer section. -
Page 26: Oscillator Parameters
Oscillator 1 can be hard-synced to Oscillator 2 for complex, harmoni- cally-rich sounds when modulated. Oscillator 2 features a knob for detuning and thickening sounds, fine switch that allows it to function as an LFO for modulation low freq purposes, and a switch that disables keyboard control over its keyboard pitch (useful when used as an LFO, or for drones and other effects). - Page 27 —When off, the Oscillator 2 ignores the keyboard Keyboard: Off, On and note data received via MIDI and plays at its base frequency setting. Oscillator 2 pitch can still be affected by modulation from other sources when in this mode. Prophet-6 Operation Manual Oscillators...
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Page 28: Slop
This tuning instability is a big part of what made vintage instruments sound characteristically warm and fat. Because the Prophet-6 oscillators are extremely stable, small amounts of Slop can help impart a very vintage tone to what is otherwise a very stable, modern instrument. -
Page 29: Mixer
Sub Octave (Oscillator 1 sub oscillator) and the white noise generator. You must turn up at least one of these in order to make sound with the Prophet-6. (Alternatively, you can use the filter to generate its own sine wave in self-oscillating mode.) Rather than limit the Prophet-6’s outputs to keep the instrument from clipping,... -
Page 30: Filters
This change can be varied over time using the Filter Enve- lope to produce more dynamic, animated timbres. The Prophet-6’s two-filter architecture allows for a wide range of sonic possibilities. The Low-Pass Filter is a 4-pole, 24 dB per-octave, resonant filter. - Page 31 High levels of resonance can sometimes cause the Prophet-6 outputs to clip if its sound generators are also set to high output in the Mixer. Monitor your outputs carefully to ensure optimal, clean signal levels. If you experience signal clipping, try...
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Page 32: Filter Envelope
Filter Envelope The Prophet-6’s low-pass and high-pass filters share a dedicated, four- stage envelope generator. The Filter Envelope is used to shape the harmonic characteristics of a synthesized sound by giving you filtering control over its attack, decay, sustain, and release stages. -
Page 33: Changing The Filter Envelope's Response Curve
In most cases, this can’t be changed. The current preference is that the faster or snappier the envelopes, the better. However, in the case of the Prophet-6, there is a hidden feature in the Poly Mod section that allows you to modify the responsiveness of the Filter Envelope’s ADSR controls. -
Page 34: Amplifier Envelope
To adjust the responsiveness of the filter envelope: 1. Select a program — such as a synth brass sound — that has a slightly soft but bright attack. 2. Repeatedly play a series of notes or chords on the keyboard, so you can hear the effect of the adjustments as you follow the steps below. - Page 35 Sets the sustain level of the envelope. The higher the setting, Sustain: the louder the sustained portion of the sound will be. The sound will stay at this level for as long as a note is held on the keyboard. Prophet-6 Operation Manual Amplifier Envelope...
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Page 36: Effects
24-bit, 48 kHz effects digital effects to any sound. Though the Prophet-6 sounds great on its own, adding a touch of reverb or delay can enhance many sounds with a subtle (or not so subtle) sense of ambience and depth. Other effects such as the... - Page 37 • Phase Shifter 2 (“PH2”) vintage 6-stage phaser, lower resonance • Reverb 1 (“HAL”) - classic hall emulation • Reverb 2 (“rOO”) - classic room emulation • Reverb 3 (“PLA”) - classic plate emulation • Reverb 4 (“SPr”) - vintage guitar-amp-style spring emulation Prophet-6 Operation Manual Effects...
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Page 38: Main Parameters
To use Effects: 1. Press the switch to turn on Effects. 2. Press and choose A or B, depending on which you want to apply effect and configure. 3. Turn the knob to select an effect. Names are abbreviated. For type instance “bbd”... - Page 39 Variable, depending on the effect parameter 2 for the chosen effect. Each effect has two adjustable param- eters, which differ depending on the effect. See “Effects Parameters” on page 29 for details about the adjustable parameters on each effect type. Prophet-6 Operation Manual Effects...
- Page 40 Display Effect Type Parameter 1 Parameter 2 bucket-brigade delay delay time feedback amount digital delay delay time feedback amount chorus rate depth phaser 1 rate depth phaser 2 rate depth hall reverb time early reflections room reverb time early reflections plate reverb time early reflections...
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Page 41: Low Frequency Oscillators
(periodic pitch modulation) and tremolo (periodic amplitude modulation). The LFO on the Prophet-6 produces a variety of waveshapes, including triangle, sawtooth, reverse sawtooth, square, and random. Though most often used for low-frequency modulation, the Prophet-6 LFO can actually function at speeds that extend into the audible range for extreme effects. - Page 42 Sawtooth Reverse Square Random Sawtooth LFO waveshapes The Prophet-6 has a sixth “hidden” LFO waveshape that you can use as a modulation source — noise. To access this, choose then turn all the random frequency way clockwise. This generates a white noise waveform.
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Page 43: Poly Mod
Modulating the High-Pass Filter at high frequencies can create interesting timbres. Poly Mod Although the overall sonic character of the Prophet-6 is determined by its analog oscillators and filters, much of its power to make truly unique and unusual sounds comes from the Poly Mod section. -
Page 44: Poly Mod Parameters
You can control how much the source affects the destination by dialing in a specific modulation amount with the knobs. Modu- filter env lation amount can either be positive or negative. Use Poly Mod to create complex harmonic effects ranging from FM (frequency modulation) to audio-rate filter modulation and beyond. -
Page 45: Arpeggiator
Arpeggiator The Prophet-6 has a full-featured Arpeggiator. Turn it on, hold a chord and the Prophet-6 will play a pattern based on the individual notes held. Choose a mode (up, down, random, etc.), an octave range (1, 2, or 3), and a tempo, then pair it with an appropriately percussive sound, and you’ll be surprised at the number of creative things you can do. -
Page 46: Arpeggiator Parameters
An audio signal connected to the rear-panel jack can be footswitch sequence used to control arpeggiator (and sequencer) playback. This makes it possible to tempo sync the arpeggiator to a recorded drum track or other audio source. See “Seq Jack” on page 13 for more information about choosing the appropriate mode for these behaviors. -
Page 47: Sequencer
Plays notes in the order the keys were pressed Sequencer The Prophet-6’s sequencer is similar to a classic step sequencer. It allows you to create a single sequence of up to 64 steps, including rests and ties, with up to 6 notes per step. In addition, you can play along with a sequence (provided there is available polyphony), making it a powerful live performance tool. - Page 48 Most factory programs have a sequence associated with them. Recall a program and press the Sequencer’s button to hear its associated sequence. play To program a note sequence: 1. Press the button. record 2. Perform the sequence on the keyboard. The display indicates the current step as you play.
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Page 49: Sequencer Parameters
BPM x 3 Eighth note triplets 16th BPM x 4 Sixteenth note 16th S BPM x 4 Sixteenth note, full swing timing 16th T BPM x 6 Sixteenth note triplets 32nd BPM x 8 Thirty-second note Prophet-6 Operation Manual Sequencer... - Page 50 3. Save the program. (See “Saving a Program” on page 4.) MIDI volume can also influence the overall volume of the Prophet-6 if you are controlling it from an external MIDI source. Sequencer Dave Smith Instruments...
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Page 51: Distortion
Distortion The Prophet-6 provides stereo analog distortion. This can be used to add warmth, harmonic complexity, and an aggressive edge to sounds. The character of the distortion is affected by the harmonic content of a program. Sounds with more high-end will sound different than sounds with fewer harmonics. -
Page 52: Hold
Hold When is on, any notes played will continue to play until hold hold turned off. When used in conjunction with the Arpeggiator, notes are latched on and replaced by any new note(s) struck. If is on and at hold least one key continuously held down, any new notes played are added to the arpeggio. -
Page 53: Unison
Unison When is on, the Prophet-6 functions like a monophonic unison synthesizer in that only 1 note can be played at a time. However, that one note can be powered by as many as six voices, depending on how many you choose to use. -
Page 54: Using Chord Memory
Unison has another useful feature: chord memory. Instead of assigning voices to a single note, hold down a chord on the keyboard and press the Unison switch. The Prophet-6 memorizes the notes of the chord. Single notes played on the keyboard will then trigger all notes of the stored chord, transposing them as you play up or down the keyboard. - Page 55 3. Release the switch when you’re finished. key mode Key Assign settings are only relevant to Unison mode. They do not affect poly- phonic playback. Prophet-6 Operation Manual Unison...
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Page 56: Write
The Prophet-6 contains a total of 1000 programs. 500 are permanent and 500 can be overwritten. Banks 0-4 are User Banks that can be overwrit- ten. Banks 5-9 are Factory Banks that are permanent. You can edit the programs of either bank, but you can only save them to Banks 0-4. -
Page 57: Canceling Save
The sound is saved. 6. Alternatively, if you want to cancel saving and continue editing, press button. It stops flashing and saving is canceled. write Prophet-6 Operation Manual Write... -
Page 58: Globals
4. When finished, press again to exit. globals Pressing the button three times in a row saves the current program as globals the default program that appears when you turn on the Prophet-6. Globals Dave Smith Instruments... -
Page 59: Preset
“live panel” mode on and off. In live panel preset mode the Prophet-6 ignores the currently active preset and reverts to the current front-panel settings of its knobs and switches. In other words, what you see on the front panel is what you hear. This is a great mode for learning, experimentation, and instant gratification. -
Page 60: Pitch And Mod Wheels
Pitch and Mod Wheels The Prophet-6 has a spring loaded Pitch wheel and a Mod wheel. You can use these controls to enhance live performance by bending notes and adding modulation in real time as you play. In the same way that guitar players use note bends and vibrato to give... -
Page 61: Modulation Wheel
Freq 2 are enabled as modulation destinations in the frequency oscillator section. This adds vibrato when you push the mod wheel forward. Set the initial amt knob to zero to apply vibrato only when using the Mod wheel. Prophet-6 Operation Manual Pitch and Mod Wheels... -
Page 62: Misc Parameters
Sets the volume of an individual program. This is Program Volume: useful for matching volume between programs. There is enough gain in the Prophet-6 that if you set some programs to a high , clipping distortion may occur. If this happens, try lowering the... -
Page 63: Aftertouch
The Prophet-6 provides four different aftertouch response settings for your convenience. The default setting provides a linear response. To choose a different response curve, use the button in the section. - Page 64 Selects the amount of aftertouch applied to a selected destina- Amount: tion. Positive settings apply positive amounts of modulation. amount Negative settings apply negative amounts of modulation. amount Selects Oscillator 1 frequency as an aftertouch modulation desti- Freq 1: nation. With a positive setting, pressing the keys harder will shift amount the Oscillator 1 pitch upward.
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Page 65: Exporting Programs And Banks
(USR), all (all). 5. Press . The program or bank is exported. write Dumped programs will load back into the same bank and program location in memory when received by the Prophet-6 via MIDI. Prophet-6 Operation Manual Exporting Programs and Banks... -
Page 66: Calibrating The Prophet-6
Calibrating the Prophet-6 The Prophet-6 is calibrated at the factory. Controls such as the pitch and mod wheels shouldn’t require re-calibration. However, because its oscil- lators and filters are voltage controlled and can be affected by extremes of temperature, you may need to use the built-in calibration function to tune them occasionally. -
Page 67: Calibrating The Pitch And Mod Wheels
In general, the Pitch and Mod wheels shouldn’t require re-calibration. However, if you experience what seems like a persistent problem with either of them, the Prophet-6 has built-in auto-calibration procedure that you can use to remedy the problem. To calibrate the Pitch and Mod wheel’s low position: 1. -
Page 68: Using Usb
The Prophet-6’s USB 2.0 port enables bidirectional MIDI communica- tion with a computer. A MIDI interface and MIDI cables are not neces- sary, just a USB cable. The Prophet-6 is a Class Compliant USB device. That means it does not require any additional drivers to be installed to communicate with a Mac or Windows computer. -
Page 69: Appendix A: Alternative Tunings
Appendix A: Alternative Tunings By default, the Prophet-6 is set to standard, chromatic western tuning. Additionally it supports up to 16 additional alternative tunings, which you can access using the button in the section. alt tuning globals From the factory, the Prophet-6 ships with 16 preset alternative tunings ranging from Equal temperament to Indonesian Gamelan tunings. - Page 70 5. 19 Tone Equal Temperament 19 notes per octave (19root2) offering better thirds than 12 ET, a better overall compromise if you can figure out the keyboard patterns. 6. 31 Tone Equal Temperament Many people consider 31root2 to offer the best compromise towards just intonation in an equal temperament, but it can get very tricky to keep track of the intervals.
- Page 71 Similar to Yamaha’s preset Just Major, the Just Minor gives preferential treatment to minor thirds on the sharps, and has a good fifth relative to the second. C= 1/1 (261.625) 1/1 25/24 10/9 6/5 5/4 4/3 45/32 3/2 8/5 5/3 16/9 15/8 Prophet-6 Operation Manual Appendix A: Alternative Tunings...
- Page 72 15. Harry Partch 11-limit 43 Note Just Intonation One of the pioneers of modern microtonal composition, Partch built a unique orchestra with this tuning during the first half of the 20th century, to perform his own compositions. The large number of intervals in this very dense scale offers a full vocabulary of expressive chords and complex key changes.
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Page 73: Appendix B: Troubleshooting And Support
If you’re experiencing problems or unexpected behavior from your Prophet-6, here are a few typical scenarios and their solutions: The sequencer or arpeggiator has stopped running. Check the MIDI Clock setting in the Globals to ensure the Prophet-6 is set to or, if set to... -
Page 74: Contacting Technical Support
It is not necessary to run any of the calibration routines on a regular basis. You should only run it if you are experiencing problems. If you are still experiencing a problem with the Prophet-6, try resetting the Global parameters. See “Resetting the Global Parameters” on page 57. -
Page 75: Appendix C: Midi Implementation
Appendix C: MIDI Implementation The Prophet-6 receives MIDI data according to the settings you have chosen in the settings. In addition, there is interaction between global some of the Program parameters that determine the overall response of Prophet-6 to MIDI data. Following are the Global parameters that affect... -
Page 76: Midi Messages
When On, the synth will respond to MIDI MIDI Control: Off, On— controllers, including Pitch Wheel, Mod Wheel, Pedal, Volume. When set to MIDI ( ) it will receive and MIDI Sysex: MID, USB— transmit them using the MIDI ports/cables When set to USB it will receive and transmit them using the USB port/cable. - Page 77 0vvvvvvv Pitch Bend LS Byte then MS Byte Notes: 0kkkkkkk Note number 0 — 127 nnnn Channel number 0 to 15 (MIDI channel 1-16). Ignored if MIDI channel set to ALL 0vvvvvvv Value Prophet-6 Operation Manual Appendix C: MIDI Implementation...
- Page 78 Transmitted Controller Messages Status Second Third Description 1011 nnnn 0000 0001 0vvvvvvv Mod Wheel 1011 nnnn 0000 0100 0vvvvvvv Foot Controller: When assigned to Pedal 1 or Pedal 2 1011 nnnn 0000 0111 0vvvvvvv Volume: When assigned to Pedal 1 or Pedal 2 1011 nnnn 0100 1010 0vvvvvvv...
- Page 79 Additional Continuous Controllers Transmitted/Received The following table details how MIDI Continuous Controllers (CCs) are mapped to Prophet-6 controls. They are transmitted when Param Xmit is set to CC, and recognized/received when MIDI Rcv Receive is set to CC. Param Param...
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Page 80: Nrpn Messages
NRPN Messages The Non-Registered Parameter Number (NRPN) MIDI messages are used to transmit and receive both global and program parameters. They are transmitted when MIDI Parameter Send is set to NRPN in Global, and received when MIDI Parameter Receive is set to NRPN in Global. The messages are handled in standard MIDI format using the NRPN CC commands in running status byte format. -
Page 81: Global Parameter Data
1032 MIDI SysEx Enable 1043 Mono/Stereo 0 = Off 0 = Stereo 1 = On 1 = Mono 1044 0-16 Alt Tuning *Controller received, but not transmitted. †Controller transmitted, but ignored when received. Prophet-6 Operation Manual Appendix C: MIDI Implementation... - Page 82 Program Parameter Data The following table lists Prophet-6’s program parameters. NRPN Value Description NRPN Value Description 0-127 VCA Env Decay 0-60 Osc 1 Freq 0-127 VCA Env Sustain Osc 1 Sync 0-127 VCA Env Release 0-127 Osc 1 Level VCA Env Vel On/Off...
- Page 83 1039 Seq Jack Arp Tim Sig 1040 Sustain Polarity 30-250 1041 Velocity Response Seq On/Off 1042 At Response 0-63 Seq Length 1043 Stereo Mono Seq Mode 1044 0-16 Alt Tuning Seq Play Mode Prophet-6 Operation Manual Appendix C: MIDI Implementation...
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Page 84: Control Nrpn Data
Control NRPN Data The following table lists the Prophet-6’s control NRPN data. It is received and transmitted but not saved as part of a program. NRPN Value Description 1088 Seq Play/Stop * Osc 1 Sync 0-127 Osc 1 Level 0-254... - Page 85 Bank Number, 0 - 9 0vvv vvvv Program Number, 0 - 99 1111 0111 End of Exclusive (EOX) The Prophet-6 will respond by sending out the Program Data in the format described below in Program Data Dump. Request Program Edit Buffer Dump Status Description...
- Page 86 Program Data Dump Status Description 1111 0000 System Exclusive (SysEx) 0000 0001 DSI ID 0010 1101 Prophet-6 ID 0000 0010 Program Data 0000 00vv Bank Number: 0 - 9 0vvv vvvv Program Number: 0 - 99 0vvv vvvv 1024 bytes expanded to 1171 MIDI bytes in “packed MS bit” format...
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Page 87: Packed Data Format
7 G7 G6 G5 G4 G3 G2 G1 G0 00 F6 F5 F4 F3 F2 F1 F0 00 G6 G5 G4 G3 G2 G1 G0 This explains why it takes 1171 MIDI bytes to transmit 1024 Program data bytes. Prophet-6 Operation Manual Appendix C: MIDI Implementation... - Page 92 Dave Smith Instruments 1527 Stockton Street, 3rd Floor San Francisco, CA 94133 www.davesmithInstruments.com DSI-10079R 06-15...
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