Sequential Pro 3

[GuyaGuy]

There are a lot of top shelf synths that don't have the specs you're asking about. Specs that are super important to one person aren''t to another

I agree.

Do all parameters have a resolution of 0-128 7-bit only? No

What is the resolution?

Can you modulate the envelope-stages? Yes

Oh cool! It might be possible to shape the curves this way.

Thank you!

Not sure what the res is. I think it's in the long Gearslutz thread somewhere.

And yes you can "fake" the curves by recursive modulation or using an aux env to modulate the destination env.

[taylor12k]

is the ladder filter on the Pro 3 supposed to always sound distorted?

i just got one a couple weeks ago (new) and the ladder filter is pretty much a distortion generator and i'm wondering if it's broken.

for example, take preset bank P8 patch 85 (super soft? or something like that)... load it up.. it uses the OTA filter... if i simply switch to the ladder filter it sounds all distorted.

there is no drive or distortion in the patch..

but this happens pretty much any time i use the ladder filter... sounds distorted.

is this normal?

[Sinamsis]

is the ladder filter on the Pro 3 supposed to always sound distorted?

i just got one a couple weeks ago (new) and the ladder filter is pretty much a distortion generator and i'm wondering if it's broken.

for example, take preset bank P8 patch 85 (super soft? or something like that)... load it up.. it uses the OTA filter... if i simply switch to the ladder filter it sounds all distorted.

there is no drive or distortion in the patch..

but this happens pretty much any time i use the ladder filter... sounds distorted.

is this normal?

Without a sound clip that's a difficult question to answer.

[dubonaire]

is the ladder filter on the Pro 3 supposed to always sound distorted?

i just got one a couple weeks ago (new) and the ladder filter is pretty much a distortion generator and i'm wondering if it's broken.

for example, take preset bank P8 patch 85 (super soft? or something like that)... load it up.. it uses the OTA filter... if i simply switch to the ladder filter it sounds all distorted.

there is no drive or distortion in the patch..

but this happens pretty much any time i use the ladder filter... sounds distorted.

is this normal?

What are your oscillator levels? I've read on the Sequential forums that you need to keep oscillator levels down to around 50-60% especially in paraphonic mode which makes sense. I recommend joining that forum, people tend to be very helpful and you can learn a lot about the various synths. I'd also check everything that could be in the signal path but I'm sure you would do that. The thing about Sequential synths is that the gain staging is up to you.

[GuyaGuy]

is the ladder filter on the Pro 3 supposed to always sound distorted?

i just got one a couple weeks ago (new) and the ladder filter is pretty much a distortion generator and i'm wondering if it's broken.

for example, take preset bank P8 patch 85 (super soft? or something like that)... load it up.. it uses the OTA filter... if i simply switch to the ladder filter it sounds all distorted.

there is no drive or distortion in the patch..

but this happens pretty much any time i use the ladder filter... sounds distorted.

is this normal?

If you mean U4 P85 then yes it distorts if you switch to the ladder. Or to the SVF. With the SFV I get pops.

Think of the Pro 3 like a modular synth with 3 filters each its own levels, temperament, and characteristics. The same oscillators going into different filters behave differently. The same oscillators going into the same filter behave differently if played paraphonically vs mono. Dave leaves it up to you to figure out the gain stages you want rather than making everything squeaky clean.

[Moho]

is the ladder filter on the Pro 3 supposed to always sound distorted?

i just got one a couple weeks ago (new) and the ladder filter is pretty much a distortion generator and i'm wondering if it's broken.

for example, take preset bank P8 patch 85 (super soft? or something like that)... load it up.. it uses the OTA filter... if i simply switch to the ladder filter it sounds all distorted.

there is no drive or distortion in the patch..

but this happens pretty much any time i use the ladder filter... sounds distorted.

is this normal?

I was really disappointed with the ladder filter, its the least useful of the three, if you drive it too hard the distortion you get is really noisy rather than warm like a moog ladder.

Quick rule of thumb I use as a starting point is to never let the osc levels add up to more than 180 so they could be 60-60-60 or 90-30-60 or 90-90 if just using two etc, keep the resonance level below 180 and set the amp level to 60, this should give you a clean signal with all the filters, then you can adjust to taste.

Edit- the amp level doesn't effect the filter but if kept low you'll know that if you hear distortion its coming from the filter not the FX

[pekbro]

My pitch wheel either broke or came un-hinged already. Now I have to take the thing apart to see whats up.
Pretty sure it just came unseated due to letting it spring back to it's rest position. Tho it's pretty lame that
I have to do that.

[pekbro]

Just loose retaining screws apparently, minor niggle in other words. I guess they didn't think to use
locktite on the early units.

[tehyar]

https://sonicstate.com/news/2020/07/30/ ... the-pro-3/

Looks like user wavetables are here.

[tdel]

Does anyone else find the Pro 3 to be a bit underwhelming sonically? It's an amazingly well-designed synth, and by no means sounds bad, but the character of the sound is not quite giving me the warm fuzzies that I'd hoped for from a VCO mono featuring the P6 and OB6 filters. When I compare it to my OG Pro One (for example) the sound strikes me as 2-dimensional; even the simplest A/B test of listening to the oscillators with the filter wide open gives this impression.

I find this frustrating because everything else about the Pro 3 is an absolutely top-notch experience -- the depth of possibilities is truly incredible. It could genuinely be my desert island synth, but the basic sound doesn't quite knock my socks off. As it is, I find it more "useful" than inspiring. Perhaps I should just let it do its thing and excel at drones, textures, FX, and other modulated madness.

This might be a Me-problem, but I'm curious to know if others have had similar thoughts.

[grizzleb]

I think that there is actually a fair bit of range in the 'basic' sounds depending on the gain staging, very simple modulation etc. A single oscillator with simple modulation can still sound amazing but you might have to tweak it a little... I think it really excels at doing the more complicated stuff though, and maybe a richer basic tone would have made this aspect less dynamic and controllable... Or too expensive

[gruebleengourd]

Does anyone else find the Pro 3 to be a bit underwhelming sonically? It's an amazingly well-designed synth, and by no means sounds bad, but the character of the sound is not quite giving me the warm fuzzies that I'd hoped for from a VCO mono featuring the P6 and OB6 filters. When I compare it to my OG Pro One (for example) the sound strikes me as 2-dimensional; even the simplest A/B test of listening to the oscillators with the filter wide open gives this impression.
This might be a Me-problem, but I'm curious to know if others have had similar thoughts.

It was the first synth I ever bought and returned. Completely underwhelmed by the sonics and annoyed by the interface. You are not alone. It was a lot better on paper IMO. And it's something particular with this one -- love the prophet12. Much prefered tha torais AS-1 I sold to fund it. Got a bro-1 and despite the obvious differences, I am much happier with the sounds and the programming.

It seemed like a synth that would integrate well with modular and be kind of a modular with saveable patches, but I could tweak on it for hours and never get it to sound in a way that I liked when I could patch something up in a few minutes on my euro. It really didn't fit a place in my studio.

[Petajaja]

Does anyone else find the Pro 3 to be a bit underwhelming sonically? It's an amazingly well-designed synth, and by no means sounds bad, but the character of the sound is not quite giving me the warm fuzzies that I'd hoped for from a VCO mono featuring the P6 and OB6 filters. When I compare it to my OG Pro One (for example) the sound strikes me as 2-dimensional; even the simplest A/B test of listening to the oscillators with the filter wide open gives this impression.

I find this frustrating because everything else about the Pro 3 is an absolutely top-notch experience -- the depth of possibilities is truly incredible. It could genuinely be my desert island synth, but the basic sound doesn't quite knock my socks off. As it is, I find it more "useful" than inspiring. Perhaps I should just let it do its thing and excel at drones, textures, FX, and other modulated madness.

This might be a Me-problem, but I'm curious to know if others have had similar thoughts.

I'm very vocal about my love for the Motas-6 on various forums and in the time that I've been posting in its threads, I've talked with quite a few people who bought a Pro-3 based on everyones hyping of it but they were ultimately disappointed with the core sound / filters when they got it, each of them who ended up getting a Motas instead were very happy with the swap and told me they thought it sounded a lot better. Obviously better is a subjective word but maybe the types of sounds that many of us have in mind when we think analog mono aren't what the Pro-3 typically excels at?

But anyway.. I've spoken to more than a fair share of people who weren't happy with the sound.

[Sinamsis]

I might be getting one of these in the near future. I dunno man... personally I'm not getting it for simple mono duties, but I am hoping it can do that reasonably well. I am excited for the complex sequenced stuff it should be able to do. And I will be comparing it to the Pro 2. I don't expect it to be a mini Moog and I could see being disappointed if that's what you expect. I'd be interested how owners of both the Pro 3 and either the OB6 or P6 felt the sound compared. Most people I know have loved the sound of both of those synths. FWIW I had a P6 for a while and though it did sound a little more tame then I liked, but it's been a while.

[h4ndcrafted]

I had an ob-6 and have had the pro 3 since the beginning of lockdown Feb.
The sound is fine , but like others have said , you have to gain stage for each filter. The ladder filter I hardly ever use , I can get better Moog sounds with the Prophet filter. People say you need to drive into the Moog, but there is no growl , just distortion. The Oberheim filter sounds the same as my ob6 pretty much.
While it’s hard to get warm vintage sounds , you can get close , but I feel like your’re fighting against the synth. If you want vocal warm filters , get a dreadbox or something.

What it does do , is what you might expect , weight from the VCOs and nice transient and movement from the wavetables.

In short if you want a vintage sounding mono, this ain’t it , although it does do classic sounds well.
This is a utility synth for me , it sounds modern has loads of presence, and the sounds it can make seem limitless. But if you want warm treacle , dusty warbles , maybe not.
I dislike the envelopes on all the DSI/Seq synths I’ve used. They do the job and excel at somethings but generally not a fan.
I’d regret it if I sold it , but I don’t think of it fondly either.
It’s a Volvo not a Porsche.

[tdel]

I appreciate everyone's feedback. I feel as though

It’s a Volvo not a Porsche... I’d regret it if I sold it , but I don’t think of it fondly either.

... basically hits the nail on the head. I was not necessarily expecting a Porche, but with VCOs & the particular filters on the table, I guess I was expecting something more like an Audi than a Volvo . I waffle on selling it for something else because it's definitely a highly useful synth.

I had an OB-6 earlier this year which I traded for a P6, as I decided I needed the darker bread and butter type poly. I do think the OB-6 sounds a bit smoother and more "airy" than the Pro 3 in SVF mode, which is a bit more grungy without necessarily being "fat." I also perceive the P6 to be a bit warmer than the Pro 3, having made a few attempts at patch-matching on them.

For what it's worth, I do approach the gain staging thoughtfully on the Pro 3 (as well as on the P6, for comparison's sake).

[Sinamsis]

So on paper this should substitute reasonably well for an SEM. But from I’m hearing here it does not. What did sequential miss? There are two VCOs. The SVF was designed with Tom Oberheim. What is wrong then? Envelope shape? What did they get wrong?

Btw I owned a Two Voice Pro for a bit but sold it around the time this was announced. Not necessarily because of the Pro 3. I was under utilizing it but I had hoped the Pro 3 would get me close enough, with patch storage on top.

[Tofupancho]

So on paper this should substitute reasonably well for an SEM. But from I’m hearing here it does not. What did sequential miss? There are two VCOs. The SVF was designed with Tom Oberheim. What is wrong then? Envelope shape? What did they get wrong?

Different strokes. I love the sound. Getting from a preset or init to what I’m looking for feels like a shorter path than I’ve found on anything else. I’m also consistently happy with how it sits in a mix. It’s pretty pricey and I’d hope the only people that keep it feel great chemistry with it, but I’ve seen more good reactions than bad ones.

[induktor]

It's exactly what I had hoped it would be. To me it's an evolution of the Evolver. Gnarly industrial face punch.

[h4ndcrafted]

I’d agree it sits in a mix well as do all the latest sequential stuff, That is where my Volvo not a Porsche analogy was coming from.
I.e. It’s very good at what it needs to do , will probably last ages and hold its value , but there’s nothing super wow exciting in the basic filters. This is comparing it to vintage though. As a modern analogue it excels mostly. It’s a tool rather than object of lust , but then who knows , it might be a grower for me. Not all love is instant is it.
Not to mention the fact somebody more adept at programming than me will make it sing heavenly songs.

This is an early video I did, think th3 first patch is the Obey filter, before the bug where the effects would distort sound was fixed.

[Rex Coil 7]

Does anyone else find the Pro 3 to be a bit underwhelming sonically? It's an amazingly well-designed synth, and by no means sounds bad, but the character of the sound is not quite giving me the warm fuzzies that I'd hoped for from a VCO mono featuring the P6 and OB6 filters. When I compare it to my OG Pro One (for example) the sound strikes me as 2-dimensional; even the simplest A/B test of listening to the oscillators with the filter wide open gives this impression.
This might be a Me-problem, but I'm curious to know if others have had similar thoughts.

It was the first synth I ever bought and returned. Completely underwhelmed by the sonics and annoyed by the interface. You are not alone. It was a lot better on paper IMO. And it's something particular with this one -- love the prophet12. Much prefered tha torais AS-1 I sold to fund it. Got a bro-1 and despite the obvious differences, I am much happier with the sounds and the programming.

It seemed like a synth that would integrate well with modular and be kind of a modular with saveable patches, but I could tweak on it for hours and never get it to sound in a way that I liked when I could patch something up in a few minutes on my euro. It really didn't fit a place in my studio.

I've owned motorcycles in the past that were "collections of great specs" but really shitty bikes in the end. Seems as though some folks feel as though the Pro3 is a sortof ~collection of excellent specifications". That's too bad, since the specs provide a potentially wonderful sounding synth. All hat, no cattle.

[Tofupancho]

And that’s how you build an echo chamber.

[gruebleengourd]

That's too bad, since the specs provide a potentially wonderful sounding synth. All hat, no cattle.

I think the Pro3 is absolutely capable of sounding good. And for someone investing in a single powerful monosynth or something ideal for live performance I think it would be great. But to me the SEM filter did not come close to comparing with the Moogah SEM clone or Telemark that I already had, and I found it very difficult to dial in a variety of sounds in my mind, either due to issues with the envelopes (which required a lot of back and for adjustment of stage modulation and time settings to even get close to a response that was natural on most synths that I'm used to) and gain staging. For me it seemed to be offer to wide a range of possibilities as far as parameter ranges, while putting them under an awkward computer control where you really have to micromanage a patch in the menus rather than just slip the potentiometer into a sweet spot. It just did not find a place in my studio, when I had other monos beside it that I could just turn turn turn a knob and be happy. I got some good sounds out of it, but programming was a frustrating endeavor. If it's not fun to program a synth, I don't really think I want to have it around. If I didn't already have a telemark and a lot of modular I could imagine it staying. I think there could have been different choices made in regard to the OS that would have made it a lot more fun. Something simple like dedicated envelope contours expo/lin/log adjustment like on say Maths could have put it over the edge.

[stimresp]

Something simple like dedicated envelope contours expo/lin/log adjustment like on say Maths could have put it over the edge.

I haven't yet tried the Pro-3 but I do have an ongoing love affair with my Pro-2. You can achieve Log and exponential envelope curves by modulating the attack or decay stages by their own envelope. No dedicated knob, but it only takes a couple of seconds to set it up in the mod matrix.

Re: the SEM filter - I too was disappointed with this to begin with but it sounds better when driven really hard. The LP envelope has a dedicated pre-filter drive which would be better suited to the SEM IMO. I like to ease-off on the Osc volumes for the LP but really hammer the SEM. The Pro-2 is a real slow burner, it took me years to really get to grips with it. Much attention needs to be paid to gain staging and I think it's probably similar in the Pro-3: stick with it, learn its quirks and it will reward in spades.

[tehyar]

My only complaint is still the same: many the pots are way too gd hard to turn.