In my book it would be wiser to stick with correctly assembled units.
And as far as sonic signature goes. It would be better to have the room to take away rather than attempt to put back what isn’t there in the first place (inline capacitors irreversibly affecting output sound)
Some people think Dave Smith wants owners to fix the problem themselves so I’m highlighting the below:
"We will happily swap boards if that is preferred, or swap entire units. We will do whatever is required to make things right."
The actual post by Dave Smith:
https://forum.sequential.com/index.php/topic,4747.0.html
They mention it further down the article:
Fortunately, Smith says that there’s an easy fix - the two capacitors simply need to be removed. Users can do this themselves if they have access to a soldering iron, though Sequential is also offering to swap the boards or, indeed, entire units if that’s what’s preferred. “We will do whatever is required to make things right,” says Smith.
I am quite happy to be wrong in this case
Yeh, just being cheeky, because you know in 20 years people will be saying one or the other is better, and was it better to have an early caped, early cap-gelded or later capless model. And “Re-capping”, wtf.
Yeah, a bit similar to when the MS-20 Mini came out. The old Korg is better, yadda yadda yadda.
One person even made a comparison video to “prove” it, but you can see in the video that he had the Mini filter knobs at blatantly different settings than the vintage one.
Is your life not a bit… different in 2020?
I’m a little disappointed that my batch hit the seller and went right back but hey, saving a week or two versus doing a simple desoldering…
If you botch up the soldering does this void the warranty. Nobody has mentioned this.
Send them an email. I ordered mine from three wave music and they did the soldering job for me and according to sequential the dealer can do it for you if they have the facilities. You can also email sequential if you just want the boards replaced too.
It doesn’t void the warranty. Sequential stated that in the original message they posted about the issue.
I posted this on another forum, so I will post it here as well.
This has been my experience with the Prophet 5:
My first P5 had loose screws, a clicking key, and the dark filter. The replacement unit I received had a rattling keyboard. It rattled more in the center than the outer keys. Support seemed to have heard of this, as they asked me to press on the top piece of wood, and the issue was worse when I did that.
Also, the wood on the second one looked bad to me. It was very, very light, and not much interesting grain going on. It didn’t look like my first unit. It didn’t look anything like the one on Sequential’s website, or any of the YouTube vid’s, or user pics I have seen. To me, it looked like a cheap knockoff. I was told that because there were no scratches or blemishes, that it was in spec. I work in manufacturing, so I understand tolerance. But if this was a Pantone color, it was 8-9 shades off, and the customer would have rightly rejected it, because it looked nothing like the advertised product. I know, it’s wood, it’s different, but it sure looked bad to me.
When I spend this much on a synth, I want to be able to open up the box, have it work right from the get-go, and be inspired. After two different P5’s, one serial in the 80’s, and one in the late 200’s, that has not happened.
Unfortunately for me, Sequential won’t exchange it for another one. They offered to look into options to get the keyboard serviced, but I am not sure what those options would have been. They also said I could open it myself to try something, but I shouldn’t have to do that on brand new synth of this price, or any price really. As for the wood, they said they could sell me replacement panels, but they couldn’t guarantee they would look better. So after all this, it looks like I will be returning it for a refund.
Some of you are probably thinking I am being too picky, and I can see that side of it. But to me, It feels like I have received two lemons. And I shouldn’t have to get a brand new synth serviced right out of the box.
So if you have received a properly working, and beautiful P5 or P10, give it a hug tonight. You deserve it.
When it was announced I was contemplating whether I should sell some of my gear to fund a P5, so I appreciate you sharing your account.
I don’t think you’re being too picky. As has been discussed on multiple forums, this is a luxury re-creation meant as a newer, more-reliable option to access the icon. The dark filter is a passable gaff, and I’m inclined to take them at their word. Offering repairs or replacement was a fair solution. However, hearing that there are other build concerns really removes the luster. I am comfortable cleaning and repairing gear, but there’s no way I’d be opening up a brand new synth just to save the manufacturer the trouble.
You’re also not the first to mention the variance in the wood finish. This seems pretty wild to me. Guitar manufacturers producing instruments at these prices have figured out their supplies, as have furniture manufacturers. The wood panels are a major part of the visual impact (and a minor portion of the whole synth) and honestly they should just look right. There’s no reason anyone should be feeling disappointed by a brand new P5.
No, you are not being too picky. The premium price you paid should get you a premium product. That is just unacceptable. No brand new synth of any cost should have these issues. If it was $400 I’m sure you would care less and consider keeping it despite the issues. But it is hard to stomach at $3500. I went through a similar situation with a Made in Japan Yamaha guitar, so I know how you feel. And although I’ve found Sequential support to be the best around, that is very disappointing to hear.
I’m absolutely with you on this. A significant part of the appeal of the Prophet 5 is that it’s a beautiful instrument. At that price you would expect it to exude quality and craftsmanship.
It took me 3 Rev2s until I got one that worked properly. As much as I like and admire Dave Smith and Sequential, it has knocked my faith in their quality control. For many of us these are significant investments, not just throwaway tools. Instruments rather than just products. It’s part of why we choose to buy from more boutique manufacturers.
I can see both sides of this, though I do think Sequential should be better about resolving even these more minor issues for a synth like this. As mentioned above it is definitely a premium product. As such people should feel satisfied with the product. Maybe the wood thing is a little picky, but a rattling keyboard is definitely not something I’d want in a synth like this.
Whether or not they’ve sold thousands and thousands of synths over the years, (even previous rev P-5s) this is still a new tooling and a new product, so it’s subject to the same sorts of manufacturing issues that any new product would have. So I wouldn’t fault Sequential too heavily for the issues popping up. It can happen to ANY company no matter how large or experienced.
If I were them though I’d be going a little further to try and make all of these things right ESPECIALLY for this particular product though. I don’t know that I’d replace wood panels unless they were defective, but I would definitely resolve any mechanical or electrical issues FOR SURE.
Having owned two Rev2s, and having friends that own P-6es and OB-6es though, I can say that overall, as a company, Sequential is pretty amazing. The quality of these other products (especially now that they’ve matured a bit) is astounding. So I would expect that the Prophet 5 and 10 will mature, and probably quite rapidly too.
I think jumping on any brand new product has a bit of chance that goes along with it. I would be willing to bet buying a P5 or P10 a month or three from now will be a lot different than buying one now. I also get wanting to get one right out of the gate though, and that experience SHOULD be flawless. Realistically though, I don’t know if it can be expected of ANY company. Sequential is still a small to mid sized synth company though. They may look like the “big boys” especially because of their history ingrained in synthesis, but they’re still boutique. They aren’t Roland, Yamaha, etc. (which is a good thing in most ways) It also just means that little things like this CAN happen more easily. I hope they improve their response though over mechanical and electrical issues.
I don’t. and I appreciate you chiming in with your experience.
I’ve also read about some issues with the mix control, creating distortion and sidebands: https://www.gearslutz.com/board/geekslutz-forum/1330317-dsi-prophet-5-10-oscillator-mixer-sideband-distortion-discussion.html
something is amiss over there in Sequential-land, it seems… hopefully they get these things figured out before too long.
Totally agree. I have a number of Sequential synths and they are very well made and reliable. Lots of new synths have teething problems. The Summit keybed. Moog One bugs. Super Six supply issues and incomplete features. I’ll probably buy a P5, but not yet.
I have rattling screws on my P10. It’s a low serial number. I setup a support ticket with sequential. I love the sound of it though. I’m sure they will get me settled right.
My keys aren’t noisy and my dealer removed the capacitors. Everything about it sounds great though.
Desktop renditions have been published. Hopefully the rattling screw issues are sorted by the time they make the physical units.