The Sequential Prophet-5 was the first great polysynth. We're celebrating its release – for no other reason than it was, and still is, a fantastic synthesiser – by looking back over its five-decade lifetime and predicting (or indeed prophesying) which five tracks it will be remembered for. That's quite a task…
Released back in 1978, the Prophet-5 was the first synth to boast both polyphony and patch saving. Others had managed the former feature – being able to play more than one note at a time – before, but the Prophet wrapped it all up in a portable package with 40 presets, and the ability to create more. It was a major release and a big success.
