Technical release project for Profree-4 hardware synthesizer
By Asuka Ouchi
The project is to develop the Profree-4, a clone synthesizer of the famous synthesizer Prophet-5, and to make all the technical information available to the public free of charge.
Type: Artistic
What inspired you or what is the idea that got you started?
Engineer Enya had always wanted to make a Prophet-5 clone, so we decided to develop it together. And for the sake of the development of synthesizer technology, we decided to make all the technical information available to the public.
What is your project about and how does it work?
This project is about synthesizer technology.
Although the technical patent for the Prophet-5, a synthesizer masterpiece, has already been lost, it is an irreplaceable asset to mankind.
Profree-4 has kept the voice circuit part of Prophet-5 and miniaturized the digital control part by using the latest technology.
We want to help the development of synthesizer technology and plan to release the Profree-4 as an open hard-source synthesizer.
Profree-4 is currently under development.
What did you learn by doing this project?
What I learned from this project was the excellence of the Prophet-5, which is considered a masterpiece, and the advances in digital technology over the past 40 years.
Components that were expensive at the time have become inexpensive and smaller, allowing for a significant reduction in chassis size.
However, the sound coming out of the Prophet-5's voice board created 40 years ago still fascinates us.
What impact does your project have on others as well as yourself?
Profree-4 is an open hard-source synthesizer.
Anyone can build, improve, and sell Profree-4.
This will ensure that the Prophet-5 technology will be passed on to future generations for a long time to come.
