Pioneering synth builder Dave Smith has revisited the lineage of the Sequential Circuits Pro One and Pro 2, announcing today the company's "new flagship mono/paraphonic synthesizer" in the form of the Sequential Pro 3.
The goal, according to Smith, was to "pack as much power as possible into a compact footprint," and the Pro 3 is set to deliver with two VCOs and a third digital wavetable oscillator, multiple filter options, onboard effects, and a powerful sequencer. Whether used for thick monophonic tones or up to three-note paraphonic playing, the Pro 3 offers a large step-up in sound-sculpting capabilities when compared to its predecessors.
The two analog sound generators offer a choice of triangle, saw, and pulse waves with waveshaping. The digital wavetable oscillator has a total of 32 tables of 16 waves a piece—letting your sound morph as it passes through all possible shapes.
The Pro 3's filter section is similarly diverse. According to Sequential, "Filter 1 is a 4-pole low-pass design based on the Prophet-6 filter. Filter 2 is a classic transistor ladder filter with optional resonance compensation to preserve its low-end punch. Filter 3 is a classic 2-pole, state-variable design based on the OB-6 filter that can be continuously varied between low-pass, notch, and high-pass operation, with an optional band-pass mode. A Drive control provides additional punch to all three filters."
Onboard effects include analog distortion, digital delays and reverbs, and tuned feedback. Also packed into the compact chassis is a 64-step sequencer capable of 16-track sequences "with ratcheting, variable gate and sequence lengths, multiple playback modes, and paraphonic operation," and a multimode arpeggiator.
Sequential also stresses the importance of the synth's rear-panel CV I/O, which can hook up to modular synths.
While the standard Pro 3 ($1,599 USD) will be outfitted in black, the Pro 3 SE ($2,099) will be a special-edition with a tilt-up panel and walnut sides. Both are available for pre-order on Reverb here. For all the latest gear news and product releases from NAMM 2020, click here.