We are thrilled to announce that, thanks to a generous grant from the Stuyvesant Parent Association, the Media Lab has acquired updated versions of the iconic Prophet-5 synthesizer for each project studio. Music teacher Harold Stephan carefully selected these instruments to function as both versatile controllers and sources of inspiration for students interested in synthesizer design.
The original Prophet-5, introduced in 1978 by Sequential Circuits and designed by Dave Smith and John Bowen, was the first analog synthesizer to offer fully programmable memory, allowing musicians to store and recall sounds with ease. Its rich, warm tones can be heard in numerous iconic tracks, such as “Let’s Go” by The Cars, “In the Air Tonight” by Phil Collins, and “Thriller” by Michael Jackson. Dave Smith also co-developed the Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) in the early 1980s, a standard that enables electronic instruments and computers to communicate and synchronize with each other, facilitating seamless integration between devices.
