Found my 1981 Pro-One in loft!

[Forum Admin]

The replacement keyboards have been a revelation here. My Pro-One feels like a quality instrument, rather than the lighweight clacky beast it was. I'd highly recommend it.

Thanks Paul for that advice. Will explore that tip.

BTW, my serial number for the Pro-One is 5619. Not certain whether SCI did back then what lots of gear-makers do and start their serial number sequencing with an arbitrary number ie. '5' making mine model 619 (I hope). If anyone knows, would love to be enlightened on this point.

cheers,
Ian

[BJG145]

After a sip of coffee, I set to adjusting a patch and there it was, that syncing feeling.

Glad you and the Pro-One are recovering well.

[Folderol]

After a sip of coffee, I set to adjusting a patch and there it was, that syncing feeling.

Glad you and the Pro-One are recovering well.

Pah! You spoiled my fun. I was going to say exactly the same thing

[Forum Admin]

[Martin Walker]

BTW, my serial number for the Pro-One is 5619. Not certain whether SCI did back then what lots of gear-makers do and start their serial number sequencing with an arbitrary number ie. '5' making mine model 619 (I hope). If anyone knows, would love to be enlightened on this point.

Ironically, my internet searches soon turned up a lot of information re Pro-One serial numbers!

http://www.archfrenemy.com/projects/mods/sciproone.html

1. All Pro-Ones with Serial Numbers BELOW # 1500 were the ones with the Power Supply (including Heavy Transformer) Mounted on the Printed Circuit Board, which reduces durability.

2. The Pro One's with serial numbers BELOW # 8500 are equipped with the stable and easy to repair J-wire style keyboard

3. All Pro-Ones with Serial Numbers ABOVE # 8500 used the Cheap, Terrible (and Faulty!) MEMBRANE Keyboards.

So I can already tell you that your #5619 has the better quality J-wire keyboard, and doesn't have the heavy transformer hanging off the PCB

I also stumbled across one Pro-One for sale with serial number #55xx, described as being built between 1981 and 1984.
https://retrogearshop.com/products/sequ ... e-j-wire-1

Hope this helps!

Martin

[Forum Admin]

So I can already tell you that your #5619 has the better quality J-wire keyboard, and doesn't have the heavy transformer hanging off the PCB

Hope this helps!

Martin

Thanks - it does indeed help me, Martin. I think this is worth me investing in, as one reason I stopped using my 'live performance' (ie. no memories) Pro-One was mainly its clunky, clacks keyboard. When I bought it in 1981, I only had experience of the Transcendent keyed (crap) and I mainly used it in rehearsal rooms (posh name for local garage 'glass box' showroom on a Sunday and Tuesday nights) or for gigs, where ambient noise drowned out the clacks keypresses.

It deserves a nicer keyboard.

It also deserves a MIDI retrofit, so a Kenton Pro-Soloist might be added to my basket at SynthFest UK, where Kenton are exhibiting this October.

[Martin Walker]

Thanks - it does indeed help me, Martin.

[Arpangel]

What a thing to find, I had one in the nineties, it was a definitive leap from anything around when it came out, producing sounds that others weren’t capable of, it really stands out in my recordings at the time, due to its very flexible modulation routing, and unique sounding oscillators.

[Forum Admin]

This might sound like sacrilege, but I've been engrossed in YouTube videos about the Behringer Pro-1 module. It sounded pretty decent on headphones over YT to my ears and a module version would appeal to me as I need to save space. (Moving house next year and seriously downsizing.)

So, to avoid the cost of the quality keyboard retrofit and a Pro-Soloist to get it MIDIable, the Berry looks to be an utter bargain with some useful extra functions. I know it only has digital filter circuits and not the lovely Curtis chip analogue filter of the original keyboard synth, but...

So have any Forumites got a Pro-1 and do you like its sound?

[The Elf]

I thought it *did* have an analogue filter?!

The only bad reports of the Berry P1 I've heard are about the attack control, which seems to be a bit iffy at or near its minimum settings.

[Forum Admin]

I thought it *did* have an analogue filter?!

Not heard one in the flesh, so your comment is even better if it does.

The only bad reports of the Berry P1 I've heard are about the attack control, which seems to be a bit iffy at or near its minimum settings.

OK, will bear it in mind. Thanks.

[Tomás Mulcahy]

Yes it's an analogue filter. Digital envelopes is the difference with the original I think, maybe the cause of the issue Elf pointed out? They remade the original filter and oscillator chips in SMD form.

I've only used their Moog clone. It sounds superb. But the dials are really small, which is part of the Moog experience IMO. It was a lot harder to get the sweet spots compared to the big dials on a real MiniMoog. Or even Arturia Mini V controlled by my Novation KSR, which are the same size as the average dially controller. It put me off. I can see the same issue with the Behringer Pro One.

I guess though, you could sell the real Pro One and pay for several Behringer clones? Their ARP2600 did not feel small to me, and also sounds really great. I never used a real one, only the Arturia plugin.