This is, plain and simply, misinformation. Maybe you have a unit that's got an issue, or isn't calibrated correctly, but I get perfectly good velocity sensitivity, and to make sure I wasn't hallucinating or something, I just made a little patch from an init where all I did was crank the amp envelope amount all the way up, and then I made a one note loop where I used Bitwig's not editor to adjust it all the way down to zero velocity. Now, I admit at zero, I can still hear a note, ever so faintly, but it is there. If I have the note playing at 100% velocity is -19.7 db, the zero velocity note is at -66. 8 db. At a 5% velocity setting, I'm seeing it top out at -60.4. When I run the loop and just move the note velocity control up, it gradually increases in volume, exactly how you'd expect it to.

So, I don't know why you feel like you're having an issue with velocity, but it's got to be either a defect of some sort or user error. Maybe it needs a calibration?

I think I’ve cleared the calibration tables but I’ll try again, maybe I haven’t.

I just got bigwig last week but haven’t installed it yet, I’ll have to try this and maybe to find specific steps to reproduce, I’ve only used the desktop so far with din midi using actual keyboards. Do you know what velocity midi # equivalent is being sent?

I don’t think its defective but I have gone from playing a note on a given keyboard synth itself with a light touch then turning up the volume on the Prophet 6 and zero sound comes out, and my experience with the Trigon keyboard controlling the prophet using velocity curve 0 which is the full 0-127 mirrors what I’ve read in Sequential’s forums about the Prophet 6 keyboard.

https://forum.sequential.com/index.php/topic,382.0.html

You can see sequential staff posting in there about adding the curves due to this issue, and some people finding it satisfactory (and some other people not in other threads).

It’s definitely playable truncating the midi data with curves 4-7 but it’s nothing “feel wise” like how the rev.4 responds to the full velocity data.

It’s still a very good synth despite this, but I sure hope it’s stale calibration data causing my problem here.

Bitwig doesn’t tell you the MIDI 0-127 number, you either see it as a line under the note that you can make taller or shorter, or in a side inspector panel with a 0-100% I tried both and I was able to watch Bitwig’s peak meter go up through the full range, and it seems like when I’m playing I can get a smooth response from my Kontrol S61 mk3, though I’m no virtuoso… or even very good, but it seems to feel more or less continuous, as least as far as my sensitivity goes.

BTW, all of this is happening via USB, and nothing is directly hooked up to my 6 module. Everything goes though Bitwig. Maybe there’s something different about using DIN MIDI?

I also use MPE a bit, from a Roli Rise 49, and recently from a Linnstrument, so stuff like this usually stands out to me, so when you wrote that I instantly thought it sounded weird to me. If velocity wasn’t working right it would be especially noticeable from the Rise, which can be really expressive.

Or it could be the keyboard itself that’s the issue. I’ve never owned a Prophet 6 keyboard version, or touched one.

Calibration won’t have any effect.

All of the 6 series synths have the same velocity curves. The best you can do is to spend some time comparing them to find the one that works best for you. Don’t bang your head against the wall trying to “fix” the lack of proportional velocity amount. If that’s a feature you need, then you need a different synth.

Personally, I rarely enable velocity for the VCA. I think I’m in the target audience for Sequential’s very limited control in this area. But I do use filter velocity fairly often, and one of the offset and more compressed curves works fine for that purpose.

Right, that’s what I figured and is my experience with all 3 6-series, but it’s interesting that some people don’t seem to notice this at all.

I don’t find it as much of an issue on the Trigon and use velocity curve 0 on that 99% of the time, but i have to switch it to 4 or 5 if I’m using it to control the Prophet 6.

The curves are a work-around but the core issue is still present, I believe. If you’re a keyboard or piano player who is used to a very sensitive playing surface I don’t think the Prophet 6 delivers this as well as the rev.4, and given that this is a P6 vs. Rev.4 thread it is worth noting because for some people it may sway them in one direction or another.

I personally don’t consider it a dealbreaker, but the difference is obviously apparent when using the exact same keyboard (or curve) and switching the synth volume in my mixer, I go from quiet notes on one synth to no sound on the Prophet 6, and that’s not something that’s in my head or due to a configuration issue.

I’m not speaking specifically about zerocrossing when saying this, but some synth only players are extremely heavy handed, and even some good ones will inadvertently activate aftertouch because they are so ham-fisted when playing if you pay close attention to some demos. I started with Piano and consider dynamics critical, but I like the sound and features of the P6 so I’ll probably keep it regardless, but whether that works for a particular person is going to be up to how they use their instrument and what features they want out of it despite some drawbacks.

Yeah, I hear you. I’m a piano player as well but I don’t bring my pianist expectations or approach to synths. So limited velocity control isn’t a problem for me. But it definitely is limited on most Sequential synths.

If anything, synths with overly sensitive velocity control are more of an issue. Like the 3rd Wave, where the default init patch enables full velocity on the VCA. I thought something was broken when I programmed my first patch on that synth!

This is OT, but you should check out a 3rd Wave. It has extensive velocity control and it’s the most expressive synth I own. I feel like it would be a great fit for someone looking for a more piano-like experience from a synth. A 3rd Wave module with a fully weighted controller would be a powerful, incredibly dynamic tool in the right hands.