Focusrite is running a Sequential / Novation give away contest — but only to people in the USA.
The prize is a Launchkey 37, a Circuit Tracks, and a Prophet Rev 2. That’s a pretty substantial prize – Good Luck !
The contest ends right before Superbooth, perhaps there is some connection ?
It certainly is part of the brand and image building for Focusrite, to draw connections between Sequential and Novation.
I signed up, fingers crossed!
The Competition is organized by Focusrite Audio Engineering Limited incorporated and registered in England and Wales with company number 02357989 whose registered office is at Windsor House, Turnpike Road, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire HP12 3FX (“Focusrite” or “Novation”). “Novation” is a brand of “Focusrite”. Sequential are a “Prize Provider” and a Prize Provider’s involvement hereunder is limited solely to the provision of applicable prizes. Any questions, comments or complaints regarding the organization or administration of the Competition shall be directed to Novation.
I dislike this company more and more(Focusrite). Registered in the UK but only open to US residents.
Huh? They are a UK company, it’s not unusual for any company to do promos or sales in different territories or countries that are limited to those areas, this is completely normal. I see sales on Japanese video games that are only limited to EU or US online shops all the time. Didn’t you also (incorrectly) claim that Focusrite is Behringer rebranded? What’s your beef with Focusrite? They have the best customer support in the business, and fantastic long-term product support.
In what way? Because they have multiple brands in their portfolio? Also, every country/state/region has different laws regarding giveaways and promotions, so it is extremely normal for a promo or giveaway to be territory limited. It’s not dodgy or underhanded in any way, totally ridiculous to claim that it is.
If sequential are the ‘prize provider’, then as an American brand, I can’t say I’m surprised it’s US only. It’s disappointing, but not surprising.
What a completely unnecessary rant. Neither company is following “the Behringer model” because a single contest doesn’t include your region.
Just a personal response of mine, with no way for me to measure this, but it feels that Sequential would likely have invested the minor amount of engineering resources to continue the Prophet X. The reason that i’ve read for them dropping this product is “due to the unavailability of several key components”.
More about the discontinuing of the Prophet X in this thread :
Other companies deal with parts being discontinued all the time, without closing out a product line, especially a distinctive one like this. This feels to me a corporate change – which they are certainly allowed.
But what would Dave have done ?
Surely it depends in part what the component is? Do we know?
The PX also just didn’t seem to do nearly as well as any other synth of theirs.
The whole thing with 8DIO didn’t seem to pan out very well either.
I just mean it seemed like a dead synth long before anything else. I say this as someone who owns and loves one (and damn near single handedly keeps the demos for it flowing here on the nauts.)
Now the real move would be to discontinue PX…
Use its underlying sample architecture. Ditch the 8DIO tie. Make it a desktop unit… with pads and 16v multi timbrality. Something like the Pro3s sequencer.
Yes boys. The PX is so close to being a Tempest 2 it hurts.
(I am fully aware I’m just dreaming here. But dream with me.)
It was around for 6 years, and may not have sold in high enough numbers to warrant a redesign. The Polyevolver keyboard was around for 8 years I believe. The Prophet X also had a whole Mini-ITX PC inside to drive the digital section, those parts may just not be around anymore as 6 years is quite a while in PC land.
I’m a hw / sw engineer. With some minor exceptions of irreplaceable core technology, almost never. There is never ever one way to do something.
Wrong confusion. Sales volume and profitability / product success are not the same thing.
Think of the original investment cost, and compare that to the cost of a smallish continuation project for another 6 years or whatever.
I will grant you the corporate equation on profitability and product viability has changed. That is my point.
Oh, I know there’s some way, unless we’re talking analog components that aren’t easily replicable. At some point, though, any team will have to make the cost trade-off if it’s something that will take enough work to port to a new component.
The old DSI / Sequential would discontinue products as well, I don’t see how this is an indication that anything has changed. Even profitable products are discontinued to make room for new things.
Dave has already paved the way with the Prophet 12’s and Tempest’s end, so I think that’s exactly what he would have done with the Prophet X. Time to move on.
On the bright side, this also means that assembly resources will be shifted to a new product line. Let the speculation begin. Here’s my Take: no 5 this time 
Jeez louise… I guess someone will chime in like this every time Sequential do anything now. Dave Smith discontinued products all the time. And the way some people talk about Focusrite as if they’re the most evil corporation out there… “a corporate change” - what does that even mean?
There is now room for a hybrid sort of synth in the product line now, and a flagship one at that.
The P-X is great (I still like mine), but I want to know what’s next.
If they don’t go sample route, I feel like it would be pretty low hanging fruit, and also awesome for us, if they made a Take 10 that has the digital waves from pro3.
I really thought the T5 would have these, given the shared design language and was pretty disappointed when I learned more about it at launch. I mean cheers if you’re enjoying years. It sounds fab.
It would be a true successor to P12, if a bit derivative. Some other twist to something like this would be sick.
I think a lot of people would love polyphonic Pro 3 type synth. And without the P12 and X, it definitely leaves a hybrid size hole in their lineup.
The thing is, digital Prophets are always met with frosty skepticism and poor sales. I say this as a jubilant owner of a P12 who cannot be the only one thinking the PX would have sold a lot better if it was named “Peak 2”.