A Compact Analog Polysynth for a New Generation of Synthesists
Dave Smith and the gang at Sequential have cooked up something special with the Take 5 compact polyphonic analog synthesizer. The Take 5 brings polyphonic analog synthesis and the legendary Sequential sound to a new generation of synthesists. It’s affordable, portable, and approachable — an ideal synth for newcomers and seasoned synth wizards alike. Though compact, the Take 5 certainly doesn’t skimp on tone! Its five voices are massive, owing to its all-analog dual VCOs. Plus, its splendid 4-pole resonant VCF is inspired by the Prophet 5 Rev 4, a modern classic steeped in tradition. With ample modulation options, including two 5-stage envelopes and one global LFO and one freely assignable LFO — there are few areas of subtractive synthesis you can’t explore with the Take 5. Not only is the Take 5 a stellar sound design tool, but it’s also a brilliantly conceived performance instrument that features a satisfying Fatar keybed with aftertouch and velocity sensitivity. You can even split the keys into two performance zones with different octave ranges! Whether it’s your first polyphonic synth or your 50th, the Sequential Take 5 is an ultra-versatile, extremely fun polysynth!
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Lush analog VCOs and VCF
The Take 5’s five voices are each powered by two glorious voltage-controlled oscillators that can both growl and sing. They sport continuously variable waveshapes — from sine and sawtooth to pulse, giving you a huge pallet of timbres to draw from when creating sounds. Pump up the low end with the uber-fat square wave sub-octave generator and shape the tone of the synth even further with hard-sync, front-panel frequency modulation, and selectable keyboard tracking for each oscillator. Next, take control of the 4-pole resonant low-pass filter based on Sequential’s flagship Prophet 5 Rev 4 — it’s the ultimate in creamy analog filtering!
Ample modulation options
The Take 5 provides an ideal platform for aspiring synthesists to learn the art of patch design. As you progress, its ample modulation controls will facilitate endless explorations into sound design. Synth experts will more than appreciate the Take 5’s myriad modulation options, too, which include two 5-stage envelope generators (ADSR and delay) and two LFOs (a global LFO and a freely assignable LFO) with five available waveshapes. Routing modulation sources to their destinations is a breeze, and you can take advantage of the mod wheel, an expression pedal, and the aftertouch-enabled keybed to transform your patches in real time.
Premium performance controls
The tactile experience of working with the Take 5’s switches, knobs, and wheels is one of the most enticing parts of this compact powerhouse poly. The Take 5 gives you detailed control over every parameter with its semi-knob-per-function design, allowing you to turn patches into living, breathing performance. The Take 5’s premium Fatar keybed feels wonderful under your fingertips, and the mod wheel and the spring-loaded pitch wheel are very responsive and a joy to use. It’s great for getting the most out of the Take 5’s split-zone and aftertouch capabilities. There’s also an arpeggiator and step-sequencer on deck for creating ’80s-style ostinatos and tweakable sequences.
Top-notch digital effects section
Like all Sequential synths, the Take 5’s raw sound is something to behold. But every synthesist at Sweetwater will tell you that synths plus effects equal instant sonic satisfaction! To that end, Sequential equipped the Take 5 with a robust digital effects section, which includes a dedicated reverb with damping, pre-delay, decay, and tone controls, in addition to a multi-effect with three delay types, five modulation effects, distortion, and a highpass filter. Plus, there’s a dedicated overdrive effect for adding some heat and aggression to any sound!
Crank up the vintage vibe
This all-analog polysynth boasts modern reliability and high-fidelity sonics. But what if you want to inject a little bit of old-school instability into your sound? No problem! The Take 5 features a nifty Vintage control knob that lets you alter the behavior of the synth to mimic an older instrument. Keep it pristine or go back in time to when analog synthesizers were highly temperamental. Do you think part of the charm of vintage analog synths is their unpredictability? Then you’ll dig this feature!
Sequential Take 5 Features:
- Compact 5-voice polyphonic synth with a pure analog signal chain
- Dual analog VCOs per voice with continuously variable wave shapes
- 4-pole self-oscillating resonant filter based on the Prophet 5 Rev 4 design
- 2 x 5-stage (ADSR + delay) freely assignable envelope generators
- 1 global and 1 freely assignable LFO, both with 5 waveshapes (triangle, sawtooth, reverse sawtooth, square, and sample & hold) and clock-sync
- Semi-knob-per-function architecture inspires expressive performance with minimal menu diving
- Unison mode with configurable voice count for fat monophonic tones
- Responsive mod wheel and spring-loaded pitch wheel
- Polyphonic glide
- 128 user and 128 factory patch memory slots
- Factory switch, when turned off, matches every parameter to the physical knob position
- USB MIDI and 5-pin MIDI in/out/thru
- Footswitch and expression pedal inputs
- Stereo main output and stereo headphone output
