Dave Smith Instruments prophet 08 User Guide

Arpeggiator

The Prophet '08's arpeggiator has four different operating modes, can latch the 
arpeggiated notes, and can be synced to a MIDI clock source. 

Press A

RPEGGIATOR

 to turn it on and hold down some keys. The held notes will 

play according to whatever the current Arpeggiator Mode setting is. The four 
modes are Up, Down, Up Down, and Assign. Use A

RP

M

ODE

 in Miscellaneous 

Parameters to change the mode. You can change the mode while the arpeggiator 
is playing. 

Note: If the arpeggiator does not seem to be working, check the G

LOBAL

settings to make sure Clock is set to Internal. If Clock is set to use an 
external clock source, the Prophet '08 must be receiving MIDI clock 
messages in order for the arpeggiator to run. 

To latch an arpeggio, briefly hold the A

RPEGGIATOR

 switch down while an 

arpeggio is playing. You can then remove your hands from the keys and it will 
continue to play. (The A

RPEGGIATOR

 switch blinks while an arpeggio is 

latched.) If you play additional notes, they will be added to the latched arpeggio. 
In Assign mode, additional notes will be appended to the end of the previously 
latched notes in the order they are played. 

Note: You can only have any specific key play one time in the arpeggio. 
That is, if you are latching keys, and hit the same note twice, it will only 
latch the most recent hit. 

The tempo and note value are determined by the BPM and C

LOCK

D

IVIDE 

Controls. 

BPM: 30…250 – 

Sets the programmed tempo for the sequencer in BPM (beats 

per minute). 

Clock Divide: see table –

Sets the note value for each sequence step relative to 

the BPM. 

Half 

BPM/2

Half note 

Quartr 

BPM

Quarter note

Eighth 

BPM x 2

Eighth note

8 half 

BPM x 2

Eighth note, half swing timing

8swing 

BPM x 2

Eighth note, full swing timing

8 trip 

BPM x 3

Eighth note triplets

16th 

BPM x 4

Sixteenth note

16half 

BPM x 4

Sixteenth note, half swing timing

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