Sequential Circuits Prophet-5

The Prophet-5 synthesizer is an analog polyphonic 5-voice synthesizer released in 1978 by Sequential Circuits. It was one of the most popular synths of the late 70s and early 80s, known for its ability to store, easily program and recall sounds, a feature which many synthesizers before it had lacked. It was used by the likes of Peter Gabriel, XTC, Phil Collins, Hall & Oates, Larry Fast, Pink Floyd, Michael Jackson, Madonna, INXS, Jean-Michel Jarre, Talking Heads, Wally Badarou, Eurythmics and many more.

Andy Summers owned a Prophet-5, most likely a Rev 2 model from 1980. He played this synthesizer on The Police albums Ghost In The Machine (1981) and Synchronicity (1983). On those records, the Prophet-5 was used by Andy for more ornamental purposes, mainly for blending with or doubling high-octave guitar lines. Such as "Spirits In The Material World" - specifically the hook that plays throughout the third verse - Andy developed the sound of an 'oriental-sounding instrument' by combining a Prophet-5 preset sound with guitar 'played up very high and plucked dry'. Other examples of the Prophet-5 and guitar blend include "King Of Pain" (underlying riff during verses) and "Wrapped Around Your Finger" (the bell sounds) from Synchronicity.

Live, Andy only used the Prophet during the Summer 1982 leg of the Ghost In The Machine world tour. He can be seen performing with it at the Gateshead concert on 31 July 1982. It replaced the Minimoog, but he eventually switched back to the Minimoog for subsequent tours with The Police. Understandably, the Prophet-5 may have posed the road crew more technical issues, considering its reputation for being notoriously prone to breakdown on tour.