Native Instruments have just updated their popular PRO-52 virtual synthesizer and it is now aptly called PRO-53.

What can be said about Native Instruments Pro-53 Software Synthesizer that hasn't already been said before? It is simply one of the sweetest sounding virtual instruments available, with a broad range of sonic possibilities that far surpass the capabilities of Sequential Circuits™ Prophet™-5 upon which it's design was based. It has received many rave reviews and is a favorite of modern electronic musicians.

Far more than just an excellent emulation of the Prophet 5, Pro-53 builds upon the success of Native Instrument's Pro-5 (later renamed Pro-52), with a host of features and improvements that makes this one of the most essential soft synths for any electronic musician. Sweeping Pads, Analog Percussion, Fat Unison and Sync Sounds, Special FX and all manners of Bass are among the vast array of sounds the Pro-53 delivers. Although it's based on the famous sounds of the 80's, Pro-53 delivers an all new palette of sounds for current day that will fit well in a wide range of styles.

PRO-53 – The New Version
With the PRO-53, the third generation of the virtual analog classic is now available. The synthesizer emulation has been vastly improved by a new oscillator technology that offers an even warmer and more brilliant sound. In addition the sonic possibilities have been expanded even further with new features like a high-pass filter mode and an invertible filter envelope. The control surface was also reworked and now shines in a whole new light.

What's New in the Pro-53 Oscillators A new oscillator technology makes the PRO-53’s impressive sound even warmer and more brilliant than before. The sonic character of the PRO-53 reaches new levels of quality for virtual analog sound creation. User Interface Larger knobs and switches provide for easier and more ergonomic operation and convenient editing. In addition there are several new elements on the control panel. Filter Filter including a high-pass and invert mode. The filter can now be switched from a normal low-pass to a high-pass filter. In addition the action of the filter envelope can be inverted, which allows for sonic colors that were not possible with the PRO-52. LFO LFO-Envelope-Retrigger. The LFO can create repetitive sounds using the envelope-trigger button: held notes are newly re-effected by every pass of the LFO. Since the LFO can be synchronized with MIDI clock, sounds can be fit rhythmically to the song’s tempo. PRO-53 as effect plug-in Hold mode. Use of the PRO-53 as an effect plug-in to process external signals with its filter and effects has been simplified: a hold button makes entering a long MIDI note into the sequencer (to open the envelope) unnecessary. The hold function also makes sound programming easier and can be used with the envelope-trigger-function of the LFO. MIDI The MIDI-implementation is clearly more versatile on the PRO-53: with MIDI-learn the control elements can be operated by hand by assigning them to the desired controllers, for example the knobs and sliders on a MIDI controller box. The set-up connections can be saved in a controller-map. Several pre-configured controller-maps come with the software and can be loaded directly into the PRO-53. Pro-53 Features Fashioned after the vintage cult synths of the 80's 2 oscillators per voice Choice of pulse, triangle and saw-tooth waveforms Oscillator detune and synchronization 24dB low-pass filter with resonance and self oscillation, additional high-pass filter mode ADSR envelopes for amplitude and filter, invertible filter envelope Low Frequency Oscillator with numerous modulation options, LFO-envelope retrigger function Theoretically unlimited number of voices (depending on CPU power) 512 freely programmable preset memory slots 576 selected classic and modern analog sounds preprogrammed, 64 sounds by vintage-synth legend John Bowen, and 64 newly programmed presets Velocity sensitivity (optional) Real-time MIDI control and automation of all parameters, MIDI learn Two operating modes: analog warmth or digital accuracy Amount of analog inaccuracies freely adjustable Effects unit for chorus, flanging and echo, MIDI-syncable Input for external audio signals Fully compatible with Prophet™-5 MIDI-SysEx program data Interfaces Mac:VST® 2.0, DirectConnect™, MAS™, FreeMidi™, ASIO™, SoundManager™ WIN: VST® 2.0, DXi™, ASIO™, MME, DirectSound,

If you already own the Pro-52 you'll be happy to find that PRO-53 is a free update to registered owners.

Using the PRO-53 is a very simple affair. It performs as a standalone software synth or as a DXi or VST plugin on the PC. We love to use PRO-53 as a VSTi in Fruity Loops and Cubase and it works flawlessly. Fortunately with the new version patch management has been vastly improved. Now you can right click to open a menu with the 32 adjacent presets. That's fantastic! Also you can use the up and down arrows to scroll through presets or use the left and right arrows to jump through banks. Very cool. That helps a lot! Also you can hold the shift key and enter in a program number to jump to a far away preset. Bravo!

If we could make a suggestion - it'd be great to be able to randomize or vary the presets with a push of a button. Still, it's very easy to program sounds and altering the existing presets is very fun as well.

Also of note is the MIDI LEARN feature. All you do is click the NI logo and "enable Midi Learn" then right click a knob on the Pro-53 interface and then twist your knob on your external control surface. We use our Emu Xtreme Lead-1 to twist away on filter cutoff, resonance and frequency etc. to get some obscene controller movement recorded into Cubase. The VSTi allows all the controllers to be recorded so you can add knob tweaks with your mouse or an external controller very easily. Instant movement to the sound. Although we haven't yet tested the DXi in Sonar we understand the VSTi allows this controller recording capability, while the DXi does not (as of yet). A workaround is to use a DX to VST wrapper as that will allow recording controller movements in Sonar.

As nice as the features and interface of PRO-53 are, the bottom line is how well it sounds and to our ears the PRO-53's sound is a thing of beauty. Crisp and clean sound with that fat analogue feel. Pro-53 comes stuffed with hundreds of brilliantly programmed presets and you can even load in sysex presets from the original Prophet-V, making this an unbeatable and versatile sound generating program.

A little trick we enjoy is to load up 2 instances of PRO-53 in Cubase and LAYER the sounds. Talk about FAT! Instant WALL OF SOUND! It's easy to come up with evolving and mutating sound by combining the various presets. If you haven't tried this yet you are in for a treat!

PRO-53 also comes with 64 new presets that take advantage of the new features. They're excellent!

At $199. Suggested retail ($139. aprx. street price), Native Instruments PRO-53 is an excellent value, and as a free upgrade to registered PRO-52 owners - it's a no brainer. If you are looking to add a software synth to your arsenal and wanna touch of analogue, we can't recommended PRO-53 enough. It has that classic analogue sound with all the bells and whistles modern technology offers. The sounds fit well into modern dance, techno and ambient electronic genres, as well as that big 80's synth genre.

Native Instruments Pro-53 gets a 9 out 10 star Beat Mode rating.
"INDISPENSABLE - must have - the cream of the crop!"

Beat Mode PRO-53 Links

Native Instruments PRO-53 Product Page w/ MP3 demo

KVR-VST Pro-53 Reviews & Preset Downloads

Harmony Central Review of Pro-52

Sonic State's review of the PRO-5

StudioFreaks Pro-53 Review