Gforce Software Oberheim SEM

[MillerSam]

GForce Software is celebrating Tom Oberheim's 86th birthday with the release of an emulation of the Oberheim SEM Synthesizer. It's again made in collaboration with Tom Oberheim.

SEM gives you a single voice module of the OB-E version. It's monophonic with all the same features of the original hardware + a third oscillator, dual sequencer, arpeggiator, delay, reverb, and more.

I did a review and another big sound demo of it

[chk071]

Oh wow, that's unexpected. And the price is right too. Vey cool.

[Arashi]

Why isn't this free for people who already own OB-E? It's just the exact same SEM repackaged as a single module. They're charging £19.99 for OB-E owners. Pass!

[MillerSam]

For many users the OB-E is not super affordable. So this is a little door opener to the Gforce Software Oberheim sound. Let's say it's an appetizer. Don't forget, you can use OB-E also as SEM

Why isn't this free for people who already own OB-E? It's just the exact same SEM repackaged as a single module. They're charging £19.99 for OB-E owners. Pass!

[Arashi]

For many users the OB-E is not super affordable. So this is a little door opener to the Gforce Software Oberheim sound. Let's say it's an appetizer. Don't forget, you can use OB-E also as SEM

Yes, but I'm specifically talking about people who already own OB-E. There's a £10 discount for OB-E owners. Why isn't it just free? Sure, I can load an entire OB-E instance to use one SEM, but offering the single module version as a convenience and courtesy to people who did pay for OB-E seems like the right thing to do.

[chk071]

For many users the OB-E is not super affordable. So this is a little door opener to the Gforce Software Oberheim sound. Let's say it's an appetizer. Don't forget, you can use OB-E also as SEM

Yes, but I'm specifically talking about people who already own OB-E. There's a £10 discount for OB-E owners. Why isn't it just free?

It's probably because, surprise surprise, software development, like any kind of work, costs money. They need to write new code to make it a standalone plugin, and they need to do a new GUI.

If it's like Tom says and you can use the OB-E as a SEM, then I don't know why you need to buy the SEM.

[felis]

If I didn't already have OB-E, I'd definitely be getting this one. I love the sound of it.
This SEM is a great way to get in to part of that sound for a lot less money.
I might pick it up somewhere down the line just because I really like the GForce stuff.
https://www.gforcesoftware.com/products/sem/

Another good review of it here:
https://www.gearnews.com/review-gforce- ... emulation/

[Arashi]

It's probably because, surprise surprise, software development, like any kind of work, costs money. They need to write new code to make it a standalone plugin, and they need to do a new GUI.

I'm sure they plan to make their money selling it to people who don't own OB-E, otherwise it was a bad business decision to develop it. Nobody who paid £149 for OB-E is gonna give them another £19.99 for a cut down version of the exact same thing with a smaller UI.

If it's like Tom says and you can use the OB-E as a SEM, then I don't know why you need to buy the SEM.

I don't. That's my point. It doesn't do anything OB-E doesn't, but it could still be convenient to use the smaller UI when only using a single module. But £19.99 just for that? Really?

Not that big a deal. Just seems like kind of a cheapskate move.

[zvenx]

Why isn't this free for people who already own OB-E? It's just the exact same SEM repackaged as a single module. They're charging £19.99 for OB-E owners. Pass!

Exactly my sentiments...
rsp

[zerocrossing]

For many users the OB-E is not super affordable. So this is a little door opener to the Gforce Software Oberheim sound. Let's say it's an appetizer. Don't forget, you can use OB-E also as SEM

Yes, but I'm specifically talking about people who already own OB-E. There's a £10 discount for OB-E owners. Why isn't it just free?

It's probably because, surprise surprise, software development, like any kind of work, costs money. They need to write new code to make it a standalone plugin, and they need to do a new GUI.

If it's like Tom says and you can use the OB-E as a SEM, then I don't know why you need to buy the SEM.

Here’s why:

While staying true to the original SEM, we also added a number of enhancements to make the GForce Oberheim SEM even more useful for modern music production. Alongside a new VCO3, which doubles as an LFO with audio rate for additional modulation and FM possibilities

[zvenx]

Confused,, the OB-E has those enhancements too... they are enhancements over the hardware SEM not the OB-E.
Or am I misunderstanding you?
rsp

[chk071]

For many users the OB-E is not super affordable. So this is a little door opener to the Gforce Software Oberheim sound. Let's say it's an appetizer. Don't forget, you can use OB-E also as SEM

Yes, but I'm specifically talking about people who already own OB-E. There's a £10 discount for OB-E owners. Why isn't it just free?

It's probably because, surprise surprise, software development, like any kind of work, costs money. They need to write new code to make it a standalone plugin, and they need to do a new GUI.

If it's like Tom says and you can use the OB-E as a SEM, then I don't know why you need to buy the SEM.

Here’s why:

While staying true to the original SEM, we also added a number of enhancements to make the GForce Oberheim SEM even more useful for modern music production. Alongside a new VCO3, which doubles as an LFO with audio rate for additional modulation and FM possibilities

As far as I can see (I don't own OB-E), the OB-E has a third VCO as well.

[Vortifex]

Edited

[MillerSam]

The GF Soft Oberheim SEM is a single voice of the OB-E Synthesizer. Same features

[zvenx]

Yeah it should be free to OB-E users or maybe 4.99?

What though caught my attention is gforce is working on what sounds like another polyphonic vintage inspired software synth.