Is GForce OB-X a better emulation than Repro?

[AdvancedFollower]

I once tried a really expensive scotch that I thought was like every other scotch I’d ever had, and hated.

Everything depends on what you’re interested in. If you’re super interested in a Prophet 5 r3, Repro’s probably not going to do it for you, but if you’re a casual fan, it could be enough. I tend to think of Repro as something unique, so I’m more concerned with if I think I like it. Because I don’t like a synth without velocity and aftertouch, I’m unburdened by the need for it to be an exact emulation. That said, it seems to get very close.

To put it into Scotch terms, playing around with a synth in isolation, A/B-ing different synths etc. is like sipping it neat from a Glencairn. When you use the synth in an actual mixed track, it's more like pouring an ounce of Scotch in a big glass and then filling it with Coke and ice. It's much harder to tell the difference between different plugins/hardware when you have a bunch of tracks playing at the same time, with reverb, compression, EQ, saturation etc.

[Uncle E]

Dunno. But I do know comparing stuff does not really make people happy.. does it?

Are you saying comparison is the thief of joy?

[Sonic Illusions]

Dunno. But I do know comparing stuff does not really make people happy.. does it?

Are you saying comparison is the thief of joy?

No, but at some point it is going to stand in the way of being productive, I suppose. I call it the 'endless comparison trap'.

[zerocrossing]

I once tried a really expensive scotch that I thought was like every other scotch I’d ever had, and hated.

Everything depends on what you’re interested in. If you’re super interested in a Prophet 5 r3, Repro’s probably not going to do it for you, but if you’re a casual fan, it could be enough. I tend to think of Repro as something unique, so I’m more concerned with if I think I like it. Because I don’t like a synth without velocity and aftertouch, I’m unburdened by the need for it to be an exact emulation. That said, it seems to get very close.

To put it into Scotch terms, playing around with a synth in isolation, A/B-ing different synths etc. is like sipping it neat from a Glencairn. When you use the synth in an actual mixed track, it's more like pouring an ounce of Scotch in a big glass and then filling it with Coke and ice. It's much harder to tell the difference between different plugins/hardware when you have a bunch of tracks playing at the same time, with reverb, compression, EQ, saturation etc.

Sure, but we should also consider that it’s very rare that any synthesizers, or really any instrument, makes it to a track without some sort of processing. It’s not just a matter of telling the difference in a mix, but how well a synthesizer fits in a mix. Often my favorite hardware has to be EQ’d a bit, while a similar plugin needs little or no effort to get it right. Of course, the plugins we’re discussing in this thread are both very accurate and would be treated like the hardware that they are emulating.

[grandmasterbird]

Dunno. But I do know comparing stuff does not really make people happy.. does it?

Are you saying comparison is the thief of joy?

It most certainly can be depending on the context

[Uncle E]

No, but at some point it is going to stand in the way of being productive, I suppose. I call it the 'endless comparison trap'.

True, although it can be useful for making that initial choice. Personally, OB-X is settled as one of my go-to's, I know exactly what I'm going for when I use it and don't have trouble with the endless comparison trap.

[Vortifex]

I bought OB-X during a GAS attack but hardly ever used it. Something about the envelopes made it unsatisfying to program.

[Sonic Illusions]

No, but at some point it is going to stand in the way of being productive, I suppose. I call it the 'endless comparison trap'.

True, although it can be useful for making that initial choice. Personally, OB-X is settled as one of my go-to's, I know exactly what I'm going for when I use it and don't have trouble with the endless comparison trap.

Well, 'comparing audio addiction' may be a better term. And it created synths like Repro and OB-X, I suppose. It pays off, but one needs to recover afterwards. For me it's a hobby, I can take large breaks

[Uncle E]

Well, 'comparing audio addiction' may be a better term. And it created synths like Repro and OB-X, I suppose. It pays off, but one needs to recover afterwards. For me it's a hobby, I can take large breaks

Sure, I get you. I know it's something people deal with. It probably helps me that I use such a narrow palette of synths and tend to use the same 10 over and over again.

[vitocorleone123]

I bought OB-X during a GAS attack but hardly ever used it. Something about the envelopes made it unsatisfying to program.

Yeah I long since deleted OB-X.

OB-E is sticking around, though (and Axxess).

[Funkybot's Evil Twin]

I also feel the envelopes are a bit twitchy. Like the Env Depth+Sustain go from too little to too much in way to short of a range and other little oddities. If the hardware works that way, then kudos to GForce. But I suppose one of the nice things about spending a hundred bucks vs. $4k on software vs a hardware synth is that when you don't gel with the software, you just quietly move on. With the hardware, you're living with it and learning to work with it.

[jobinho]

In my younger days, I spent way way more time with the Oberheim OB (OB-8) than I ever did with the Prophet 5. Also I was way more of an OB-8 fan than a Prophet 5 fan... (I am on record in saying the OB-8 was my all time favourite analog synth)... I know that we are talking about the OB-X not the OB-8.

The Repro-1, not the Repro-5 is imho one of the best synths I have ever heard, hardware or software...

But your question is which is a better emulation... I have of course never a/b'ed hardware and software in the same place at the same time..

What I will say though is I prefer the Softube Model 80 over the Repro-5, also the OB-X is one of my two favourite synths of 2023 AND I got a chance to play the OB-X8 during the months of testing the OB-X... it killed my burning desire to have an OB-X8....

(and I test for both companies so no obvious bias for one vs the other)
rsp

I concur Model 80 is probably the most analog sounding plugin I’ve heard, it’s scarily good. I also own and enjoy Repro, and OBX is a brilliant instrument either way, I can’t vouch for its accuracy but its layout and immediacy with modulation, arp and fx is a complete package, it does sound great.