Gforce Software Oberheim SEM

[mxbf]

watching that pro synth episode and demoed it. its really quite good, i think it sounds better than diva. still not sure i'd actually use it and can't keep buying stuff. comparitavely though i think i like it more than Diva. feels more musical to me.

[yul]

Definitely very high end.

I am suprised at how clean and creamy it sounds, I really thought the SEM could get internally driven more.

The extras oscs and mods are excellent and must have. Interesting that the original did not have X mod unless you had SEM pro I guess?

[mykvrusr]

Interesting thread, shame about the troll though.

Seasons greetings to all and a Happy 2023

[hebex]

Surely the Gforce Software Oberheim SEM has no problem making sounds like these ?....



Just kidding, this is KvR and you shouldn´t ask such a question.

So nevermind.

[vitocorleone123]

Surely the Gforce Software Oberheim SEM has no problem making sounds like these ?....



Just kidding, this is KvR and you shouldn´t ask such a question.

So nevermind.

Yeah, that Tom Oberheim guys who chose to consult on the latest version of this software synth really has no idea how those old synths sounded.

[chk071]

Surely the Gforce Software Oberheim SEM has no problem making sounds like these ?....



Just kidding, this is KvR and you shouldn´t ask such a question.

So nevermind.

Yeah, that Tom Oberheim guys who chose to consult on the latest version of this software synth really has no idea how those old synths sounded.

I don't have a horse in this race, but, note that "consult" is a pretty loose term and could mean a lot from briefly checking it to an in depth cooperation.

I remember that the Arturia Moog Modular V was also developed in "cooperation" with Bob Moog, at least that's what Arturia's site said IIRC.

FWIW, I was able to get more closely with bx oberhausen to some sounds I tried to recreate from this sound demo:



Oberhausen's filters have a lot more bang in them than the Gforce's ones. You can hear that kind of "thump" or "oomph" well in the video starting at about 0:18. It's basically why I didn't buy the Gforce SEM, because I simply found the resonant behavior a bit lacklustre, and not according to what I hear in that sound demo.

What I found weird is that the Gforce SEM's and oberhausen's envelope differ so much from each other. the Gforce ones are much more the shape I'd expect from an analog synth (exponential), while the oberhausen's are... just weird. If you have the synth, check for yourself in a oscilloscope.

[BONES]

I don't have a horse in this race, but, note that "consult" is a pretty loose term and could mean a lot from briefly checking it to an in depth cooperation.

And if you bothered to check, you'd know which it was. He has fully endorsed it, even allowing them to use the Oberheim logo on it. That's a pretty strong indication of how he feels about it.

You can hear that kind of "thump" or "oomph" well in the video starting at about 0:18.

That's what you get when your filter doesn't attenuate the bass when you turn up the resonance.

It's basically why I didn't buy the Gforce SEM, because I simply found the resonant behavior a bit lacklustre, and not according to what I hear in that sound demo.

I see that as a reason to have both. No point if they both sound the same but, as they do sound a bit different, there's no reason not to have the pair. I think SEM is a terrific instrument.

[chk071]

I don't have a horse in this race, but, note that "consult" is a pretty loose term and could mean a lot from briefly checking it to an in depth cooperation.

And if you bothered to check, you'd know which it was. He has fully endorsed it, even allowing them to use the Oberheim logo on it. That's a pretty strong indication of how he feels about it.

... and says absolutely zero about his actual involvement in this.

Again though, who cares? The best emulations haven't been endorsed by the creator of the original synths at all.

[BONES]

He had no actual involvement in its development, he just contacted them when he heard it because he was so impressed with the sound. To me that's a way higher compliment.

[felis]

MADE IN COLLABORATION WITH OBERHEIM

We first worked with Tom Oberheim and Marcus Ryle (an inspirational Oberheim engineer during the 80s) when creating the GForce Oberheim OB-E® v2. During this time, Tom and Marcus revealed that they felt there were no software emulations of the SEM that accurately recreated the sound and the ethos of the original monophonic SEM. We decided to change that, and under the close guidance of Tom and Marcus, we’ve developed the GForce Oberheim SEM to ensure an experience that is truly authentic to the original instrument.

https://gforcesoftware.com/products/ob-e/

Yes - it's marketing-speak, but I'm pretty confident Tom and Marcus gave OB-E/SEM more than a quick glance.

[GruvSyco]

Surely the Gforce Software Oberheim SEM has no problem making sounds like these ?....



Just kidding, this is KvR and you shouldn´t ask such a question.

So nevermind.

Yeah, that Tom Oberheim guys who chose to consult on the latest version of this software synth really has no idea how those old synths sounded.

I don't have a horse in this race, but, note that "consult" is a pretty loose term and could mean a lot from briefly checking it to an in depth cooperation.

I remember that the Arturia Moog Modular V was also developed in "cooperation" with Bob Moog, at least that's what Arturia's site said IIRC.

FWIW, I was able to get more closely with bx oberhausen to some sounds I tried to recreate from this sound demo:



Oberhausen's filters have a lot more bang in them than the Gforce's ones. You can hear that kind of "thump" or "oomph" well in the video starting at about 0:18. It's basically why I didn't buy the Gforce SEM, because I simply found the resonant behavior a bit lacklustre, and not according to what I hear in that sound demo.

What I found weird is that the Gforce SEM's and oberhausen's envelope differ so much from each other. the Gforce ones are much more the shape I'd expect from an analog synth (exponential), while the oberhausen's are... just weird. If you have the synth, check for yourself in a oscilloscope.

Not a very good SEM demo IMO. Using it as a reference for tone is probably not the best idea. I checked out the demos on the plug-in alliance page for oberhausen and none of them sound like an SEM. I’m not saying it sounds bad but it doesn’t sound like an SEM. In that video, it sounds like he’s running really hot on his inputs, like if you could see the meters he’d be in the red. the SEM was not designed for oomph. It was designed as a companion synth to the MiniMoog and Arp 2600. Those synths brought the oomph.

I’m nobody. I did own an original SEM in the 80s and 90s. I bought a SEMpro when they came out but sold it when I bought the TVSpro, which I still own. I also have Gforce SEM and OB-E which I think are pretty spot on. (Oddity is pretty fn dope too). If I though I could match any of the sounds in the TVS demo posted above (which is excellent) I’d try but I generally suck at trying to match other peoples sounds. I’m pretty sure the TVSpro and Gforce software could get close enough that it wouldn’t matter in any situation other than an Internet forum discussion.

*edit* cleaned it up a little after Eric’s comment below.

[Uncle E]

While I’m not a fan of the vitriol, I have to agree that the OB-1 I owned did not bring the “oomph”. It was smooth, sweet, and polite, a joy to listen to with no rough edges.

[GruvSyco]

Yeah, sorry about the vitriol… I was over on GS and reading too much toxic crap. I guess it spilled over into my post here. Might be time for me to take a break from socials in general.

[Uncle E]

It’s ok. We’ve all been there. Yeah, GS sucks. Now I’m off to Twitter to argue with complete strangers over their wrong think.

[martiu]

hi