Poll - Vote 4 yr Oberheim

[Uncle E]

Well, maybe Oberheim just isn't for me. Never played a real one.

OB-Xa's are pretty mediocre. SEM's and OB-1's are great, though.

[Uncle E]

btw, for anyone interested in OB-Xd, you can download the Surge Team version for free:

https://github.com/surge-synthesizer/OB-Xf

[felis]

Yes, while I have a whole bunch of OB stuff, the Surge version is quite nice.

[GruvSyco]

One thing in advance: with the exception of the OB-Xa, which I replaced with an OB-8 because of MIDI, I still own all of my Oberheim hardware synthesizers: OB-8, Matrix-12, Matrix-6, and two 6Rs.

If you ever get a chance to try the new Behringer UB-1 Micro, I'd love to hear your take on it. It's a DCO Matrix clone.

Personally, when I set up the OB-X8 to control GForce OB-X, I found them to sound extremely similar. The hardware control is a big part of the experience.

I did this with OB-E and had the same experience. I can also get ridiculously close to the X8 with DIVA. DIVA and Moog Sub37 too. It's hilarious when you A/B and forget which one you're on because you're just so into what's going on with the sound.

Also, I kinda believe it doesn't Oberheim unless it paddles.

[kritikon]

Well, maybe Oberheim just isn't for me. Never played a real one.

OB-Xa's are pretty mediocre. SEM's and OB-1's are great, though.

This. OB-Xas have a name just because they have a name. I always found them particularly uninspiring for the sounds I like out of synths. I bought a UBXa because....just because. It uninspires me the same as a real OBXa. At least it was cheap enough for me not to feel I'd completely wasted my money - it'll get used, just not that much.

It's funny how quite often the hype doesn't live up to reality. I got a B2600 too, and I don't particularly like that either, yet I'd revered 2600s the same as everyone else, just because it has a history and a name. I have a nasty suspicion that when Behringer release their VCS3 that I won't like it as much as I think I should, but I really really want one. I resisted the temptation to get a Wave because I was fortunate to be able to get my hands on one decades ago, and I distinctly remember thinking it was awful and metallic and glitchy. Which it is still today.

We often revere synths because of the history and the ethos that builds up, but in reality most of us don't/haven't played on them so don't actually know if we'll like them in real life. I'm fortunate to be old enough to have played on many of these old synths, and the hit rate is probably only 50% as to whether I actually like the sound of them. Not all old synths are good. For god's sake someone even released a plugin of the JenSX recently - it's one of the most basic, dullest analogue synths ever made. Even back in the day it was used only when you couldn't afford the decent stuff. Korg PolySix - meh. When you've played on one of those for 10 minutes, you've exhausted all the possibilities. Yet it somehow has an aura, though fuctifino why. I remember years ago all the hype about Juno106s and the unison - unison on a 106 is almost unusable it's so shit, though admittedly the Roland chorus is very likeable.

Anyway, to cut short. You probably just don't like OBXas. You're not alone. They're not rubbish, but they're not anything amazing either - slow, blubbery and sluggish. But I guess some people like slow, blubbery and sluggish sounds . I always think of OBXas as the synth that ate all the pies.

[discombob]

As I just noticed was mentioned above, I tried the latest build of the open free OB-Xf and I have to give them credit... as an owner of OB-X8 hardware, I personally think it is quite nice, with thoughtful features not found on the hardware, but still retains a tight focus on what distinctively makes it "OB-" with a great new skin. Again, from a hardware owner even, this thing can get it done plenty well enough.

That last maybe 5% from the hardware, while soloed is noticeable for my personal enjoyment, is irrelevant in just getting the Oberheim sound into a production shall we say "cost effectively"

https://github.com/surge-synthesizer/OB ... ag/Nightly

[_leras]

They are the most important part of a lot of Prince songs I like, so Oberheim of course is a topic for me,

A lot of the synth in Prince songs is pretty straightforward chords, and not hugely special sounds, but there are lots of nice runs, fills and stuff, but it also depends on which song and which album.

Also, in lots of places there's also a lot of guitar stuff going on.

I'd argue that probably he was using synths was that they were 8 voice and allowed chords, and are probably a bit more funky that a Prophet 5. I don't think there was much poly synth competition then, and there still is not a huge amount today.

He also had very talented full time keyboard players that would have practiced and played the hell out of their synths, had time to rehearse and come up with great parts and sounds. A lot of those great runs and trills take a lot of chops.

[DCrown]

They are the most important part of a lot of Prince songs I like, so Oberheim of course is a topic for me,

A lot of the synth in Prince songs is pretty straightforward chords, and not hugely special sounds, but there are lots of nice runs, fills and stuff, but it also depends on which song and which album.

Also, in lots of places there's also a lot of guitar stuff going on.

I'd argue that probably he was using synths was that they were 8 voice and allowed chords, and are probably a bit more funky that a Prophet 5. I don't think there was much poly synth competition then, and there still is not a huge amount today.

He also had very talented full time keyboard players that would have practiced and played the hell out of their synths, had time to rehearse and come up with great parts and sounds. A lot of those great runs and trills take a lot of chops.

Well, as Dr. Fink his keyboarder often said they all learned from Prince, he was the leader and could play the instruments on highest level, of course he was sometimes also inspired by another musician when they would rehearse or jam and got some new ideas. It was rare that in The Revolution era Prince didn't play most things by himself on the albums. The great Arp omni 2 solo on Head was Dr. Fink, Fink still adores Prince's synth solo on Lady Cab Driver, so cool, also the solo on very early Soft and Wet and I feel for you.
Prince's best song to show his talent on synths is The Beautiful Ones, it is almost a hommage for Oberheim, there is also some DX7 and CP70 piano, unbelievable how someone could record such a song all by himself, no daw in 1983 btw.
Jimmy Jam (and Terry Lewis) former members of The Time and successful producers als used Oberheim a lot. "There is Prince in every song we produced" (Jimmy Jam).
Well, no Minneapolis sound without Oberheim.

https://www.thecurrent.org/feature/2018 ... nthesizers

[chagzuki]

Man, I hate Prince's music, always did. Just shows how much variety there is in musical engagement. I like Oberheim synths though.

[DCrown]

Man, I hate Prince's music, always did. Just shows how much variety there is in musical engagement. I like Oberheim synths though.

Well, there is music for every one, I hope.
I didn't listen to Prince only, I love all kinds of genres. But I wouldn't post on such a form without him. Prince doesn't need any hype, the world knows him.

[chagzuki]

Well, there is music for every one, I hope.

Absolutely. Most important thing is always to hold on to the things that give life value, however we happen to experience it.

[GruvSyco]

As I just noticed was mentioned above, I tried the latest build of the open free OB-Xf and I have to give them credit... as an owner of OB-X8 hardware, I personally think it is quite nice, with thoughtful features not found on the hardware, but still retains a tight focus on what distinctively makes it "OB-" with a great new skin. Again, from a hardware owner even, this thing can get it done plenty well enough.

That last maybe 5% from the hardware, while soloed is noticeable for my personal enjoyment, is irrelevant in just getting the Oberheim sound into a production shall we say "cost effectively"

https://github.com/surge-synthesizer/OB ... ag/Nightly

Interesting. I did not find this at all. Maybe I was doing something wrong. I tried recreating patches from the X8 and there was a subtle distortion that seemed ever present in the filter that’s just not there on the Oberheim. I also couldn’t get the tapers right on envelope shapes between the envelope and envelope mod… different tapers maybe? I was doing this A/Bing them side by side and working by isolating parts of the voice section by section. I think the 5% you state is exaggerated. That’s my opinion though.

I think it’s a good little plugin that is reminiscent of the Oberheim sound if you’re not comparing them so thoroughly side by side.

I did not have those same problems with the GForce software or DIVA but, whatever… use what sounds good to you.

[twal]

Songs like When Doves Cry use 5-10% or less of Prince's talent. Lots of his songs were made to be fun and enjoyable. Any good synth can make wonderful sounds to use in productions that are listenable and we can aim to simply "make good music". It's on us. Like someone else mentioned they processed the heck out of the gear. The hardware may sound "better" than Polymode, but I like that synth- it doesn't need to sound like Prince's... I believe people can get way too wrapped up in what doesn't matter too much.

[Tubeman]

Maybe you should test bx oberhausen if you don't like bx oberhauser

[t.o.t.s.]

The GForce SEM is excellent. I have a SEM sitting in my desk and I still use the GForce SEM with greater regularity. Often times I’ll start with the idea that I’ll re-track those parts later but by the time the piece is done, I feel like it sounds great enough not to bother recording the SEM itself.