New GForce OB-EZ

[BONES]

They could've made this a fantastic addition to OB-E by showing all the OB-E presets, but they chose to complicate/hamper it in this way.

The thing is, they'd have to charge more for it. As an entry into the world of GForce's Oberheim emulations, it's a bargain. Where else can you get this kind of sound quality for 25 quid?

Can one not be a "synth programmer nerd" and also a musician? I consider myself to be both and don't consider them to be mutually exclusive.

I don't believe he said the two things were mutually exclusive, just that it would appeal to the "synth programmer nerd" side of people, not to the musician side. If you weren't constantly looking to pick fights with people, you might have realised that.

In the days when liner notes was a thing, check how many had credits for synth programmers separate from keyboardist/synthesist (lots).. There are a few who excel at both like Arksun, Julian Pollack, Matt Johnson and I am sure quite a few others though, but they are indeed imho two separate art forms...

I suppose you can look at it like that but the way I see it is that programming synths is so far removed from artistry that no artist who can afford to pay someone else to do it would waste his/her time on it themselves.

[aMUSEd]

How many great musicians are also great sound designers?
Make it easier, how many good musicians are also good sound designers.
oh Add Eric Persing to my previous list.

rsp

I would say most modular synth musicians also don’t see sound creation as a separate process from music creation - they are one and the same, the music emerges from the exploration of sound. This is also true of composers like Berio such as in his Sequenzas where the music is about exploration of the sonic and expressive possibilities of particular instruments.

I think modular synthesists is an exception though.
I actually would in general consider them more sound designers and composers than musicians in this role.

rsp

I consider them all 3 - it's a paradigm of composition and musicianship that breaks down those artificial barriers. I love the way modular musicians 'play' their instruments in a more relaxed and meditative way than is the case with most instruments, particularly the approach to improvisation which reminds me of jazz more than anything

[zvenx]

We can agree to disagree
rsp

[Chicken Drummy]

That's not quite the same thing, unless you want to make every module identical. That's why OB-EZ is so good - it has a UNISON button that detunes each module against the others. In OB-E, you have to detune each module manually, which is a gigantic PITA. If the VINTAGE knob was less subtle, it might be a useful substitute but it's not. So it isn't.

This is for new users but GForce was kind enough to give it to current OB-E users for free.

Could you be more patronising, do you think? I'm anything but a "new user" and this thing is absolutely for me.

Indeed.. it was not created with an OB-E user in mind I don't think.

Right, that's why they are giving it away to OB-E users for free, because they don't think any of us will have any interest in something that's actually usable.

Wasn't being patronizing at all, just a matter of fact statement. Do you think you could be even more obnoxious and rude? (No need to answer that, I've lurked here long enough to already know the answer )

Seriously, I never said experienced users won't use it. Hell, I think I might even like OB-EZ more than OB-E and I've been using OB-E for quite a while now. I love the simplicity of it.

But I realize others may not feel the same and I do feel that GForce chose to release the EZ version with newer users in mind.

[Cavey Arrgh]

TL;DR: Folks, I need help resisting my GAS. Please provide reasons I do not need to buy this.

Here are some reasons I keep telling myself I do not need to buy this:
I have Diva.
I have Arturia V Collection 9 which has SEM v2 and Matrix 12 v2, both of which are polyphonic, and SEM v2 allows you to detune and further modify each of the 8 voices.
I have Repro and ImpOSCAR 2: I know they're not the OB sound, but can do massive/high quality pads, and I don't require the specific OB sound per se.
I have Cherry Audio's SEM, and a plugin that allows me to fairly easily use 8 instances to do 8 voice poly. Moreover, since I'm using 8 instances, I can tweak all SEM parameters on each voice/instance, so it's essentially an OB Eight Voice.
I know what you're thinking -- none of the above are quite G-Force OB quality. Well, I usually use synths in fairly dense mixes, so 99% accuracy is not required (appreciated yes, but not required).

The counter arguments are:
New toys are fun.
It's less than $30.
It would be good to support G-Force on this particular plugin, as I am one of those odd ducks that likes synthesizers to look like real synthesizers, and not a cartoon of a synthesizer.

PS, BONES gets a free pass to abstain, because IIRC he has and enjoys multiple SEM Plugins, and probably other non-SEM OB plugins. BONES, please don't interpret this as me telling you what you should or shouldn't do, it's just a nod to your abiding love for the SEM, which I appreciate.

[dlandis]

TL;DR: Folks, I need help resisting my GAS. Please provide reasons I do not need to buy this.

Here are some reasons I keep telling myself I do not need to buy this:
I have Diva.
I have Arturia V Collection 9 which has SEM v2 and Matrix 12 v2, both of which are polyphonic, and SEM v2 allows you to detune and further modify each of the 8 voices.
I have Repro and ImpOSCAR 2: I know they're not the OB sound, but can do massive/high quality pads, and I don't require the specific OB sound per se.
I have Cherry Audio's SEM, and a plugin that allows me to fairly easily use 8 instances to do 8 voice poly. Moreover, since I'm using 8 instances, I can tweak all SEM parameters on each voice/instance, so it's essentially an OB Eight Voice.
I know what you're thinking -- none of the above are quite G-Force OB quality. Well, I usually use synths in fairly dense mixes, so 99% accuracy is not required (appreciated yes, but not required).

The counter arguments are:
New toys are fun.
It's less than $30.
It would be good to support G-Force on this particular plugin, as I am one of those odd ducks that likes synthesizers to look like real synthesizers, and not a cartoon of a synthesizer.

PS, BONES gets a free pass to abstain, because IIRC he has and enjoys multiple SEM Plugins, and probably other non-SEM OB plugins. BONES, please don't interpret this as me telling you what you should or shouldn't do, it's just a nod to your abiding love for the SEM, which I appreciate.

If you are happy with what you have, there is no reason to buy anything else. As far as OB accuracy is concerned, isn't the better question: "Are you satisfied with what your synths currently produce? Do you have the ability to identify true OB sonic fealty? Is it a problem if you do not have this ability? I ask this because you already own several Oberheim-styled plug-ins. If you are a previous OB hardware owner trying to recreate that ("somewhat fuzzy?"- a genuine question, not a put-down, BTW) ideal in your head about what they used to sound like with software plug-ins, this will be a path that you may not be able to avoid traversing. If you've never really worked closely with the hardware the plug-in is emulating, this may not be a necessary purchase in terms of tonal purity.

The biggest reason for you to get the OB-EZ seems to be the price. And this then may be a fair question: at $30, can you imagine getting this plug-in, and in so procuring, not buying another, perhaps more expensive plug-in because you bought the OB-EZ?

[felis]

TL;DR: Folks, I need help resisting my GAS. Please provide reasons I do not need to buy this....

Buy it.

Now.

[Cavey Arrgh]

I forgot that my V Collection also has OP-Xa V as well. The fact that I forgot this means I am approaching too many plugins (note I did say "approaching"

That's it, I forbid myself from purchasing (for now), and will imagine the money going toward the imminent (??) Zebra 3.

Perhaps the mention of Zebra 3 will summon @martiu and he'll tell us all to "Buy now", even though @felis beat him to the punch.

[BONES]

Wasn't being patronizing at all, just a matter of fact statement.

No it was a (worthless) opinion. As I pointed out, it is a far better option for me than OB-E, and I've been doing this professionally for a lot f**king longer than you, I daresay.

Do you think you could be even more obnoxious and rude?

Than you were? Easily, but I choose not to be because I'm nice.

I think I might even like OB-EZ more than OB-E and I've been using OB-E for quite a while now. I love the simplicity of it.

So that makes you a "new user", according to your own statement.

But I realize others may not feel the same and I do feel that GForce chose to release the EZ version with newer users in mind.

I think it is far more likely they released this because they've had so many users telling them that OB-E is too hard to work with.

BONES, please don't interpret this as me telling you what you should or shouldn't do, it's just a nod to your abiding love for the SEM, which I appreciate.

That puts me in a position to tell you that I don't reckon you need this. Cherry's SEM does a creditable enough job (as unlikely as that seems) and with your 8 voice plugin wizardry, I think you've got it covered. That said... c'mon! It's not even thirty bucks and you know you want it.

[dlandis]

I forgot that my V Collection also has OP-Xa V as well. The fact that I forgot this means I am approaching too many plugins (note I did say "approaching"

That's it, I forbid myself from purchasing (for now), and will imagine the money going toward the imminent (??) Zebra 3.

Perhaps the mention of Zebra 3 will summon @martiu and he'll tell us all to "Buy now", even though @felis beat him to the punch.

Bravo! Bravo!

Not to further muddy the waters or overly test your firm resolve, but along with the advent of Zebra 3, Dawesome Myth arrives around St. Patrick's Day.

I just thought I'd mention it.

[dlandis]

del

[dlandis]

del

[martiu]

buy now

[egbert101]

Buy it then the bundle (thus defeating the purpose of the synth which is included in the bundle).

[aMUSEd]

So is there any way this can access the same pool of presets as OB-E then? Otherwise I don't see the point as someone who already has OB-E as while I do like the idea of having a more accessible interface at times, I don't want presets I create in one not to be available to the other.