SEM V3

The Oberheim SEM V accurately emulates the famous sound and interface of the original Synthesizer Expander Module introduced by Oberheim Electronics in 1974. Faithfully reproducing the tone, waveshapes, multi-mode 12dB/octave filter and other detailed characteristics, the Oberheim SEM V also brings the benefits of polyphony, MIDI control, arpeggiation and some innovative functionalities such as the 8-voice programmer, or the advanced keyboard follow.

Main features:

• Sound Engine:

  • Up to 8-Voice polyphony, with Mono Retrig and Legato modes.

  • 2 analog-modeled oscillators featuring:

  • Sawtooth & variable-width pulse waves.

  • Continuous waveform blending.
  • Hard sync (VCO 2 to VCO 1).
  • Sub oscillator with Sine, Saw, and Pulse shapes.
  • Independent level and waveform controls.
  • Unison mode with up to 8 stacked voices.
  • Vintage control for subtle analog drift & instability.
• State Variable Filter
  • Classic 12dB/oct state-variable filter.
  • Continuously blendable Low-pass, Notch, and High-pass.
  • Band-pass mode with toggle.
  • Modulation options for cutoff via ENV1, ENV2, LFO.
  • Key tracking (0–200%) for expressive playability.
  • Smooth resonance with rich harmonic behavior.
• Envelopes & LFO
  • 2 ADS-style envelopes with per-voice variation.
  • Envelope 1 hardwired to VCA.
  • Envelope 2 assignable for modulation.
  • LFO with multiple waveforms and sync modes.
  • Free-running or tempo-synced.
  • Modwheel-controlled modulation depth.
  • Hertz + audio-rate modulation (up to 3kHz).
• Advanced Panel
  • Drag-and-drop modulation system with 3 modulator slots.
  • ADSR, Function, Random, Sequencer, and Voice Modulator.
  • Multi-Arpeggiator with up to 4 simultaneous layers.
  • 30 arp modes with polymetric, generative & rhythmic variations.
  • Macro controls for performance-ready patch shaping.
  • Voice Modulator for polyphonic modulation per voice.
  • Effects Rack with 4 customizable slots with 18 effect types, including:
  • Trance Gate for rhythmic, chopped textures.
  • Super Unison, Multi-Band Compressor, JUN-6 Chorus, Delay, Phaser, and more.
• Performance & Integration
  • Glide/portamento with fixed-time polyphonic transition.
  • MPE-compatible with support for:
  • Slide, Pressure, Velocity, Note Release, and Key Tracking.
  • Full MIDI CC, macro assignment, and automation-ready.
  • NKS-ready for seamless control via Native Instruments hardware.
  • MTS-ESP microtuning support.
  • Extensive factory library with 170 presets.
  • Intuitive GUI with visual modulation feedback and voice-level controls.

{See video at top of page}