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Gear Spotting- My Place


Markyboard

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A little pre-playoffs porno while you're waiting. Go Jets!

 

http://members.cox.net/mwolinsky/Keyboard%20Pics/OBE1.JPG

 

http://members.cox.net/mwolinsky/Keyboard%20Pics/OBE2.JPG

 

http://members.cox.net/mwolinsky/Keyboard%20Pics/OBIGER1.JPG

 

http://members.cox.net/mwolinsky/Keyboard%20Pics/OBERGER2.JPG

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Looks sweet, Mark ! Now you'll have to post some recordings using the SEM...

'Someday, we'll look back on these days and laugh; likely a maniacal laugh from our padded cells, but a laugh nonetheless' - Mr. Boffo.

 

We need a barfing cat emoticon!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Thanks everyone - except maybe you bloodyM :cop:

 

Is that two CP251s? Mark how are you routing control signals in that setup?

 

Actually a CP251 and a VX-351 which is the control interface that brings out all the control signals of the Voyager. This is a great way to control the SEM using the Voyager's velocity, aftertouch, wheels, pedals and the XY pad along with the envelopes, lfo etc. And since the Voyager has midi I can also control everything on it and therefore the SEM through any other keyboard in my set up.

 

So what's it do besides 'bleet, blort, beeble, durp'?

 

Pretty much what any mono keyboard does; leads, bass, drones, and yes sound effects although I usually gravitate toward melodic type exploration. The patching allows controlling or injecting the parameters from another source (my Voyager in this case). So using the Voyager's envelopes, lfos to modulate the SEM filter and amp for example is really cool.

 

It was the "real" Oberheim sound I wanted and I think I finally have it.

 

 

 

 

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Thanks again guys. Not trying to sell anyone on this thing but Holy Sh*t! - this little thing sounds amazing. I never owned or paid attention to the original SEM as I was always interested in the polys - OB8, Matrix 12 (never tried an OB-X/OB-SX) . I was eyeing the OB8s on ebay for a while until I got to play Paolo's a couple of summers ago and felt the A6 covered it pretty well. Perhaps similar to the often expressed criticism on Memorymoog vise Mini it just wasn't "the sound"

Anyway this SEM is what I hear when I think Oberheim and does it for me. Yup - 7 more would be nice.

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Marky:

 

A very nice addition to what can only be described as The Coolest Basement Ever. :thu:

 

Noah

+1 :thu:

 

If I hit a mid-life crisis, I'm hoping it will be a major KB GAS flare up. I'm too big for a Corvette. :laugh::cool:

PD

 

"The greatest thing you'll ever learn, is just to love and be loved in return."--E. Ahbez "Nature Boy"

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I was eyeing the OB8s on ebay for a while until I got to play Paolo's a couple of summers ago and felt the A6 covered it pretty well.

 

The ebay prices for OB8 &OBXa seem to have gone through the roof in the last couple of years. It's not uncommon to see listings upwards of $3000 (not too long ago, they seemed to be hovering at half that.) And forget about the Matrix 12......

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Maybe it's only me, but when I think "Oberheim," all I can hear is "Jump." ;)

 

Someone care to help me expand my knowledge of well-known Oberheim recordings?

 

Here's one you might know:

 

[video:youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7DFsBcVMDA

 

Some others...

 

Prince - 1999

Japan - Gentlemen Take Polaroids, Tin Drum (OBX)

 

 

 

 

 

You can go here to hear some examples of the OB-X.

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Someone care to help me expand my knowledge of well-known Oberheim recordings?

On Weather Report "Birdland", the "sax section" behind Wayne Shorter's melody is an Oberheim SEM 4 Voice. It's also on "Black Market".

 

Everyone has that 1 synth you want above all others. For me, it's a 4 voice.

 

Yup - 7 more would be nice.

Yes, it would.

 

http://www.synthtopia.com/content/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/oberheim-synthesizer.jpg

Greatest synth I ever played (not this one but another 2 manual 8 voice).

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Someone care to help me expand my knowledge of well-known Oberheim recordings?

 

 

http://www.synthtopia.com/content/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/oberheim-synthesizer.jpg

Greatest synth I ever played (not this one but another 2 manual 8 voice).

 

 

I recall reading that this was the synth used on "Tragedy", by the Bee Gees.

'Someday, we'll look back on these days and laugh; likely a maniacal laugh from our padded cells, but a laugh nonetheless' - Mr. Boffo.

 

We need a barfing cat emoticon!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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I recall reading that this was the synth used on "Tragedy", by the Bee Gees.

 

I remember seeing this video back in the day ... and here it is on the internet. Magic!

 

Blue Weaver with with a monstrous 8 voice in the studio. Nice guy who played a pivotal role in the brothers' use of synth bass and adoption of R&B idioms especially on the "Main Course" album.

 

http://espanol.video.yahoo.com/watch/507853/2671192

 

That's a big sound.

 

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I was going to mention Joe Zawinul as well. He does that rubbery solo thing on an old Oberheim that just melts like butter but I can't recall what song it was on. I think Carlo provided a link at one time although I may be mistaken.

 

Last night rather than post a response I decided to see how close I could program the Voyager and SEM to sound the same and then describe the difference. Note I don't usually do this other than when I first get a new synth as a learning experience.

 

I had the Oberheim doing a mid to lower octave clean lead type sound, both oscilator freq. set up the same, very slightly detuned and a bit of PW modulation for thickening. Slow attack (but still playable for 16th notes) and sustaining. I closed the filter way down so just a slight hint of "sweeping breathy buzz" could be heard with minimal quackiness from the resonance. (I should be a writer)

 

Set up the Voyager as close to this as possible and it just had that much further down bass range thing happeing. The filter characteristic was not the same until I switched to the 2 pole filter which let me get it much closer. But cutting to the chase this is a Voyager, not a Mini and so the big difference is more about the cleaner Voyager sound and lack of that poofy pillowy characteristic from the mini that the SEM also has. If the mini had a 12dB(2pole) filter I think it could sound very close to the SEM.

 

OK I'm done.

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Mark, I dig your writing!

 

Some more Obie-spotting: Lyle using a 4-voice for a pad at .44 and 1.00 then a single horn note at 6.52 (but what a horn) ...

 

(IIRC the signature high pitched detuned pulse leads were originally Obie ... dunno what he's using here)

 

[video:youtube]FFPzDguv9gM

 

 

Joe using a 4-Voice to turn Wayne into a horn section (Arp 2600 doubles Jaco ... also the original source of the wormy lead on Black Market) ...

 

[video:youtube]wDQlSSOXU6A

 

 

 

I hate watching stuff like this, especially Teentown ... because it makes me want to give up playing, and just get a stereo instead ...

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Last night rather than post a response I decided to see how close I could program the Voyager and SEM to sound the same and then describe the difference. Note I don't usually do this other than when I first get a new synth as a learning experience.

 

 

 

I had the Oberheim doing a mid to lower octave clean lead type sound, both oscilator freq. set up the same, very slightly detuned and a bit of PW modulation for thickening. Slow attack (but still playable for 16th notes) and sustaining. I closed the filter way down so just a slight hint of "sweeping breathy buzz" could be heard with minimal quackiness from the resonance. (I should be a writer)

 

Set up the Voyager as close to this as possible and it just had that much further down bass range thing happeing. The filter characteristic was not the same until I switched to the 2 pole filter which let me get it much closer. But cutting to the chase this is a Voyager, not a Mini and so the big difference is more about the cleaner Voyager sound and lack of that poofy pillowy characteristic from the mini that the SEM also has. If the mini had a 12dB(2pole) filter I think it could sound very close to the SEM.

 

OK I'm done.

 

 

Mark -

 

Ok, stop teasing us then ;-). I want to hear what you just described. Would you post an audio file of these awesome analog experiments ? Thanks a bunch ...

 

 

'Someday, we'll look back on these days and laugh; likely a maniacal laugh from our padded cells, but a laugh nonetheless' - Mr. Boffo.

 

We need a barfing cat emoticon!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Would you post an audio file of these awesome analog experiments ? Thanks a bunch ...

 

 

Ok - time to come out of the closet. My name is Mark and I'm an audio file posting virgin. :blush:

 

Let me see if I can figure this out over the weekend. May still take me a week or so.

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Thats quite a cantilever on the keys in the top tier. Looks weird!

 

http://www.synthtopia.com/content/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/oberheim-synthesizer.jpg

-Greg

Motif XS8, MOXF8, Hammond XK1c, Vent

Rhodes Mark II 88 suitcase, Yamaha P255

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Thats quite a cantilever on the keys in the top tier. Looks weird!

True. It was nearly 30 years ago that I tried one and I can't possibly remember if that overhang was there or not. I wonder if the upper keyboard should have been placed where that blank panel is.

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Whoa! Nice catch, Mark!

 

Wasn't Tom Oberheim himself quoted by saying something along the lines of "the OB-8 was too perfect" (thus without "that" - perhaps cruder - but fantastically analog sound of its predecessors?) I think there's still a big difference between OB-X and Xa - and OB-8... the OB-8 is definitely more gentle-sounding to my ears.... If it makes any sense :D

 

Well - congrats again and YES! post some demos of the magical white box

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