New OBERHEIM OB-X8 Announced!

[Bill H.]

Don't feel bad for me guys! During this time I was making plenty of noise with a CP80, DX7, and Jupiter 6 - and was somehow working steadily. 🙂 I was also blessed with the birth of my two sons - something no piece of hardware can ever replace. ❤️

 

 

[David Emm]

3 hours ago, ABECK said:

Dear lord, that's sobering.  

 

I don't think sobriety has much to do with it in this case. Its more like the Venn point where GAS meets a retirement fund or a divorce.

 

I have a decent nad-rattling bass bin, but with this big honker, I think I'd have to look at new speakers so its full voice could come out. That's another sign of the minimal sobriety involved. If you live in a duplex or an apartment, the neighbors will eventually eat your liver over the noise and then point at each other when the cops come. 

[The Real MC]

Definitely buying one. 

[Stokely]

Bill H's "syndrome" I've noticed with myself many a time.  Unless I have a good use for something, it'll end up not getting played after a while.  I have a Novation Summit sitting mostly unused simply because I was wrong that it could unseat my MODX from my rig.  I love the Summit, but if I'm not gigging with it then it's not going to be played much (at home I'm all software, Repro and a couple other softsynths sound as good as anything I've played hardware-wise.)

Speaking of softsynths, and fx, same syndrome.  I'll see a sale on something and think "I'll use that for sure!"  Well, maybe I will and maybe I won't.   I don't want to think of how many cheap/on sale plugins I've bought that are now gathering virtual dust, because at the end of the day I tend to use a few really good ones for most songs.  That adds up to more than I care to think money-wise....

I kind of wonder if this, and maybe the Behringer efforts if those actually come out, will drop the price of OB-6 units.   I don't reckon the OBX8 will come in a tabletop version(?)  That would likely be the only way I'd bring something like this out in my rig.   

[Jim Alfredson]

I have one on preorder. 

[allan_evett]

8 minutes ago, Jim Alfredson said:

I have one on preorder. 

 

      This warrants a future road trip to Lansing...

 

 

On 5/10/2022 at 10:03 PM, Mark Schmieder said:

“And thanks to an exclusive partnership with Focusrite group company Sequential LLC, we have the ability to design, manufacture, distribute, and support new instruments on a global scale.”

 

'new instruments' from this collaboration - along with Focusrite's oversite - is intriguing. I wonder just what a hybrid performance instrument from Oberheim Electronics would sound like?  Thinking something like a Nord Wave 2, but with at least the OB-X8's true analog filtering options on the back end.  We saw that born in the Prophet-12, and then come well into focus with the Prophet-X.  But it'd be fun to hear Tom Oberheim's take on the concept. 

 

[EscapeRocks]

2 minutes ago, allan_evett said:

 

      This warrants a future road trip to Lansing...

 

 

 

'new instruments' from this collaboration - along with Focusrite's oversite - is intriguing. I wonder just what a hybrid performance instrument from Oberheim Electronics would sound like?  Thinking something like a Nord Wave 2, but with at least the OB-X8's true analog filtering options on the back end.  We saw that born in the Prophet-12, and then come well into focus with the Prophet-X.  But it'd be fun to hear Tom Oberheim's take on the concept. 

 

 

How about an OBX8 and/or Prophet 5 with built in audio i/o    

[HammondDave]

1 hour ago, Jim Alfredson said:

I have one on preorder. 

 

You are so bad, Jim! I must admit that I have this GAS as well...

[Jim Alfredson]

1 hour ago, HammondDave said:

 

You are so bad, Jim! I must admit that I have this GAS as well...

 

Yes but here is my reasoning: I absolutely love the Prophet 10 rev4. However, I really wish they hadn't been such sticklers in terms of keeping it original and put stereo outputs on it with voice panning. If it had that, I would not be lusting after this OB-X8 at all. I already have an OB-8 and it's awesome but it's also 1) huge and 2) the keybed sucks and 3) it's too valuable to haul around. I can actually see myself using the OB-X8 live with the Pink Floyd tribute band for Prophet-esque pads and leads and such.

So if the OB-X8 rules as much as I think it's going to and it sounds as good as it appears to, I will probably sell the Prophet 10.

In fact, if the Prophet 10 had stereo outputs with voice panning, I would probably sell the OB8. But oh well.

[HammondDave]

15 minutes ago, Jim Alfredson said:

 

Yes but here is my reasoning: I absolutely love the Prophet 10 rev4. However, I really wish they hadn't been such sticklers in terms of keeping it original and put stereo outputs on it with voice panning. If it had that, I would not be lusting after this OB-X8 at all. I already have an OB-8 and it's awesome but it's also 1) huge and 2) the keybed sucks and 3) it's too valuable to haul around. I can actually see myself using the OB-X8 live with the Pink Floyd tribute band for Prophet-esque pads and leads and such.

So if the OB-X8 rules as much as I think it's going to and it sounds as good as it appears to, I will probably sell the Prophet 10.

In fact, if the Prophet 10 had stereo outputs with voice panning, I would probably sell the OB8. But oh well.

 

 I did not know that The Prophet 10 didn't have stereo outs. That's pretty silly.

[Moonglow]

I’ll wait until these guys make a Prophet-5 and OB-X8 under a single hood. 😉 😄

[Mark Schmieder]

Oh wow, I was just thinking last night that I'd better put in a pre-order, but wasn't sure where (and still don't know, but will check). Super-busy times at work; 80-100 hour weeks, but it'll lighten up by late next week. I'm guessing this is a limited run synth, but regardless, I want to make sure that one has my name on it.

 

UPDATE: Kraft has it with a nice Gator bag (or Gator hard shell case upgrade), so I inquired about the pre-order conditions (e.g. full charge up-front, partial deposit, card on file for when it arrives, etc.).

[The Real MC]

I own the FVS, OBX, and OBSX.  I am intimately familiar with the sonic intricacies of each of them.

Listening to demos, some of them I can most definitely hear the distinct character of these Oberheim products in the OBX8.

Judas what a box.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0KuKq-ECU9E

[Mark Schmieder]

I had forgotten about the OB-SX! I might have had my eye on one, back in the day, as it looks familiar.

 

https://www.vintagesynth.com/oberheim/obsx.php

[mpn_user7629]

15 hours ago, Moonglow said:

I’ll wait until these guys make a Prophet-5 and OB-X8 under a single hood. 😉 😄

 

The OP-X (PRO II) software does that already

[Jim Alfredson]

On 5/13/2022 at 2:50 PM, HammondDave said:

 

 I did not know that The Prophet 10 didn't have stereo outs. That's pretty silly.

I understand why they did it... to appease the 'traditionalists' who would probably bitch that such a change would result in the synth not sounding as good as the originals. But it's a huge oversight, imo. Otherwise the Prophet 10 is an absolutely gorgeous polysynth.

[AUSSIEKEYS]

3 hours ago, Jim Alfredson said:

 to appease the 'traditionalists' who would probably bitch that such a change would result in the synth not sounding as good as the originals

 

Ohh "let them eat cake" hee hee

[Al Coda]

19 hours ago, mpn_user7629 said:

The OP-X (PRO II) software does that already

 

Not really.

Sonic Projects created patches sounding "like" Prophet-, Minimoog-, Jupiter-8- etc. patches.

It´s not true there are different soundengines modeled under the hood of OP-X (Pro II),- p.ex. comparable to what Arturia did w/ their Prophet-5 and Prophet VS emulation being combined in a single plugin and standalone device.

I have ´em all,- OP-X, OP-X Pro, OP-X Pro II and SP Vmachine bundle (OP-X, Stringer, delay, reverb).

 

Anyway,- I don´t think serious musicians urgently need almost every synth ever made,- as plugins or in hardware,- to get jobs done.

 

Back to the OB-X8,-

 

when I sold my OB-8 I bought new immediatedly when available in shops, it was all about more (for me) useful features compared to my Prophet-5.

That was the voice panning, 12- and 24dB filters, single-, split- and dual layer modes, 2nd LFO for vibrato, more polyphony, poly portamento and it´s different modes and the "page-2" features.

The keybed was o.k. at that time.

Then came the day I sold my Prophet because of it´s limitations, replaced it w/ a Roland MKS80 rev4 rackmount module and never looked back.

Yeah, the filter was different from Prophet-5,- but in a good way.

I never liked the Prophet-5´s CEM filter of version rev.3 too much.

My 1st Prophet-5 was rev.2,- much better pure tone w/ the SSM chips, but all- in-all, very unreliable for gigging/touring and not enough preset memory locations.

Also, Prophet-5 MIDI implementation was spartan vs. the MKS80´s MIDI and Prophet-5´s MIDI timing was also not on par.

 

Today´s Sequential Prophet-5 is way better and even there are limitations still.

I think, same rules for OB-X8 and it´s also true today´s features of OB-X8 will make it a better synth than today´s Prophet-5,- at least for me.

 

When it comes to feature requests,- I´d appreciate finding 1 or 2 additional in software realized LFOs in page-2,- just only to be able modulating pulse-width completely independent in OSC #1 and #2 while not losing the analog LFOs available for vibrato and VCF.

I´d also like to see MIDI CC#4 (and a hardware expression pedal) routable to sweep OSC frequency when OSCs are in sync mode while keeping the pitch-bend and modulation levers active for both OSCs.

And it would also be nice to have a user selectable stereo chorus/flanger and mono (tape style) delay for gigging,

 

And,- I won´t sell my Oberheim Xpander even there´s the OB-X8 now.

Both together seem to be a great combo.

And when I dream,- I can´t wait for Oberheim announcing a new and advanced Matrix-12 (and/or Xpander).

 

☺️

 

A.C.

[Jim Alfredson]

On 5/13/2022 at 12:03 PM, allan_evett said:

 

      This warrants a future road trip to Lansing...

 

You’re welcome any time, my friend. 

[mcgoo]

My perspective is that, wow this is cool and will likely sound lovely, but.... Why? What unexplored territory is there with this? I use VSTi's for 90% of what I do, but I just bought a Polybrute last year because there was an instrument that could do things I couldn't do with software. Save for splitting hairs, I'm not sure that would be the case would any of these reissues, much as I might like to own them all. 

[Doerfler]

2 hours ago, mcgoo said:

My perspective is that, wow this is cool and will likely sound lovely, but.... Why? What unexplored territory is there with this? I use VSTi's for 90% of what I do, but I just bought a Polybrute last year because there was an instrument that could do things I couldn't do with software. Save for splitting hairs, I'm not sure that would be the case would any of these reissues, much as I might like to own them all. 

I had this exact same conversation in person with another forum member 2 days ago, Greg. His perspective was the same as yours.

[CyberGene]

A lot of these overly expensive reissues will be purchased mostly by snobs and geeks. I guess that's the business plan. Yes, it sounds creamy, it's the best Oberheim sound. But unless you're going to release solo-OB-X albums, who's gonna notice any difference between this and a VST in a mix? Of course, it's also cool looking on stage but how reliable is it and how many will be willing to put it under rough gigging conditions?

[Doerfler]

3 hours ago, CyberGene said:

A lot of these overly expensive reissues will be purchased mostly by snobs and geeks. I guess that's the business plan.

pretty wild guess, doubtful IMO. A reasonable person would have to believe they have a better plan than that

[Legatoboy]

I gigged and OBSX .... once upon a time! 

[analogika]

On 5/12/2022 at 10:50 PM, Doerfler said:

Sobering, indeed. Says the guy who doesn't need one and is trying to talk himself our of it. Talking about me, not Bill H. 

Every Oberheim sold is another one made, which means that another one will live for future generations to embrace once we’re gone. 

[analogika]

On 5/14/2022 at 5:04 AM, The Real MC said:

I own the FVS, OBX, and OBSX.  I am intimately familiar with the sonic intricacies of each of them.

Listening to demos, some of them I can most definitely hear the distinct character of these Oberheim products in the OBX8.

Judas what a box.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0KuKq-ECU9E

when he hit that very first brass chord, I literally yelped loudly and broke out in goosebumps. 
 

Gosh, I want that machine. Eventually. 

[Jim Alfredson]

I think we all know that most of what is driving this renaissance of analog synthesis, especially when it comes to these 'reissues', like the Prophet 5/10 rev4 and the OB-X8, is pure nostalgia. Yes, you can get 90% or more there with plug-ins. I can even get damn near the authenticity plug-ins with a lot of my other synths, like the Kurzweil K2700. So why bother?

Because using plug-ins, while convenient, is not very inspiring, imo. Because there is something to be said for having a keyboard that does that one thing really, really well. Sure I can get the Wurlitzer 200a sound easily these days. But it's not as fun or as inspiring as playing the real thing. And yet even though I own the real thing (and really good one), I still sometimes use the plug-in because I don't feel like hooking it up and the plug-in sounds great (specifically, V-Reeds from AcousticSamples. Love that thing.) In other words, I'm a mess.

Anyway, probably the main reason to buy one is because it's fucking cool and it's a legitimate, real Oberheim. It won't change music the way the original OB-X and similar polysynths did back in the late 70s / early 80s. But that's okay. Sometimes the cool factor is enough.

[Bill H.]

Regarding who (if anyone) will gig with this, I am reminded of a live televised Camila Cabello concert I watched recently. The keyboard player had a multi-tier stand to his side full of keyboards (including a ubiquitous Nord) but front and center for the cameras was a Jupiter 80. Now I know that an OB-X8 and Jupiter 80 don't have all that much in common, but there's one thing they do share:

 

They look retro. 

 

That was the look that the artist and her handlers wanted. What's nostalgia to us is retro to this age group - and very cool. 

 

Someone paid a lot of attention to how the OB-X8 looks with it's back facing the audience. With the iconic truckin' eighth note logo, prominent Oberheim lettering, and distinctive walnut side panels... well it's not only the real deal but it's got that look. I think you'll see a lot of them onstage. 

 

 

[Reezekeys]

2 hours ago, Bill H. said:

They look retro. 

 

That was the look that the artist and her handlers wanted. What's nostalgia to us is retro to this age group - and very cool. 

 

Props to anyone who can afford $5000 to "look cool", I suppose.

 

I'm not the target market (and I have an original OBXa, though it's not in good shape right now), but I like to think that the way an instrument makes you feel as you play it is a big part of why we do this. Maybe the retro look is a part of that, but for me it would be the experience of putting my hands on an analog beast like this and listening to the results. The fact that a plugin could give me 95% of the sonic experience is beside the point – it's not the same thing.

 

Of course, back in 1981 this kind of keyboard was the only way to get these sounds, and that certainly isn't the case anymore. I would assume that a guy as smart as Tom Oberheim knows this. That's why I'm only a piano player! 🙂 

[Aynsley Green]

On 5/17/2022 at 7:51 AM, Reezekeys said:

 

Props to anyone who can afford $5000 to "look cool", I suppose.

 

I'm not the target market (and I have an original OBXa, though it's not in good shape right now), but I like to think that the way an instrument makes you feel as you play it is a big part of why we do this. Maybe the retro look is a part of that, but for me it would be the experience of putting my hands on an analog beast like this and listening to the results. The fact that a plugin could give me 95% of the sonic experience is beside the point – it's not the same thing.

 

Of course, back in 1981 this kind of keyboard was the only way to get these sounds, and that certainly isn't the case anymore. I would assume that a guy as smart as Tom Oberheim knows this. That's why I'm only a piano player! 🙂 

 

For better or worse, image/aesthetics are half the battle in the pop game. There's nothing sexy about a Macbook or a Behringer, even if the sound pouring forth is probably 90% the same.
The number of times I've been asked to bring the Hammond XK or 'that Matrix-looking synth' (The Roland System 8 ) purely for the cameras...or told not to bring my Roland FA-06 'because it looks like a Playstation', or the Yamaha MODX6 'because it looks too sci-fi', or, puzzlingly, the Roland SH-2 'because it looks like a microwave oven' (despite my protestations of "but this is a genuine retro synth!")
It does matter, and as someone pointed out, for that reason you will see a lot of OB-X8s on festival stages and TV gigs. Whether it matters to the tune of $5000 is another question entirely...