Engineering:Oberheim OB-8
| OB-8 | |
|---|---|
 The Oberheim OB-8 | |
| Manufacturer | Oberheim |
| Dates | 1983 - 1985 |
| Price | US$4395 |
| Technical specifications | |
| Polyphony | 8 voices |
| Timbrality | Bitimbral |
| Oscillator | 2 VCOs per voice |
| LFO | 3 |
| Synthesis type | Analog Subtractive |
| Filter | Switchable 12dB/oct or 24dB/oct resonant low-pass |
| Attenuator | 2 x ADSR (one for VCF & one for VCA) |
| Aftertouch expression | No |
| Velocity expression | No |
| Storage memory | 120 patches 12 splits 12 dual |
| Effects | none |
| Input/output | |
| Keyboard | 61-key |
| Left-hand control | Pitch Modulation |
| External control | CV/Gate MIDI Cassette Computer interface |
The Oberheim OB-8 is a subtractive analog synthesizer launched by Oberheim in early 1983 and discontinued in 1985. As the fourth product in the OB-series of polyphonic compact synthesizers, the OB-8 was the successor to the OB-Xa. About 3,000 units were produced.[1]
Specification
The OB-8 features eight-voice polyphony, two-part multi-timbrality, a 61-note processor-controlled piano keyboard, sophisticated programmable low-frequency oscillation (LFO) and envelope modulation, two-pole and four-pole filters, arpeggiator, external cassette storage, MIDI capability and 120 memory patches, 24 bi-timbral patches, and used the Z80 CPU. The musician's interface also consists of two pages of front panel programmable controls, left panel performance controls and a set of foot pedals and switches.
Notable OB-8 users
- Jack Antonoff[2]
- Art of Noise[3]
- Daft Punk[4]
- Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis[5]
- Nik Kershaw[6]
- The KLF[3]
- Pet Shop Boys[3]
- The Police[7]
- Queen[8]
- Steve Roach[9]
- Simple Minds[10]
- Prince[11]
Hardware re-issues and recreations
In May, 2022, the Oberheim OB-X8, a new 8-voice analog synthesizer with the voice architecture and filters of four classic Oberheim models: the OB-X, OB-SX, OB-Xa, and OB-8, along with functionality and features not included on the original models, was announced. The new synthesizer is manufactured by Sequential in partnership with Tom Oberheim.[12][13][14]
References
- ↑ Colbeck, Julian (2001-05-01), "Oberheim OB-8", Electronic Musician, http://www.emusician.com/news/0766/oberheim-ob-8/143735, "The OB-8 was last in the line of classic Oberheim analog synthesizers that included the OB-X, OB-Xa, and OB-SX, ...", "Number produced: 3,000"
- ↑ Mullenpublished, Matt (2023-08-22). "Jack Antonoff on vintage gear, analogue synths and Taylor Swift's Midnights: "The Oberheim OB-8 was the star of that album"" (in en). https://www.musicradar.com/news/jack-antonoff-interview-taylor-swift-midnights-oberheim.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "Oberheim OB Series". Sound On Sound. September 1998. http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/sep98/articles/retro_oberheim.html.
- ↑ "Recording Random Access Memories | Daft Punk". https://www.soundonsound.com/people/recording-random-access-memories-daft-punk.
- ↑ "The Making of Janet Jackson's "Rhythm Nation 1814"" (in en). 13 September 2019. https://reverb.com/news/the-making-of-janet-jacksons-rhythm-nation.
- ↑ "The Official Nik Kershaw website: Drum Talk". http://www.nikkershaw.co.uk/drum-talk.asp.
- ↑ Sting. "Interview: INTERNATIONAL MUSICIAN (1985)" (in en). https://inve.sting.com/news/title/Interview:%20INTERNATIONAL%20MUSICIAN%20(1985).
- ↑ "From Harpsichord to Synthesizer and beyond: an introduction to Queen Organology" (in en). 2016-10-11. https://queenvinyls.com/articles/from-harspichord-to-synthesizer-and-beyond-an-introduction-to-queen-organology/.
- ↑ "Structures From Synthesis: An Interview With Steve Roach" (in en). 2022-06-21. https://reverb.com/news/steve-roach-interview.
- ↑ Gale, Dave (2018-01-03). "Vintage Rewind: Oberheim OB-8 - The Spirit Of The 80s" (in en-GB). https://www.musictech.net/reviews/vintage-rewind-oberheim-ob-8/.
- ↑ Tudahl, Duane (November 2021). Prince and the Parade and Sign O the Times Era Studio Session: 1985 and 1986. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 9781538144510.
- ↑ Rogerson, Ben (2022-05-10). "Superbooth 2022: Oberheim is back with the OB-X8, an analogue love letter to its '80s synths" (in en). https://www.musicradar.com/news/oberheim-ob-x8-synth-launched.
- ↑ Willings, Sam (2022-05-11). "Superbooth 2022: Tom Oberheim's OB-X8 lands, carrying on the OB legacy from 1979 with help from Dave Smith" (in en-GB). https://musictech.com/news/gear/superbooth-2022-tom-oberheim-ob-x8-focusrite-sequential/.
- ↑ "Oberheim OB-X8". https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/oberheim-ob-x8.
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