Engineering:Oberheim OB-X

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Short description: Analog polyphonic sound synthesizer
OB-X
Oberheim OB-X
ManufacturerOberheim
Dates1979–1981
PriceUS$4,595–US$5,995
GB£99.99 (VST version)[1]
Technical specifications
Polyphony4, 6 or 8 voices
TimbralityMonotimbral
Oscillator2 VCOs per voice
LFO1
Synthesis typeAnalog Subtractive
Filter12dB per octave resonant low-pass
Attenuator2 × ADSR; one for VCF, one for VCA
Aftertouch expressionNo
Velocity expressionNo
Storage memory32 patches
Input/output
Keyboard61-key
External controlCV/Gate

The Oberheim OB-X was the first of Oberheim's OB-series polyphonic analog subtractive synthesizers.[2][3]

First commercially available in June 1979, the OB-X was introduced to compete with the Sequential Circuits Prophet-5, which had been successfully introduced the year before.[4][5] About 800 units were produced before the OB-X was discontinued and replaced by the updated and streamlined OB-Xa in 1981. The OB line developed and evolved after that with the OB-8[6] before being replaced by the Matrix series.

The OB-X was used in popular music by Rush (on Moving Pictures and Signals), OMD, Nena, Styx member Dennis DeYoung (used frequently from late 1979 to 1984), Queen (on The Game, their first synthesizer on an album), Madonna for her debut album, Prince (from Dirty Mind to Around the World in a Day),[7] and Jean-Michel Jarre who used it for its "brass" sounds.

Specification

Oberheim OB-X internal view


Notable OB-X users

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

  1. ↑ "GForce Software". https://www.gforcesoftware.com/products/ob-x/. 
  2. ↑ Vail, Mark (1993). Vintage Synthesizers. San Francisco, California: Miller Freeman Books. p. 154. ISBN 0-87930-275-5. 
  3. ↑ "Synth Icons: Oberheim OB Series". http://www.musicradar.com/us/news/tech/synth-icons-oberheim-ob-series-597902#!1. 
  4. ↑ Lowther, Simon (September 1998). "Oberheim OBX, OBXa & OB8". https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/oberheim-obx-obxa-ob8. 
  5. ↑ Forrest, Peter (1996). The A-Z of Analogue Synthesizers Part Two: N-Z. Devon, England: Susurreal. p. 20. ISBN 09524377-1-6. 
  6. ↑ Colbeck, Julian (1996). Keyfax Omnibus Edition. Emeryville, California: MixBooks. pp. 89–90. ISBN 0-918371-08-2. 
  7. ↑ "Oberheim OB-X". http://www.guitarcloud.org/equipment/oberheim-ob-x. 
  8. ↑ Doyle, Tom (July 2018). "Classic Tracks: Eurythmics' 'Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)'". Sound On Sound. https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/classic-tracks-eurythmics-sweet-dreams. 
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 Jones, Andy (2018-09-25). "The 10 Synths That Made Synth Pop (And 2 Samplers)". https://musictech.com/guides/essential-guide/the-10-synths-that-made-synth-pop-and-2-samplers/. 
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 "Oberheim OB Series". 2015-06-06. http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/sep98/articles/retro_oberheim.html. 
  11. ↑ Reed, Ryan (8 June 2020). "How Queen Embraced the Synthesizer on "Play the Game"". Townsquare Media. https://ultimateclassicrock.com/queen-play-the-game/. 
  12. ↑ 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. 
  13. ↑ 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/. 
  14. ↑ "Oberheim OB-X8". https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/oberheim-ob-x8. 

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