Tom Oberheim and Dave Smith Unveil OB-6 Analog Synthesizer​

​

Legendary Poly Synth Creators Team Up on New Instrument with Discrete VCOs and Filters​

Anaheim, CA—January 21, 2016—Dave Smith Instruments today announced the OB-6, a new 6-voice synthesizer with an all-analog signal path and discrete VCOs and filters developed in collaboration with Tom Oberheim. Boasting a sound engine inspired by Oberheim’s original SEM (the core of his acclaimed 4-voice and 8-voice synthesizers), the new instrument is designed to provide true, vintage SEM tone with the stability and flexibility of modern technology.

Said Smith: “Tom and I have been friends and friendly competitors since the late 1970’s. Back in the day, people were typically in either the Prophet or the Oberheim camp. Now, with the Prophet-6 out and doing so well, we thought it would be fun to combine our strengths and bring back Tom’s classic polyphonic sound, too — in a modern format.” Added Oberheim: “A lot of people, myself included, have always felt that the SEMs had a certain uniquely big, organic sound unlike anything else. Working with Dave to make that sound widely available again with some modern touches and full programmability has been real a pleasure.”

The OB-6 features two discrete voltage-controlled oscillators (plus sub-oscillator) per voice, with continuously variable waveshapes (sawtooth and variable-width pulse, with triangle on oscillator 2). There is a classic SEM-inspired state-variable filter (low-pass, high-pass, band-pass, and notch) per voice. Voltage-controlled amplifiers complete the all-analog signal path. “The classic, bold SEM sound is all there,” said Oberheim.

Present also is X-Mod, with filter envelope and oscillator 2 as modulation sources (with bi-polar control). Destinations include oscillator 1 frequency, oscillator 1 shape, oscillator 1 pulse width, filter cutoff, and filter mode. The knob-per-function front panel puts virtually all parameters at a user’s fingertips. Toggling on the Manual switch enables live panel mode, in which the OB-6 switches to the current settings of its knobs and switches.

A dual effects section provides studio-quality reverbs, delays (including standard and BBD), chorus, and faithful recreations of Tom Oberheim’s acclaimed phase shifter and ring modulator. The effects are digital, with 24-bit, 48 kHz resolution, but a true bypass maintains a full analog signal path. Additionally, the OB-6 features a multimode arpeggiator and a polyphonic step sequencer with up to 64 steps (and up to 6 notes per step) plus rests. It allows polyphonic keyboard input and can sync to external MIDI clock.

The full-size, four-octave, semi-weighted keyboard is velocity and aftertouch sensitive. Said Dave Smith, “As with the Prophet-6, we made size a primary concern on the OB-6. It’s the right mix of power and portability and it fits right in on-stage or in the studio.” Added Oberheim, “And of course, it’s got that unmistakable SEM sound that’s going to turn a lot of heads. ”

The OB-6 is manufactured and sold by Dave Smith Instruments.
It will be available in March, with a US MAP of $2,999.

View a video of Dave Smith and Tom Oberheim introducing the OB-6:

​

Price and specifications subject to change.

About Dave Smith Instruments LLC
Launched in 2002, Dave Smith Instruments LLC is helmed by legendary musical instrument designer and Grammy® award winner Dave Smith. Dave’s many accomplishments include the creation of the Prophet-5—the world’s first fully programmable polyphonic synthesizer—and his legacy as the primary driving force behind MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface).

Dave Smith Instruments’ products are used by an ever-growing roster of well-known musicians and are available from music retailers worldwide. Instruments include the Prophet-6, Pro 2, Prophet 12, Prophet ‘08, Mopho x4, and the Tempest analog drum machine. Dave Smith Instruments is based in San Francisco, where the instruments are also manufactured. For more information, visit www.davesmithinstruments.com.

About Tom Oberheim
The creator of the world’s first commercially available polyphonic synthesizers, Tom Oberheim has been responsible for some of the most acclaimed and sought-after electronic instruments ever. These include the original Oberheim 4-voice and 8-voice synthesizers, the OB-X, OB-Xa, and OB-8, as well as the Matrix 12 and Expander. After a hiatus from instrument design, Tom is once again building synthesizers through his company, Marion Systems.


________
Original article:
http://www.emusician.com/gear/1332/tom-oberheim-and-dave-smith-unveil-ob-6-analog-synthesizer/56223

 

Or get one of these for €85

 

OP-X PRO my fav Vintage Synth VST by far

 

Are you using x64 version?

 

that is a... steep price considering the DSI Prophet-08 and Pro 2 are almost 1000$ cheaper.

 

I like it very much, but the price is a bit out of my range. It's really nice to see that manufacturers are producing real analogue synths again. You just can't beat a real analogue sound, and this one must sound really warm with VCOs instead of DCOs. I can't wait to hear it in action.

 

Nope x86

 

It lately looks like Dave Smith is in this strictly for money, just like moog, because there are a new wave of me-toos, who think that if it's analogue, it can stand against classical analogue "instruments", so they're buying into anything baring an analogue sticker and known brand... instruments is the key word, because that's why mini-moog and Prophet 5 were popular, it sounded musical, people played it like instruments...

The late offerings from Dave Smith are just analogue machines to me, not instruments and he even himself in some interview more or less confirms it by saying that he sees no point in re-issuing prophet 5, because for him it's a machine which he's already done before, hence he is only interested in creating new machines, so a prophet 5 was a machine to him, which hit a jackpot with musicians... so let's see if this one will hit a jackpot or be just another machine from the factory line.

A taste thing but to me Arturia minibrute is great, Analogue 4 is POS, Modulus is great, moog offerings from this decade are interesting bass "machines", nothing "instrumental" about them, just like Dave Smith's offerings.