OB-8
Classic 8-voice polyphonic analog synthesizer
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Here's a
classic analog polyphonic
synthesizer from 1983, the Oberheim OB-8. The OB-8 is part of the famous OB-line, and was a "refinement and evolution of Oberheim's OB-X and OB-Xa". This is an extremely powerful, classy sounding analog polysynth, and thanks to the numerous knobs and buttons, it's easy to program and configure - once you got an idea of all the various parameters. The OB-8 could also be interfaced with Oberheim's "DSX" Digital Polyphonic Sequencer, and the "DMX" drum machine. Most of the parameters are on the so-called "Page 1" - on the front panel, but there's also a "Page 2" mode - where one could tweak the more esoteric controls like several parameters for the LFOs, LFO envelopes, portamento modes, voice detune etc. |
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There is an excellent on-board arpeggiator, configurable in many ways, and an excellent "stereo spread" function, which allows the user to set each voice to be panned to any position in the stereo field. The filter can be set to 2-pole (12db/octave slope, more gradual, brighter sound), or 4-pole (24db/octave slope, sharper, fuller sound). The OB-8 is physically very large, but relatively light for its size. As a plus, the knobs and buttons are very generously-sized, and the panel is easy to access and edit. Two very powerful oscillators, featuring Saw, Pulse, and Triangle each Incredible modulation and LFO capabilities "Classy-sounding" filters.. a very lush and powerful, classic analog polysynth. |
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Factory Patches
| Patch name with audio demo | My comments |
| A1 BRASS ENSEMBLE | The classic, fat, supremely analog, famous Oberheim synth brass. |
| A2 ST. GENEVIEVE | Gorgeous, melancholic, hollow analog pad featuring two oscillators set both at triangle waveforms |
| A3 STRING ENSEMBLE | Archetypal analog strings, just beautiful-sounding, and strikingly analog. |
| A4 VIBES | Not a bad emulation of a real vibraphone |
| A5 ACCELERATING ROTARY ORGAN | A first example of the programming power of the OB-8 and its Page 2 - the LFOs are programmed to emulate a 2-speed Leslie speaker |
| A6 WHISTLE | Realistic emulation of whistling |
| A7 REPEAT | And here's a good example of the "stereo spread" achievable on the OB-8. Thanks to eight pan-pots (panoramic potentiometers) on the right side of the case, each voice can be panned to any position of the stereo field. The factory values suggest voices 1-4 all the way to the left, and 5-8 all the way to the right. |
| A8 BOUNCING BALL | Beautiful, happy sound |
| B1 DEM BONES | Powerful, brassy trombones |
| B2 CLAVINET | The classic funk instrument - Hohner Clavinet |
| B3 HIGH STRINGS | Nice set of broad, sparkling analog strings |
| B4 DIGITAL PIANO | A challenge to the undisputed king of digital, the DX7 |
| B5 CATHEDRAL ORGAN | Realistic pipe organ, especially in the low register |
| B6 CHORUS | Classic analog choir patch, typical of many synthesizers of the early 1980s |
| B7 PULSE SWEEP | Sound very in vogue in the '80s pop |
| B8 CALLIOPE | Captures beautifully the tone of the calliope, or "steam organ" |
| C1 TRUMPET | Solid analog tone emulating a trumpet |
| C2 MAGIC CLAVINET | Funkier version of a Clavinet |
| C3 SLOW STRINGS | Lovely analog strings with slow envelope attack |
| C4 RESONANCE SWEEP | The mega-powerful resonant filters of the Oberheim OB-8 |
| C5 COMBO ORGAN | Accurate rendition of a Farfisa combo organ of the 1960s |
| C6 DOUBLE REED | Works as both reed organ and reed instrument |
| C7 FARR’S FUNK | Fat, funky accompaniment synth - Note: I'm not sure of the correct name of this patch - because the scanned document was a bit blurry; it could be "F&FR'S FUNK".. or similar. If you have a clean copy of the OB-8 manual and can tell for sure, please let me know.. |
| C8 FM | Another challenge to the DX7 |
| AC1 TRUMPET ENSEMBLE | Fine example of the classic early-to-mid-1980s synth brass, when the Oberheim brand was king of the show... |
| AC2 BASS 2 | Solid example of bass, in monophonic mode, with a bit of portamento |
| AC3 FOUR POLE STRINGS | Full strings using the four-pole filter mode |
| AC4 REED PIANO | Fantastic emulation of a Wurlitzer, or similar reed electric piano |
| AC5 CIRCUS ORGAN | Yep |
| AC6 SAX | Interesting.. |
| AC7 HARP | Fascinating harp sound, that works also as "koto" in the high registers |
| AC8 DISTORTION SOLO | Mega-analog solo synth, typical of the era |
| BC1 TROPICAL HORNS | Cool detuned synth brass, perfect for many genres |
| BC2 RUBBER CLAVINET | Another variant of the classic King of Funk instrument, the Clavinet |
| BC3 STRINGS 2 | Beautiful, refined string ensemble |
| BC4 KLINK PIANO | Cute, digital-sounding electric piano |
| BC5 HYMN ORGAN | Typical small-chapel organ |
| BC6 RECORDER | Very good emulation of a recorder |
| BC7 LONG CHIMES | Nice |
| BC8 PERCUSSIVE SOLO | Strong Minimoog-style solo synth |
| ABC1 COMP HORNS | Superb, typical Oberheim synth brass |
| ABC2 BELLS | Yes |
| ABC3 FOUR POLE STRINGS 2 | Elegant, thick strings |
| ABC4 SOFT PIANO | Dazzling analog piano, with plenty of oscillators slightly beating against each other |
| ABC5 BIRDS | Yep |
| ABC6 VOCAL WOW | Cool special fx |
| ABC7 MARIMBAS | Nice emulation of the wooden character of the real instrument |
| ABC8 ROCK UNISON | Another example of the "hair-metal" rock type that often embraced Oberheim synths (Van Halen being the most famous example) |
| D1 DELAYED OCTAVE | Sublime pad, these are some beautiful analog tones... |
| D2 TRIG PULSE WIDTH | Still modern-sounding |
| D3 POLYPHONIC PORTAMENTO | Resplendent analog synth, in full polyphony, with sweeping resonant filter engaged and portamento effect |
| D4 STEEL DRUMS | Stunning synthesized steelpan, the famous Trinidadian idiophone |
| D5 SQUARE MOD | Fat, full, and fast-moving LFOs |
| D6 COMP SYNTH | Mellow '80s |
| D7 UNISON PORTAMENTO | H U G E !!! These types of "portamento effects" were typical of the '80s |
| D8 DELAY MOD | Dazzling sci-fi ensemble |
| AD1 SWELL HORNS | Horns with rising volume |
| AD2 SITAR | Okay emulation of the Indian instrument |
| AD3 FIDDLE | Very nice, and works beautifully as small string ensemble too! |
| AD4 SAW PIANO | Different |
| AD5 PULSE WIDTH REZZ | Pulsating beauty |
| AD6 TRIANGLE COMP | Digital niceness |
| AD7 JAZZ SOLO | Classic Jazz/Fusion solo synth - The Oberheim's older units - the 4-voice and 8-voice were used during that classic time of the 1970s |
| AD8 EARTHQUAKE | Watch your woofers!! |
| BD1 S/H PORT REZZ | Classic Sample-and-Hold technique |
| BD2 CONGA | Nice synthesized conga drums |
| BD3 STRINGS 3 | Gorgeous synth strings |
| BD4 FUNKY KEYS | Typical "frog-type" reso synth of the '70s |
| BD5 FADING DETUNE | Huge and beautiful |
| BD6 TREMOLO REZZ | Nice synth with slight tremolo |
| BD7 BOX O’ POPS | Charming and cute synth sound, reminds of kittens crying for their mom. |
| BD8 STEREO SPIN | The excellent stereo capabilities of this synth. |
| ABD1 DECELERATE | Again, the powerful LFOs at work. |
| ABD2 CARILLON | Nice and bright |
| ABD3 SOLO STRINGS | Sublime analog violins, violas, cellos |
| ABD4 DETUNED LONG PIANO | Magnificent, quintessential synth sound of the '80s, with just the right filter sound, LFO setting, and VCA envelope setting |
| ABD5 FILTER DRONE | Oh yeah. Goes deep. |
| ABD6 3 WAY | Fun pitch enveloping |
| ABD7 HARMONIC PERCUSSION | Cool sound that reminds of a certain setting on the Hammond organ! |
| ABD8 CHOPPER | Classic "Apocalypse Now" helicopter effect |
| CD1 TUNED PORTAMENTO | More portamento coolness |
| CD2 ALIEN CRAFT | Cool sci-fi fx |
| CD3 STRINGS 4 | Very nice, subdued strings |
| CD4 PULSE WIDTH MOD | Cool slow, pulsating pad |
| CD5 WHIPPETS | Like asteroids zooming through space |
| CD6 METAL SOLO | Another classic hair-rock solo synth |
| CD7 CLAVE | Yep |
| CD8 JET | Very good synthesized jet plane fx |
| ACD1 WATER WIGGLE | Martians |
| ACD2 STRIPPER SAX | Classic "overblown" saxophone sound, as featured in the typical striptease music |
| ACD3 ROSIN STRINGS | Classy strings |
| ACD4 FLANGED PIANO | Very 1980s |
| ACD5 SAW MOD | Nice, chorused, elegant synth pad |
| ACD6 IMPACT | Classic analog explosion fx |
| ACD7 THUNDER | Yep |
| ACD8 START ENGINES | Cool fx |
| BCD1 Blank | n/a |
| BCD2 Blank | n/a |
| BCD3 Blank | n/a |
| BCD4 Blank | n/a |
| BCD5 Blank | n/a |
| BCD6 Blank | n/a |
| BCD7 Blank | n/a |
| BCD8 Blank | n/a |
| ABCD1 Blank | n/a |
| ABCD2 Blank | n/a |
| ABCD3 Blank | n/a |
| ABCD4 Blank | n/a |
| ABCD5 Blank | n/a |
| ABCD6 Blank | n/a |
| ABCD7 Blank | n/a |
| ABCD8 Blank | n/a |
Additional audio demos
I used a Roland SRV-3030d to add fx to the following audio examples
Splits and Doubles
| A beautiful split featuring warm strings on the left side of the keyboard, and expressive trumpet on the right | |
| Very '70s | |
| Typical 1980s split | |
| Gorgeous split with classy strings and hollow synth - very Morricone | |
| Classic strings + electric piano | |
| Beauty | |
| Blade Runner style | |
| Special analog FX |
Demos with Roland TR-909 drums
| Typical comp synths of the 1980s | |
| The wonderful analogness of the OB-8 | |
| Monstrous in Unison mode! |
Demos with effects
I used a Lexicon MPX-1 processor for the effect in the eighteen demos below (Stream all demos below:)
14 Early '80s Melancholic AnaStrings
Oberheim OB-8 video demos
| Oberheim OB-8 specs | |
| Year of release: | 1983 (or 1982?) |
| Polyphony: | 8 |
| Sound generation method: | analog |
| Preset memories | 120 |
| MIDI: | In, out, thru |
| Sound expansion capabilities: | cassette interface |
| Sequencer | no |
| Arpeggiator | yes |
Resources:
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available at
| SITE | Type of resource | DESCRIPTION |
| Manufacturer site | home page | |
Oberheim OB-8 review with audio demo - February 15, 2009