« Reply #157 on: July 14, 2021, 04:28:26 AM »
To be honest I'm not a huge fan of the OB6 because there's too much crossover with the P6.
Functionally they are very similar, tonally there is probably more overlap with other Oberheim synths than their is the P6 due to the filter. For me, having multiple synths that work similarly is a plus, as it speeds my workflow. But I realize fast workflow isn't necessarily everyone's goal.
The whims of preference being what they are, I've never been so drawn to Oberheim synths. I do love the sound, but who knows why I've never needed to own one. The OB6, though, is the one most tempting. It does have that recognizable Oberheim sound/vibe - certainly enough of it to please my heathen ears and it looks good. Best of two worlds.
Its been said that back in the 70s/80s there was polarization in the Prophet vs Oberheim camps. The cost of entry back then was so high that most people could afford one or the other and not both, so they made a choice based on cursory preference and then leaned that way. These days I like that I can get the SEM sound in an affordable (relative to the old days) synth with a nice keybed and relatively compact form factor, and its a bonus to me that functionally it works like a Prophet6 and has all the same features (even simple things like how sequencer notes are rested/tied, or the interface for FX... its nice to have consistency between the two). That said, if Dave comes out with an OBX reissue, and if it is to the OB-6 what the P5/10 rev4 is to the P6, then I would be interested in a desktop module version of it (which I assume would be imminent).
The reason I think Lobo would enjoy an OB-6 is because of his interest in retro horror soundtracks. The OB-6 has this "demon in a box" quality that is very distinct from the smooth musicality of the prophets, and if I were going to sit down to do an original horror film track right now, I would probably reach for my OB-6 and Hydrasynth first, just for their ability to quickly take you to the dark side (albeit each of them in very different ways). My Prophet 10 could also take the lead on that project with the rev 1/2 filter enabled and some vintage knobbery, but in a very different way than the OB-6.
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Prophet 10, OB-X8m, Prophet 6, OB-6, 3rd Wave, Prophet 12m, Prophet Rev2-16, Toraiz AS-1, Pro 2, Korg Polysix, Roland JP-8080, Roland System-8, Virus TI2, Moog SlimPhatty, Hydrasynth desktop, Roland SPD-SX SE / Octapad, Maschine, Cubase/Ableton/Akai MPC