12 voice heaven

[Sarah]

So I just picked up a desktop OB-6 with the intention of replacing my keyboard and saving some space. I thought I'd have a go at polychaining them while I've got them both together..

BIG MISTAKE!! I'm now going to have to keep both. 12 voices of OB goodness for those beautiful long-release syrupy pads is beyond amazing.

Right. What can I sell?!!!!

[John01W]

So I just picked up a desktop OB-6 with the intention of replacing my keyboard and saving some space. I thought I'd have a go at polychaining them while I've got them both together..

BIG MISTAKE!! I'm now going to have to keep both. 12 voices of OB goodness for those beautiful long-release syrupy pads is beyond amazing.

Right. What can I sell?!!!!

LOL!  I hear ya, it would be hard for me to decide to poly chain or multi-timbre the setup....hard choice to make.  Congrats and good luck!

[AlainHubert]

So I just picked up a desktop OB-6 with the intention of replacing my keyboard and saving some space. I thought I'd have a go at polychaining them while I've got them both together..

BIG MISTAKE!! I'm now going to have to keep both. 12 voices of OB goodness for those beautiful long-release syrupy pads is beyond amazing.

Right. What can I sell?!!!!

What else have you got that you don't use that often ? Maybe you could sell that ?

I'm also seriously contemplating getting a second OB6 Desktop to polychain them. I use an old Oberheim Matrix 6 as MIDI controller to play it.
I have a Prophet REV2, which is great, but doesn't quite sound as nice as my OB6. I'm thinking of selling it to help me get a second OB6 module. But then, I'd probably miss the mod matrix on it...

BTW, how well does the polychaining work ?

[Sarah]

So I just picked up a desktop OB-6 with the intention of replacing my keyboard and saving some space. I thought I'd have a go at polychaining them while I've got them both together..

BIG MISTAKE!! I'm now going to have to keep both. 12 voices of OB goodness for those beautiful long-release syrupy pads is beyond amazing.

Right. What can I sell?!!!!

What else have you got that you don't use that often ? Maybe you could sell that ?

I'm also seriously contemplating getting a second OB6 Desktop to polychain them. I use an old Oberheim Matrix 6 as MIDI controller to play it.
I have a Prophet REV2, which is great, but doesn't quite sound as nice as my OB6. I'm thinking of selling it to help me get a second OB6 module. But then, I'd probably miss the mod matrix on it...

BTW, how well does the polychaining work ?

It works great. Everything you do on the master is mirrored on the slave. Very straightforward. You have to make sure both units are at the same starting point (so an init patch if you're programming, or do a sysex dump if playing a preset).

I'm actually finding that it's only really pads that a polychained system has any advantage for. I probably will sell my keyboard because I can't justify a 2K instrument just for pads!!

[DavidDever]

I'm actually finding that it's only really pads that a polychained system has any advantage for. I probably will sell my keyboard because I can't justify a 2K instrument just for pads!!

And even then, there's an argument to be made that perhaps less is more, i.e., tracking one hand's worth @ six voices may occupy enough space in the mix, with release time and chord voicings carefully considered.

[AlainHubert]

And even then, there's an argument to be made that perhaps less is more, i.e., tracking one hand's worth @ six voices may occupy enough space in the mix, with release time and chord voicings carefully considered.

Good point.
That's why I've always considered 8 voices to be just the right number for a synth. If only DSI would have made the Prophet 6 and OB6, Prophet 8 and OB8 instead...oh wait, there's already an OB8. I hope they didn't cut down to 6 voices just because of that ? lol

[John01W]

So I just picked up a desktop OB-6 with the intention of replacing my keyboard and saving some space. I thought I'd have a go at polychaining them while I've got them both together..

BIG MISTAKE!! I'm now going to have to keep both. 12 voices of OB goodness for those beautiful long-release syrupy pads is beyond amazing.

Right. What can I sell?!!!!

What else have you got that you don't use that often ? Maybe you could sell that ?

I'm also seriously contemplating getting a second OB6 Desktop to polychain them. I use an old Oberheim Matrix 6 as MIDI controller to play it.
I have a Prophet REV2, which is great, but doesn't quite sound as nice as my OB6. I'm thinking of selling it to help me get a second OB6 module. But then, I'd probably miss the mod matrix on it...

BTW, how well does the polychaining work ?

It works great. Everything you do on the master is mirrored on the slave. Very straightforward. You have to make sure both units are at the same starting point (so an init patch if you're programming, or do a sysex dump if playing a preset).

I'm actually finding that it's only really pads that a polychained system has any advantage for. I probably will sell my keyboard because I can't justify a 2K instrument just for pads!!

I'd most certainly multi-timbre the setup, I'm still wanting a 2nd module for sure!

[LoboLives]

And even then, there's an argument to be made that perhaps less is more, i.e., tracking one hand's worth @ six voices may occupy enough space in the mix, with release time and chord voicings carefully considered.

Good point.
That's why I've always considered 8 voices to be just the right number for a synth. If only DSI would have made the Prophet 6 and OB6, Prophet 8 and OB8 instead...oh wait, there's already an OB8. I hope they didn't cut down to 6 voices just because of that ? lol

I would have liked if they did 10 voices for the DSI/Oberheim collaboration. For some reason 10 voices seems to never happen. It’s always 4,6,8,12 or 16.

[AlainHubert]

To my knowledge there were only a few 10 voices synths: the Prophet 10 (actually 2 Prophet 5s in a box), and the Roland JP8080 module. But I could be wrong...

[DavidDever]

To my knowledge there were only a few 10 voices synths: the Prophet 10 (actually 2 Prophet 5s in a box), and the Roland JP8080 module. But I could be wrong...

Waldorf MicroWave II/XT(k) were 10-voice units as standard - and those two extra voices certainly came in handy.