OB6 vs REV2

Re: OB6 vs REV2
« Reply #40 on: January 08, 2019, 03:41:36 AM »
Around 2011, Tom Oberheim announced a four-voice SEM called "Son Of 4 Voice" also known as SO4V. It started shipping in 2014. Only a very limited number of units were actually produced and shipped, since they were all made by hand one at a time, before being discontinued soon after the DSI OB6 was announced, for which Tom has designed the voice cards (VCOs/VCF) replicating his SEM modules circuitry.

Actually, the SO4V never saw the light of the day, as there were some delaying issues with the OS of the programmer module. Tom focused on the Two Voice Pro instead, which was announced in 2012 and became available around 2015 until it was discontinued last year.

Re: OB6 vs REV2
« Reply #41 on: January 08, 2019, 05:30:07 AM »
I thought that since Sweetwater Sound still lists it on their online store as discontinued, that it did ship at some point ?
But I stand corrected. Thanks.
Oberheim OB-X8, Minimoog D (vintage), OB6 (Desktop), Oberheim Matrix-6 (MIDI Controller for OB6), VC340

Re: OB6 vs REV2
« Reply #42 on: January 08, 2019, 05:39:40 AM »
I thought that since Sweetwater Sound still lists it on their online store as discontinued, that it did ship at some point ?
But I stand corrected. Thanks.

Yes, you're right. I remember Sweetwater listing it after it was announced. But only the rendering made its way out of Tom's workspace.

Re: OB6 vs REV2
« Reply #43 on: March 02, 2019, 07:21:36 AM »
I've owned (and sold and never missed) the Rev2, had a prophet 6 (also sold but that was at least great sounding in its own way) and currently have the OB-6.

The rev 2 and OB-6 exist in different universes of sound quality. There's no doubt about it. Maybe on 'some' YT vids you think you can guess? Nah, get them in, use them and see the (woeful) limits of the Rev 2s tone and weak filter, yes modulation is cool  but not if it's in place of great sound. While OB-6 won't do some of the stuff the Rev 2 could, I don't particularly need the stuff the rev 2 can do IF it doesn't sound *great* doing it.

OB6 = 10/10 on sound (and operation)
Prophet 6 = 8/10 (on best stuff - 7/10 on 50% of stuff)
Rev 2 = 5/10 (maybe 6/10 on some very specific 'sci fi' modulated sequences and layer morphs but 'meh' overall)

OB-6 isn't just the best sounding DSI synth, by far, imo it's the best sound modern analog synth of them all (inc against the Moog One which does nothing for me).

I've had tons of analog, VA and digital (from late 70s upto today), in recent times JD-XA, Sub 37, Slim Phatty, Rev 2, Prophet 6, OB-6 etc and the ONLY one of the modern ones that was good enough to remain was the OB-6. Not only does it 'make the grade' it also puts many of the old vintage synths to shame, something even the Prophet 6 couldn't do let alone the very very clinical Rev 2.
« Last Edit: March 02, 2019, 07:24:22 AM by SynthHead »
Prophet 10 Rev 4 (Keyboard) | Trigon-6 (Keyboard) | OB-6 (Keyboard)

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Re: OB6 vs REV2
« Reply #44 on: March 02, 2019, 03:36:58 PM »
Horses for courses.
All three work together perfectly for a 100% synth gig. But individually, it depends on the job.

If you’re the keys in a band, the synth of choice should be based on the bands genre.
I wouldn’t be wielding an OB-6 for orchestral ballads, nor would I rely solely on a Rev2 for industrial EDM...

Neither is better or worse, more or less capable than the other.
OB-6  Prophet-6  Prophet.Rev2/16  no kids

Sleep of Reason

Re: OB6 vs REV2
« Reply #45 on: March 02, 2019, 04:43:32 PM »
I've played the P6 briefly and own an OB-6/AS-1 currently. To me the P6 sounds as near perfect tonally as it gets. I'd say it's darker and a bit more smooth/beautiful; overall it's more refined. The OB-6 is brighter and has a bit more hair/character; overall it's rougher. It would be near impossible for me to pick one over the other and if I could I'd own both.

Also, it's hard to imagine being a synth head, yet the Moog One does absolutely "nothing" for you ... But I suppose that's the hip thing to say these days.
« Last Edit: March 02, 2019, 05:47:09 PM by Sleep of Reason »

Re: OB6 vs REV2
« Reply #46 on: March 13, 2019, 10:19:47 AM »
I love them both for different reasons...

I actually exchanged my OB-6 just yesterday due to a problem with a pot and damn I miss it... I'm diving as deep as I can into the Rev 2 until she arrives back in my arms... Separation anxiety with an inanimate object!

I honestly couldn't decide between them because there aren't any music stores I could test them at near me, so I ended up with the Rev 2 16 voice, OB-6 module and Novation Peak.... I think I'm close to my poly end game, but I'm not much interested in vintage equipment.

Re: OB6 vs REV2
« Reply #47 on: March 26, 2019, 08:31:41 PM »
They all sound great to me. Its all about gain staging, making the best use of each instruments strengths and using them appropriately. They are different colors in the box of crayons. I can make all of them shine.

I have a P6 on the way as well, my collection of DSI instrumentd continues to grow :)
Moog Modular Model 15,Korg Prophecy,Korg Z1,Nord Modular Keyboard,DSI OB6,DSI P12,DSI Rev 2 16voiceMoog Minimoog D,SEM Modules,Moog Slim Phattys,Alesis QS 8.1,Alesis QSR,Roland Integra 7,Genelec 8341s,8040,8030,Novation Peak,Kawai K5000R,Eurorack Modulars,etc..

Re: OB6 vs REV2
« Reply #48 on: March 26, 2019, 08:50:39 PM »
Around 2011, Tom Oberheim announced a four-voice SEM called "Son Of 4 Voice" also known as SO4V. It started shipping in 2014. Only a very limited number of units were actually produced and shipped, since they were all made by hand one at a time, before being discontinued soon after the DSI OB6 was announced, for which Tom has designed the voice cards (VCOs/VCF) replicating his SEM modules circuitry.

Actually, the SO4V never saw the light of the day, as there were some delaying issues with the OS of the programmer module. Tom focused on the Two Voice Pro instead, which was announced in 2012 and became available around 2015 until it was discontinued last year.

I ended up building my own SO4V by buying up a bunch of Sem modules, bought a small eurorack case with the appropriate parts.

Sadly the modules got discontinued though.
Moog Modular Model 15,Korg Prophecy,Korg Z1,Nord Modular Keyboard,DSI OB6,DSI P12,DSI Rev 2 16voiceMoog Minimoog D,SEM Modules,Moog Slim Phattys,Alesis QS 8.1,Alesis QSR,Roland Integra 7,Genelec 8341s,8040,8030,Novation Peak,Kawai K5000R,Eurorack Modulars,etc..

Re: OB6 vs REV2
« Reply #49 on: March 26, 2019, 08:53:21 PM »
I love them both for different reasons...

I actually exchanged my OB-6 just yesterday due to a problem with a pot and damn I miss it... I'm diving as deep as I can into the Rev 2 until she arrives back in my arms... Separation anxiety with an inanimate object!

I honestly couldn't decide between them because there aren't any music stores I could test them at near me, so I ended up with the Rev 2 16 voice, OB-6 module and Novation Peak.... I think I'm close to my poly end game, but I'm not much interested in vintage equipment.


Novation Peak is a fantastic instrument, I would love to see Dave explore FPGA based NCOs for a future instrument.
Moog Modular Model 15,Korg Prophecy,Korg Z1,Nord Modular Keyboard,DSI OB6,DSI P12,DSI Rev 2 16voiceMoog Minimoog D,SEM Modules,Moog Slim Phattys,Alesis QS 8.1,Alesis QSR,Roland Integra 7,Genelec 8341s,8040,8030,Novation Peak,Kawai K5000R,Eurorack Modulars,etc..

Re: OB6 vs REV2
« Reply #50 on: April 15, 2019, 11:01:22 PM »
Those calling me out on being too choosy or w/e that's what we do with our tastes as musicians. I for one certainly do not need a room full of only DSI gear when I have vintage stuff, esp Roland, that does everything so well. As said, modern synth wise, very little competes with that, inc Prophet 6. But OB-6 genuinely does, and it's the only decently priced modern synth that does hang with the old gear without sounding harsh/stiff.

P6 did sound constrained and locked inside it's box kinda thing, it could never bloom or have presence, was always 'small', and yeah I know all the gain staging tricks on the mixer section to not make it so harsh, but it simply doesn't 'glow' like either the old synths OR the OB-6 (which does). It's because of a number of things, firstly the VCOs in the OB-6 are looser and more organic, the mixer stage actually seems to do something other than just be a volume control (can get a bit of drive/harmonics going on) and the filter is 10x more rich and interesting harmonically than the Prophet 6.

Not so say the P6 is awful, it's probably my next favourite modern synth and may nicer than most Moog stuff they are throwing out (which has a hollow/hard sound unless you go to the Model D and poss the Grandmother but<<< y'know simple mono).

OB-6 is instantly inspirational, doesn't need any work to dial in a great sound, and most important it has PRESENCE, it sounds like it's in the room, coming out of the speakers, just like the best vintage did. P6 suffers from a very stiff sound in general and its amp stages weren't the best design imo, learned from and improved for the OB-6.

I just knew after lots of discontent and never-quite-there sound making on the P6 (and esp my ex-Rev 2 which is really bad when it comes to osc/filter tone and is only impressive via modulation and layers which is 'meh' to me if the core tone is grating in a track) that as soon as I dialed in a sound on the OB-6.. there it was! Just like a good analog synthesizer should be, rich, inspirational, present, easy to dial in without 'concern' about shaping its tone to kingdom come TRYING to make it sound good (ala P6) or knowing it will always sound like a poor/flat/weak impression of analog (Rev2). It just works.

If you guys can't accept that, then by all means carry on with your selected gear, if you can't hear/feel the difference in these units I'd suggest you'd probably better off saving the cash and just buying a VA or even a soft synth, I doubt it would matter to you. To me it's 100% vital, If I'm spending money on hardware it had better deliver on a instinctive and gut/connection level, not in the head where you keep it around because its "clever" (rev2) or because it can occasionally do some nice things (P6), for me I want it to hit me in the face how awesome it sounds each time I make a new sound on it, even if it's a subtle, delicate sound you can barely hear in the mix, I will know and that has an effect on the quality of the music you put out too.

OB-6 is better at bass, leads, pads, filter sweeps, delicate pretty sounds, atmospheres (other than very clinical cold ones which Prophets excel at and have their place) and even the distortion on the OB-6 (hidden vs the Prophet 6) sounds much nicer when applied to the core tone of the OB vs the P6. It sounds pasted on and harsh with the P6, but with the OB-6 it sounds super-organic like its wrapped in and around the sound. I made hundreds of sounds on my ex-Prophet 6 and none of them compare to even the lower end of my 'best' OB-6 patches. For what Rev2 and P6 do I don't think you need all that expense and space, but the OB-6 is like nothing else, even while reminiscent of past stuff it exists as a unique one of Sequential/Obie hybrid that has its own unique sound character and even when I owned all these synths it was still the first one and best one for most tasks in a song. Reviewing takes later in productions it would always be the OB-6 that 'won' and stayed, sometimes the Prophet 6 for its specific cool 'dull but atmospheric' sound (another thing with P6 its too brassy and squeaky/stiff until you reduce the cut off and then it just sounds full/muted... good for some things but it's not a 'fun' filter by any means.. and rev 2 is just dire there.. one tiny sweet spot the rest is like plastic)

I'm not alone in my findings of how vastly different musically these synths are and to many 'real' musicians who don't just collect synths and noodle all day, great tone is what comes first.. not features.. same with guitar recording, you don't just settle on a honkey sounding paper bag take of a cheap guitar when you can record something much richer... the OB-6 is that 'much richer' thing in the modern synth world. Nothing so far has touched it, not Modal, Not Moog, Not Korg, Not Roland and not even DSI's other offerings.

Last bonus points to OB-6 vs P6 and Rev2: It sits in the mix perfectly, very little work needed.. that's great workflow. Also it seems to make better use of the internal FX, somehow they just sound more beautiful and worthy when used with the OB-6 engine, like it was meant to be. They sound like band-aids on the Prophets but can be part of the sonic sculpture on the OB-6 without sounding cheap or stuck on!  8)
« Last Edit: April 15, 2019, 11:27:16 PM by SynthHead »
Prophet 10 Rev 4 (Keyboard) | Trigon-6 (Keyboard) | OB-6 (Keyboard)

Re: OB6 vs REV2
« Reply #51 on: April 16, 2019, 10:40:35 AM »
I have both the OB6 and Prophet REV2, and can appreciate both of them even if I have a preference for the OB6 when it comes to sounds.
But, in all honesty, there is a lot that the REV2 offers that the OB6 doesn't. Mainly, better modulation capabilities (that mod matrix is great) with more LFOs, better polyphony, and even a lower price point. And that's why the REV2 is still in my keyboard stand next to the OB6. Probably until the UB-Xa comes along... ;-)
Oberheim OB-X8, Minimoog D (vintage), OB6 (Desktop), Oberheim Matrix-6 (MIDI Controller for OB6), VC340

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Re: OB6 vs REV2
« Reply #52 on: April 18, 2019, 07:30:03 PM »
Those calling me out on being too choosy or w/e that's what we do with our tastes as musicians....
If you guys can't accept that, then by all means carry on with your selected gear, if you can't hear/feel the difference in these units I'd suggest you'd probably better off saving the cash and just buying a VA or even a soft synth, I doubt it would matter to you. To me it's 100% vital,...

No one is attacking you. Most of us have owned a wide palette of synths and have a wide range of tastes. So you attract some response when you imply that people have inferior taste to yours. And contradicting yourself doesn't help.
« Last Edit: April 18, 2019, 07:34:49 PM by MPM »
OB-6  Prophet-6  Prophet.Rev2/16  no kids

Re: OB6 vs REV2
« Reply #53 on: August 13, 2020, 07:52:40 PM »
I am a new REV2 owner but after watching some youtube videos and experiencing the REV2, the OB6 sounds WAY warmer. Am I mistaken? Looking for pros/cons of keeping REV2 vs upgrading....

Re: OB6 vs REV2
« Reply #54 on: August 14, 2020, 11:06:53 AM »
I am a new REV2 owner but after watching some youtube videos and experiencing the REV2, the OB6 sounds WAY warmer. Am I mistaken? Looking for pros/cons of keeping REV2 vs upgrading....

The REV2 has a lot of advantages over the OB6. More voices for better polyphony, longer envelope times to take advantage of that enhanced polyphony (with long pads sounds), a very versatile modulation matrix, more LFOs, patch naming, and it can sound quite good when programmed carefully.

The OB6 has that sweet Oberheim SEM-based filter, no menu diving at all, a more back to basics and hands-on programming style, and of course a slightly sweeter sound (if that's what you're looking for).

Like I said earlier, they're both great synths, each with their advantages and drawbacks. I'd say that having a REV2 is still a keeper. I own both, and after a few years, they're both still in my set-up.
Oberheim OB-X8, Minimoog D (vintage), OB6 (Desktop), Oberheim Matrix-6 (MIDI Controller for OB6), VC340

Re: OB6 vs REV2
« Reply #55 on: August 14, 2020, 09:57:29 PM »
I am a new REV2 owner but after watching some youtube videos and experiencing the REV2, the OB6 sounds WAY warmer. Am I mistaken? Looking for pros/cons of keeping REV2 vs upgrading....

I sold my Rev2 for an OB6 since I didn't have $$ to keep both. 90% of the poly sounds I want the OB6 does, I like the layout, simplicity, and that it feels more like "an instrument" all around...but I definitely underestimated how great and versatile the Rev2 was and how (relatively) limited the OB6 is. I don't regret it, but I'd be on the fence about doing it again.

If you're just thinking "oh, it sounds like this synth is even MORE premium/warm," then I'd stick with the Rev2 because it is amazing and SO MUCH more flexible. You could say the same things about the Prophet 6, Moog One, etc...but really, the Rev2 is one of the great poly synths out there. But the OB6 is there for you if you want very specifically those sounds, and are truly ok with the fact that it'll only make those sounds.
« Last Edit: August 14, 2020, 11:01:20 PM by Crone Call »
Dark synth-punk from Portland, OR. Music for the debtors.
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Re: OB6 vs REV2
« Reply #56 on: August 15, 2020, 05:16:52 AM »
I am a new REV2 owner but after watching some youtube videos and experiencing the REV2, the OB6 sounds WAY warmer. Am I mistaken? Looking for pros/cons of keeping REV2 vs upgrading....

As an owner of a P6, OB6 and Rev2 I can tell you that Dave's product line design is very well thought out, and each product has a unique role in the lineup.  One of them is not a replacement for the other, because they each have their strengths.

The Prophet 6 and OB-6 will sound warmer than the Rev2 when comparing presets or init patches due to the nature of VCO vs. DCO, and they will "default" to a warmer feel.  But this doesn't mean the Rev2 can't sound warm.  What's more, DCOs tend to hold their sound across a broader octave range, including holding deep bass farther into lower key ranges... it is no coincidence that the Rev2 keyboard has an extra octave over the P6 and OB-6.

The OB-6 sounds fat, but the tradeoff is that the natural tuning slop that makes it fat can become a liability in the mix at times (too much of a good thing).   Meanwhile, having less natural slop allows the Rev2 to play richer chords with longer release times (achieving the same harmonic richness/warmth that makes VCO based synths sound good when playing a few notes dry).

I regard all three synths as equals; they each have their place.  As mentioned, there is something about that Oberheim filter (beyond just the fact that it is a SVF) that makes the OB-6 able to do some things that the Prophets can't.  And each of the Prophet 6 and Rev2 can do some things that the other cannot.   The OB-6 is a great poly, but it's somewhat of a "special purpose" synth.
« Last Edit: August 15, 2020, 05:18:24 AM by LPF83 »
Prophet 10, OB-X8m, Prophet 6, OB-6, 3rd Wave, Prophet 12m, Prophet Rev2-16, Toraiz AS-1, Pro 2, Virus TI2, Moog SlimPhatty, Hydrasynth desktop, Korg Minilogue XDm, Roland JP-8080, Roland System-8, Roland SPD-SX SE / Octapad, Maschine, Cubase/Ableton/Akai MPC

Re: OB6 vs REV2
« Reply #57 on: August 29, 2020, 06:53:16 PM »
Very true. The special purpose of my OB-6 is to be my primary polysynth. Good thing it’s up to the job, and then some.

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Re: OB6 vs REV2
« Reply #58 on: August 30, 2020, 01:31:42 PM »
Very true. The special purpose of my OB-6 is to be my primary polysynth. Good thing it’s up to the job, and then some.

The OB-6 is a fantastic synth that has a permanent place in my studio!  I think it is good to supplement it with other gear, though.  I only say this because the SEM filter puts a slight "fizz" on everything; it's an amazing fizz that's always welcome, but in a mix it can have the effect of putting one's favorite salad dressing on all courses of a gourmet meal... not everything should have the same flavor and maybe that fizz shouldn't be on every sound in a mix.  There are certain types of sounds and timbres I get out of the Prophet 6 that I just can't seem to duplicate from the OB-6.
Prophet 10, OB-X8m, Prophet 6, OB-6, 3rd Wave, Prophet 12m, Prophet Rev2-16, Toraiz AS-1, Pro 2, Virus TI2, Moog SlimPhatty, Hydrasynth desktop, Korg Minilogue XDm, Roland JP-8080, Roland System-8, Roland SPD-SX SE / Octapad, Maschine, Cubase/Ableton/Akai MPC

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Re: OB6 vs REV2
« Reply #59 on: August 31, 2020, 05:45:59 AM »
Looking for pros/cons of keeping REV2 vs upgrading....
You can always upgrade to a, warmer, sound with a good pre-amp on your Rev2. Lots of Neve1073 clones out there (WarmAudio is cheap), OTO Boum, Elektron Heat, if you have a 500 series kit there's stuff available there too, Radial even make one in 500 series called a "warmer"  ::)
Hire one if you can and plug the Rev2 into it.

By the way, if you didn't already know it, every synth that's been recorded to a record most likely went thru some sort of Neve/AMS/SSL pre-amp+EQ mojo dojo. No harm in having one yourself.
« Last Edit: August 31, 2020, 05:51:21 AM by MPM »
OB-6  Prophet-6  Prophet.Rev2/16  no kids