OB6 vs Prophet 6

[EdBoogie]

I simply cannot decide between the two, and the amount of time I've spent going back and forth, reading reviews and watching demos is pretty silly now! 

I've played them both briefly in stores, but never side by side. Don't think I'll get that opportunity soon.

I don't know what the point of this post is. Wish I could have them both!

You can get both filters in the Pro-2!

Haha, thanks, but I'm after a poly (that will hopefully be a 'forever' keeper) :-)

I'll be selling a DX7, D50 and Moog Little Phatty to raise funds - it will go with my Juno 60 and Yamaha Motif 6 Classic....

 

[TacticalHamster]

Did you ultimately decide on getting an Ob6?

I have both. The P6 is great for soundtracks (all by itself sometimes). The Ob6 is great as an element in music. I have to give up the P6 due to tech issues (w/in return period) and considering replacing with same (4th try) or getting the recently announced Rev2.

I think the Ob6 would be all i need if the filter pole count was switchable and there was a triangle on first oscillator. The SEM filter is very limiting and always has some higher frequency "hair" coming out.

[LoboLives]

Echoing what TacticalHamster said, I think Prophets are more for sound design or soundtrack work and Oberheims are more for performance and band situations. I say this because looking at the gear lists for synth based soundtracks, there are loads of Prophet based soundtracks and only a few Oberheim ones. Even still most soundtracks that have the Oberheim also had a Prophet (5 or 10). I think the only soundtracks that I can think of where an Oberheim was the main synth was Queen's Flash Gordon soundtrack(OBXa and Imperial Bösendorfer Grand Piano with 97 keys instead of 88, having an extra octave on the low range) and Rob Walsh's score for Revenge Of The Ninja.

I've always gravitated towards Prophets personally. It just depends on what you want to do with the synth.

[EdBoogie]

Hi guys,

I still haven't purchased because I'm waiting for my gear to sell, and was also waiting to see if there was a new DSI synth at NAMM that I'm after.

And I still haven't decided - I keep flipping between them. At the moment, I favour the Prophet-6, in about two hours more of YouTube watching, I'll probably switch to the OB-6!

Most of the artists I like and want the sounds of - early 80s British new wave artists - used more of the Prophet-5 kind of sound. Sure there are exceptions, always.

The Oberheim sound, to me, was always a very 'American' sound, and all the demos are backing that up for me.

So, the OB-6 seems to sound more 'vintage' out the box, which is what I want, but my brain is telling me that it's more of an American 80s sound, rather than the British sound I'm after, which I think might be more suited to a Prophet-6.

In all honesty, there's just something about the 'Prophet' name which pulls me, but on all these forums (well maybe not this one!) there seems to be a huge majority of people who prefer the OB-6.

Yes, I realise it's the person not the gear and would be happy with either, but it's such a big investment for me, I've researched it to death!

Anyway, I'm enjoying reading everyone's views on this thread/forum, both are fantastic synths!

Cheers,

Ed

[LoboLives]

Hi guys,

I still haven't purchased because I'm waiting for my gear to sell, and was also waiting to see if there was a new DSI synth at NAMM that I'm after.

And I still haven't decided - I keep flipping between them. At the moment, I favour the Prophet-6, in about two hours more of YouTube watching, I'll probably switch to the OB-6!

Most of the artists I like and want the sounds of - early 80s British new wave artists - used more of the Prophet-5 kind of sound. Sure there are exceptions, always.

The Oberheim sound, to me, was always a very 'American' sound, and all the demos are backing that up for me.

So, the OB-6 seems to sound more 'vintage' our the box, which is what I want, but my brain is telling me that it's more of an American 80s sound, rather than the British sound I'm after, which I think might be more suited to a Prophet-6.

In all honesty, there's just something about the 'Prophet' name which pulls me, but on all these forums (well maybe not this one!) there seems to be a huge majority of people who prefer the OB-6.

Yes, I realise it's the person not the gear and would be happy with either, but it's such a big investment for me, I've researched it to death!

Anyway, I'm enjoying reading everyone's views on this thread/forum, both are fantastic synths!

Cheers,

Ed

What I noticed is a Prophet has a wider sonic pallet. You can really shape the sound to sound like anything but the OB-6 will always have that Oberheim Buzzsaw sound. Listen to even a basic saw wave and you can her the OB-6 has more grit and fizz. The Prophet is more lush but can get fuzzy as well with tweaking.

[TacticalHamster]

Hi guys,

I still haven't purchased because I'm waiting for my gear to sell, and was also waiting to see if there was a new DSI synth at NAMM that I'm after.

And I still haven't decided - I keep flipping between them. At the moment, I favour the Prophet-6, in about two hours more of YouTube watching, I'll probably switch to the OB-6!

Most of the artists I like and want the sounds of - early 80s British new wave artists - used more of the Prophet-5 kind of sound. Sure there are exceptions, always.

The Oberheim sound, to me, was always a very 'American' sound, and all the demos are backing that up for me.

So, the OB-6 seems to sound more 'vintage' out the box, which is what I want, but my brain is telling me that it's more of an American 80s sound, rather than the British sound I'm after, which I think might be more suited to a Prophet-6.

In all honesty, there's just something about the 'Prophet' name which pulls me, but on all these forums (well maybe not this one!) there seems to be a huge majority of people who prefer the OB-6.

Yes, I realise it's the person not the gear and would be happy with either, but it's such a big investment for me, I've researched it to death!

Anyway, I'm enjoying reading everyone's views on this thread/forum, both are fantastic synths!

Cheers,

Ed

I have both in case you have some questions.

I wasn't a big fan of fake brass sounds notorious to oberheim. But, I bought the OB6 anyway to see if it could fit in with the P6 and other synths.

The demos online really only touch the vintage Oberheim sounds. There arent a lot of examples showing what else can be done with it, which is massive.

I am a Prophet guy. I have always been (soundtracks, new wave, goth music, etc). The cold and dark sound of the prophet has always been alluring.

With that said:

I have had three(3) faulty P6s in a row. I'm returning the last one and not replacing it again. It's infuriating for the money to have something so dodgy. I don't care if someone replies and says they've had zero issues, I have...3 times. So has a local studio (returning their second). A support rep at a well respected pro audio retailer (that I use) said they've had more returns with the P6s lately, as well, as I tried to see what we could do (last case being a faulty keybed).

It is what it is. Maybe they are already on a new run of great P6s. I don't know. These (at least mine) were serials around 4,000 to 4,200. I considered looking for an older serial, but with Rev2 coming out, I'll just wait.

The OB6, however, had an extremely sturdy build quality (knobs are beefy and don't wobble at all, thicker top coat). Sonically they aren't that similar when you consider the Ob's amazing SEM filter and extra mod possibilities.

Learning how to program the OB out of the 80s was a challenge, but it serves a nice palette of sounds. Keep in mind demos are usually overdriving the filter for harmonics. Keeping the OSC at 1/2 will be similar to output volume of P6. Once you pull back the OSC gain, you are in a close Prophet territory.

I am not a fan of the square sub octave (it's only usable in the top half range of octaves), but it's not always needed. The P6 triangle sub is great, and can be used throughout most ranges. Square subs are very limiting to brassy/noisy tones, but they work perfect in those tones needed.

I'm holding out on my P6 needs for the Rev2. I'd recommend listening to samples on SoundCloud. It's cheaper and only real difference (as a negative) is digitally controlled oscillators vs voltage controlled of P6. Add some slop and you'll be in P6 territory.

You don't have to take my advice, but I recommend considering it from a P5/P6 lover and user over the years (P5).

[EdBoogie]

What I noticed is a Prophet has a wider sonic pallet. You can really shape the sound to sound like anything but the OB-6 will always have that Oberheim Buzzsaw sound. Listen to even a basic saw wave and you can her the OB-6 has more grit and fizz. The Prophet is more lush but can get fuzzy as well with tweaking.

That seems to be my feeling too!

In all honesty, after seeing the REV2 with a 5-octave keyboard, the 4-octave on the OB-6 and Pro-6 really winds me up.... but that is a pointless digression, I suppose 

Cheers,

Ed

[EdBoogie]

Hi guys,

I still haven't purchased because I'm waiting for my gear to sell, and was also waiting to see if there was a new DSI synth at NAMM that I'm after.

And I still haven't decided - I keep flipping between them. At the moment, I favour the Prophet-6, in about two hours more of YouTube watching, I'll probably switch to the OB-6!

Most of the artists I like and want the sounds of - early 80s British new wave artists - used more of the Prophet-5 kind of sound. Sure there are exceptions, always.

The Oberheim sound, to me, was always a very 'American' sound, and all the demos are backing that up for me.

So, the OB-6 seems to sound more 'vintage' out the box, which is what I want, but my brain is telling me that it's more of an American 80s sound, rather than the British sound I'm after, which I think might be more suited to a Prophet-6.

In all honesty, there's just something about the 'Prophet' name which pulls me, but on all these forums (well maybe not this one!) there seems to be a huge majority of people who prefer the OB-6.

Yes, I realise it's the person not the gear and would be happy with either, but it's such a big investment for me, I've researched it to death!

Anyway, I'm enjoying reading everyone's views on this thread/forum, both are fantastic synths!

Cheers,

Ed

I have both in case you have some questions.

I wasn't a big fan of fake brass sounds notorious to oberheim. But, I bought the OB6 anyway to see if it could fit in with the P6 and other synths.

The demos online really only touch the vintage Oberheim sounds. There arent a lot of examples showing what else can be done with it, which is massive.

I am a Prophet guy. I have always been (soundtracks, new wave, goth music, etc). The cold and dark sound of the prophet has always been alluring.

With that said:

I have had three(3) faulty P6s in a row. I'm returning the last one and not replacing it again. It's infuriating for the money to have something so dodgy. I don't care if someone replies and says they've had zero issues, I have...3 times. So has a local studio (returning their second). A support rep at a well respected pro audio retailer (that I use) said they've had more returns with the P6s lately, as well, as I tried to see what we could do (last case being a faulty keybed).

It is what it is. Maybe they are already on a new run of great P6s. I don't know. These (at least mine) were serials around 4,000 to 4,200. I considered looking for an older serial, but with Rev2 coming out, I'll just wait.

The OB6, however, had an extremely sturdy build quality (knobs are beefy and don't wobble at all, thicker top coat). Sonically they aren't that similar when you consider the Ob's amazing SEM filter and extra mod possibilities.

Learning how to program the OB out of the 80s was a challenge, but it serves a nice palette of sounds. Keep in mind demos are usually overdriving the filter for harmonics. Keeping the OSC at 1/2 will be similar to output volume of P6. Once you pull back the OSC gain, you are in a close Prophet territory.

I am not a fan of the square sub octave (it's only usable in the top half range of octaves), but it's not always needed. The P6 triangle sub is great, and can be used throughout most ranges. Square subs are very limiting to brassy/noisy tones, but they work perfect in those tones needed.

I'm holding out on my P6 needs for the Rev2. I'd recommend listening to samples on SoundCloud. It's cheaper and only real difference (as a negative) is digitally controlled oscillators vs voltage controlled of P6. Add some slop and you'll be in P6 territory.

You don't have to take my advice, but I recommend considering it from a P5/P6 lover and user over the years (P5).

Thanks so much for this. Still processing it all. Will reply soon, very interesting stuff!

[TacticalHamster]

Skip YouTube unless you want to see functionally how the units operate. Go to SoundCloud for really nicely designed sounds for both. I quickly curated 2 per each for you:

Prophet 6:
https://soundcloud.com/petermmahr/prophet-6-59

https://soundcloud.com/petermmahr/sequential-prophet-6-sound-demo

OB-6:
https://soundcloud.com/petermmahr/can-the-ob-6-do-classical-oberheim-sounds

https://soundcloud.com/petermmahr/ob-6-pad-000
 (this is the same pad from above. It demonstrates the filter and that the aggressive sound you usually hear on OB6 demos is optional.)

Try to listen to these 4 links in order only, for immediate timbre tone comparison, then work your way to others from there.

You'll find the P6 isn't limited to prophet 5 territory, and also that the OB-6 is a modern approach and can tackle more than Van Halen's "Jump".

[coyote14]

I have made a full comparison between both keyboards. This is a "face to face" comparison, mostly demonstrating differences in each category of sound (Lead, Bass, Pad, FX, etc...).

The video is in french, but most of the video let you hear OB6 and P6 and sould be of interest for those who wonder which one they should buy, depending on their musical tastes.

Enjoy !

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtoitoPoMcQ

[Paul Dither]

Merci beaucoup!

[LoboLives]

What I noticed is a Prophet has a wider sonic pallet. You can really shape the sound to sound like anything but the OB-6 will always have that Oberheim Buzzsaw sound. Listen to even a basic saw wave and you can her the OB-6 has more grit and fizz. The Prophet is more lush but can get fuzzy as well with tweaking.

That seems to be my feeling too!

In all honesty, after seeing the REV2 with a 5-octave keyboard, the 4-octave on the OB-6 and Pro-6 really winds me up.... but that is a pointless digression, I suppose 

Cheers,

Ed

Honestly, I think 5-Octaves is needed if it's doing splits and layers which the Rev-2 does. With the OB-6 and P6 being only able to have one patch going at a time, 5 octaves is nice to have but not make or break. If it's that detrimental, that's what the module is for....or 2 P6s or OB6s .

[prestonj]

I have made a full comparison between both keyboards. This is a "face to face" comparison, mostly demonstrating differences in each category of sound (Lead, Bass, Pad, FX, etc...).

The video is in french, but most of the video let you hear OB6 and P6 and sould be of interest for those who wonder which one they should buy, depending on their musical tastes.

Enjoy !

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtoitoPoMcQ

That video is fantastic. I'm probably biased because I can actually understand French (mostly), but I don't think there's a more poignant comparison video out there! Good job :-)

[soundxplorer]

To those who own both - which one would you say you prefer for a basic square-wave "hollow" type sound from the oscillators? How about PWM, do you prefer it on one over the other?

[shmuelyosef]

From another OB-6 owner:
2. It's a bass monster. Significantly more so than the Prophet 6 IMO.

3. It can growl like an OB should. Signature sound/tone.

This, in a nutshell, is what grabbed me. In full disclosure, it's my first full analog poly-synth

[DavidDever]

To those who own both - which one would you say you prefer for a basic square-wave "hollow" type sound from the oscillators? How about PWM, do you prefer it on one over the other?

Worth pointing out that these are roughly similar (Prophet-6 to OB-6), but that the SEM pulse wave level is roughly half that  of the sawtooth (not the case on the OB-6). Keep this in mind as far as gain-staging goes, if you're looking for that filtered pulse sound tending toward triangle.

[Sleep of Reason]

I think Prophets are more for sound design or soundtrack work and Oberheims are more for performance and band situations.

Not sure about that... Prophet 5 was by all appearance the go to analog synth around the 80s for prominent bands. Even now I see it mentioned a lot more frequently regarding newer acts. 

[Kja]

Just wanted to say, my prophet 6 is in the 5000 range and build quality has been very impressive. I have owned it for two months now and no problems, all pots are tight and smooth.

[LoboLives]

I think Prophets are more for sound design or soundtrack work and Oberheims are more for performance and band situations.

Not sure about that... Prophet 5 was by all appearance the go to analog synth around the 80s for prominent bands. Even now I see it mentioned a lot more frequently regarding newer acts.

In regards to bands

I would say the Prophet 5 is more new Wave/synth pop British type of tones (Gabriel, Collins, Tears For Fears) while the Oberheim is more American sounding (Bob Jovi, Van Halen, Prince)

[DaveP6guy]

I own the Prophet 6 and love it. I went nuts when I heard about the OB-6, and preordered immediately. Now listening to comparisons (only hearing OB-6 from internet videos) the OB-6 sounds fantastic, but the two synths are sounding very much alike to me.

I have a P-6 and would love an OB-6. I have had the P-6 for only about 5 months (since Jan 2018, now it is June 2018) and I am somewhat addicted to it, especially because of the immediacy of Dave's wonderful "constrained" design that he has mentioned in talks. Having an OB6 would give me the equivalent of extra octaves if they sound the same, since they have only 4 octaves each (Grrrr!) and if they sound different, it's even better.

I suspect that certain standard sounds are similar on the OB6 and P6. I mean, there are kind of bog standard synth sounds that are similar across loads of synths - but when you push them, the differences appear. I love pushing the filter of the P6 (mainly the low pass filter, which is just gorgeous in my view) to around 9 and making all kinds of weird resonant sounds. It's a beautifully harmonically rich and playful filter sound. I would guess many of the OB-6 distinctions from the P-6 will be from the different filter type and parameters.

Since I like the interface on the P-6 so much and the OB-6 interface is, if anything a bit neater in that way it is set out, I'm sure I would love the OB-6. I've noticed that the OB-6 can be found cheaper than the P6 sometimes in the UK (though the original price was higher) so maybe I had better get an OB6 soon, before the British Pound currency collapses!