Oberheim Two Voice Pro

Oberheim Two Voice Pro
« on: April 05, 2016, 03:03:20 PM »
My OB-6 should arrive soon.  However, I remain very interested in the Oberheim TVP.  Do you have one?  If so, would appreciate you impressions, etc.

Re: Oberheim Two Voice Pro
« Reply #1 on: April 05, 2016, 03:13:21 PM »
I don't own one, but was blown away by playing one today for the first time. Instant impression: I would pass a Voyager XL for one plus: really, really beafy bass.

Re: Oberheim Two Voice Pro
« Reply #2 on: April 05, 2016, 03:45:50 PM »
Paul, thank you. Means alot coming from you.

Re: Oberheim Two Voice Pro
« Reply #3 on: April 05, 2016, 04:05:40 PM »
Oh, you're welcome. I'm sorry, though, that I can't really give you a detailed run-down. Like usual, it'll probably be a matter of taste. If you are in the lucky position to be able to test one in person near you, then I'd definitely do so. After all, it's clearly not what you'd call a bargain.  ;)
One thing I recognized is that I'm probably more of an Oberheim guy than I knew before, but this one is currently out of my price range.

Sacred Synthesis

Re: Oberheim Two Voice Pro
« Reply #4 on: April 06, 2016, 07:48:25 AM »
And it has a dedicated vibrato LFO to the left of the keyboard - a very important feature.  This is precisely what I wish DSI had included on the Prophet-6 and OB-6.  It would have transformed the instruments.  I agree, the Two-Voice Pro is a very desirable instrument for those who like immense synthesis.
« Last Edit: April 06, 2016, 07:49:59 AM by Sacred Synthesis »

Sacred Synthesis

Re: Oberheim Two Voice Pro
« Reply #5 on: April 06, 2016, 09:05:39 AM »
Oberheim SEM and Two-Voice demos are few and far between, so that it's hard to get a sense of the Oberheim sound.  This demo is the best I've found:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RymEwP6XE-k

dslsynth

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Re: Oberheim Two Voice Pro
« Reply #6 on: April 06, 2016, 10:35:11 AM »
Oh that is one of my favorite demos too, Sacred Synthesis! Another one is this TVP demo that really shows the kind of beast the TVP is! I am not a keyboard player so its not a machine for me. But for wouuuw for a sound:
https://youtu.be/1LnMl-RlFnE

For someone working in a sequenced multi-track studio making two recordings of the bass and pan them in stereo are going to make a difference.

Wonder how the TVP sound compares to the OB-6 sound? Especially regarding the oscillators which seems more and more to me to be the hardest part these days. Especially if one wants computer controlled tuning stability.
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Sacred Synthesis

Re: Oberheim Two Voice Pro
« Reply #7 on: April 06, 2016, 10:45:17 AM »
Yes, I've seen that video and the others with it from Perfect Circuit Audio.  The main shortcoming is that they are all in the bass range, and the demo-er hovers around very similar sounds.  I would have liked to have heard some melodies played on the sawtooth, the square, and other pulse widths.  Instead, it's constant PWM and sync sounds in the lower register, together with some filter tweaking.  I can't imagine why they would have made three videos that cover the same basic sonic range.

Dslsynth, if you like the Oberheim sound, but you're not a keyboardist, then why not try a single SEM? 

If you missed it, this video ostensibly looks as if it would be of interest to you.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8K5ahgzF2bU&nohtml5=False
« Last Edit: April 06, 2016, 11:42:09 AM by Sacred Synthesis »

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Re: Oberheim Two Voice Pro
« Reply #8 on: April 06, 2016, 11:05:12 AM »
Dslsynth, if you like the Oberheim sound, but you're not a keyboardist, then why not try a single SEM? 

You guessed it! A SEM Pro is indeed on my GAS list. I would love to integrate it with a little eurorack modules too but as I have none of them yet its just future dreams. Plus that I am really waiting for eurorack preset/modulation managers before jumping into that side of the fun (and not a word about the financial side of things). While we are dreaming one interesting option is a OB-6 based smaller voice count desktop module with analog and digital oscillators.

PS: Totally get your reservations on the restricted sound demos of the TVP. The bass just happened to sound impressive to my ears.
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Re: Oberheim Two Voice Pro
« Reply #9 on: April 06, 2016, 11:14:27 AM »
Wonder how the TVP sound compares to the OB-6 sound? Especially regarding the oscillators which seems more and more to me to be the hardest part these days. Especially if one wants computer controlled tuning stability.

Having checked out both recently I'd say that the Two Voice is more in your face. It's not a matter of sounding better or worse, but just weightier in a way that would be almost too weighty for a poly synth if that makes sense. You don't wanna steamroll everything with a poly synth, so in that sense they made the absolutely right decision with the OB-6. The Two Voice, or a single SEM module for that matter, has to have an authority on its own, so that's why it sounds beefier. Two different synths for different purposes I'd say.

dslsynth

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Re: Oberheim Two Voice Pro
« Reply #10 on: April 06, 2016, 11:25:54 AM »
Two different synths for different purposes I'd say.

Thanks for the explanation. Surely an argument to get myself a SEM Pro one day! I love the beefy machines.
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Re: Oberheim Two Voice Pro
« Reply #11 on: April 07, 2016, 01:17:50 PM »

Re: Oberheim Two Voice Pro
« Reply #12 on: May 26, 2016, 02:22:27 PM »

Re: Oberheim Two Voice Pro
« Reply #13 on: June 05, 2016, 05:17:01 PM »
I recently bought a TVP.
Here's my impression.

What I think misses from most reviews/opinions on synths on the web, is where the reviewer is coming from - sound/music wise. This is important. If someone thinks Herbie Hancock is the *hit and goes on to strongly recommend some synth, I'd probably think twice before rushing out buying it.

Me, I love "cold" classic synth music. Like Kraftwerk, John Carpenter, early Depeche Mode, Yazoo etc. I've been staring a lot at the Jupiter-8's, Prophet-5's etc. on Ebay, but they're really expensive (hey, I know the TVP is also expensive, but not 6-8000 dollars expensive).

So when the Prophet-6 was announced, I got it straight away. And then I came across some TVP videos on Youtube. I couldn't put my finger on it, but the TVP sounded exactly like my dream synth. The sound was just so ballsy and right. I love the fact that it does not have a digital effects section. That's one of my main pet peeves about the Prophet-6. It's just so unnecessary. I have all the external effects I need.
So the sound's covered. What else? The looks are stunning. And the stereo with two SEMS panned hard left and right is amazing as well.

One thing I really needed adjusting to, is that the TVP is not programmable. At first I thought it would take a long time adjusting. But actually, what I found was that I got a much more immediate experience. On the Prophet 6 it can get kinda confusing with all the presets at your disposal, especially without names. With no programmability you're kinda forced into working more immediate, record it straight away if you made a great sound, and then move on.

What's not so amazing is the wood cheeks. Kinda wimpy, if you ask me. Seems like some cheap wood with black paint.

The sequencer is a story all of it's own. As it stands now, I find it hard to use. I might not be right about this, but I really get the impression this sequencer is a one-man invention. It has some quirks that I feel would've been ironed out with some proper QA.
To make a sequence you have to turn each of the 16 cv knobs in succession. And if you've made a synth sound with no sustain, turning one of the 16 sequencer knobs you don't know what note you're landing on, until you step forward and then back (the note get's played when you return to it). I've asked Tom Oberheim about this, asking him if he can please enable note input via the keyboard. He says its in the works.

I'll try making a video at some point.

Re: Oberheim Two Voice Pro
« Reply #14 on: June 05, 2016, 05:38:49 PM »
Thanks for your review, Telstar!

I've been getting interested in one as well recently, so it's good to get some more input from others, as one can't find much material about it online, especially when it comes to reviews.

I was fortunate to check out a Two Voice Pro in person twice by now and basically agree with everything you said. I found the sequencer to be a bit counter-intuitive as well, at least as far as note input is concerned. I wrote Tom a message yesterday and he told me that he "will soon be announcing some very cool new features that TVS-PRO owners can access." I'm sure note input via the keyboard will be one of these features, which would certainly make the sequencer much more attractive.

I originally wrote him to find out whether he had switched any parts in the recent past, because according to some users at least, there was a notable difference in the filter behaviour between the first batches of the reissues and the current ones. He said, he didn't change anything in the circuitry since 1974, so it might be just related to the parts being newer in general. The resonance on the newer models has some more extra high frequency content, but that can be adjusted by dialing it back a bit.

I'm always eager to listen to new examples. So I'm looking forward to hearing your demos.

Sacred Synthesis

Re: Oberheim Two Voice Pro
« Reply #15 on: June 05, 2016, 06:01:11 PM »
Nothing against the Two-Voice Pro, but those of us who love the Oberheim sound, don't need the sequencer, and would like to save a fair amount of money, should consider using two SEMs MIDI-controlled by a favorite keyboard.  I'm considering doing this with one of my PEKs or Prophet '08s.

Re: Oberheim Two Voice Pro
« Reply #16 on: June 05, 2016, 06:11:59 PM »
Nothing against the Two-Voice Pro, but those of us who love the Oberheim sound, don't need the sequencer, and would like to save a fair amount of money, should consider using two SEMs MIDI-controlled by a favorite keyboard.  I'm considering doing this with one of my PEKs or Prophet '08s.

Fair point. I guess the fact that there's a sequencer on board goes back to Tom himself not being a keyboarder. Plus: Once it's up and running - which is going to be a faster process for keyboarders once note input via the keyboard is possible -, it's really fun. It's not necessarily needed for everybody, but it turns the Two Voice Pro into a more complete package when it comes to playing and tweaking. Let's not forget that in split mode you can just play on top of a sequence, which makes it a good option for an only synth that is being used live. And that I think was the goal for this instrument.

Two SEMs Pro will work well too though. It'll basically give you the same options minus the multiple patch points. But panning them to the left and the right will result is some really deep and wide sounds.

Sacred Synthesis

Re: Oberheim Two Voice Pro
« Reply #17 on: June 05, 2016, 06:16:48 PM »
Plus, you loose the Two-Voice Pro's vibrato-dedicated LFO, which is a serious loss. 
« Last Edit: June 05, 2016, 06:25:38 PM by Sacred Synthesis »

Re: Oberheim Two Voice Pro
« Reply #18 on: June 05, 2016, 06:25:51 PM »
Plus, you loose the SEM Pro's vibrato dedicated LFO, which is a serious loss.

You mean the one of the Two Voice Pro? - And yes, it would need an additional module to modulate the frequencies of the VCOs via the CV inputs.

Sacred Synthesis

Re: Oberheim Two Voice Pro
« Reply #19 on: June 05, 2016, 06:26:23 PM »
Yes, I already corrected that.  Sorry!