I see quite a bit of backlash online in regards to the color/look of the synth. Although it's the same look as the original OBX, I do wonder if the reaction is going to spark a Black/blue line OBXa/OB6 style option.
Back in the day I never considered the original OBX a beautiful instrument. However, because of its iconic status, the history and nostalgia behind the design makes the otherwise drab color scheme beautiful these days.
Once a re-issue of a design (I do understand this is not a synth re-issue but many of the design aspects are reissued here) starts to deviate from the original, it can become a bit risky or polarizing, because then the design no longer has the nostalgia alone to hold it up.
There are two primary cosmetic elements of the OBX8 that I think make it look considerably different form an OBX:
1) The area behind the control panel where the OBX logo went.... I assume this was present on the original to accomodate electrical components that are not present in the new model and / or help with heat dissipation and thus tuning stability
2) The black rubberized trim along the edges of the end cheeks
For #1 -- I'm sure that was probably a tough call. The original OBX was a huge synth designed primarily for professional musicians, while these days overall size and bulk of a synth can be a sink or swim proposition in a market where many buyers are enthusiasts with limited space in a bedroom studio, with lots of small-profile or software alternatives available. It probably didn't make business sense to add hugely to the weight and size just to be able to say the case is like the original. Even if the additional footprint didn't hurt sales, at minimum it would have had lots of whiners on GS shedding tears of angst.
For #2 -- I actually think the black edges are an important part of the look of the original OBX, because looking at it from the top it allows the edges to blend nicely with the case and black label backgrounds, where brown does tend to clash with the color scheme a bit. Fortunately this is a very easy thing to remedy if one wanted.. Coat the edges with black plastidip for a temporary solution that's relatively easy to "undo" if desired, or just get a second set of wooden end cheeks and paint the edges or all of them black. I will say I think the particular wood pattern and color of the end cheeks is a bold choice that I have not yet completely warmed up to (especially since it looks different than the original wood), but it's nothing that would impact my desire to own the synth.
I'm holding out for a desktop version, where none of this will matter much to me. I actually like the color scheme from a practical standpoint because I like to design sounds and write music in dim light, so a white font on black background becomes a very good thing, even moreso as my eyes begin to age. In the lighting conditions I prefer, I struggle to see the grey fonts above the number buttons on the Prophets 5 and 6; thankfully these are less frequently accessed functions so its not a big deal, but the white fonts of the OB6 are easier on the eyes.
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