Welcome Back Indeed!

Welcome Back Indeed!
« on: May 10, 2022, 10:19:58 AM »
What a fantastic instrument - it's a beautiful evolution.  Congratulations to the whole team and all the best.

 :)

Re: Welcome Back Indeed!
« Reply #1 on: May 10, 2022, 10:26:11 AM »
It looks like the arpeggiator only has up and down directions is that true?

Pat

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Re: Welcome Back Indeed!
« Reply #2 on: May 10, 2022, 10:39:20 AM »
It looks like the arpeggiator only has up and down directions is that true?

From the arp section of the product tour:

Arpeggiator
Use the arpeggiator to create chord-based rhythmic patterns. Hold down several notes and the arpeggiator will cycle through them at the rate that you set and a pattern that you choose: up, down, up & down, or note order played. You can transpose the arpeggio up or down an octave and apply it to one or both parts in a split or double. All of the innovative arpeggiator functions of the OB-8 are built into the OB-X8.

Re: Welcome Back Indeed!
« Reply #3 on: May 10, 2022, 10:55:42 AM »
It looks like the arpeggiator only has up and down directions is that true?

From the arp section of the product tour:

Arpeggiator
Use the arpeggiator to create chord-based rhythmic patterns. Hold down several notes and the arpeggiator will cycle through them at the rate that you set and a pattern that you choose: up, down, up & down, or note order played. You can transpose the arpeggio up or down an octave and apply it to one or both parts in a split or double. All of the innovative arpeggiator functions of the OB-8 are built into the OB-X8.

I was also told on facebook it has Random as well when both buttons are turned off.

Re: Welcome Back Indeed!
« Reply #4 on: May 10, 2022, 11:10:09 AM »
This is glorious news.  I've already left a message with my retailer about getting one in Toronto.  I may actually sell my OB-8 for this. 

jok3r

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Re: Welcome Back Indeed!
« Reply #5 on: May 10, 2022, 11:14:54 AM »
Starting price in Germany will be 5699,00€ ... well... that is a lot of money...
Prophet Rev2, Moog Matriarch, Novation Peak, Arturia DrumBrute Impact, Korg Kronos 2 88, Kurzweil PC 361, Yamaha S90ES

Re: Welcome Back Indeed!
« Reply #6 on: May 10, 2022, 11:19:01 AM »
Starting price in Germany will be 5699,00€ ... well... that is a lot of money...

About $7K for us Canucks.

Re: Welcome Back Indeed!
« Reply #7 on: May 10, 2022, 11:37:34 AM »
To be honest, the OBX8 is really want I wish the P5/10 reissues were. Taking a classic and pushing it forward. The reissues just seem like a small inch forward compared to the OBX8's features.

Re: Welcome Back Indeed!
« Reply #8 on: May 10, 2022, 11:43:24 AM »
How so? The P5/P10 included objectively *more* new features than their predecessors, while the OB-X8 is more of a faithful recreation of several old instruments but combined into one. The Prophets are the ones with new stuff!
SEQUENTIAL | OBERHEIM

Re: Welcome Back Indeed!
« Reply #9 on: May 10, 2022, 01:25:48 PM »
I agree, the Prophet Rev 4 additions were well thought out and with stacks, 10 voices, pu2 etc were 'vast' improvements over the originals while the OB-X8 (great as it is) is LIKE the originals but all in one (obv with velo/aftertouch and patch naming + some nice new toys).

It seems the features are a little higher on the OBX8 but the overall 'wow' factor for me remains with the Prophet 10 rev 4, partly because it's still the best looking polysynth of all time but mainly the overall tone, richness and depth of sound (even vs old OBIES).

I mean nothing touches the Prophet 5/10 for all time classic good looks, and OB-X8 does kinda look a bit rudimentary (if retro and cool itself) by comparison. I do wonder if they'd have been better going with the Blue-stripes look which became the iconic OBIE style, even IF they were trying to mainly potray the more desirable sound of the original OB-X. It still looks good but it lacks the flair of the Prophet rev 4s visually, and I think Blue stripes would make sense if it was technically an OB sucessor 4 - post blue stripes phase with all the bits from the 3 synths instead of a straight OB-X re-issue.

Now the new OB-X8 sounds great, definitely has the vintage thing in spades and makes the OB-6 sound more mushy and flat (which is kind of what I thought about mine in the end anyway - esp next to my Prophet 10), but the OB-6's features + tone are still great if you can find a cheap one (MSRP now is stupid on it).

OB-X8 tone wise? It's there.. but I guess I just prefer the Prophet 5/10 sound because I can hear similarities in some demos but when, for example, the OB-X8 is trying to do bass - the prophet rev 4 blows it away (it sounds more hollow on the OB-X8 but that could be down to programmer error not using 4 pole mode on the CEM?), other sounds all kinda sound a bit samey (like the OB-6 does too) in that it's less varied and dynamic sounding vs the Prophet rev 4... there were sounds in the new demos I know for sure would sound better on the Prophet 10, with more warmth, more clarity between notes, more richness and possibly emotion.

Conversely the OB-X8 will excel at stuff the Prophet doesn't do, bandpass sweeps and lighter frothy pads, it may also sound a touch duller than the prophets but more watery... smoother (this can be good or bad but in that respect I think the Prophets sound more 'analog' at least). OB-X8 may sound more vintage but less powerful/analog vs Prophet 10.

Factor in 2 more voices and classic beautiful looks and to me at least the Prophet 10 (or 5) remain king of the hill, esp for expensive synths where it may be your main / only 'go to' workhorse. More than that, from what I've heard so far, I just prefer the Prophet rev 4's overall tone, depth and power.. something about how the voices are more clearly defined and esp the SSM (SSI) 2040 filter giving a tone I just love to the Prophet. I guess with both in CEM 3320 mode they could be similar, VCO diffs aside... so it comes down to a degree of flavours... and do I really need it to go with my Prophet? hmmm...

I didn't need my OB-6 so in reality I doubt I NEED this but it would be nice, for under £4k I'd have probably JUMPED (pun intended) but at nearer £5k It's not grabbing me as much as the Prophet 10 did for a lot cheaper.

Also I love PU2 and stack mode on the Prophet 10 now, it's not just about 2 diff sounds layered - like we could multitrack - but coming up with weird mixes between them like a 4 osc synth (or 3 + sub) and the way the velocity interacts on the layers... its an art in itself and a massive strong point of the Prophet 10 rev 4 over the old Prophet 5 (which couldn't do it) and the new prophet 5 (cos of limited polyphony) so with OB-X8 I can't help but feel that 'loss' of those 2 extra voices... 4 note poly is pushing it a bit too much for me, in layered mode, esp for such an expensive synth I'd want it to be an 'everything' machine. 12 voices for this price might have been cool, but 10 would have at least matched the P10 if you're charging £1k more.

Not having a go, I think it's a wonderful machine and I'd love one, but with the Prophet 10 already out there... I honestly believe it's a more powerful SOUNDING and powerful workhorse synth that can sound just as beautiful and epic but also darker, punchier, more evil, more brooding and far more varied in tonality and types of sounds.

This is not a knock on the OB-X8 more a vote for how awesome the Rev 4 Prophet 10 is. You could get an OB-6 module used + a Prophet 10 new for LESS than the OB-X8 which really puts it in perspective too. Not that I really need an OB-6 back again.

Either way, congratz on the new synth Tom & Dave. Can't wait to see what other Oberheim toys we get!
« Last Edit: May 10, 2022, 01:29:45 PM by SynthHead »
Prophet 10 Rev 4 (Keyboard) | Trigon-6 (Keyboard) | OB-6 (Keyboard)

jok3r

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Re: Welcome Back Indeed!
« Reply #11 on: May 10, 2022, 03:28:18 PM »
How so? The P5/P10 included objectively *more* new features than their predecessors, while the OB-X8 is more of a faithful recreation of several old instruments but combined into one. The Prophets are the ones with new stuff!

Eh, aftertouch and velocity at this point on a synth should be as commonplace as MIDI. I wouldn't really consider them "more features" to be honest.

The OBX8 from my understanding has more memory, an OLED screen (not a deal breaker but still it's welcomed), dedicated bi timbrality section (as opposed to some button configurations), arpeggiator (I would have liked to have seen the Poly sequencer on the P5/P10 myself. Overall it just feels like the OBX8 is more of a "next step" rather than a reissue with some modern capabilities. That's just me though.

LPF83

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Re: Welcome Back Indeed!
« Reply #12 on: May 10, 2022, 04:53:23 PM »
How so? The P5/P10 included objectively *more* new features than their predecessors, while the OB-X8 is more of a faithful recreation of several old instruments but combined into one. The Prophets are the ones with new stuff!

I think some folks overlook the bi-timbrality, split, my personal favorite poly unison, etc., effectively capturing a lot of what made the Jupiter 8 popular.  It's easy to be deceived by that the implied simplicity of that beautiful, spartan looking wooden case.  I think my P10 will always be my primary keyboard, and the one I gravitate to for song writing inspiration.   Still getting an OB-X8 though, no doubt about it.  When will the desktop version be released?
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

LPF83

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Re: Welcome Back Indeed!
« Reply #13 on: May 10, 2022, 04:59:02 PM »
The OBX8 from my understanding has more memory, an OLED screen (not a deal breaker but still it's welcomed), dedicated bi timbrality section (as opposed to some button configurations), arpeggiator (I would have liked to have seen the Poly sequencer on the P5/P10 myself. Overall it just feels like the OBX8 is more of a "next step" rather than a reissue with some modern capabilities. That's just me though.

I have a Keystep Pro right next to my P10 that I use to arp/sequence 3 of my other synths at once (it could be 4 but I use the first track in drum mode).  It's hard to go back to onboard arps and sequencers with all the capabilities it has.  Highly recommended.  And the fact that you can quickly save your patterns as a project.. the workflow is brilliant.  Even the arp on the Access Virus software is crazy flexible, but I still find myself wanting to arp it from the Keystep.  So for me arp and sequence on a synth are kind of a lukewarm, nice to have thing.  Core tone is way more important to me.
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: Welcome Back Indeed!
« Reply #14 on: May 10, 2022, 07:36:39 PM »
The OBX8 from my understanding has more memory, an OLED screen (not a deal breaker but still it's welcomed), dedicated bi timbrality section (as opposed to some button configurations), arpeggiator (I would have liked to have seen the Poly sequencer on the P5/P10 myself. Overall it just feels like the OBX8 is more of a "next step" rather than a reissue with some modern capabilities. That's just me though.

I have a Keystep Pro right next to my P10 that I use to arp/sequence 3 of my other synths at once (it could be 4 but I use the first track in drum mode).  It's hard to go back to onboard arps and sequencers with all the capabilities it has.  Highly recommended.  And the fact that you can quickly save your patterns as a project.. the workflow is brilliant.  Even the arp on the Access Virus software is crazy flexible, but I still find myself wanting to arp it from the Keystep.  So for me arp and sequence on a synth are kind of a lukewarm, nice to have thing.  Core tone is way more important to me.

I don't think I'd use the keystep on a poly synth. Mono synths yes but I'd rather have a poly synth with arpeggiators and sequencers, however basic, on board. Especially at these price points. Having no onboard effects is already pushing it for a $6-7K synth.

LPF83

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Re: Welcome Back Indeed!
« Reply #15 on: May 11, 2022, 04:49:03 AM »
The OBX8 from my understanding has more memory, an OLED screen (not a deal breaker but still it's welcomed), dedicated bi timbrality section (as opposed to some button configurations), arpeggiator (I would have liked to have seen the Poly sequencer on the P5/P10 myself. Overall it just feels like the OBX8 is more of a "next step" rather than a reissue with some modern capabilities. That's just me though.

I have a Keystep Pro right next to my P10 that I use to arp/sequence 3 of my other synths at once (it could be 4 but I use the first track in drum mode).  It's hard to go back to onboard arps and sequencers with all the capabilities it has.  Highly recommended.  And the fact that you can quickly save your patterns as a project.. the workflow is brilliant.  Even the arp on the Access Virus software is crazy flexible, but I still find myself wanting to arp it from the Keystep.  So for me arp and sequence on a synth are kind of a lukewarm, nice to have thing.  Core tone is way more important to me.

I don't think I'd use the keystep on a poly synth. Mono synths yes but I'd rather have a poly synth with arpeggiators and sequencers, however basic, on board. Especially at these price points. Having no onboard effects is already pushing it for a $6-7K synth.

The KS Pro model is 16 voice polyphonic, so no issues there.  If you mean the mini-keys, I've come to like them more than I ever thought I would, for sequence input -- it sort of looks like a cheap plastic POS in photos but its actually a very well built piece of gear.  I do sometimes  send the MIDI notes from a larger 61 key board into the KS instead of using the minikeys on the KS itself, so that's always an option..  in fact that may be how I end up using it the most with the OB-X8 desktop when I get it, because I see myself using split mode quite a bit and would like 5 octaves for that.  One of the great things about the KS is being able to do stuff with the arp/sequence that's going to be either cumbersome or impossible with most built-in arp/seq features.  Like quickly turning on and off notes within a 4 bar pattern, changing the gate length or pitch of individual notes, shifting and inverting the pattern, randomization/swing,  etc. 

That said, I like that there is some arp/seq capability built into the OB-X8, because there is definitely a use case for storing the pattern with the patch.
« Last Edit: May 11, 2022, 04:54:35 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: Welcome Back Indeed!
« Reply #16 on: May 12, 2022, 07:11:08 AM »
The OBX8 from my understanding has more memory, an OLED screen (not a deal breaker but still it's welcomed), dedicated bi timbrality section (as opposed to some button configurations), arpeggiator (I would have liked to have seen the Poly sequencer on the P5/P10 myself. Overall it just feels like the OBX8 is more of a "next step" rather than a reissue with some modern capabilities. That's just me though.

I have a Keystep Pro right next to my P10 that I use to arp/sequence 3 of my other synths at once (it could be 4 but I use the first track in drum mode).  It's hard to go back to onboard arps and sequencers with all the capabilities it has.  Highly recommended.  And the fact that you can quickly save your patterns as a project.. the workflow is brilliant.  Even the arp on the Access Virus software is crazy flexible, but I still find myself wanting to arp it from the Keystep.  So for me arp and sequence on a synth are kind of a lukewarm, nice to have thing.  Core tone is way more important to me.

I don't think I'd use the keystep on a poly synth. Mono synths yes but I'd rather have a poly synth with arpeggiators and sequencers, however basic, on board. Especially at these price points. Having no onboard effects is already pushing it for a $6-7K synth.

The KS Pro model is 16 voice polyphonic, so no issues there.  If you mean the mini-keys, I've come to like them more than I ever thought I would, for sequence input -- it sort of looks like a cheap plastic POS in photos but its actually a very well built piece of gear.  I do sometimes  send the MIDI notes from a larger 61 key board into the KS instead of using the minikeys on the KS itself, so that's always an option..  in fact that may be how I end up using it the most with the OB-X8 desktop when I get it, because I see myself using split mode quite a bit and would like 5 octaves for that.  One of the great things about the KS is being able to do stuff with the arp/sequence that's going to be either cumbersome or impossible with most built-in arp/seq features.  Like quickly turning on and off notes within a 4 bar pattern, changing the gate length or pitch of individual notes, shifting and inverting the pattern, randomization/swing,  etc. 

That said, I like that there is some arp/seq capability built into the OB-X8, because there is definitely a use case for storing the pattern with the patch.

I'm sure the KS is fantastic but for $4-6K, I'd rather have an onboard sequencer.

I guess what I'm saying, and after watching the most recent SonicState demonstration of the OBX8 is I wish the REV4 took the approach of "Compiling the best of the best and expanding on it and allowing it to go into new territories" rather than a straight reissue. I know someone is going to say "Well the vintage knob does that". Watch this video and understand what I mean...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0KuKq-ECU9E

Re: Welcome Back Indeed!
« Reply #17 on: May 12, 2022, 03:52:03 PM »
 :-\Hyper speculative price, and when you know the possibilities offered by technology today, you understand that owning this model is not interesting. Just to say "I have it"... etc.
Yeah you can always talk.
OBX-8 is a way to take advantage of the naivety of nostalgia.

Without me anyway.
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jok3r

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Re: Welcome Back Indeed!
« Reply #18 on: May 13, 2022, 12:13:49 AM »
There are some sounds in the superbooth live video above that are better sounding to me than everything I have heard so far. I think this thing really sounds incredible. I also appreciate the improvements over the originals and the fact that you can combine things from different models for creating a whole new world of sounds. I first thought it was just the filter, but in this video he shows what features you can mix together.

Unfortunately, I didn't save up for my P10R4 yet. But since I have at least my Rev2 I will save a little longer and buy this thing instead. I always wanted to have a true Oberheim since I played a Matrix 12. The father of a friend of mine has never sold his and so I got to lay my hands on it one or the other time. Listening to all demos of OB-X/a, etc. I still think I like the sound of the older models more. Architecture-wise my Rev2 is Matrix-12 enough for me. So it has to be the OB-X8 for me.

(I still want to have a P10, too. But all in all this two synth will cost me 10.000€. It will take some time... )
Prophet Rev2, Moog Matriarch, Novation Peak, Arturia DrumBrute Impact, Korg Kronos 2 88, Kurzweil PC 361, Yamaha S90ES

LPF83

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Re: Welcome Back Indeed!
« Reply #19 on: May 13, 2022, 04:12:47 AM »
I guess what I'm saying, and after watching the most recent SonicState demonstration of the OBX8 is I wish the REV4 took the approach of "Compiling the best of the best and expanding on it and allowing it to go into new territories" rather than a straight reissue. I know someone is going to say "Well the vintage knob does that". Watch this video and understand what I mean...

Do you mean the fact that the OB-8 "Page 2" functionality can be used with the modes for OB-X and OB-Xa?  If so, I agree this is very cool.  However the OB-X/Xa/8 were all revisions of the same synth much in the way the Prophet 5 Rev 1/2/3 were.   And since these page 2 capabilities were a part of the original OB-X product line, and not a part of the Prophet product line, I think that the inclusion of the parameters for the OB-X8 makes a lot of sense.  If they threw a digital oscillator or two into the OB-X8 or something like that, then we would end up with the OB-X8 losing it's identity as a musical instrument because now you would start getting sounds coming from it that are out of character.

I'm very thankful personally that the extra OB-8 functionality was included...  Everyone involved probably realized it would have been uncool to release a OB-X/Xa combination and then later come out with an OB-8 as a separate product with many new features. 

At the end of it all, I still see it as feature-matching the original vintage synth rather than adding so many new features that the vintage identity is lost.  The Prophet 5 was invented many years before the OB-8 came along, so it has a notably more spartan feature set, yet the Rev4 still adds much the original did not have:  Switchable filter, polyunison, stack/split, vintage knob, velocity/at/midi etc.   

To me, if there is a standout new feature of the OB-X8, it's the display...  and when a synth is becoming kind of the 3-in-1 that the OB-X8 is, a display starts to make more sense, but I actually love the lack of one on the Rev4...  The simplicity of the Rev4 encourages the player to truly focus on the sound rather than the technology facilitating that sound, and this is why so many good sounds come out of the Prophet.

Ask anyone who owns both a Prophet 5/10 (vintage or rev 4) and an OB-X/Xa/8 the proverbial question -- imagine your home is on fire and you only have time to rescue one of your synths from the flames... which of the two do you carry out of the fire?   The number of people I've known that answered they'd save the Prophet outnumbered the Obie by about 10:1.  There is a reason the Prophet is considered the greatest poly of all time.

That said, the OB-X8 is a dream synth in its own right, and hopefully the desktop will be announced in next couple of months so that they can take my money!
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