Hi everyone,
First of all, I want to say that I absolutely love my new OB-X8. It sounds incredible, and I want to thank the entire Oberheim team for your passion and dedication to bringing these legendary instruments back to life. You have done an amazing job!
As a long-time Oberheim user, I am reaching out to share a few challenges I am encountering regarding the arpeggiator synchronization behavior (currently running firmware v2.0.0.1) and to officially submit a couple of feature requests. On my vintage **OB-8** (equipped with factory MIDI and the modern **Tauntek firmware update**), the arpeggiator synchronized flawlessly and locked perfectly to the beat. I am hoping we can achieve that same level of timing precision on this modern flagship reissue.
Here are the major roadblocks I am currently facing that severely impact my workflow:
**1. The Analog Clock Input Issue (BPM Cap & Dropping Steps)**
I have tried routing multiple types of hardware clock signals into the physical Arp Clock In jack, including high-end sample-accurate clocks (via an E-RM Multiclock) and solid analog triggers (from a Roland drum machine). No matter how clean the signal, the OB-X8 analog clock tracking is unstable. Even worse, the arpeggiator literally drops steps and refuses to accelerate past 120 BPM when fed with a 1/16th clock signal. It completely hits a hardware/software bottleneck, making the physical clock input practically unusable at standard electronic music tempos.
**2. The MIDI / USB Sync Issue (Lack of Quantization & Note Lag)**
When switching to MIDI or USB clock, the tempo subdivisions (eighth notes, sixteenth notes, etc.) fail to lock onto the actual grid. Even if the internal clock rate matches the DAW, the arpeggiator remains "free-running" based on the exact millisecond a key is physically pressed. If you don't hit the key perfectly on the beat, the entire arpeggio pattern runs completely offset from the DAW grid (the downbeats, eighths, and sixteenths do not align).
Furthermore, **regardless of the synchronization method used, I have noticed that the arpeggiator frequently lags or "hangs" on the very first triggered note as soon as a key is pressed**, creating an annoying rhythmic delay at the start of the pattern before it catches up.
### Feature Suggestions for Future Firmware Updates:
* **1. Bring "Arp Beat Sync" from the TEO-5 to the OB-X8**
Oberheim recently implemented an **"Arp Beat Sync"** option on the **TEO-5**. This feature is exactly what the OB-X8 needs. It forces the arpeggiator to quantize its start point to the incoming MIDI/USB clock, ensuring that the pattern always triggers perfectly on the beat, regardless of human keyboard performance timing.
* **2. Enable LFO / Sample & Hold (S&H) Tempo Sync & Key Trig Capabilities**
I would love to see the ability to fully sync the LFO S&H to the master tempo/clock. More specifically, I suggest allowing the **"LFO Keyboard Trigger" (LFO Key Trig)** parameter to function concurrently when the **"Sample & Hold"** waveform is selected.
If implemented, allowing the S&H source to be set to **"Noise"** would mean that every time a note is triggered, the S&H grabs a new random voltage value that is perfectly locked to the beat. This would provide a highly powerful, tempo-synced random modulation source that is crucial for modern electronic music production.
Given the premium nature and price point of the OB-X8, it would be wonderful to see this flagship synthesizer benefit from the same clock quantization and modulation options that are now standard on entry-level models like the TEO-5, or even available on upgraded vintage units.
Thank you so much for your time, your hard work, and for keeping these amazing instruments updated.
Best regards,
Simon
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