New Interview With Tom Oberheim, ‘The Genius Behind The Greatest Sounding Synthesizers’
Composer & synthesist Anthony Marinelli shared this new interview with Tom Oberheim that’s a must-see video for fans of Oberheim’s work.
In the interview, Oberheim discusses how he got involved in making electronic instruments, the early days of his company, and the stories behind many of his classic designs.
Marinelli calls Oberheim “The genius behind the greatest sounding synthesizers.” While electronic musicians might argue about what’s the greatest sounding synth, there’s no debating that Tom Oberheim is a synth design legend. Classic Oberheim designs include the SEM, the 4- and 8-voice, the OB series and the Matrix-12.
Tom Oberheim is 89 and, lucky for us, he’s still going strong and coming out with new designs. In the last few years, Oberheim has released the OB-X8, his ultimate take on the OB series, and the partnered with Dave Smith Instruments on the OB-6 and the Teo-5.
Here’s Marinelli’s summary of the interview:
“Today, we’re at the home of Tom Oberheim — one of the original pioneers who shaped synthesizers and music history. Tom’s legacy includes some of the most groundbreaking innovations: (a stand alone ring modulator, the first commercially available phase shifter pedal (my personal favorite), an early digital sequencer, the Oberheim DS-2, and the SEM the first commercially available polyphonic synthesizer made in 2, 4 and 8 voice models, followed by favorites such as the OB-X, OB-Xa, OB-8, Xpander, Matrix 12, DMX drum machine and more… of course, most importantly he gave us the unmistakable “Oberheim sound” on his entire collection of iconic synthesizers that have inspired compositions and performances on countless records by multiple generations of artists.
Joining me for this special interview is my friend Rob Rosen from Rosen Sound—talented musician and renowne expert in synth restoration and preservation, and someone who’s worked closely for a while with Tom to keep Oberheim instruments and ALL vintage synthesizers alive for future generations of musicians.
We’ll also be joined by Marcus Ryle, who’s done so much. Marcus began his career working closely with Tom, at Oberheim, was a session musician, designed dozens of affordable and accessible products for Alesis – including the ADAT multitrack recording, Quadraverb digital reverb, and HR-1 drum machine, and later co-founded Line 6 (creating innovative guitar effects and revolutionizing digital modeling technology). His insight into Tom’s innovations—and his own contributions in music history —makes this a rare, deeply meaningful conversatio
Check out the interview and share your thoughts in the comments!
