With Tom Oberheim‘s recent introduction of the new Oberheim OB-X8, many people have been wondering how the sound of the new synth compares to the vintage Oberheim keyboards. Rather than dodging scrutiny over how close the sound of the OB-X8 gets to that of the original OBs, though, the company is fully embracing the lineage.
The Oberheim OB-X8 is a new synth design that combines the three different voice architectures of the classic OB-X, OB-Xa, and OB-8 synths into a single instrument. The individual filter types and other unique characteristics of each model have been recreated, along with an 100% analog signal path.
In this official Oberheim video, Marcus Ryle, co-designer of the Oberheim OB-X8 and an Oberheim engineer from 1980 to 1985, walks through all 32 of the factory presets on his original OB-X, to demonstrate how faithfully the new OB-X8 reproduces each one.
All examples are recorded direct in mono, without EQ or effects.
Watch the demo and share your thoughts.
0:00 Intro
1:38 Bank A Presets
6:32 Bank B Presets
7:50 Bank C Presets
10:33 Bank D Presets
So, does the OB-X8 have the same magic as the OB-X? We advise you to take Oberheim’s advice and “listen and judge for yourself”.
