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| OB-X by Oberheim | |||
| Synthesis type: | Analog Subtractive | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Polyphony: | 4, 6 or 8 voices | ||
| Timbrality: | Monotimbral | ||
| Oscillators: | 2 | ||
| Filter: | 1 | ||
| Attenuator: | 1 | ||
| LFO: | 1 | ||
| Keyboard: | 61-key | ||
| External control: | CV/Gate | ||
| Memory: | 32 patches | ||
| Onboard effects: | None | ||
| Produced: | 1979 - 1981 | ||
| Original price: | US$4,595 | ||
The Oberheim OB-X is an analog polyphonic synthesizer. It was the first Oberheim synthesizer that was created with internal prewired modules and not with the bulky SEM modules. Because of this, it was more functional for live performance, and therefore more portable. It was introduced in 1979 and was discontinued in 1981. It came in four, six, and eight-voice models. The starting price for only 4 voices of polyphony was a steep US$4,595. Besides the generous polyphony, each OB-X came with a memory capable of holding 32 user-programmable presets, along with polyphonic portamento, and polyphonic sample and hold. The OB-X was in direct competition with the Sequential Circuits Prophet-5. The OB-X would be used by artists such as Nena, Rush, Queen, Prince, and Jean Michel Jarre. It spawned more Oberheim analog synthesizers, such as the OB-Xa, the OB-8, and the Matrix series of synthesizers.
Sonicprojects have created a VSTi emulation of the OB-X, for PC and Mac platforms, with near-identical sounds to the hardware version.
External links
Albums featuring OB-X
- Van Halen - 1984 (Van Halen album) (1984)
- Kool and the Gang - Something Special (1981)
- Jean Michel Jarre - Magnetic Fields (1981)
- Queen - Flash Gordon - Soundtrack (1980)
- Queen - The Game (1980)
- Queen - Hot Space (1982)
- Japan - Gentlemen Take Polaroids (1980)
- Japan - Tin Drum (1981)
- Rush - Moving Pictures (1981)
- Rush - Signals (1982)
- Missing Persons - Spring Session M (1982)
- Billy Joel - Glass Houses (1980)
- John Foxx - The Garden
- Ultravox - Rage in Eden (1981)
- Ultravox - Quartet (1982)
- Bruce Hornsby & The Range - The Way It Is (1986)
- Bruce Hornsby & The Range - Scenes From The Southside (1988)
