Programming the Oberheim OB-X8

June 11, 2022 / Francis Preve

After programming it for a month (and comparing it to other analog gear in my rig), I can confirm that the Oberheim OB-X8 is a truly fantastic beast with an incredibly specific sound, much like last year’s spot-on reissue of the original Prophets 5 and 10.

When I first fired it up, I was startled by how much it instantly evoked the sound of artists who relied on it for multiple hits. Sure, Van Halen’s “Jump” brass sound is a trademark of the OB series, but it’s also the sound of Prince and Jam & Lewis (aka The Minneapolis Sound), as well as a striking number of UK synthwave artists from the early 80s. The Thompson Twins, Depeche Mode, Simple Minds, along with art-wave pioneers Japan and Ultravox, all used Oberheims in crafting their early records—and it’s astonishing how much these instruments influenced the sound of vintage synthwave. Familiar sounds practically fall out of the unit with minimal effort.

And thanks to Tom Oberheim, Marcus Ryle, and Dave Smith, the sound is… huge.

More here: https://cdm.link/2022/05/hands-on-tour-of-the-oberheim-ob-x8-architecture-feature-by-feature-with-francis-preve/

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categories / Hardware Tips, Pro Tip, Sound Design, Tutorials, Vintage Gear
tags / Oberheim, Analog

Roland System-8 Tips (2021)

April 19, 2021 / Francis Preve

It’s rare that a digital synth will steadily remain in production for over five years, but the Roland System-8 hit that anniversary this year. It may seem strange to sing the praises of a synth that’s not old enough to be vintage and not new enough to be trendy, but having had it in my studio since its release, it’s clear why the System-8 has such longevity.

Here are eight tips for this evergreen synth – some applying to both hardware and software. The software version is available on Roland Cloud, so you can easily test drive it there to check out the features that keep it one of the primary go-to’s in my studio.

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