Xplorer – an Oberheim Matrix-12 and Xpander editor – realtime demo
Apart from the stupid synthetic voice in the beginning of this video, the demo is pretty cool 
In this demo, you will see that while playing an arpeggiator in FL studio, the parameters of the Xpander can be changed on the expander itself, with the keyboard controller, or directly on the touch screen. Whatever the input mode is, everything is synchronized.
Xplorer is more that an simple editor, it can acts as a real time controller too.
Enjoy the demo !
More info, technical specification, buy link: http://xplorer-editor.com
OP-X PRO-II: Platinum Bank Demo
http://www.sonicprojects.ch/opxpro2/description.html
Demo of the new Platinum bank for the SonicProjects OP-X PRO-II virtual Oberheim VSTi synth plugin. No external effects or any other treatment are involved. All sounds are coming directly from OP-X PRO-II which was played live and recorded directly to disk.
The bank features 82 stunning patches capturing the magic and the special character of some of the most sought after early voltage controlled polyphonic analog synths including:
- Oberheim OB-X
- Oberheim OB-Xa
- Oberheim OB-8
- Oberheim Matrix-12
- Roland Jupiter-6
- Roland Jupiter-8
- Elka Synthex
If you know these synths and their special sound and character you will immedialtly recognize which sounds are dedicated to which godfathers.
The bank can be downloaded here:
http://www.sonicprojects.ch/opxpro2/userarea.html
Here’s the reference of the featured patches:
00:00 01 Clear OB Brass
00:08 02 Clear OB Brass II
00:14 03 Matrix-12 ResoPad II
00:39 79 OB-X SL Upsweep
00:58 80 OB-X Space Sweeps II
01:34 29 OB-X Fullanalog Strings
01:57 32 OB-X Slow R-Sweeps
02:11 31 OB-X PWM DS VL
02:25 30 OB-X PWM D-Sweeps
02:31 04 Matrix-12 NR Cembalo II
02:47 53 Matrix Outerspace
02:57 05 FM Midnight Bell
03:05 51 Matrix Strange Tones
03:15 14 MM DL Arpeggio
03:25 15 MM DL Arpeggio FM
03:33 16 MM DL Arpeggio FMS
03:52 55 OB-Xa Sweep Chords
03:57 56 OB-Xa Porta Chords
04:03 57 OB-Xa Slow Upsweeps
04:25 26 OB-8 Superwarm Strings
04:43 58 OB-Xa Warm Sawsolo
04:48 64 OB-Xa P-Sync Solo II
04:54 66 Prophet-5 Lead
05:01 67 Prophet-5 Sine Pad
05:10 68 Prophet-5 Full Brass
05:19 70 Prophet-5 Mod Strings
05:30 72 Prophet-5 Mod Strings L
05:48 73 Prophet-5 Sync Lead
05:55 74 Prophet-5 Wah Chords
06:06 75 Prophet-5 Reso Chords
06:17 76 Prophet-5 LFO Pad
06:31 78 Prophet-5 Upsweeps II
07:16 17 JP-8 Perc Chords
07:22 18 JP-8 Power Chords
07:25 19 JP-8 Power Chords DB
07:33 20 JP-8 Resonant Brass
07:43 21 OB-8 Slow Fullbrass
07:53 22 OB-8 Superfull Brass
08:05 25 OB-8 Warm Perc
08:14 46 Ujiie Matrix Brass
08:20 06 Jupiter-6 Octave Brass
08:28 07 Jupiter-6 HP Brass II
08:33 35 SEM Fat Bass II
08:41 09 Jupiter-6 Sinesync Bass
08:50 49 Ujiie Matrix Clav II
08:53 48 Ujiie Matrix Clav
08:57 40 Synthex Double ARP
09:03 41 Synthex Speed ARP
09:23 45 S-Pulse ARP ST PM
Note that the youtube audio compression takes away a lot of depth and smoothness and makes the sounds small. Played in real using good d/a converters is like night and day.
The download page features a better sounding high quality mp3 demo of the same. For a real reference the bank can be checked with the demo version of OP-X PRO-II:
http://www.sonicprojects.ch/opxpro2/freedemo.html
Simsynth Live | Subtractive Synthesizer
SimSynth Live captures the big multi-oscillator sound of a MiniMoog, and combines it with the warm, fat sound of Oberheim style SVF filters.
The result? Rich strings, wall to wall brass, and fat punchy basses. And we haven’t forgotten techno sounds either. SimSynth Live uses a filter technique that gives the EMPH knob a sound you can crank.
3 oscillators, each with a dual (warm) mode effectively making 6 oscillators
Ring modulator
A dual SVF filter that programs like an old Oberheim SEM, (lets you mix lowpass, bandpass, and highpass)
Two discrete envelopes and an LFO.Stereo chorus effect, (in case 6 oscillators aren’t warm enough)
Studio quality alias free rendering
FX Panel with EQ, Reverb, Phaser & Delay
FL Studio & VSTi versions included
OP-X PRO-II vs. Oberheim OB-X
A very nice test of the real thing verus the digital version, and below you can read all about it:
http://www.sonicprojects.ch/opxpro2/description.html
A dry 1:1 comparison of the SonicProjects OP-X PRO-II virtual Oberheim VSTi software synth to an Oberheim OB-X Rev.2.
The lower manual in the video is an USB midi master keyboard (an Emu Xboard 61) which drives OP-X PRO-II hosted in Steinberg Cubase 5. No effects or any other treatments were involved, both OB-X and OP-X PRO-II were recorded directly to disk, OB-X over the line inputs of an RME HDSP 9632 which has very neutral sounding converters.
The exact detunings (deviating filter settings, warm up pitch drift, etc.) and the individual pan settings of the voices of OB-X have been copied in every detail before with the voice based tuning features of OP-X PRO-II for a perfect match to the real synth.
To copy the bright sound OP-X PRO-II uses the BRL (brilliant) filter setting (DMP button, second button above voice mutes) which is dedicated to copy the sound character of the early OB-X and allows the filter to open into the ultra sound area and adds some extra shine in the heights.
The used patches can be downloaded here:
http://www.sonicprojects.ch/opxpro2/userarea.html#Newest
The patches as used in the video:
00:02 Preset 04 B3 – Slow Upsweep
02:05 Preset 03 D8 – Resonance Pad
08:01 Preset 05 D2 – Sync Unison
08:26 Preset 01 D4 – Soft Brass
09:53 Preset 06 D6 – Soft Strings
10:44 Preset 02 C7 – Fullanalog Strings
The letter number combinations are the physical memory locations of the patches in the used original synth which were copied with OP-X PRO-II for the comparison.
Since all the original’s exact voice detunings have been copied in every detail too the patches sound almost 100% identical to the ones in the used device, which gives you the opportunity to have its unique characteristic sound at home too!
Some words about the OB-X:
The Oberheim OB-X was Oberheim’s first fully programmable polyphonic synth and is the direct follower to the SEM based 4/6/8-Voice models. Other than the later OB series models (OB-Xa, OB-8) the OB-X still uses the discrete wirings of the SEM for the oscillators and filters and only uses curtis chips for the envelopes.
This gives the synth a very bright and open sound, quite different from its followers OB-Xa and OB-8 which are fully curtis chip based and sound a bit darker and more behaved. The OB-X is the “enfant terrible” of the OB series.
Here’s some very useful info:
http://www.sonicstate.com/synth/oberheim_ob-x/
The featured OB-X is a six voice model (maximum was 8) and it has a lot of detunings going on because of all the wirings and dicreete voltage controlled components which gives the synth a very lively and organic sound.
The voices could be calibrated for a more “perfect” and even sound, but they were left as they are since it simply sounds more exciting like that, featuring some of the magic of the old SEM based 4/6/8-Voice where the never exactly even sounding voices (since they had to be programmed one by one manually) were part of the whole experience, and were the main inspirator for the Separate Voice Design (SVD) engine in OP-X PRO-II which allows to calibrate the voices for an individual sound too.
Oberheim OBX-a: Unison lead demo
OBX-a Unison lead. 8-voice Unison. WFs- VCO-1 & 2: SW. LFO: Sine.
The OB-Xa is a massive analog synthesizer with a very familiar and classic Oberheim sound. Its sound, size and power are very similar to the Prophet 5 from Sequential. However this one has up to 8 voices which can be split, layered and stored!
The OB-Xa was available in four, six or eight voice polyphonic models. They all featured patch memories, also in varying degrees. A minimum of 32 patches were available on early models (4 banks of 8). The maximum amount of patch memory storage found on many OB-Xa’s is 120 patch memories. All models of OB-Xa, however, featured the new Curtis chips which offered great stability for an analog synth and they are attributed to its great filters and sounds.
The OB-X was very similar to the OB-Xa except that its voices could not be split or layered and, more significantly, the OB-X had a lowpass-only discrete SEM 12dB/oct state variable filter, which had a great and classic Oberheim sound. The OB-Xa changed that in an attempt to economize manufacturing and increase stability by switching to CEM3320 Curtis chips for its filters. The Xa offered two switchable filter modes: 12 dB/oct (2-pole) or 24 dB/oct (4-pole). This hardware change resulted in a more agressive sound, not quite as creamy as the OBX original, but what still became a “bread and butter” sound of the Oberheim line.
Splitting the keyboard mode separates the OB-Xa into two 4-voice synths with two available patches. The Layer mode plays the two patches simultaneously. There are also some added effect sources, perfect for any analog polysynth, including portamento, unison, sample & hold, chord memory and three LFO’s!
However none of the original OB-Xa’s have MIDI, unless otherwise having been modified. The OB-Xa is a classic and fat analog machine. It will give you thick analog pads and drones, punchy bass and cyclic analog effects.
The Anvil Machine
Background information:
Custom made Analog Synthesizer made to Paulo Beto.
Testing it with MS-20, Moog and Oberhein.
Oberheim releases two modern recreations of synth classics
Synth pioneer Tom Oberheim has announced the Oberheim Two Voice Pro Synthesizer, a modern recreation of the 1975 classic.
Oberheim says “It is similar to the original from 1975, but with some very interesting upgrades.”
Features:
- Mini-Sequencer is enhanced – you still generate a sequence with the knobs ( up to 16 positions ) but you can store sequences from the knobs into flash memory (up to 99 sequences stored)
- Two sequences can be played simultaneously (or play one sequence while also playing on the keyboard, like the old one)
- After sequences are stored in flash memory, you can edit them to add 2-way, 3-way or 4-way ratcheting and you can program the gate length from zero (like a rest) up to almost the complete step length
- Sequences can be chained into songs, and each step in a song can be programmed for sequence number, transpose amount and number of repeats
- Sequencer syncs to Midi Clock
- Keyboard outputs velocity and pressure
- Each module (both SEMs, Mini-Sequencer, Keyboard Control) has mini-jack patch points (over 50 patchpoints)
- Pitch and Modulation wheels
- Pan pots
- Headphone output
- Separate Vibrato LFO
The Oberheim Two Voice Pro Synthesizer is expected to be available in June, priced at $3495.
System 46 – pure vintage synth jam
Background details:
An epic, cinematic, melancholic electronic song based on my life experience and a few composers / bands who have influenced me in my youth years – Ennio Morricone, Joy Division, Propaganda / Trevor Horn (with a dash of Goldfrapp thrown in for good measure).
Instruments used:
Prophet-5 ver.3 through Electro-Harmonix Clone Theory (original ’70s model)
Jupiter-8 through Roland M-10DX reverb
Oberheim DMX drum machine
Korg Triton trumpet through Eventide H3000-D/SE reverb
Tom Oberheim discusses his classic Two Voice synth
Tom Oberheim’s lecture at Cal State Monterey Bay about synthesizers, particularly a little demo on his Two-Voice Synth
Oberheim’s first synthesizer was a single-voice mini-module called a SEM (Synthesizer Expander Module). However, in 1975, Oberheim created their first compact, programmable and polyphonic synthesizer by coupling two SEM modules to a 37-note keyboard and a simple analog sequencer. This was what became the Two Voice. Oberheim achieved a polyphonic sound not yet seen in ARP and Moog gear at the time by hard-wiring the two monophonic SEMs into the compact keyboard design.
In 1976 Oberheim came out with another module, the Polyphonic Synthesizer Programmer. This could memorize the control voltages of many parameters for up to eight SEM modules. When these were added to the Two Voice, Oberheim finally had one of the earliest programmable and polyphonic instruments! Released alongside the Two Voice also came the Four Voice which had four SEMs installed, and a larger 49-note keyboard. And later, in 1977, a second tier was added above the four SEMs on the Four Voice to add yet another four SEMS, making the Eight Voice.
Two voices was great in 1975, and eight voices was pretty monstrous in the later seventies. But, a major drawback to these first Oberheim synths was that polyphony was achieved by having multiple modules. This meant that each voice had to be independently programmed. This also means that each voice has its own filter, making real-time filter sweeps of all your voices more than a handful! Fortunately the sequencer comes in handy for controlling each voice/module independently.
“Recreation” (NightBirds Electronic Music) 2012
Live with OBERHEIM Xpander & XK Keyboard with the ROLAND MC-202. Only
Composed quickly with the Oberheim Xpander in multimode. Each OSC are played with different height of notes and controlled by the arpeggiator of the XK keyboard. The rest are played with the Roland MC 202.
Time for a break from the completion of the studio and here is a small piece of musical recreation!
Quick Video by NightBirds.
Publication & Copyright by NightBirds Electronic Music – 2012
http://fr-fr.facebook.com/people/NightBirds-Electronique/100000038001995
http://soundcloud.com/nightbirds-electronic
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