OB-12's sound character

severen · Post by **severen** » Wed Nov 14, 2007 5:07 am

I've heard it's not oberheim synth.
it's viscount synth with licensed from Oberheim.

If so, how about this synth character?
has that got fat or anything oberheim's character?

maindeglorie · Post by **maindeglorie** » Wed Nov 14, 2007 8:27 am

severen wrote:I've heard it's not oberheim synth.
it's viscount synth with licensed from Oberheim.

Which is licensed from Gibson.

It sounds nothing like an Oberheim. It's rather poor sounding if you ask me. I had one, then sold it. As that type of VA goes, I would take a JP-8000 over it.

severen · Post by **severen** » Wed Nov 14, 2007 5:10 pm

not fat? is that not better jp8000?
it's tragedy

SubliminalEffect · Post by **SubliminalEffect** » Wed Nov 14, 2007 7:43 pm

i have a few Oberheims: Matrix-12, Xpander, Matrix-6r and Matrix-1000. gotta say i love the sound of analogs plus a healthy dose of modulation matrix to stir things up.

the characteristic sound of an OB-12 is nothing like these. the only thing that it shares with them is the name and logo (both licensed as previously stated in posts).

i will say though that the character of the OB-12 sound can take up a lot of space (just not anywhere close to the same way that a real Oberheim does). i'd describe it as a sloppy, oozing lard, (uncontrolled noise) kind of character rather than a sweet, meaty one, if that makes any sense...

there was a time when people were going nuts about them on online forums - around the same time that they were being blown out by major U.S. retailers at super deep discount. i suspected that these were mainly people who didn't really know what the characteristic "fat" sound of an Oberheim really was and were simply, easily impressed by the effect drenched large blob of sound that they hadn't heard previously. i had a friend of a friend that aptly fit this description and he thought his OB-12 was quite remarkable.

i think common sense, more experienced opinions and better sounding VAs have since dampened the initial enthusiasm for the OB-12. if you're looking for a VA from around that time, i'd suggest the Korg Z1 or Access Virus instead. or more recently (and relatively inexpensively), get an Alesis Ion.

Post by **WDW** » Wed Nov 14, 2007 8:52 pm

It's a shame that old threads vanish, because this particular topic was discussed in great detail last year. There were various opinions and even some sound samples.

I was one of the supporters of the OB12. Although not sounding at all like the SEM-based, OB or Matrix Oberheims, the OB12, nonetheless, had a character all its own. And it is precisely such a quality of uniqueness that, at least in my opinion, makes a synth stand out from the crowd.

I've played SEMs and OBs in my friends' studios, and I currently own an Xpander and Matrix 1000; thus, I am familiar with the tonal characteristics of each. As stated numerous times above, the OB12 is none of these classic machines. And the factory presets are horrific! [Even those presets with potential were poorly programmed. I mean, who was the genius who put that OB Pad preset as the first? There is no modulation via wheel, ribbon or channel pressure. Dumb! But, with a little tweaking, that pad preset becomes very very nice.] In order to discover what this particular Oberheim can do, one must spend some serious time programming it.

The interface is knob, button and slider laden. Nearly every controllable parameter is instantly accessible. And, what's even better, the large LCD provides immediate numerical and graphical feedback to the changes. Interfacewise, the OB12 is one of the easiest to use.

The effects are a bit on the weak side. Personally, I tend to shut them off and run dry audio into my external effects. Then again, that is precisely what I do with my vintage synths too. So, this I do not consider a negative.

If there is any negative attribute to plague the OB12, then that would have to be the slow processors. Okay, again, it is all relative. We are talking about old processors here, and they were not that slow back for their era. Today's VAs simply are much much faster. The result of the slow processors is some zippering and aliasing now and again, if really pushed to the limits.

Today, years after having procured my OB12, I still use it regularly. In the VA Comparison Game, it sounds nothing like my vintage Oberheims, nor my Virii, nor my Nords, nor my Qs, nor my JP8080, nor my MS2000, nor my A-Station, etc. It sounds like an OB12. And I like that.

WD

crow · Post by **crow** » Wed Nov 14, 2007 10:07 pm

Amen brother WDW. Amen. Would have been better named merely the OB12 or Viscount12 or anything else except Oberheim. Just annoyed a lot of people who threw a lot of shite without having the synth. and basing most everything on how it compared to original Obies.
Their loss.
However I lost mine over the last few years as I lost my job; my house; most every synth/audio equipment i had, even my will tae f**k live.
Now, I'd buy it back again. And I'm still poor.

JUGEL · Post by **JUGEL** » Wed Nov 14, 2007 10:43 pm

I still want one of these ... seems like a nice MIDI controller as well ... love sliders.

crow · Post by **crow** » Wed Nov 14, 2007 10:58 pm

JUGEL wrote:I still want one of these ... seems like a nice MIDI controller as well ... love sliders.

Yip. Plenty of that action. mair knobs than this site and as slidey as Pam Andersons clunge when that Tommy c**t was swording her wi the pork dagger.

AND its bloody BLUE & WHITE!!

The colours o god or whatever omnipresent c**t runs the universe. 8)

clueless · Post by **clueless** » Wed Nov 14, 2007 11:07 pm

Never played one but I think it is a very beautiful looking piece. Deserves to sound like it looks. IMHO

Bitexion · Post by **Bitexion** » Wed Nov 14, 2007 11:29 pm

I don't think it's an awful synth at all. But you turn it on expecting it to be a "modern OB-8", when you've probably not even played a real OB-8, just have this general notion of what it SHOULD sound like..

If you just judge it as a normal VA/analog it sounds just fine. Has nice effects section too.

crow · Post by **crow** » Wed Nov 14, 2007 11:50 pm

Bitexion wrote:I don't think it's an awful synth at all. But you turn it on expecting it to be a "modern OB-8", when you've probably not even played a real OB-8, just have this general notion of what it SHOULD sound like..

If you just judge it as a normal VA/analog it sounds just fine. Has nice effects section too.

have to disagree on the effects. Thats were a lot of the "spread" that was mentioned earlier comes from. Though I dont think its anywhere near as bad as he made out. And you like them. Human taste eh?? 8)

JUGEL · Post by **JUGEL** » Wed Nov 14, 2007 11:51 pm

I just listened to the demo on this site. Not too bad. I like the 3rd sample... kind of a sync'ish sound.

Looking at it you'd think it would have an AC adaptor .. but it doesn't!! sweet! Major plus for me.

Post by **WDW** » Thu Nov 15, 2007 3:32 am

Beauty...

WD

synthetic88 · Post by **synthetic88** » Thu Nov 15, 2007 5:56 am

Tape over the "Oberheim OB" logo, because it's none of those. If you still like it, then great. Just don't fall for the marketing.

severen · Post by **severen** » Thu Nov 15, 2007 9:58 am

thank you guys.
I think that synth is weird VA.
I will buy this synth.
but It's tough finding in this country

OB-12's sound character

OB-12's sound character

Re: OB-12's sound character