The New Tom Oberheim SEM Thread

[stikygum]

If I wanted a 4 voice and hoped he made one, I would just get the new SEM and then I would sell it and get the 4 voice if and when it comes out. No reason to hold off.

[nadafarms]

any news? it's friiiiiday

[3rdConstruction]

If I wanted a 4 voice and hoped he made one, I would just get the new SEM and then I would sell it and get the 4 voice if and when it comes out. No reason to hold off.

hmmm.....

DrEvil.jpg (41.57 KiB) Viewed 3033 times

i like your thinking.

[Sir Ruff]

The first 20 have been delivered by TO and are shipped!

Oh, and apparently the Osc 1 and 2/Env 1 and 2 CV/gate inputs are linked, so a splitter cable shouldn't be necessary for midi>cv control. There is supposedly the option of disabling this via internal jumpers should one so desire.

[jcn7]

I received my shipping notice yesterday! My SEM is on the way, and since it's being shipped from sunny California, up to Oregon, it should only be a few days. I'll try and give my impressions here when it arrives. I'll be comparing it to my Moog Little Phatty, Future Retro XS, Korg Monopoly, Mopho/Tetra, and Chimera bc16...so we'll see how it sounds soon. I've never worked with a SEM, but I know a number of people here have...anyway, I'm looking forward to it. Jaime

[b3groover]

Please keep us informed!

[WDW]

I received mine (a CV version) yesterday.

First impressions...

Soundwise, it is a SEM. Not just SEM-like. It's a SEM. And I say that after having set-up identical patches on my original SEM and the new one.

Appearancewise, the panel is identical enough to the original that it could be a drop-in replacement for an old SEM (in an 2/4/8-Voice), although the logo, obviously, is different, and the font is different and slightly larger. And, except for the OSC and NOTCH controls, the knobs are identical to the original in appearance--but, even the OSC and NOTCH knobs have the same "SEM look" to them. As for the comparison between the new and old SEM with regard to dimensions, the case is about an inch shorter in height, and the sides/bottom are black rather than red-brown. So, sitting side-by-side, old and new SEMs are not identical.

Buildwise, the new SEM is clearly of quality construction. Smooth, responsive controls.

In the new SEM, power is pumped via an external power supply, rather than having the internal PSU of the original SEM.

Okay, no more writing here. I'm going to play with the new SEM a bit more...

WD

[nadafarms]

WDW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm so relieved to hear that it sounds like the real deal.

MAKE SOME DDDDDDDDDDDDDDEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEMMMMMMMMMMMMMMOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSSSSSSSSSSSSS!

plz?

[b3groover]

Yeah audio or it didn't happen.

Seriously, that is great news!

[Sir Ruff]

Yeah, 3 months of pretty much no news, and plenty of speculation I think this was what everyone was waiting to hear. Now where's mine?

[stikygum]

Soundwise, it is a SEM. Not just SEM-like. It's a SEM. And I say that after having set-up identical patches on my original SEM and the new one.

.......

=P~ =P~ =P~ =P~ =P~

Oh $#@!, didn't expect it to sound the same... I'm going to be seriously needing one of these. This will now be upgraded from want to need status.

[otto]

I'm still waiting for the dust to settle but I'm excited about it.

I do remember a lot of initial P'08 buyers saying it could sound and react just like a P5 and so much more. So I will remain a little skeptical until I read more reviews and hear some demos. Please dissapoint, I have no money.

[WDW]

No two SEMs that I have played sound exactly alike. Close. Really close even. But never identical. I've programmed patches on X-Voices, and, although I got each SEM close, I never got them to be completely the same. Surely, some of that is the nature of trying to fine-tune knobs by ear and eye. But, also, some may be the inherent, subtle differences of the modules themselves.

The same may be true of the new and old SEMs. Thus far, all of the patches that I have made sound close. None have been identical. But I can definitely tell that sonically the new SEMs are SEMs.

The one obvious difference is that the LFO on the new SEM, when set to maximum, oscillates a little faster than on my original SEM.

Of course, there are likely to be differences between old and new SEMs because of the age of the components. The real test would be to see what the new SEMs sound like in thirty years.

WD

[Joey]

its the exact same f**k circuitry, once again

[WDW]

its the exact same f**k circuitry, once again

And the ear can verify this!

WD