Oberheim

Introduced in July 1979, the Oberheim OB-X was Oberheim Electronics’ first OB-series programmable polyphonic synthesiser. Available with four voices and expandable to six or eight, it combined two oscillators per voice, dual ADSR envelope generators, extensive programmable modulation, polyphonic portamento, sample-and-hold, automatic tuning and 32-program memory with a five-octave keyboard. Developed as Oberheim’s response to the emerging generation of microprocessor-controlled polyphonic synthesisers, the Oberheim OB-X established the architecture and operating philosophy that would subsequently lead to the Oberheim OB-Xa and Oberheim OB-8.

The Oberheim OB-Xa was a programmable polyphonic analogue synthesiser available with four, six or eight voices. Each voice provided two voltage-controlled oscillators, selectable 12dB/octave and 24dB/octave low-pass filtering, two ADSR envelope generators and a voltage-controlled amplifier. Programmable Split and Double modes provided bi-timbral operation, while later Oberheim OB-Xa/120 instruments expanded memory from 32 to 120 patches together with eight Split and eight Double programs. Stereo voice panning, polyphonic portamento, Unison, Hold and Chord functions, cassette storage and direct connection to the Oberheim DSX sequencer made the Oberheim OB-Xa one of the most comprehensive analogue performance synthesisers of its period and a central component of Oberheim’s pre-MIDI System.

Released in 1981, the Oberheim DMX was a digital sample-based drum machine with interchangeable sounds, real-time and step-time programming, and a built-in mixer. Used on hits by New Order, Madonna and Run-D.M.C., it shaped early 1980s pop, R&B and hip hop, laying the foundations for sample-driven production.

Released in 1983, the Oberheim OB-8 was an eight-voice programmable analogue synthesizer and the final major model of Oberheim’s original OB series. Building on the Oberheim OB-X and Oberheim OB-Xa, the Oberheim OB-8 combined two voltage-controlled oscillators per voice, selectable 12dB/octave and 24dB/octave filtering, extensive modulation, 120 patch memories, programmable Split and Double modes, polyphonic portamento, a sophisticated arpeggiator and the additional Page 2 programming system. Produced until 1985 and designed to integrate with the Oberheim DSX and DMX as part of the Oberheim System, the Oberheim OB-8 marked the culmination of Oberheim’s early programmable analogue polysynth development at the beginning of the MIDI era.