Oberheim OB-X
Encyclopedia
The Oberheim OB-X is an analog
polyphonic
synthesizer
. It was the first Oberheim
synthesizer that was created with internal prewired modules and not with the bulky SEM modules. Because of this, it was more functional for live performance, and therefore more portable. It was introduced in 1979 and was discontinued in 1981. It came in four, six, and eight-voice models. The starting price for only 4 voices of polyphony was a steep US$4,595. Besides the generous polyphony, each OB-X came with a memory
capable of holding 32 user-programmable presets, along with polyphonic portamento
, and polyphonic sample and hold
. The OB-X was in direct competition with the Sequential Circuits Prophet-5. The OB-X would be used by artists such as Nena, Rush
, Queen
, Prince
, and Jean Michel Jarre
. It spawned more Oberheim analog synthesizers, such as the OB-Xa
, the OB-8
, and the Matrix
series of synthesizers.
Sonicprojects have created a VSTi emulation of the OB-X, for Windows and Mac platforms called the OP-X, with near-identical sounds to the hardware version.
Analog synthesizer
An analog or analogue synthesizer is a synthesizer that uses analog circuits and analog computer techniques to generate sound electronically. The earliest analog synthesizers in the 1920s and 1930s such as the Trautonium were built with a variety of vacuum-tube and electro-mechanical technologies...
polyphonic
Polyphony
In music, polyphony is a texture consisting of two or more independent melodic voices, as opposed to music with just one voice or music with one dominant melodic voice accompanied by chords ....
synthesizer
Synthesizer
A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
. It was the first Oberheim
Oberheim
Oberheim Electronics is an American company, founded in 1969 by Tom Oberheim , which manufactured audio synthesizers and a variety of other electronic musical instruments.-Oberheim Electronics:...
synthesizer that was created with internal prewired modules and not with the bulky SEM modules. Because of this, it was more functional for live performance, and therefore more portable. It was introduced in 1979 and was discontinued in 1981. It came in four, six, and eight-voice models. The starting price for only 4 voices of polyphony was a steep US$4,595. Besides the generous polyphony, each OB-X came with a memory
Computer storage
Computer data storage, often called storage or memory, refers to computer components and recording media that retain digital data. Data storage is one of the core functions and fundamental components of computers....
capable of holding 32 user-programmable presets, along with polyphonic portamento
Portamento
Portamento is a musical term originated from the Italian expression "portamento della voce" , denoting from the beginning of the 17th century a vocal slide between two pitches and its emulation by members of the violin family and certain wind instruments, and is sometimes used...
, and polyphonic sample and hold
Sample and hold
In electronics, a sample and hold circuit is an analog device that samples the voltage of a continuously varying analog signal and holds its value at a constant level for a specified minimal period of time. Sample and hold circuits and related peak detectors are the elementary analog memory...
. The OB-X was in direct competition with the Sequential Circuits Prophet-5. The OB-X would be used by artists such as Nena, Rush
Rush (band)
Rush is a Canadian rock band formed in August 1968, in the Willowdale neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario. The band is composed of bassist, keyboardist, and lead vocalist Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson, and drummer and lyricist Neil Peart...
, Queen
Queen (band)
Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
, Prince
Prince (musician)
Prince Rogers Nelson , often known simply as Prince, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Prince has produced ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career. Prince founded his own recording studio and label; writing, self-producing and playing most, or all, of...
, and Jean Michel Jarre
Jean Michel Jarre
Jean Michel André Jarre is a French composer, performer and music producer. He is a pioneer in the electronic, ambient and New Age genres, and known as an organiser of outdoor spectacles of his music featuring lights, laser displays, and fireworks.Jarre was raised in Lyon by his mother and...
. It spawned more Oberheim analog synthesizers, such as the OB-Xa
Oberheim OB-Xa
The Oberheim OB-Xa was Oberheim's overhaul of their first compact synthesizer, the OB-X. The OB-Xa was released in 1980, a year after the OB-X was released. Instead of discrete circuits for oscillators and filters, the OB-Xa switched to Curtis integrated circuits...
, the OB-8
Oberheim OB-8
The Oberheim OB-8 is a subtractive analog synthesizer launched by Oberheim in 1983 and discontinued in 1985. It belongs to the OB-X product line of polyphonic compacts synthesizers and is successor to the OB-Xa...
, and the Matrix
Oberheim Matrix synthesizers
Oberheim Matrix synthesizers are a historic product line of analog synthesizers from Oberheim featuring a method of synthesis which Oberheim called "Matrix Modulation" as a method of defining preset and user patches...
series of synthesizers.
Sonicprojects have created a VSTi emulation of the OB-X, for Windows and Mac platforms called the OP-X, with near-identical sounds to the hardware version.
Albums featuring OB-X
- Van HalenVan HalenVan Halen is an American hard rock band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1972. The band has enjoyed success since the release of its debut album, Van Halen, . As of 2007 Van Halen has sold 80 million albums worldwide and has had the most #1 hits on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart...
- 19841984 (Van Halen album)1984 is the sixth studio album by American hard rock band Van Halen. One of the band's more popular albums , 1984 is to date the final album featuring singer David Lee Roth before he left the band in the spring of the following year.-Background and recording:Eddie Van Halen,...
(1984) - AmbrosiaAmbrosia (band)Ambrosia is an American rock band formed in southern California in 1970. Ambrosia had five Top Forty hit singles between 1975 and 1980.-Formation and inspiration:...
- Road Island (1982) - Laurie AndersonLaurie AndersonLaura Phillips "Laurie" Anderson is an American experimental performance artist, composer and musician who plays violin and keyboards and sings in a variety of experimental music and art rock styles. Initially trained as a sculptor, Anderson did her first performance-art piece in the late 1960s...
- United States LiveUnited States LiveUnited States Live was the third album release by avant-garde singer-songwriter Laurie Anderson. Released as a 5-record boxed set , the album was recorded at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in New York City in February 1983.United States was Anderson's magnum opus performance-art piece featuring...
(1984) - John FoxxJohn FoxxJohn Foxx is an English singer, artist, photographer and teacher. He was the original lead singer of the band Ultravox before being replaced by Midge Ure, when he left to embark on a solo career in 1979...
- The GardenThe Garden (John Foxx album)The Garden is a 1981 album by John Foxx, the follow-up to his debut solo album Metamatic, released the previous year. However its instrumentation and highly romantic style is more comparable to Systems of Romance, his last album with former band Ultravox, released in 1978.-Production and style:The...
(1981) - Dave GrusinDave GrusinDavid Grusin is an American composer, arranger and pianist. Grusin has composed many scores for feature films and television, and has won numerous awards for his soundtrack and record work, including an Academy award and 12 Grammys...
- Out of the ShadowsOut of the ShadowsOut Of The Shadows is a 1962 rock album by British group The Shadows. It was their second album.-Track listing:-Chart positions:-Personnel:* Hank Marvin – Lead Guitar, piano and vocals* Bruce Welch – Rhythm guitar and vocals...
(1982) - Bruce Hornsby & The RangeBruce HornsbyBruce Randall Hornsby is an American singer, pianist, accordion player, and songwriter. Known for the spontaneity and creativity of his live performances, Hornsby draws frequently from classical, jazz, bluegrass, folk, Motown, rock, blues, and jam band musical traditions with his songwriting and...
- The Way It IsThe Way It Is (Bruce Hornsby album)The Way It Is is Bruce Hornsby and the Range's debut album, released in 1986. Led by its hit title track, the album went on to achieve multi-platinum status and helped the group to win the Grammy Award for Best New Artist. Other hits from the album include "Mandolin Rain" and "Every Little Kiss"...
(1986) - Bruce Hornsby & The RangeBruce HornsbyBruce Randall Hornsby is an American singer, pianist, accordion player, and songwriter. Known for the spontaneity and creativity of his live performances, Hornsby draws frequently from classical, jazz, bluegrass, folk, Motown, rock, blues, and jam band musical traditions with his songwriting and...
- Scenes From The SouthsideScenes from the SouthsideScenes from the Southside is the second album by Bruce Hornsby and the Range. The single "The Valley Road" was Hornsby's third Top 10 U.S. hit, peaking at number five on the Billboard Hot 100, and also his first number one on the Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart...
(1988) - Paul DavisPaul Davis (singer)Paul Lavon Davis was an American singer and songwriter, best known for his radio hits and solo career which started worldwide in 1970. His career encompassed soul, country and pop music...
- 1980 Self titled Lp On the Song "All The Way" - JapanJapan (band)Japan were a British New Wave group, formed in 1974 in Catford, South London. The band achieved success in the late 1970s and early 1980s, when they were often associated with the burgeoning New Romantic fashion movement .- History :The band began as a group of friends...
- Gentlemen Take PolaroidsGentlemen Take PolaroidsGentlemen Take Polaroids is the fourth studio album by the British band Japan. Released in November 1980, it was the band's first album for the Virgin Records label...
(1980) - JapanJapan (band)Japan were a British New Wave group, formed in 1974 in Catford, South London. The band achieved success in the late 1970s and early 1980s, when they were often associated with the burgeoning New Romantic fashion movement .- History :The band began as a group of friends...
- Tin DrumTin DrumTin Drum is the fifth and final studio album produced by the British band Japan. Released in the U.K. in November 1981, the album continued their now developed use of electronic elements coupled with traditional instrumentation, but leans far more towards far-eastern influences than any of their...
(1981) - Jean Michel JarreJean Michel JarreJean Michel André Jarre is a French composer, performer and music producer. He is a pioneer in the electronic, ambient and New Age genres, and known as an organiser of outdoor spectacles of his music featuring lights, laser displays, and fireworks.Jarre was raised in Lyon by his mother and...
- Magnetic FieldsMagnetic Fields (album)Magnetic Fields is the third mainstream album by Jean Michel Jarre , released on Disques Dreyfus in 1981...
(1981) - Billy JoelBilly JoelWilliam Martin "Billy" Joel is an American musician and pianist, singer-songwriter, and classical composer. Since releasing his first hit song, "Piano Man", in 1973, Joel has become the sixth best-selling recording artist and the third best-selling solo artist in the United States, according to...
- Glass HousesGlass HousesGlass Houses is the seventh album by American singer-songwriter Billy Joel, released in 1980 . It features Joel's first song to peak at #1 on Billboard's Pop Singles chart, "It's Still Rock and Roll to Me." The album itself topped the Pop Albums chart for six weeks and was ranked number 4 on...
(1980) - Killing Joke - Night TimeNight TimeNight Time is the fifth studio album by Killing Joke, released in 1985. It was an international hit, featuring some of their best-known tracks like "Night Time", "Eighties", "Love Like Blood", and "Kings and Queens"....
(1985) - Killing Joke - Brighter than a Thousand Suns (1986)
- Kool and the Gang - Something Special (1981)
- MadonnaMadonna (entertainer)Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
- Madonna (1983) (song: HolidayHoliday (Madonna song)"Holiday" is a song by American singer Madonna from her self-titled debut album. Released on September 7, 1983 by Sire Records, it later appeared remixed on the 1987 remix compilation You Can Dance and the 1990 greatest hits compilation The Immaculate Collection, and in its original form on the...
) - Missing Persons - Spring Session MSpring Session MSpring Session M is the debut album by American new wave band Missing Persons, released in 1982 . The title of the album is an anagram of the band's name. Tracks from this album: "Words", "Windows", "Destination Unknown", and "Walking in LA" all had videos created and all received heavy play on...
(1982) - NenaNenaGabriele Susanne Kerner , better known by her stage name Nena, is a German singer and actress. She rose to international fame in 1983 with the New German Wave song "99 Luftballons". In 1984, she re-recorded this song in English as "99 Red Balloons". Nena was also the name of the band with whom she...
- 99 Luftballons (1984) - PrincePrincePrince is a general term for a ruler, monarch or member of a monarch's or former monarch's family, and is a hereditary title in the nobility of some European states. The feminine equivalent is a princess...
- Dirty MindDirty MindDirty Mind is the third studio album by American musician Prince, released October 8, 1980 on Warner Bros. Records. Produced, arranged and composed primarily by Prince, it contains prominently sexual lyrics and incorporates musical elements of funk, dance and rock music. The album debuted at number...
(1980) - PrincePrincePrince is a general term for a ruler, monarch or member of a monarch's or former monarch's family, and is a hereditary title in the nobility of some European states. The feminine equivalent is a princess...
- Controversy (1981) - The Producers - She Sheila / Chinatown (1982)
- QueenQueen (band)Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
- Flash GordonFlash Gordon (album)-Personnel:* John Deacon: bass guitar, rhythm guitar, synthesizer* Brian May: lead guitar, backing vocals, synthesizer, piano on "Flash's Theme" and "The Hero," co-lead vocals on "Flash's Theme," guitar orchestration on "The Wedding March"...
(1980) - QueenQueen (band)Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
- The GameThe Game (Queen album)The Game is the eighth studio album by British rock band Queen released on 30 June 1980. It was the only Queen album to reach #1 in the US and became Queen's best selling studio album in the US with four million copies sold to date, tying News of the Worlds US sales tally. The album received very...
(1980) - QueenQueen (band)Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
- Hot SpaceHot SpaceHot Space is the tenth studio album by British rock band Queen, released in May 1982. Marking a notable shift in direction from their earlier work, Queen employed many elements of disco, pop music, R&B and dance music on Hot Space, being partially influenced by the success of their 1980 hit...
(1982) - RushRush (band)Rush is a Canadian rock band formed in August 1968, in the Willowdale neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario. The band is composed of bassist, keyboardist, and lead vocalist Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson, and drummer and lyricist Neil Peart...
- Moving PicturesMoving Pictures (album)- Personnel :* Geddy Lee - Bass guitar; Minimoog; Oberheim 8-voice synthesizer; OB-X, Moog Taurus bass pedals, vocals* Alex Lifeson - Electric and acoustic guitars, Moog Taurus...
(1981) - RushRush (band)Rush is a Canadian rock band formed in August 1968, in the Willowdale neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario. The band is composed of bassist, keyboardist, and lead vocalist Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson, and drummer and lyricist Neil Peart...
- Signals (1982) - StyxStyx (band)Styx is an American rock band that became famous for its albums from the late 1970s and early 1980s. The Chicago band is known for melding the style of prog-rock with the power of hard rock guitar, strong ballads, and elements of American musical theater....
- Paradise Theater (1981) - SupertrampSupertrampSupertramp are a British rock band formed in 1969 under the name Daddy before renaming to Supertramp in early 1970. Though their music was initially categorised as progressive rock, they have since incorporated a combination of traditional rock and art rock into their music...
- ...Famous Last Words......Famous Last Words......Famous Last Words..., the eighth album by progressive rock band Supertramp, was released in October 1982.The album was the studio follow-up to 1979's Breakfast in America and was the last with guitarist/vocalist/keyboardist Roger Hodgson, who left the group so that he could spend more time with...
(1982) - UltravoxUltravoxUltravox is a British New Wave rock band. They were one of the primary exponents of the British electronic pop music movement of the late 1970s/early 1980s. The band was particularly associated with the New Romantic and New Wave movements....
- Rage in EdenRage in EdenRage in Eden, released in 1981, is the fifth album by British band Ultravox, and the second of the band's most-recognizable incarnation, fronted by Midge Ure. The album reached #4 in the UK album charts and was certified Gold by the BPI for sales in excess of 100,000 copies...
(1981) - UltravoxUltravoxUltravox is a British New Wave rock band. They were one of the primary exponents of the British electronic pop music movement of the late 1970s/early 1980s. The band was particularly associated with the New Romantic and New Wave movements....
- QuartetQuartet (Ultravox album)Quartet, released in 1982, is the sixth LP by British band Ultravox, and the third of the band's most-recognizable incarnation, fronted by Midge Ure. The album peaked at no.6 on the UK album chart and was certified Gold by the BPI in December 1982 for 100,000 copies sold...
(1982)