Oberheim OB-8 Vintage Analog Synth from 1984

I feel so privileged to have the opportunity to play, learn, and experience this amazing Oberheim OB-8 vintage synth. Thank you Mark Naziry of FET Electronics for this generous loaner. In this short video I’m demonstrating its Split keyboard function, bass in the left hand and chords/lead in the right hand. I’m having so much fun getting to know the quirks and idiosyncrasies of this particular unit, its old oscillators that drift out of tune, the missing Tune button LED, and its intermittent low F key. But hey, it’s vintage! It’s truly unique, an individual, and it asks to be played and worked with much differently than a virtual software instrument. Does it sound better than the software emulations? It sounds different, it sounds distinct, it sounds complex and much more alive. I do think these aspects make it sound better and more inspirational if you enjoy playing physical instruments like I do. It definitely requires more work to make it sing than just booting up a software instrument. The gratification is certainly not as immediate, but I think the payoff can be much more satisfying. I’m going to keep working here to tame this beast!
#oberheim #analogsynth #musicproduction

[don.alanis]

Thanks for demonstrating the stereo field of this synth, I’m picking an OB8 up in a week so I’m excited to explore the capabilities

[TJR-ClassicRockCorner]

Dennis DeYoung has one and uses it on his current albums

[emilianolasalle]

Didnt know you can do splits with it. Tom was living in the future

[Shred_The_Weapon]

Back when I was in my early 20s during the early 2000s and fell into the world of classic synthesizers, there was something about the 8 that always seemed more attractive and desirable to me than the XA. I can’t put my finger on it. Back then, a friend of mine said that a good musician only needed one analog synthesizer in their arsenal, and my mind just landed on this model.

I also knew I would never be able to get anywhere close to having one.