I owned an OB8. There was a cavern inside there if you tapped it.

Amazing video, keep it up man!!!! Thank you!

This was an education from start to finish... what a brilliant docco (again) ... I can remember playing an Oberheim (OB-Xa?... maybe an OB-8) about 40-odd years ago in a music shop and was just amazed at the sheer size of the synth - never mind the sound.

Beautiful! I'll never get to own one. I had to go watch the Rush video at LeStudio. So nice! Great job on the video. It really takes me back to being a teen and seeing these visionary instruments.

There's a July 1983 Keyboard article that has an Oberheim guy saying how slow MIDI is, and if they add MIDI they're still going to keep their own parallel interface. 😂 Although that was only a month or two before the DX7 took over. It gets plenty credit already, but it had a next-level MIDI implementation, and I think Yamaha invented how MIDI portamento works. The popularity of the DX7 probably contributed more to getting US manufacturers to use MIDI than anything else.

Yet another informative, well-researched, low-key heartfelt video - appreciate you!

I had one in 97...it lasted a few weeks...it was unreparable after unfortunately :(

I have a OB Teo 5 and a Matrix 6, the sound kick ass comparing to another brand 👍🏻

Thanks, Johnny! Awesome video! As always.

Awesome video! I got lucky about 1990 when I found an OB-* in a pawn shop. The keyboard was intermittent, and I found some keys that didn't sound and called the seller to point that out to him. They wanted $400, and I talked him down to $250. I still have it. It has the factory MIDI on the left side, so I used it as the world's largest MIDI module for years before getting the keybed repaired. It still sounds fantastic. The pan adjusters are one of my favorite features. Mor synths should have done that.

Fantastic Video Johnny!!!! Thank you!!!

The OB8 is truly a king among polysynths. The new Oberheim OB-X8 is every bit as good plus has a lot more features. I own both. Even though the OB-X8 makes the OB8 redundant in almost every way, I still can't make myself sell it. The nostalgia is too powerful.

i never played the game but love that era of music it brings back great memories

Congratulations! Another scholarly and objective thesis. I enjoyed this document immensely and I am certain that anyone doing research on this subject now or in the future will be remiss if they do not include your videos in their research. Thank you for your diligence and effort. Bravo.

One of the most interesting tals would be the Polymoog Synthesizer. It used two VCo's with phase-lokced TOS/DD synthesis and 4 LFO's; sperarate FM for the saw and square waves PWM and filter mod. It had 4 "modes";; bypass, auto, VCO andparametric,, each with its own output so they could all be run through siperate mixer channels and mixed in different amounts if desired. The two audo sources could be slightly detuned for a fat or chorused sound. It had 95 controls and a few presets and two power supplies. That was a monster and a real accomplishment for 1975

I am from the 80's and can confirm bigger is always better.

Another awesome video!

thank you for your research and effort!

I am aware of some overlap between the S-550 and this keyboard sampler Roland did at the same time called the W-30, made famous by Liam Howlett of the Prodigy. So I have just one question. Is this board gonna be compatible with the W-30 as well?

I remember playing the Korg M1 at Sac City College back in 1993. It was such an exciting keyboard at the time and great for songwriting.

Thanks to your good advice, my eps16+ is going to last me for another 20 years. Zulu did voodoo and you doo too. Looking forward to your great doco's Johnny. 👍

Awesome! Oh, that wall looks soooo familiar. 😉

Amazing work here

I used to use these on S1000's (and probably 1100's), for Syquest drives and DAC optical storage. They were cutting edge tech at the time, and I used them a lot for live work, as file loads could be automated through MIDI program change. Nobody wants to be faffing about in the dark with floppy disks. It would be interesting to know how many are still out there.

Looking good Johnny 🫡. Your inextinguishable drive to make SCSI great again, has me reevaluating 🤔 my last interaction with my SCSI gear … I said a lot of regrettable angry words stuffed it in a box and cast it off to the depths of hell!! … I was to harsh.. I’ve grown and your passion for SCSI makes me realize SCSI isn’t a bad egg …it just had a ruff childhood… computers were goofy… Terminating daisy chains 🤨 that’s not the SCSi of today. I’m going to extend my hand in friendship again with my SCSI 😊 heck maybe I might even pickup one of those compact flash drives! Thanks Johnny🫰

Will you ever do the Roland S-550 Sound Bank Collection?

I wish roland would incorporate these instruments in their Fantom. We do have samples, and they're great but for tracking out, it definitely be an awesome feature.

8:42 you can't just name drop Spicelab without giving us a taste.

I saw one in a pawn shop for $500.00 in Atlantic City, but someone was already making payments toward purchase.

It's clear that it's groundbreaking and all. I can't stand it's sounds, sorry.

I really like the poster on the wall at 2:06

It's great, but it's really slow and hangs from time to time due to only one cpu handling all the routing, envs., lfo's, etc. Actually it's the same processor as in zx spectrum :). There is a fix for that - you swap chips and load custom firmware that adds a lot of new options, especially envelopes and lfo, and it also makes synth much faster. After this upgrade Matric 6r becomes a beast. Unfortunately firmware requires specific chip ,that is no longer produced... I have two more at my studio. So if you have Matrix and didn't get Imogen's or Gligli's soft with chip swap I can help you with that, since I sucsessfuly did it to my Matrixes and they got a second life. And Behringer's P800 get's pretty close soundwise... but it simply does not have the warmth, and harmonic content only possible with old gear and it's imperfections...

Great story! I jumped into their testing team as my first job...what a life changing role.

Hi man. I own a Ju-2 for over 10 years now, had to change the battery some time ago for the first time.. weirdly after 2 weeks it died again, ending up losing my new patches for the second time. So i changed it again, with after 2 weeks the same.. Now i know i didn’t put a faulty battery the first time, so something is def draining it.. any ideas what i can be? Or a headstart where to look? Cheers!

Just a little correction. The DX7 was released in 1982 and the DX1 came in 1983. Later the DX5 came. It was a DX1 cased in a more cost effective casing but was the same 2xDX7 inside :-)

my favorite in my Vintage Italian Synth collection... thx you for the documentary!

trying to contact you…how? i want to have you install a relay for my s50

808 was used for ape music......909 for druggies.......

The narrator sounds like he's speaking smiling......

Loved the video Johnny wish I was still in Seattle so we could get together one day for a coffee

Great fact...".Skinny Puppy was the first band to ever use it on a record." :) SP kills. Great video. The 9 draws you in. Great machine. Many good ones!! Damn good.

Synthex has been used in some Italo Disco songs, for example Babys Gang - Happy Song (it's even mentioned in credits) and Silver Pozzoli - Around my dream (this very characteristic filters sweep)

I sold mine in 1986 for £650, nearly 40 years later and still there is nothing to compare to Ferrari of synthesisers. 😎

Sick video. Always imagined it as popular from the jump

Is the D-10 similar to the D-50?

Ooh thankyou, great video, my ESQ 1 is still my master song arranger, wonderful video , thankyou ❤

Alphaville used the Wave 2.2 extensively on their Forever Young album. Makes some of the famous opening chords of the album's namesake song along with the JP-8

Tempo Trend in Victoria??? Holy sh*t I used to go there all the time to play their Hammond B3 😂 .. 2000-2005 roughly. Awesome. Thx for making this vid 🤙

Mr Fingers 1992 album 'Introduction' is D50 heaven.

Great video of one of the best synths of the 80’s. Remember seeing it on animotion’s great song obsession back in 1985.