Oberheim Dave Smith OB6 Demo by INHALT

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As long time users of the Oberheim OB8 and 2 Voice (take a listen to our "Occupations" EP as both are on it all over the place) we were pleasantly surprised when Dave Smith Instruments showed us their new analog workhorse and collaboration with the inimitable Tom Oberheim- the OB6. The allure for the Oberheim polyphonic sound, for us, has always been it's unique melancholic tone colour. No matter what kind of sounds are programmed, Oberheim's tend to have this wonderful midnight music vibe, like driving in a car late at night circa 1983. We're pleased to report that the OB6 captures this sound quality effortlessly and in spades.
Our approach to the design of the factory bank patches we submitted (most of which you hear in the demo) was rather simple: we made the same kinds of sounds we would program on our Oberheims, and barring a couple, largely ones we would find useful in a production context. Though we don't typically record synthesizers with FX printed on the same track, the FX engine is so wonderful sounding on the OB6, and highly controllable, that it made us reconsider. In short, the FX engine is no slouch, and for the many decades spent dismissing the on board FX of most 'modern' synths, this is the first time that we've heard an FX engine exude the same quality as the top end hardware units from Lexicon, Eventide, or AMS that we tend to use in the production process.
Everything you hear on the demo was done entirely on the OB6. Absolutely NO additional FX or sequencers were used. We simply ran the stereo output from the OB6 into a DI and a stereo mic pre amp directly into Pro Tools HD and tracked it in.

[@aevin_io]

Im losing count of how many times i return back and listening to this....

[@topofthemornintoya]

@DIV1NITAL definitely responsible for an extra digit on the counter

[@gstormelectro]

Sounds absolutely fantastic.

[@a_boundless_plangency]

This spot on! Quoting you : "Oberheim's tend to have this wonderful midnight music vibe, like driving in a car late at night circa 1983"

[@Timecop1983]

There's one huge flaw this synth has: it isn't in my studio yet! I can't wait till March!!

[@toneboxmusic]

+Timecop1983 You and me both ;)

[@Soykuya1]

+Timecop1983 if you buy this synth man I can't wait to see what you do with it man, love your work and buy the whole discography.

[@Timecop1983]

+Khan Ondar Thanks for your compliments!!! I already ordered one, so you'll soon find out! ;)

[@quarkyzarky]

the biggest flaw with it is it's not a prophet 6.

[@zeetree5719]

@@quarkyzarky GTFO out of here udamn hypocrite. There's a Reply from u like 5 comments down from 2 years ago of u saying how much better the ob6 is. U have issues

[@matthewstrange3778]

11:02! So beautiful, this synth is probably the most faithful to the genuine 80s analogue sound by the sounds of it, even from a youtube video. I can only imagine what it sounds like in person.

[@fedesartorio]

This video and the Nick Batt one made me finally buy this thing last week and I love it very much!

[@CausaliDox]

"...unique melancholic tone colour..." "...like driving in a car late at night circa 1983." I thought I was the only one that had this exact image / feeling with regard to melancholic synths and the music I make. You took the words straight out of my mouth. Love the sound!

[@SynthOSphere]

Best audio demo of the recent new synths by FAR !!! Realy showcases the beast very well. Thanks!

[@maccagrabme]

I've heard a lot of synth remakes but this one sounds the best to my ears.

[@quarkyzarky]

+Kierke You know what he meant, a spiritual successor or continuation of a family of synths...

[@vampolascott36]

It really is true that the Oberheim filter is the special sauce. I was deciding between the OB-6, Prophet 6 and the Rev2 a few months back. I ended up getting the Rev2 because it had more modulation options than the other two, and I thought I'd have more fun playing with that. I would like to own the OB-6 module and control it with my Montage or Rev2. The OB-6 definitely has it's own awesome sound.

[@Aetila]

Great demo, many thanks!

[@danieljones-tg9oe]

Nothing can match the beauty of this sound.

[@odnilniloc]

Beautiful sounds. WOW!

[@alanmarcero]

Sweet demo, thanks for putting it together.

[@devmiles]

intense sound, awesome collab!

[@magicmastera]

This Demo makes me speachless ... wunderful, thanx. What A synth, the OB 6. WOW

[@marksteiner3493]

Incredible demo. Thank you!

[@terieberry1216]

Oh my gosh. What a unique demo. Sold.

[@ninjafukwan7]

FANTASTIC!!!!

[@lukeneptune3820]

I've had my OB-6 for a few weeks now and boy do i know what you mean when you say "Oberheim's tend to have this wonderful midnight music vibe, like driving in a car late at night circa 1983".

[@WrvrUgoThrUR]

So glad I was fully conscious and self-aware in the 80s. 😂 Best freakin' decade ever!!!! Speaking of being alive and self-aware @ 22:00 I think Oberheims are as well.

[@SPAZZOID100]

Brian Taylor he is talking about THIS oberheim.

[@WrvrUgoThrUR]

James Reeno that would be the one. Mine is priceless to me, but it’s sure to rise in monetary value, like all Oberheims do.

[@Ferrichrome]

@chief tp a Pontiac Fiero GT

[@Halux]

This is beautiful...!

[@DanielBeaulieu]

I just received mine and its everything I hoped it could be. Wonderful synth.

[@vintagesynths]

I am absolutely flashed. Just bought a prophet 6 and now that???? Thanks Dave and Tom for such phantastic products

[@retrosound72]

+Rüdiger Gaenslen you need both! :D

[@nickyates9820]

These are wondeful!

[@DimitrisDermanisMusic]

Eargasm...Thank you INHALTVIDEO :)

[@papahuge]

Fantastic demonstration of the pure raw power that is encapsulated inside the ObieSix!

[@lostboy5861]

man i really do love this demo and thats that iv been lusting after a prophet REV 2, but this ob sound is amazing

[@ozorg]

Very nice demo! Thx!

[@gpeioarngo]

very good sound demo! very well done and informative! thanks for this! - i decided, after listening your demo, this will replace my nordlead A1 in my studio in a few weeks,... ahhhrgg! can´t wait soooo long.....

[@ernestbuckley8671]

Excellent demo. Thanks Inhalt!

[@INHALTVIDEO]

Cheers!

[@teucimex]

Holy smokes. This sounds awesome. Always dreamed for an oberheim. May be the time has come.

[@busch028]

Daym. This demo alone is gonna sell some units. Excellent patch work. You know how to make this thing sing. Wish I had your chops.

[@SynthgodXXX]

AWESOME! I am so happy about this! EXCELLENT DEMO of this synth! I am so selling all of my extra gear right now.... this will be quite worth it!!

[@BobIGomez]

nice smooth sound to these examples

[@MaxZorin8]

This synthesizer has built a self-destruction module. It starts when someone plays "Jump"

[@oscargoldman85]

The OB8 had a snarling "Why Cantthis be love (Van Halen)" patch which I always hated myself for liking so much... Id rather listen to that patch than the Song. The Patch was the hell OMNI mode monster. This synth is the business... Theres 2 kinds of People - Those Who know the Oberhiem is King, and those who haven't used one.

[@pablumpicasso9207]

Oscar Goldman I miss my OB-6 like crazy when I hear great demos of it. It’s a true modern classic.

[@barrnycharlton8951]

Donal Finn First thing i do is make a jump patch and then Blade Runner

[@Psychlist1972]

Great demo

[@gallen5042]

Sounds huge !

[@fafafafafaafafafaafaffafaa4530]

Are you joking this sounds absolutely incredible

[@KCJazzKeys]

I must buy this synth. I loved what Lyle Mays used his OB8 and XA with the Pat Metheny Group in the 80s, such a warm sounding synth! Sounds close enough!

[@grooveclassicsbytraxxgroov1625]

Sehr schöne Demo....danke

[@Alphadestrious]

I have the desktop version. Let me tell you - this shit induces mystical experiences where you are free from your earthly burden and desires. Just transported away into pure bliss. It's just an incredible, living, breathing beast of a synth.

[@ewanstefani]

Sounds like a Matrix 6 (minus modulation options; plus extra filter types). Everything I hear on this sounds good so far. Warm, with plenty of movement. Good job :)

[@mima85]

This is fucking GREAT, AWESOME, FANTASTIC!

[@retrosound72]

this sounds more like a Matrix as the classic OB series :) cool synth!

[@lownrgy]

+RetroSound This sounds way more deeper, used to had Matrix-6 it didn't sound this good, but I think it's very close to Xpander.

[@gallen5042]

+RetroSound I usually agree with you on things Retrosound , but I have a Matrix 6, and it sounds like an *ant* compared to this. Nowhere *near* that size and punch in sound footprint, much smaller.

[@INHALTVIDEO]

+RetroSound I have an OB8 over here ... took it head to head with the OB6 ... it's in that category ... the matrix 6 can't hold a candle to this guy not just in tone but in the flexibility of all the controls and filter modes on offer ...

[@shookstylez]

+RetroSound nah

[@retrosound72]

+INHALTVIDEO I will check this guy at the music fair :D I miss here the classic OB sound character and the sound is harder but thumbs up for the video. :)

[@Superlover]

awesome tone

[@compagotv]

Just played the Prophet-6 at Robotspeak in San Francisco on a large PA system in a small room. These synths sound *remarkably* better when played through big speakers rather than little desktop 5" to 8" driver monitors. Wow. I cannot stress this point enough. Can't wait to hear this OB-6! What a great idea from the two masters. Well done

[@INHALTVIDEO]

We use two prophet 6s for the INHALT live shows. When we played with Front 242 on a large sound system at Mezzanine SF we were all taken aback by how good the 6 sounds amplified to that level.

[@kaostrip]

ça y est ! ils ont enfin réussi à faire un synthè analogique qui sonne en 2016! avec du caractère et une singularité! bravo les gars ! 👏

[@TheDjpredator]

Great sounds. Why do people even dislike, so many dope patches, they must be deaf.

[@ZenMountain]

It's the tiktok generation.

[@arsenegupengath3104]

this beauty will be mine !

[@DeathByDinSync]

great demo! sounds juicy... huge...

[@BigImpactSoundComposerforMedia]

Sounds massive!

[@cyprn6600]

god damn this is huge

[@dustincassidy]

God I need this in my life.

[@hexfix93]

im going to buy it i promise

[@TotallyNuss]

YES!

[@ubiquitousreverser]

GREAT DEMO!! I love the sound of this synth, hope I can own one some day!

[@c.tstrayer8059]

I love how analog purist compare everything to their ancient O8 Or P-5 etc. They all sound like my grandpa (insert geezer voice) "back in my day the ObP-5JP8 kicked this thing in the ass, I could load it in my AMC Pacer and Rock the Cazba"! Yes, they sound good and I have my share of oldies but try taking one to a gig and prey it comes up working, plus ye ole 3340 cem chips are getting harder to find and the repairs on these units getting more expensive. Be grateful for the resurgence of analog and that these new synths sound as great as they do!!!!

[@FortheSoulFtS]

you know can get one one for 20 bucks dude, thats why modular are do alive.... pray that quantum mechanics doesnt reach the outa commonn world

[@station2station544]

CEM chips aren't what fails on the "OBXa" I think you were referring to. It's the capacitors and opamps.

[@vincentmorelli1013]

I just wish they could make something that sounds fat and unstable like the originals. I don't understand why everything is always trying to sound new or modern. What ever happened to don't fix what ain't broken? I'd give anything for an original OB-X or a reissue.

[@funkyfredfrog]

That sound!my fave synth is the dsi pro 2 because the filter is state variable. So is this! The sound is amazing

[@quarkyzarky]

+funkyfredfrog The filter on pro2 is nice, but not not not a fan of the digital oscs, it sounds very fake doing anything remotely analog. THIS sounds a thousand times better (even if it's far simpler)

[@klangzaun]

Although I am not sure if the OB Sem spirit is nailed 100%, I am convinced by the sounds.

[@aandarcom]

Nice !

[@juanespinosa1259]

Seems like my days hunting for a OB-XA and OB-8 are over. This is a very lush sounding synth, the polysynth I've been waiting for. These are great times for synth players, after the Prophet 6, this bombshell. Very classy it has the same blue striping on black look like the real deal, letting go of the page 2 interface on the OB-8. Funny thing is that Tom Oberheim never had much development input in the OB-Xa or the OB-8. His brainchilds besides the phaser, ring modulator, MIDI (along with Dave Smith and Ikutaru Kakehashi) were the SEM, the SEM based polies and the OB-X, which also had a lot of E-MU input. Now, if only Korg were to release the ARP-2600 I'd wet myself.

[@pedrogomis]

+Juan Espinosa You can buy a TTSH

[@Kkidzz]

IH, thanks so much for this. You basically went through a good part of my record(vinyl) collection. Barbieri, Clarke, MacNeal etc. ;) Sold.

[@INHALTVIDEO]

The masters ...

[@Kkidzz]

+INHALTVIDEO Would you be so kind as to list which DI and Preamp you used? Thanks.

[@INHALTVIDEO]

+Kkidzz it's a precision 8 mic preamp and a very clean Manley tube di

[@michaelgranger9139]

This is a synth that opens dimensions

[@NachtSchreck13]

It's not the synthesizer who opens doorways to other dimensions, it's the artist using the synth. If you are talented, you can open doors with a cheap microkorg. You don't need to spend $3000 to "open dimensions."

[@michaelgranger9139]

@@NachtSchreck13 True

[@stektgraevling]

I have the Prophet 6 and it is great! This sounds similar but different =) @ 11:02 it is just awesome! Great demo.

[@nogoogleplus]

digging this....a nice edgy contrast to my P6

[@justinsaunders1459]

13:22 I love how this sounds modern and vintage at the same time.

[@WesslansFilmprod]

This is to cool for school :P Sounds amazing :-) Daniel Fletcher of D.S. (a Swedish synthpop/synthrock group)

[@nisroch]

Love that sound @2:07 !!

[@faybiens]

This one has stereo enhancement in, kind of reverb or stereo dephasing, certainly internal FX. That does a lot flatters the sound, so difficult to do any comparaison with older models like OBX or even Matrix series. My matrix 6 with its expressive keyboard and in an eventide space sounds extremely good with amazing stereo. Need more demos, hope they will be presented in Frankfurt Musik Messe!!!

[@karolcelinski8077]

this is madness

[@synth4ever]

Incredible! The OB6 sounds warm, HUGE and magical. That ambient drone from 2:08 - 5:23 is mindblowing, so much texture and granularity. I can foresee this being one of the best sellers of all time for Dave and Tom and a future classic in its own right. Now... if they would only create a 12 or 16 voice version and add some more LFOs... ;)

[@INHALTVIDEO]

I'm about to try stacking it with the prophet 6

[@adrianmuller4189]

Hello, did this patch make it to the sound bank or your artist bank?

[@youvsyou945]

+1....I think he said it did, but not completely sure....love this patch for sure!

[@davidavanesian1070]

Does anyone know if this sound is confirmed to be in a patch bank?

[@Noise-Maker]

Operation - Sell all synths till 3k mark then press buy....

[@bastiaanw3519]

+Mark Mashine I'm afraid I'd have to sell my entire setup, then... almost worth considering, though :-)

[@Noise-Maker]

+Bastiaan Winde Yeah the reality is bye bye Voyager and Prophet 08. And Prophet 08 resale is getting the snot kicked out of it in second hand market, thanks to the new hotness by Dave and friends. In the end I couldn't do it.Love my Voyager.

[@michaelstein1494]

I like how he lets the pads sustain. We really get to hear the depth.

[@tristantheuerkorn5124]

Was für ein großer Wurf. 😊

[@kemicon]

Sounds really cinematic, just like it's grand pappy.

[@pianist007]

The son of an OB-8 and a Pro-2 :)

[@PavelZolin]

+Hisham Niaz a daughter!!!

[@synesthetica]

Pad at 8:12! That is THE pad.

[@johanzki]

WoW, best DS OB 6 demo I heard. Ever... :-) Nice sounds, I want it!

[@lownrgy]

+johanz westerman how many have you heard?

[@somberrhombus]

+lownrgy I've seen 3 so far. This is gonna be a great synth.

[@johanzki]

+lownrgy this was the second in half an hour! :-p

[@johanzki]

+lownrgy btw: I also have seen a lot of real OB6 demo's before and I never thought I really needed it. I'm more a JP8, Memory Moog, Synthex, Prophet 5 guy. Thought my Matrix 6 was enough Oberheim for me, besides the 2voice pro. Think the use of fx make a big difference too and that's perfectly cool with me.

[@lownrgy]

I used to think Matrix6 was enough, then acquired Xpander, now I am confused

[@fjfrancois]

A rack it would be Nice, but thank you for creating these beautiful sounds!

[@mantra3000]

It's pretty lush.

[@williambrodeur8492]

NAMM stresses me out. mentally and ficsally. because this i will buy

[@SynthgodXXX]

Great video! Now what to sell in the studio........ hmmmm.....

[@harveyspecter1653]

Fuuuuuck this sounds sooo damn goood!!!

[@gerardsyd8320]

Quel son !!! oufff

[@jeffc1753]

Just yesterday I gave in and resigned myself to enter the soft synth world so I could be at least somewhat close to the experience of an old school Oberheim, at least in sound if not hands on feel....I almost jumped out of my seat when I saw this announced...and almost shed a tear when I heard it. You can bust me out all day, I don't care! The real world can't afford a $8000+ OB-X that will need repairing multiple times in the next decade, and I love the way this is sounding so far. Much better than my Prophet 6, which I'm still on the fence about.

[@TimKaelen]

+Jeff C I also got totally emotional!

[@thomasyount3873]

+Jeff C imho by and large demos online don't do the P6 justice. I've now had several months on it, created numerous original patches continually discovering easter eggs. Although in the end it is a matter of preference.

[@jeffc1753]

+Thomas Yount Yes I'll admit the P6 continues to grow on me, not hating on it at all. I'm finding it's a matter of finding its sweet spots, for me. I have a Prophet 600 as well and it's made me a little biased :)

[@Heathcliff_hensel]

+Jeff C I have been watching OBX sales on eBay and it's more like $4000 to $5000. But the voice cards are ridiculously expensive and rare. I have a vintage OBX and I also just picked up the Minilogue which I think is impressive in it's own right. Also the free plug-in OBXD is also surprisingly good.

[@thomasyount3873]

+Jeff C I dig! ;-)

[@notmychannelname42]

Oh my.

[@synesthetica]

Holy smoke this synth sounds excellent! Prophet 6 sounds gorgeous, too, but OB6 is rounder, juicier and warmer. Both are great. But also expensive. 22:22 - that's what I wanted to hear from modern analog synths.

[@analogalex3103]

Oh I am picturing how good this would sound with my Oberheim DMX. Sexy.

[@hausverkehrs3676]

Why does this sound so much better than a prophet 5 😂

[@buckguitar]

I really LOVE the sound and sequence at 15:24... is this availaible in your OB 6 artist bank?

[@oversightentertainment6733]

Sounds Great; from the demo it sounds like it's the the best Synth Dave Smith has released ...... ...... ......

[@quarkyzarky]

+OversightEntertainment It clearly is!

[@Pierre909]

Thanks, you sold one unit :)

[@istvantoth7431]

The archetypal ANALOG sound.

[@vintagesynths]

@retrosound: wenn ich mich entscheiden müsste, würde ich vermutlich den OB-6 bevorzugen. Habe gestern den P-6 zu diesen unglaublich warmen Flächen im ersten Drittel des Clips mitgespielt. Der schon sehr voll und üppig klingende P-6 wird vom OB diesbezüglich noch IMHO noch getopt.

[@messiah9378]

Both the P6 and the OB-6 sound epic, they have that satisfying analog growl, which one would you recommend the most? Is the P6 a lot different than the P08 you think? I am actually sitting here thinking about buying both, are they different enough so buying both would not be stupid? Thanks for uploading, great stuff!

[@chrisstrobel3439]

Good demo man, you play notes and let them sustain out, and don't play a bunch of fast tasteless dorian or blues scale runs with every patch like 90% of youtube synth demos, well done. I'm thinking this in the module version and a Prophet-6 module should inspire some new work, and if not hey they look cool :)

[@MikeTheGrand01]

i hate that sooooo much too. tasteless is the most important word here lol

[@KCJazzKeys]

15'24" love this part. Very JMJ

[@zazz63]

new order at one minute into demo!!

[@vincentmorelli1013]

Even though 61 keys and 8 voices would be more ideal, I like the design and it's great to hear that classic OB-X sound. To have this would be a dream come true for me, so I'm going to save up and maybe sell a few instruments I don't need. And despite it only having 49 keys, I was thinking about also getting a 61 or even 88 key midi controller.

[@arnev2017]

Your patches are definitely the best I have heard from the OB-6. Do you know if the one at 18:18 is on there?