Oberheim TEO-5 INHALT Synth Demo No Talking

Following up from my work on the beta development and sound design on the Oberheim OB-X8, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the next Oberheim synth would be the TEO-5. Unpacking the beta unit revealed a beautiful and cleverly designed 5 voice analog synth that simply sounds amazing.
The size of the TEO-5 is absolutely perfect for world wide gigging and the sound is a sort of best of Oberheim with a modern twist. That modern twist doesn't exclusively come from the excellent FX processor on board, but also from the interesting modulation options and ranges. While you can push the synth into harmonic and saturated zones, it still, like all Oberheims remains one large sweet spot.
Don't be fooled by the smaller size and voice count, there is nothing small about the sound and capability of the TEO-5. Not to be missed.
Please note this recording is of a beta development unit running an early firmware. The sounds featured here are the patches I made for the shipping factory bank that comes with the synth straight from Oberheim.
Recorded at Infinite Power Studios, Los Angeles. All patches by Matia Simovich/INHALT. Video edited by Grover Greenberg.

[@DrJ3RK8]

It's a really beautiful sounding synth. Love that they used 2130 VCOs for TZFM. I have the OB-6, but I think I really want one of these. Just has a really silky/bubbly sound to it. (the OB-6 does too, but it takes a bit more care to get gains all set when patching) This one seems to just push out the smooth by default. :D If I had space, I'd have both, but I am officially out of space. Nice demo!

[@skrapadelix]

I bought the OB6 purely on the strength of the original INHALT demo, a masterpiece of moodiness and melancholy. TEO-5 so far does not speak to me in quite the same way but those Through Zero FM patches offer a new flavour of awesome

[@INHALTVIDEO]

It’s a different synth. Equally good and honestly more usable for bass than ob6.

[@gunnar1104]

@@INHALTVIDEO Would you mind elaborating on what you think the important contrasts are between the two?

[@INHALTVIDEO]

@@gunnar1104well the ob6 is a bit softer. The TEO-5 is like … angrier and snappier where the OB6 is moodier. The other aspect is the modulation which leads to way more sounds that are akin to modulars or xpander terrain and with better snap/punch of the envelopes. Again OB6 is great but softer sounding than this. Linear FM also makes it possible to do abstract and more modulated sounds that border on atonality but maintain better pitch so you can actually use them for musical passages rather than special fx noises.

[@silvertongues2]

If I had one of these in 1990 i’d be a techno legend now!

[@aounms]

🤣😂

[@XanderEwald]

Well get started now and you can still be a techno legend by 2058.

[@silvertongues2]

Lol i’m on it, i’ll be 75 tho! 😅

[@thegreenlake1115]

64 here and gettin one!

[@AdamTheAd-vanc3d]

One voice less than an ob6 oled display and a killer sound...come on now. This is a must. Make enough techno till kingdom come 😮

[@EnjoyRC]

Whoa... so much BASS, it's shaking the camera. LOVE IT!!!

[@synthkingmusic]

I wouldn’t be surprised if Sequential have a “Trio-5” based on the Trigon-6 in the works as well, seems like the logical next move

[@cubdukat]

If the pricing is good, say, around that of the Take 5 and this one, I’d definitely get it. That would make a really good budget lineup.

[@Donetur]

It is in my wishlist indeed.

[@XanderEwald]

Excellent demo, thanks for sharing! Sounds like a great synth for electro and EBM.

[@INHALTVIDEO]

You better believe it.

[@oldschoolebm666]

​@@INHALTVIDEOwell if you say it is well suited for EBM I better believe it. The OB-6 felt lacking in the bass department but this one is different for sure. Inhalt what synth did you use for the song "vehicle"?

[@INHALTVIDEO]

@@oldschoolebm666 it has way more bass than ob6 :-) vehicle was tr 808, juno 60 on bass and jupiter 6 on chords and leads

[@oldschoolebm666]

​@@INHALTVIDEOnice! I had a feeling Vehicle was a one oscillator(with sub perhaps) synth due to how tight it sounded. Great song!

[@INHALTVIDEO]

@@oldschoolebm666 I know I used the Ibanez UE405 for the analog delay and chorus on it but yea mostly juno 60 was used for bass back then

[@ge0rgeharris218]

Great demonstration! I really enjoyed your synth skills at work!

[@INHALTVIDEO]

Thank u

[@andyscott2626]

This sounds epic/price point is super attractive. Thanks for the demo!

[@INHALTVIDEO]

Absolutely 🥂

[@SolidtraxNL]

Great sounds + demo! Kudos!

[@nolake]

Nice and inspiring sound demo!

[@Laura_Pleasants]

Loving these sounds!!!!!

[@INHALTVIDEO]

🥂🥂

[@Matthewsavant]

R.I.P. Behringer UBX 😂

[@mwmfl8960]

You can't really compare a 5-voice analog synth with a 16-voice analog synth, although they might share a similar sound. But if there would be a TEO-10, things could get worse for Behringer's UB-Xa. The TEO-5 has the superior architecture in my opinion.

[@vladi8868]

R.i.P indeed! Just look at the price and what you can do with it. 😂

[@INHALTVIDEO]

I’d take 5 voices with superior headroom than 50

[@dankeplace]

@@INHALTVIDEO what people don't understand is gain staging on a per voice basis, the more voices, the less gains staging before clipping ensues. So 5 voices will always sound better than 10 or 16, so if you compensate for lower volume, this means your bass could or would be lacking due to Fletcher-Munson curve. The lower the amplitude of voices would affect the bass registers. So 5 is always going to favor bass better than 10 voices, and certainly much better than 50.

[@falangistavaleroso9689]

ULI X PRISON 2024

[@shookmusic]

I think I heard your patches while i was testing this one out at Superbooth Berlin. Really nice Matia! 😍

[@INHALTVIDEO]

Thanks dude. It’s a great synth

[@harrisonthacker9707]

Matia, what are your thoughts on the TEO-5 in comparison to the OB-6? Now that you’ve spent some time with it, how do they differ in terms of sound?

[@cfs]

Fantastic sounds by Inhalt, which comes as no surprise. I only have an OB-6, not an X8 or the TEO-5. This seems more like an X8 derived synth (as the Take5 is derived from the newest P5/10 reissue). The resonance, noise, and filter of the TEO-5 don't sound anywhere near as good as on the OB-6. However, once you add in all the modulation and effects it seems the TEO-5 can go places the more expensive Oberheims cannot.

[@INHALTVIDEO]

I toured with the ob6 when we opened for skinny puppy and during the 2017 euro tour. It was great for pads and strings but now in 2024 I would honestly take the Teo-5 over it. It just has a more diverse palette and is more compact.

[@WrvrUgoThrUR]

Missed opportunity. Should have been called The Obie.

[@ThePCxbox]

I remember your ob6 demo sold me and i got a little desktop version. Sold it and missed it since its been gone but have never been able to justify getting a new one. I saw the email about this one and IMMEDIATELY preordered after watching the loopop and sweetwater demo. I will miss the hell out of that high end shimmer of the ob6 but this thing has G I R T H from the sounds of it and it seems like a great multigenre instrument as well opposed to the limited pallet of the ob6. I couldn't resist. This is my dream synth. People hard defending the ob6 are coping

[@thedarkestrainbow]

This would be my dream synth if it had 61 keys, poly AT, and 12-16 voices. But for what it is, it’s a very compelling package.

[@reidhauke3389]

The Oberheim sounds like a Matrix 6.

[@bangmateo7481]

It sure does paul

[@kevinsturges6957]

It sounds like my old Sequential Six Track through a bunch of vintage fx. But this sounds better!

[@UTSONUT]

Awesome Video ! Thanks INHALT! can you highlight some of the differences between the TEO-5 vs OB-6, which one would you choose, why? (i) Pure OB tone, would you say this is closer to the OB X8? (ii) are 5 voices just about enough for chords? or would OB-6 win for that reason? thanks!

[@INHALTVIDEO]

V different sounding synths due to the oscillators and also envelopes. I wouldnt say either sounds like the obx8 at all. V different vibe but still a definite oberheim sound. 5 voices for chords … I’d say so. Multitrack if you need to do extensions and layers.

[@UTSONUT]

@@INHALTVIDEO thanks !! so would u choose the TEO-5 vs OB6?

[@thedarkestrainbow]

Polybrute. Seriously.

[@INHALTVIDEO]

@@UTSONUT I would if I needed a more varied synth engine.

[@Dudderlyful]

Would like to hear the fx too, since it's part of the synth. Maybe a second vid?

[@INHALTVIDEO]

I used the internal fx engine on some of the patches.

[@Dudderlyful]

Yes I realised these once I'd seen the video, my mistake! ​@@INHALTVIDEO

[@womagrid]

It's like the synth the Access Virus was trying to emulate

[@mwl5]

How is the clarity of the TEO-5's tone compared to the Take 5? What I mean is, I felt like the T5 lacked brightness in the high end and left the mids feeling a little muddy, which to me was frustrating because otherwise I loved it. I don't think it was a 2 vs 4 pole thing... it felt like EQ.

[@INHALTVIDEO]

It’s a 12db filter on the teo-5 so it’s pretty open. Has the classic oberheim fizz up top

[@krystiankrewniak]

Ok. For this one I will save money. It sounds beautiful and is reasonably priced.❤ Wow...

[@INHALTVIDEO]

It’s got a killer tone

[@SashaLattuca]

What is the difference in terms of sound with the Take 5???

[@evanglicanism]

Just the filter, really. The oscillators are the same, so is the mod matrix and most of the effects. But the filters are super different. The 12db state variable filter is magic for sure.

[@BOSSenjoyer]

Take 5 sounds like a Prophet and this sounds like an OB 😛

[@jamaharon]

@@evanglicanism The oscillators are different two, they are based on the same chip but have different capabilities.

[@getthejackets]

Can you split the keyboard does anyone know and also does it have audio over usb ?

[@INHALTVIDEO]

It’s monotimbral so no keyboard splitting and its analog so no audio over usb. If you want keyboard splits OBX8

[@jamaharon]

I think he meant "key-split" like on the take-5, dividing the keyboard into two separate octave zones. if so yes the teo-5 does that too. I used to want audio over usb on anything but each one I tested (from elektron/roland) added latency and some latency compensation issues with some daw. if it's a drum machine, multi effect or a multitimbral synth maybe it may be useful but after some experience with audio over usb for some years now i just prefer audio interface/converters with lots of inputs. Maybe one day it will be great :)

[@alfiedotwtf]

No effects in your patches but it sounds MASSIVE!

[@miffebarbez]

there are fx in the patches... 5:22 you can clearly see the fx lights are on...

[@PaulGBass]

It says no additional effects added afterwards. Clearly the synth has it's own built in effects and that is all you're hearing, not some plugin or outboard fx pedal/rack.

[@INHALTVIDEO]

No EXTERNAL fx or processing though I am using the internal built into the synth fx engine.

[@dankeplace]

The legend himself, is the keybed a FATAR?

[@GrayGhostDog1]

... yes.

[@dankeplace]

@@GrayGhostDog1 good news.

[@INHALTVIDEO]

Yes it’s fatar and it’s lovely.

[@dankeplace]

@@INHALTVIDEO Thx excellent stuff, I take it some patches are yours too?

[@INHALTVIDEO]

@@dankeplaceall of them I made for the shipping factory bank that comes with the synth new

[@christdolphin69]

how are the knobs on that thing? they look super cheap and plasticy. wonder why they didnt use the super nice rubbery take-5 knobs

[@INHALTVIDEO]

The knobs are great. Like prophet 6 and obx8

[@jamaharon]

rubbery knobs can turn sticky with time.

[@claytonlevibrown]

sounds goods 'n all missing the sequencer features of a korg though. For so much money and to be an "update" to the same old oberheim hardware I wonder why they would not be able to offer a built in sequencer.

[@INHALTVIDEO]

There is a sequencer built in and arp

[@Laura_Pleasants]

7:05

[@bontempo1271]

People may hate me for this, but it reminds me of my Virus TI

[@Pulse2AM]

I like the Virus better, I sold mine but it is a great synth.

[@bontempo1271]

@@Pulse2AM interesting !!

[@Pulse2AM]

@@bontempo1271 I bought the Virus because I was doing Trance tracks and remixes for a few labels and it is the best Trance synth imo. I don't make Trance anymore so I didn't really need it and I needed $$ at the time.

[@RealAqua]

Yea all of the sounds seem to be drowned in fx just like the virus.

[@cthulholmhastur5317]

Please, no flames. I mean this in the nicest way possible. Just a little constructive criticism. If you're making a video of a synth, with no talking (good! I like that), don't spend more than 10 seconds on each preset. I know it's easy to get caught up in the groove.. but I'm just here to hear the synth, not to admire your playing. Thanks! Btw, liked and subscribed.

[@chizmo7]

I hate when they put the expression wheels on the front panel. Such a bad idea.

[@jamaharon]

love it, it makes the keyboard way smaller without waste space, all the controllers are up anyway so just learn to move your hand 10cm higher, i don't see any down side.

[@INHALTVIDEO]

You get used to it after a while especially when u start using the mod wheel like a fader for varying multiple synth parameters. Not ideal but in this case it works and keeps the synth compact.

[@eTERNIAN69]

Bring back the touch strips