Sequential OB-6 | Inside (ambient demo)

Follow me on Spotify: open.spotify.com/artist/0Frpq...
Find my other projects on my website:
www.midera-artist.com/
Support me and my music here:
midera.bandcamp.com/
I have honestly stared at this synth more than any other synth for the last three years, online that is. I watched videos upon videos and thought "it sounds good... but what is it that people love about it?" I wasn't going to spend $2000+ on a synth without testing it. No, I only do that with everything else (like the Prophet 10 and Prophet 12). Ok, so I do do that.
I managed to play one locally. Twice. The desktop version. I walked away from my first experience thinking "Wow, their Virus TI2 sounds amazing." I own the TI1, so obviously I didn't need that. But the point was, I didn't really think the OB-6 was that great.
Then, I managed to go back, this time with my own headphones. My opinion didn't change. However, this time they had an Oberheim OB-Xa, which sounded incredible, I could hardly believe my ears. I left, again, disappointed by the OB-6.
Fast-forward, I was going to do a trade, my JX-3P + cash for a friend's OB-6 keyboard. Well, they took the JX-3P but needed the OB-6 for a show, so I let them bring that later. In the process, they decided not to keep the JX-3P, but did let me borrow their OB-6, for a few hours, just to sit and play, which was awfully kind of them. What you hear is my time with it. Or rather, the first half of that time with it. I knew nothing about it, but I DID tune it prior to starting recording - and it managed to get out of tune by the end.
Anyway, here are my thoughts. It was 'ok'. I like my Virus TI more (the BP filters can sound almost identical). I actually quite like my Matrix 1000 more, which should surprise no one that knows me, as I think I like that more than my Prophet 10.
The oscillators just really didn't sound very good to my ears. Not that they were bad, but something about them sounded a bit... harsh?
Then the envelopes. The way they are shaped (maybe log? maybe linear?). I'm actually not sure what I prefer, although my favorite envelope shapes come from the Yamaha SY77 and the Ambika, which are so snappy in such a pleasing way.
EDIT: Oh, back to the envelopes, WOW. The attack is way too short for me. I can't get nice long sweeping opening pads. They just come on way too quickly for me. I don't remember what I felt about the release times, they were probably alright. I just really like long attack times (or very short and snappy attack times). The OB-6 did not deliver in this arena.
The filters, which I believe are the reason people love the OB-6, I think, just didn't strike me as particularly special. I like some strange things, so my opinion is to be taken quite lightly. But I did not feel they did anything special that my other gear (read: Virus TI, Prophet 10, System 8, etc etc) couldn't do. So hard to describe, but I just don't think I could spend $2000+ on something for filters that did not completely blow me away.
The FX were incredibly weak, IMO.
The synth itself looks very nice and feels good too. But the knobs did suffer from being wobbly, although they're extremely tight to twist, which was strange.
All in all. I need to borrow synths and test them before I buy them. I'd probably have half the junk in my studio if I had. Once I sit down with something, I become very quickly aware of what I like and don't like. Of course, I could end up loving something later (like my Prophet 12), but I don't need a ton more gear - I need to part with some more than anything.
For now, the OB-6 will lie at the back of my head with an unlikely chance of making its way to the foreground, leaving me feeling fairly confident that everything I have is sufficient. It's a good feeling.
If you own an OB-6 and find yourself disagreeing with my opinion? That is a good thing - we all like different things. I know tons of people don't like the System 8, the Virus, The Prophet 12, the MC-303... heck, Jexus totally dislikes the Virus TI, but I love it to death.
The value of something you own doesn't change because of my opinion. It's like a $20 bill that gets stepped on, licked, cut - it is still worth $20.
Eventide Blackhole VST used for reverb

[@teamcoalhapcharcoal]

Awesome demo, absolutely love the first 2 minutes

[@MIDERA]

Thanks!!

[@wildchild532]

Guys, I can't believe we are just a few listening to him

[@MIDERA]

Heh - yeah, not too many people come around to these parts of the interwebs. But thank you for stopping by!

[@expandingknowledge8269]

The OB, SURE IS A SWEET SOUNDING SYNTH!

[@MIDERA]

Hehe, well, we may differ on this one :)

[@MIDERA]

Thanks!

[@Mamotreco]

Lovely sounds all round

[@MIDERA]

Thanks!

[@RemixSample]

Dream synth! Great playing as always!

[@MIDERA]

Thanks!!!

[@cortical1]

Really nice!

[@MIDERA]

Thanks!

[@RabbitintheMoon]

amazing.. thank you

[@MIDERA]

Thanks!

[@mirkocaserta]

Man, this is the most incredible sounding thing I've heard from you. It's okay if you don't particularly like it. Me myself, I love it. It was love at first sight. I was just a kid in the '80s so I guess there's some emotional attachment involved in it.

[@MIDERA]

Interesting - I don't really even care for my own demo. To me, it sounds just like every other live improvisation thing I do. I wonder what it is about it that sounds good. Listening in, I think 'this could be my virus TI' or any other synth. But hey - I am glad other people love it, I can see why they do, the resonance on the filter is pleasing, it's also a really cool looking synth, etc. I just have too much overlap as it is! Also - I was a kid in the 80's too, but that didn't really affect me here - I have a softer spot for the Roland D50 for that reason I'd guess.

[@mirkocaserta]

@@MIDERA yeah, I used to have a D50 too and the DX7 was my dream synth at the time. Then I discovered the Oberheims but they were way beyond my wallet... and still are LOL. Anyway, keep experimenting please, I like whatever you do.

[@MIDERA]

@@mirkocaserta Well - I was too young to care about synths back then, but I was probably very much shaped by the music of the era. I still have a D50, but I really should get rid of it. I never use it.

[@mirkocaserta]

@@MIDERA now is a good time to sell a D50. I sold mine in 2005 for 250€ more or less and now I see they go for more than 3 times that on Reverb. I can't believe they are now considered "vintage" 😂

[@MIDERA]

I think online prices are weird so I wouldn’t put too much stock in that. Locally they still seem cheap enough

[@TheInart]

Wow man! Congratulation! You have the collection of the best instrument in the world and you can use them very well! You are my idol!!

[@MIDERA]

I wouldn't be too envious of my collection, it often gives me more stress and anxiety than it's worth. Plus - I only borrowed the OB-6. I do not own it! Thank you so much for the kind words though!

[@Bad4Good2]

@@MIDERA IYO, what would you recommend over the ob6?

[@fratoni3654]

Un grande 🎹🎶🎹🌟

[@MIDERA]

Thank you!!!

[@ifaber68]

Very nice ambient demo with OB-6. I read your comments, i can't judge why i never tried uo OB-6, but i had access virus TI2, i think it's my favorite hardware synth :-)

[@MIDERA]

I agree with you! I sorta wish I had the TI2 61-key, but... I do love my polar, it's been with me for 10 years.

[@cosmicfugue1226]

Simply nice! I have the desktop model and I love it! 😊👍

[@MIDERA]

Very cool! Thanks :)

[@gregbradshaw7220]

The real thing is what you want. Not desktop

[@MotorHolmes]

My favorite sounding synth!

[@MIDERA]

Nice! I don't know why it didn't do anything for me :/

[@MotorHolmes]

@@MIDERA Taste is taste :) One person’s “favorite band” is another’s “terrible music.” It’s what makes it all so special.

[@MIDERA]

agreed! Maybe I was in a bad mood when I played it. But with the Poly Evolver, it was love at first listen

[@Heavenly3lues]

When I saw this pop up in my feed, my first thought was… wow, he got it! Then I remembered you were going to borrow one for a bit to try it. Like you, I was also underwhelmed by the OB-6 after pining for one for a long time. Everyone has their preferences.

[@MIDERA]

I can't believe it took me 3 tries with it to finally say 'nothing here for me.' Although I suspect I would have thought the same thing about the Prophet 10. My favorite synth is still the Virus TI :/ Just how it is I guess. I certainly enjoy other synths for what cool things they can do or how they can sound, but the Virus just sticks above the rest for poly synths. Really glad that I did *not* get it though. I think I would have, over time, convinced myself it was worth having, and it's possibly true, but also, I've got enough stuff in the studio to ponder on.

[@tedstahl3794]

Michael - You even make instruments you don't like sound great. ;) The fact is, the beauty of this track isn't so much the instrument as much as the player. I don't hear anything in this track that's unique to the OB-6, but I definitely hear the unique sound of Midera. Thanks for sharing a wonderful free form composition along with your insights about the instrument. I've been pining for an Access Virus TI2 for over a decade now and your observations may have sealed the deal for me to make it my next acquisition. Peace to you and yours as always, good sir.

[@Heavenly3lues]

Well stated… I always find that, no matter what synth I have, I always sound like myself :-) So, the most important thing is to have the instrument(s) that inspire you to play them and to dive in. Michael and I chat synths a lot, and we both had a TI2. I sold mine in a gear purge and I don’t miss it. I kept my JD-800, because it’s my favorite digital synth. We all have our preferences and tastes on which instrument inspires! I had lots of fun with the TI2 for the few years I had it.

[@MIDERA]

Hey Ted - thanks for the kind words. I guess since I wasn't able to coax anything unique to the OB-6, perhaps there is something I missed, lol. Really appreciate your insight. I think if you found a good deal on a TI1, you should jump on it. I see no reason to get the TI2 unless it's the same price as the TI1. But I do think it's my favorite synth. And I own quite a lot of them!

[@MIDERA]

@@Heavenly3lues JD-800 would be a sweet synth. I haven't tried one of course, but the costs are too much for me to invest at this point. The Polar is just my favorite. Did you own a desktop of a key version? I find that I don't connect that well with desktop units (except as sequencers) compared to actual keyboards... which could partially explain your preference... but maybe not. I just never am inspired by desktop synths (although, my Matrix 1000 is a top 5 synth for me cuz it sounds so good, however - today I am thinking most of my love of it is due to really good programming by the makers of it).

[@Heavenly3lues]

@@MIDERA Reposted because I accidentally commented from the wrong youtube account.... I had the desktop version of the TI2. I would love to get my hands on a TI2 Darkstar. The new price is too high for one, in my opinion, given that they are so old now, and they rarely come up used these days. I can definitely agree that I connect more with keyboards than modules also, but at least the TI2 desktop had lots of hands on control!

[@thesrabbit]

I admit it didn’t wow me at first either. And it took upgrading from the desktop to the keyboard version to start feeling a connection with it. But once it clicked, that was it. Game over. This synth will go with me to my grave. I do think it’s a little tougher to find the sweet spots. There are lots of little things that make a big difference. Stuff like XMod using VCO 2 as a mod source, and setting the wave shape at 52% vs 55% while applying PWM to VCO 2 as well. And it can be difficult to get it just right. But when you do, it’s very satisfying. This is a synth that continues to knock me back into my seat and just say, omfg, sweet Jesus. The FX are mostly lackluster, though certain FX can be very useful, but again it takes quite a long time to figure out how to dial those in. So yeah, I totally get it. It probably took me 2 years to truly connect with it. Damn thing inspired me to build an app to expand its modulation capabilities. But I don’t need it anymore now that I’ve learned all the nuances. I think Jexus hates the OB-6 too. Nice demo btw! The sounds you’re getting out of it are putting a smile on my face.

[@MIDERA]

Yeah, I hear you. I just don’t want to spend 2 years convincing myself that it’s great when I didn’t connect with it at all. Normally I’m happy with a synth on first pass, but not this time. The Prophet 10 also didn’t wow me when I first got it, but after having it and hearing all the things the OB6 can do, I’m glad I made the choice I made. I would much rather have a P10 than an OB6. I’d honestly rather have (aside from looks), a virus TI over the OB6. Makes me a bit sad about it really… but also happy I didn’t waste that money on one!

[@Rizamusic]

I felt the same way about the OB-6 when I demoed it in-store. It just didn't wow me as much as people online said it would. I even went back 3x to triple check that I wasn't missing anything, but in the end I felt fine walking away from the OB-6. I also found the blue lines going across the synth distracting The Virus TI2 is next on my list. Early 2000s trance is what got me into synthesizers and electronic music so owning a Virus will be nostalgia for me. And beautiful piece by the way! I always make sure to carve out time to listen to your ambient demos. I truly do enjoy them

[@MIDERA]

I love the blue lines. Aesthetically this synth is it… well, no, cuz I also love how the Roland D50 looks, and the Prophet 10, and the Matriarch, and the Analog Keys, and the JP8000 (which I’d like to try some day), and the JX3P/Juno6/60, etc… Only one I don’t really like is the System 8. The Virus is a great synth, still one of the best I’ve ever owned. It is mostly polite and does lack character, in that sense it’s not a great synth, but I feel it just sounds good doing everything it does do.

[@MIDERA]

And thanks! I’m glad you enjoy it. It was fun to write this, although it was mostly just learning to navigate the synth, lol.

[@francotonini6446]

Grande saund 🎹🎼🎹🪐☯️

[@MIDERA]

Thanks!!!!

[@LB-pp7pu]

I read the whole description of the video. I am undecided if start saving for a Virus TI2 or a OB6, I was already leaning towards tjhe Virus and I enjoied your comments. To me the biggest difference is in how "musical" (a pleasure to listen) the higher harmonics are on the OB6, for all the other things I much prefer the Virus

[@MIDERA]

Hmm, yeah, I didn’t really like the ob6… But I love the virus ti. Probably just personal preference, nothing stuck out as a nerd with the OB6. But maybe you can pick up both someday!

[@insidestraight4659]

This is a synth that has occupied my mind for many years also, never had a chance to play one though. Have you had a chance to try the new Waldorf M? I think you would like it.

[@MIDERA]

I hadn't actually heard of the Waldorf M! I think the only Waldorf I'd ever want is the Q. Almost traded for one last year but the deal fell through :/ But with any wavetable synth - I think I've got enough of that in the Virus (it exists in the Prophet 12, but doesn't sound that good in my opinion). Thanks!

[@bastiaanw3519]

Hah, funny to read this after my last comment :-) Perhaps I should watch videos in the order they are posted... Anyway, good to see you have decided that you have enough gear!

[@MIDERA]

I have too much stuff, don’t know how to cut it out without wanting it back later. I really have to dislike something to be comfortable with parting with it…

[@raven-jz6cv]

This or p6 if you could live with only one? It kinda sounds bit more more sad bit more brighter than the dark lord darker sounding p6 or is it just my ears playing tricks

[@MIDERA]

Well, I haven't played a P6. I did not care for the OB6 personally. It looked cool and all, but just wasn't my thing. I was majorly shocked by my feelings about it, but after test driving it on about 3 different occasions and walking away feeling like "WTF just happened..." I decided that I am no longer interested. About the P6... I haven't really liked the demos I've heard either. The sub oscillator didn't really add much (triangle shape?). I never was really interested in one of those either. The P5/10 really interested me, although they have limitations that irk me quite a bit too, with no obvious solution. Honestly, if only between OB6 and P6, I'd probably get the OB6 because it's a bit different. P6 seems so standard of a synth/sound. But I'm the wrong person to ask, given my limited experience with both of them. Many people out there have both and could give you a more informed opinion. I think the settings play a large role in 'darker' or 'brighter' sounds. If anything, the OB6 is a brighter synth because of 12db nature of the LP filter. Lots of people have commented about how much this colors the sound.

[@raven-jz6cv]

@@MIDERA thank u for that. I had a rev2 and everyone said about how dark it can go and self modulated etc etc...i sucker up and bought it....and then i touched a system8..🤣 sold the rev2 same day hahaha it comes to a point i feel system8 ans virus are prolly my best synths . Jdxa also can make such fat basses is wow. A friend of mine long time ago told me bro prophets are made for marriages dont bother🤣🤣🤣 haha i didnt listen. But damn they kinda look beautiful hard to resist. Awesome post as always my man and perfect reply. I bought a virus because of ur reply once. And never looked back since then 🖤

[@MIDERA]

​@@raven-jz6cv You're welcome :) I love my Prophet 10... but I also love my SY77. And my Virus TI... and my System 8... and my D50... and Polysix. And suddenly. I have a lot of things I love. In a space that they cannot fit. And I don't love that.

[@raven-jz6cv]

@@MIDERA haha saw a four elektron mk1 for sale looked like ur name on reverb but written differently kinda haha was that urs? It looked tempting🤣 anw beat makers producers synth gods etc etc all kinds of characters our souls our doomed inside non stop chips🤣🤣

[@MIDERA]

​@@raven-jz6cv I only have an analog keys, not analog four, so it was not mine. Plus, I can't sell anything -_-

[@vanislesam]

I feel the same way about the OB-6 and prefer the Prophet 6 a lot more.

[@MIDERA]

Haven't really used the P6 much either - but I guess the OB-6 just really didn't impress me. It looks like a great synth though! I remember I almost picked one up for like $1800, and that seemed a stretch, I bet prices today are ridiculous.