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Sequential Oberheim OB-6 6-voice Polyphonic Analog Synthesizer

49-key, 6-voice Analog Polysynth with 2 Oscillators and a Sub Oscillator Per Voice, State-variable Filter, 64-step Polyphonic Step Sequencer, and Semi-weighted, Velocity- and Aftertouch-enabled Keyboard
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Sequential Oberheim OB-6 6-voice Polyphonic Analog Synthesizer
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A Synth Designed by Two Legends

What if two legendary synthesizer designers got together and built an analog polysynth using today's state-of-the-art technology? If you've just pinched yourself to see if you're dreaming, Sweetwater can assure you: you're not. The Sequential OB-6 is a 6-voice, all-analog, 49-key synth inspired by Tom Oberheim's classic SEM circuits from the 1970s. Tom and Dave Smith packed the OB-6 with everything on your wish list. With two voltage-controlled oscillators and sub oscillator per voice, a state-variable filter, 64-step polyphonic step sequencer, twin digital effects engines, and more, the Sequential OB-6 delivers fat, punchy, in-your-face sonics that will power your music to new heights.

Related Videos: Oberheim OB-6 6-voice Polyphonic Analog Synthesizer

Sequential / Oberheim OB-6 at a Glance:
  • Synth dreams are made of this
  • Heart of the beast: Oberheim's classic SEM
  • X-Mod, Poly Step Sequencer, and Arpeggiator
Synth dreams are made of this

Now, finally, the artillery you need. The Sequential OB-6 rocks six discrete analog voices with two oscillators and a sub oscillator per voice. Naturally, OB-6 is equipped with Dave's infamous X-mod (two sources, five destinations). On top of all that, there's a 64-step polyphonic step sequencer, two digital effects engines (with studio-grade reverbs, delays, chorus, flangers, and accurate re-creations of Mr. Oberheim's renowned ring mod and phase shifter), and an advanced arpeggiator. To control all this firepower, you have a knob-per-function top panel and a silky-smooth, semi-weighted, velocity- and aftertouch-enabled keyboard. From funk-laden basses and snarling, in-your-face leads to gloriously celestial pads, the OB-6 will make your synth dreams come true.

Heart of the beast: Oberheim's classic SEM

Oberheim's original SEM (Synthesizer Expansion Module) formed the core of Tom's renowned 4-Voice and 8-Voice synths of the 1970s. The SEM, in updated form, is also the core of the OB-6 analog sound engine. With two discrete voltage-controlled oscillators and a sub oscillator per voice, the OB-6 gives you the flexibility of waveshapes that are continuously variable between sawtooth and variable-width pulse. Oscillator 2 also sports a triangle wave. The classic Oberheim-style state-variable, 2-pole resonant filter features lowpass, highpass, bandpass, and notch functionality. The all-analog signal path is completed by the OB-6's voltage-controlled amplifiers.

X-Mod, Poly Step Sequencer, and Arpeggiator

The OB-6 is spec'd out with Dave Smith's brilliant X-Mod, which makes it easy to achieve killer sounds via modulation. The filter envelope and oscillator 2 are the sources, and they both give you bi-polar control. The five destinations are oscillator 1 frequency, oscillator 1 waveshape, oscillator 1 pulse-width, filter mode, and filter cutoff. The polyphonic step sequencer lets you program polyphonic sequences (up to 64 steps, up to six notes per step), complete with rests, and sync them to external MIDI clock. The full-function arpeggiator can also be synced to external MIDI clock. You can configure the OB-6's Unison Mode voice count for up to six voices; it also features a chord memory and key modes.

Sequential OB-6 Features:
  • 2 oscillators and sub oscillator per voice
  • Continuously variable waveshapes
  • State-variable filter
  • 64-step polyphonic step sequencer
  • Full-function arpeggiator
  • 2 digital effects engines
  • Knob-per-function top panel
  • 49-note semi-weighted, velocity- and aftertouch-enabled keybed
Dave Smith Instruments OB-6: this analog polysynth has it all!

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Tech Specs

  • Type: Keyboard Synthesizer with Sequencer
  • Analog/Digital: Analog
  • Number of Keys: 49
  • Type of Keys: Semi-weighted
  • Aftertouch: Yes
  • Velocity Sensitive: Yes
  • Other Controllers: Pitchbend, mod wheel
  • Polyphony: 6 Notes
  • Number of Presets: 500 user, 500 factory programs
  • Effects Types: Analog distortion, reverbs, delay, chorus, flanger, phase, ring modulator
  • Sequencer: Polyphonic 64-step sequencer
  • Audio Outputs: 2 x 1/4" (left, right)
  • Headphones: 1 x 1/4"
  • USB: 1 x USB Type B
  • MIDI I/O: In/Out/Thru/USB
  • Pedal Inputs: 1 x volume expression, 1 x sustain, 1 x sequencer start/stop, 1 x filter cutoff expressoin
  • Mod Matrix: 2 Sources, 6 Destinations
  • Height: 4.6"
  • Width: 31.8"
  • Depth: 12.7"
  • Weight: 20.9 lbs.
  • Manufacturer Part Number: DSI-2700

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Customer Reviews

4.9 out of 5

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Just buy it!

Okay, I'm late to the Oberheim OB-6 party but
better late than never. I bought a Prophet 6 when it
was first released but have always wanted the OB-6
to "compliment" my P-6, plus I have never owned
an Oberheim in my forty plus years of playing
and owning keyboards. So when my OB-6 arrived
from Sweetwater, I rushed to get it out of its box
and up on a stand so I could fire it up.

From the first note played, I was thrilled. Finally,
THAT sound came out of my monitors. Genuine Oberheim. I have every software Oberheim
there is, many are quite good, but there is
nothing like hearing it from hardware.

If I had one minor complaint, it is that the
factory presets do fall on the mediocre side.
The two most famous Oberheim sounds, namely
the "Jump" patch and the resonant "Tom Sawyer"
sweep bass, are not in the OB-6 factory set. Since
I make a living programming synths, it was no problem for me to dial in these sounds quickly.
I'm just saying, if you're looking for those famous
Oberheim sounds in the OB-6, be prepared to
"roll your own".

Other than that, the OB-6 is beautiful-sounding and great looking synth. Like the Prophet 6, it lights up
like Vegas when you turn it on and would look great
onstage or in your studio. I wish Sweetwater shipped
stickers with that cool "prize-fighter musical note"
Oberheim logo, but still you can see "Oberhem"
stenciled on the front of the synth underneath the
keys and that is a cool thing to see.

The 4-octave keyboard is not an issue for me, and it
wasn't with my Prophet 6 either. The octave button
is right there on the panel allowing you to quickly
transpose the synth up or down in a live situation.
In the studio you can always trigger the OB-6 from
a larger controller.

With used Oberheim synths going for tens of
thousands of dollars (if you can find them), the
OB-6 is still the only cost-effective way of getting
your hands on a real Oberheim. If you have the
means (and Sweetwater offers so many payment
plans), I say just buy it. It will exceed your expectations.
by David Polich from Los Angeles, CA on
Music background: Playing, writing, recording music for over 40 years.

It's the sound

The OB-6 is a fantastic synthesizer with a lush and powerful tone, evocative and emotionally involving. Its knob-per-function design is technically limited compared to some synths - what you see on the panel is what you get, so fairly limited modulation options but you can do a lot with them. Once you're familiar with where the knobs are you can very quickly dial in sounds as you go, and you can save 500 of them (plus 500 more from the factory). The build quality is excellent and the keyboard feels great.

The voices with their SEM filters sound wonderful. The filter is 2-pole (12db per octave) and won't self-oscillate, but the tone of the filter is fantastic and it has continuous variation from low pass through notch to high pass, plus a band pass mode. The digital effects suit the sounds well - I find the chorus, delays (bucket brigade and digital), ring mod, reverb (plate, room, hall, spring) and distortion particularly useful. If you set the distortion on a low setting it gives a wonderful overdriven edge to the sound. For unison mode you can choose from 1 to 6 voices (which can sound huge) or a chord.

Limitations: The two envelopes are hardwired to amplitude and filter. The sub-oscillator can behave oddly when the main oscillators are synced, so the 6 voices don't sound the same as each other. But once you know to expect this you can use it for interesting rhythmic effects as it cycles through the voices. There's only one LFO so you can't time your vibrato differently from your filter oscillations, for example, (though the filter envelope works per voice). The mod wheel is also hardwired to the LFO amount. To get more LFOs you can use the SoundTower plugin in your DAW to control the OB-6, and modulate the knobs in there. This software costs extra though and has some quirks and rough edges. If you do use that plugin you have to do your MIDI I/O to the DAW through the plugin rather than the regular software ports, which is confusing.

But it's not about the features with this one, it's about the sound, and to my ears it's one of the the best, richest, most moving sounding modern analog synths.
by Richard on

Those classic sounds are all in there

Sounds from the golden age of synthesizers, often emulated but this is the authentic sauce. I wish it had a 5 octave keyboard though. thick chewy analog but clarity and cut too. Love this synth.
by JD from Ohio on

A Future Classic!

First off, I'd like to thank AJ Becerra for all the great info and customer service with my purchase. The OB6 is an analog masterpiece. I flat out love this thing! Its aimed squarely at synthesists so if you're into creating your own sounds then you're in for a treat. Not only does the synth sound fantastic, its a joy to work with; virtually every control that goes into making any sound you hear is right at your finger tips. I think this is one of the more overlooked features of the OB6. The mechanical interface is so much easier and faster to use than the constant menu diving and scrolling found on the UIs of most modern synths. The supplied manual is well written and the synth is so easy to use you almost don't need it (but make sure you read it so you can take advantage of all the great features like comparing patches before you store them etc). For control automation you can get Soundtower's plugin which allows you to automate all the controls through your DAW. This opens up a whole other range of possibilities. I'm running it through Presonus Studio One 5, and its works great There's only two cautions I'd offer to anyone considering the OB6. First, the other synth I have is a Juno 60 (a real one) and while the OB6 sounds great, due to its filter, it has a hard time replicating the smooth pad sounds that the Juno can so easily conjure. This by no means a flaw; the OB6 has a sound that cuts through the mix like no other. Which brings me to caution number two: The OB6 has a sound that cuts through the mix like no other… seriously, the OB6 is a BEAST and it may spoil you in terms of any other synths you may have. This is a synth without compromise and it shows, especially in the sound quality. Once you get addicted to that OB sound, you may not be willing to accept any substitute. Its obvious that Dave, Tom & the Sequential crew are passionate about creating great synths, and it really shows in the OB6. I have no doubt it will be a future classic in the years to come.
by Cal Johnson from Milwaukie, OR on

Beyond Words!

I've been lusting after the Oberheim sound for quite some time. I had very high expectations for this synth. It's so much more than I had hoped for, even with my high expectations. I'm still in awe at the breadth of textures, tones, harmonics and "emotions" that ooze out of a two oscillator/one LFO synthesizer!!!

I do have one warning: Sweeping the filter on this keyboard can lead to mystical experiences and the suspension of your perception of the time/space continuum! The "Vintage" setting doesn't just introduce slop, it delivers a remarkable throw back feel, almost as if the synth is inhaling and exhaling, coming alive with every note. And the Fatar keyboard is simply seductive.

I'm playing the OB-6 with a Prophet REV2, a Model D, and an emulated, digital OB-8, using a Nektar Panorama T4 (if you're looking for a keyboard controller for under $250, the Nektar offers great features and a really decent, playable key-bed, with aftertouch, for the the money). I'm also running a Strymon Nightsky, which I also highly recommend if you're into ambient music. The Nightsky "plays" like another synth. All purchased from Sweetwater - the best in the business!

One surprise...I thought I'd be playing leads on the OB-6 and pads on my Prophet REV2. Nope, the other way around. The Digital Controlled Oscillators on the REV2 carve through the rich, lush, resonate tones coming from the Voltage Controlled Oscillators on the OB-6. The OB-6 frames the REV2 in an entirely new light for me!
by Terry from Florida on
Music background: Long time and now very content, hobbyist.
See also: Key Synths, Sequential, Sequential Synthesizers
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