Oberheim OB-6 6-voice Polyphonic Analog Synthesizer

A Synth Designed by Two Legends

This article was Written By

Our Product Research Team

Get to know them!

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: OB-6 6-voice Polyphonic Analog Synthesizer

• Synth dreams are made of this
• Heart of the beast: Oberheim's classic SEM
• X-Mod, Poly Step Sequencer, and Arpeggiator

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.

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.

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.

• 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