I've owned a number of Sequential's synths over the years so have a pretty good handle on their pros and cons, tonalities and areas of weakness. I've had Prophet Rev 2 (08 follow up), Prophet 6, OB-6 (twice), Prophet 10 Rev 4 and Trigon 6. Out of all of those I find the OB-6 to be the most characterful and unique sounding. It also sounds the most "emotional" when programmed well, a combination of the loose (vs Prophet 6's more static/tight) VCOs, the envelopes and especially that beautiful filter.

I've written more songs and ideas with the OB-6 than any other synth I've owned (over 100 by now), a combination of the excellent interface, no menu diving, the built in sequencer (while super simple is great for storing ideas along side new sounds) and the FX which, while variable in quality, often add something to a sound or idea that would never have arrived if you'd added FX later in the mix (and no messing around with external FX units trying to keep them in sync or keep track of which one goes with which sound). The delays are fun, the chorus is pretty good, the phasers can be idea machines in themselves. The Reverbs are not the best I've heard in a synth, but more than passable. I find having all this on-board in one machine makes for a much better overall user experience, especially as a musician/producer who uses a lot of other real instruments in complex mixes. It arrives at results quickly, always sounds great and is super flexible and fast in how you can turn on/off features or things like LFO sync or Delay Sync. A proper true analog byapss is there if you want to record raw (and a proper mono mode too).

Overall the OB-6 is a modern classic imo, and sounds even better - on balance - than the OB-X8 which while be a touch more vintage sounding, lacks all the future facing extras that make the OB-6 a joy to work with, like the extra modulatable tricks and the sweepable filter types. The interface alone is much better than the OB-X8 which missed the mark for me with so much wasted panel space and a LOT of scrolling in page 2's menus.

I also generally just prefer the tone of the OB-6, those SEM/sem like discreet voice cards with their own half-sequential half-obie tone sound BETTER to me than the curtis VCOs in the X8, I also have very little interest in re-creating "Jump" so it doesn't matter how close it gets to vintage, the OB-6 is much more exciting and packed with new sounds than your grandad's old obie (X8). I feel the same way now about the Prophet 10 vs my Trigon 6 (I don't like the Prophet 6 much as tonally it doesn't reach to where it should), P10 sounds great but Trigon 6 takes that and makes it even richer and deeper sounding in a much nicer all round package.

OB-6 is the sweet spot of modern Obie tone for me in my favourite form factor, with just enough voices to be useful (6 is minimum for me) and enough keys to be played properly still. Love it. Well dont Tom and Dave!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

Within minutes of tweaking a few knobs, I had the authentic sound from Van Halen's 1984. Yes the sweeps work perfectly. The iconic Tom Sawyer sweep sounds perfect as well. If you have doubts that this machine will replicate the old vintage sounds, then rest assured it WILL!

The sound of the OB6 is way better than I could ever imagine, this beast was the missing link for many ideas I was working on.
had a lot of complaints about the size of the keyboard (49 KEYS) but not really a problem if you have other keyboards to control if you really need too.
If anything I find odd that the display is very minimal...only three numbers is not really enough to remember patches and this thing comes with 500 of them already loaded.

Tyler was as always a great agent and everything arrives as expected with every purchase of Sweetwater.

With some experimentation in Manual mode, I found an immediate reaction from AfterTouch and X-Mod. Still lots to learn with so little time. The majority of time spent was going through presets which sound very different from one-another. Each preset played brings a song to mind or fosters creativity. Nothing like my Moog Subsequent 37, no comparison, which is why they both make a perfect marriage. Love the menu-less workflow on the OB-6.
Arrival of this Sequential synth was so quick, thanks to Mac Hatton for an easy process and prompt delivery.

Jared

Once I decided I needed an analog synth I needed an OB-6, I just didn't know it. I've been through four keyboards to get to this one. I started with a Dave Smith MoPho. Then I realized I wanted something polyphonic. So I bought a DeepMind 12. That seemed promising but is glitchy, of inconsistent quality, and not ready for primetime (it froze up on stage a couple of times). So I went for quality and bought a Dave Smith Prophet REV2 16-voice. It could eventually make sounds I liked but was not deeply inspiring or emotionally captivating. Enter the OB-6. Smooth like silk/butter/honey. Warm like a bubble bath or getting into your car in August. And character like a your favorite vintage guitar amp.

It can sing, it can growl, it can purr.

Cons: I wish it had one more octave, at least two more voices, and both 2-pole and 4-pole filter options. Additionally, I'd move the transpose buttons directly above the playing area of the keyboard so a play could use them in performance while holding down other keys...

I expected to love the sound of the filter, oscs, and modulation.
What took me by surprise is how integral the aftertouch is to the instrument. Being able to wiggle my finger to vary the cutoff or PWM is magic.
This possibly means more to me, as I come from a background of playing string instruments. Only getting into keyboards and synths in the last 5 years or so. But it really puts me more in my bass guitar headspace than my other synths where the action is basically off/on.
Also, the velocity does things too! I haven't really gotten around to monkeying with it too much, but there are plenty of presets which utilize it to great affect.
One of the funny things that I have seen leveled at this synth as a criticism, was a plus for me.
It's only 4 octave keyboard with a transpose up/down by 2 octaves in each direction.
I am fine with this. Larger keyboards end up taking up too much room and being quite heavy.
As far as the sound. Let me just say I really tried to talk myself into getting the Prophet 08 REV2. On paper it is a superior synth with more features. It has more envelopes, LFOS and OSCS. It has more jacks for plugging things in. It's even got another octave of keys and an OLED display!
But the actual sound that comes out of the OB6 was so much more three dimensional and expressive.
I'll still get the REV2 eventually. But the OB 6 is my main piece right now.

Amazing analog synth! This will be the top synth in your studio. It breathes and has a life of its own. Just buy it! :)

I got this synth to supplement my Rev2 for playing live 80s music as well as original compositions. Fills in active duty for an aging Juno-106. I really love the spot on sound capabilities for all the retro stuff, but the creative possibilities are truly inspiring. All the added features absent on the old Juno are welcome as well.

I thought the OB-6 might be a bit limiting in terms of mod potential, but there is plenty to work with and find it highly enjoyable to fiddle/create. Love the tactile aspects of the unit; knobs, buttons, displays, etc. The sound quality is stunning.! Great to have the real 'Oberheim Sound'. Only demerit for me is it needs another octave, but not a deal breaker as it supports my primary, the Rev2. I must also say the knob labels above and not below is not great either, but once you know your way around its no big deal that you can't read them easily.

These two synths paired up with my midi foot controller, and I have command of seemingly limitless musical expression!

In the market of modern synths, this gets 5 stars or more. The magic of the sound is so immediate and unique, you can't really compare it to anything. Unfortunately, it does not outdo Tom Oberheim's two voice pro or the classic ob-x. It is not a clone, and those synths had a raw analog sound that I'm thinking that something as well featured and full of digital components as this simply can't touch, and can probably never touch. If you want true analog perfections, only the two voice pro and moog model d can really compare as these are time tested and true synthesizer creations that only come around a few times per half century. Put one of these next to those and you might be dissappointed in the raw glorious can't sound bad category.

Now the good: Neither of those synths, nor the giant old obereim polys, can reproduce the range of sounds and playing styles this synth can do well. With some practice, you WILL be able to get very usable and musical, slightly more atmospheric, more backing track-esque, easily tweakable sounds out of this synth. It is not terribly good at playing mono sequences with filter sweeps (but still probably better than 90% of modern synths). If you want to make a whole song with just a rhythmic sequence, moog modular style, this synth might dissappoint you. What this thing is, and this is why I love it, is a pad God. The filter type knob sounds great to mix in the notch from lowpass, you will be able to play chords forever, the portamento goes great in this manner, and you just can't put it into words how sparkly alive and heaven just pours out of it. And then you got aftertouch velocity, decent digital effects (two at once, but use sparingly!), it is just so playable, and I have never heard a vintage ob sound like this can, maybe dave smith just prefers things that poly's are made for because this is it seems how he tuned this thing.

Is it worth...? Yes, for the sound, behringer korg and prophet 08's will never have the distinct tone this has, that is what you're paying for and I believe that it is something only a synth artist (or two) can achieve. It is the best or second modern poly that you'll be able to get right now and probably for quite some time.

Are there other options? The prophet 6 sounds just as good if not better, but just totally different. To me it works better with the digital effects because its smoother and the imperfections of its noisiness are not its highlight. An ob-xa is huge, breaks and is insanely more expensive, and while the 4 pole filter option murders for high resonance and bass sounds, the fact that its a chip means also it loses some sound quality, though the oscillators are better. An ob-x is pretty much unattainable, but it does sound, clearly, better for many things, but you'll lose the variable filter and other great options this has. A Two Voice Pro is the best oberheim sound you can possibly get, is pretty much impossible to make it sound bad, and is probably the funnest synth in the world to play. But its also one of the most limited, and surprise surprise its not a poly and you can't really expand it with more sem's (probably the biggest shame about it).

So... money might buy you a synth you'll like better than this one, it might not. Its really got a sound that stands out and then some... I don't think a musical composition will be able to stand on the sound of this synth alone, but anything you can play, this synth can probably do better, and its insanely versatile and inspiring. Just use something else for rubber band rhythms.

So I have wanted a Oberheim since watching Geddy Lee on tour in the early 80's. That sound! That thick rich OB sound! Fast forward to 2017 and the price of those OBxa's was still out of reach for me, So I started looking into the new poly-synths when I discovered the OB-6! Wow, What a great sound, I have plenty of synthesizers, But still felt my arsenal was missing that unmistakable Oberheim sound. It's a expensive synth to be sure, So I started saving and now finally was able to afford one of the holy Grails, My own Oberheim! This keyboard is just right for that. The features built in to this were exactly what I was looking for. Arp, sequencer, effects, One knob for each control, The only thing missing was a librarian, found that online for this, Sound tower for the OB 6! I have only owned this keyboard for a few weeks now, but have started to program my own patches, Tom Sawyer, Limelight, Missing persons, all the great 80,s sounds! This fine instrument does all those and plenty more. I highly recommend this Synthesizer.

This synth is absolutely stunning. I've never played or heard anything like it.

This is a fantastic synthesizer! The only reason that it's a 4.5 out of 5 is because of the 4-octave keyboard. It really should have been 5 like all of the classic OB synths. That being said, it's not a huge deal because most of us have 5-octave controllers. Now for the good stuff! If you ever wanted a vintage OB-Xa or OB-8, forget about it! This synthesizer is a perfect modern and reliable replacement. I am an original owner of an Oberheim OB-8, so I know what I'm talking about. I had all of my old sounds programmed into this new one on the first night I owned it. With the built-in chorus, it sounds better than my OB-8, by far. You want Van Halen, "Jump" and Stevie Nicks, "Stand Back" sounds? This board emulates them perfectly. You'll have to edit from the factory patches to get them, but it's easy. Lastly, 6 voices versus 8 voices on the original is hardly noticeable. I usually had a voice or two turned off on my vintage Oberheim due to reliability issues, anyway. Buy it!

This is a great instrument. I love the presets and the ability to alter them to what ever I want. The sequencer is great, and I probably don't need any of my other synths now, but I will keep them. The sounds I can get from this machine seem infinite, and everything stated about this instrument in the catalogue and on the website is completely true.

I purchased yet another DSI with a bit of trepidation. This is because:

- In 2015 I bought a Prophet 12, but sent it back due to technical issues. I did like it, but had just enough reservations about it not to reorder another without trying other synths first.

- Early this year I bought a Prophet 8 and sent it back soon after due to it sounding uninteresting to my ears.

- Last week I accidentally ordered the Prophet 6 instead of the OB6 (don't order expensive synths at 3am while half-asleep) Upon receiving the P6 I naturally decided to try it out, but it wasn't my cup of tea.

OK, back to my new OB6- After opening the box, plugging it in, and calibrating it, I was treated to the awesome and familiar Oberheim sound all afternoon. To my ears it definitely has that distinct Oberheim sound. The only classic Oberheim I've ever played for a lengthy amount of time in person was an OB8, but being involved in electronic music since the early 80's, I'm quite familiar with each synth manufacturers distinct sound, and again, the OB6 sounds like a classic Oberheim to my 47 year old ears.....certainly much more than the Prophet 8 sounded like a classic Prophet.

The build quality of the OB6 seems pretty solid with all the knobs and buttons feeling sturdy. The keyboard action is also nice, although like many have mentioned, I sure would have loved an extra octave though. I absolutely love the look of the OB6 - from the wood siding, the blue pinstripes, the LED lighted buttons and wheels, to the Tom Oberheim signature. This thing is going to look magnificent in the new studio that I am going to be building later this year.

In just one single afternoon the OB6 has single-handedly made me 100% want to start collecting multiple hardware synths again. I've returned 6 hardware synths back to the music stores in just over 12 months and FINALLY have found one that I absolutely cannot see returning back. Fantastic job, Mr. Smith and Mr. Oberheim!

This is the best instrument I've ever had the pleasure of knowing. Basically 6 SEMs in a heavenly box of finely crafted and well-considered magic. The filter is unique, and sounds amazing on nearly everything. You can get everything from deep basses to fizzy electric hpfs to phasey dream notches, and plucky rubbery bands. The DSP on board is actually quite great for inspiration, and if you want it out of the signal chain, no problem. The oscs are perhaps slightly more limited than some, but they sound heavenly.

If I had to pick a con? Maybe lack of some modulation control when you start getting fancy with multiple sources.

Bottom line, this is a gem of a synth. My favorite over decades of analog poly gearhunting.

Can't say how happy I am with yhis purchase. So excited for all of the amazing music I will make with this lovely sound making machine. I'm sooo in love with the sound palate. Endless amazing sounds

I'm so blown away by this masterpiece. I'm so excited in the knowing that i now poses what will become a legendary synthesizer that will be used on multiple amazing tracks across the spectrum of music it alows it's palate of sounds to be used in. This masterpiece is so easy to get a rich amazing sound out of with near endless tamboural variety in every sound possibility. All sounds are sculpted with a button per function front panel and you can once you've found what you are looking for use the additional effects section to add additional character to your sounds. This is a sound designers dream. Also, if you are looking for additional modulation sources you can do midi cc into somthing like max, reaktor or an elektron and put ocillator on it or do some midi param sequences.

I have truly fallen in love with the amazing sound palette the OB-6 provides me and I'm hard pressed to find a modern competitor to it. Thank you Tom!!!! I love boards of canada and this thing touches all those sounds and more.

If you are on the fence stand up, spread your arms and jump off into the beautiful sounds of the OB-6. Besides, if it's a money thing, apply for the credit card they offer here and pay it down that way like i did
. It's worth every penny I spent on it because all of the sounds it makes, make me happy and enrich my life. I love my OB

I can't recall the last time I was this delighted out of the box with a new synth. This thing has a classic sort of Oberheim sound that just has 1980s all over it. And yet, it is even better. Imagine a classic OB with a ton of outboard effects gear all together in one sweet package. To me, this makes it in some ways even better than the original. The front panel is somewhat busy, but easy to get a feel for and I was programming it like a pro within the first 2 hours of using it. Bottom line, it just sounds amazing, and boy does it really pop out in a mix! If you're looking for a new analog board, give this one a listen. You won't be disappointed!

Yes… It sounded just like a Oberheim right out of the box. Nice and dark, sweet and warm like a cup of swiss hot chocolate. It’s amazing how Dave Smith was able to work with Tom to get a timbral palette so contrary to what Dave has been producing for years.

The sound on many of Dave Smith’s products in the past, have been sharp and edgy. But nice and luscious with the character you might expect from a Prophet 5 or Pro One, with more sonic possibilities. And they are big growling synths, and lots and lots of features. Too many for me in some cases. They just did too much sometimes. Dave has dialed that back a with his new line of synths, which have departed from the Evolver engine.

On the OB-6, Tom and Dave have limited past menu diving features to the vast array knobs and buttons on the face panel, with a small manageable set of submenus that are button based. No real screen diving.

Some have said the OB has maybe too few modulation routings, but I disagree. I have been moving away from Menu Windows for some time, this is where all those complex routings dwell. Menu diving just does not fit into my current music philosophy. I hate spending too much time sculpting sounds from complex menus on tiny windows, and want to spend more time making music. The OB-6 fills the bill completely.

My main synth is a large MU Modular. The Oberheim fits right in. The timbral possibilities more than compliment my current instrument, if fact, this is sound has filled a gap I have long been waiting for since my OBxa departed.

I’d say this is an extremely fruitful collaboration, because it takes the best of Dave and of Tom, and put it in a pretty cohesive package with lots of features, many that the Oberheim’s of the past never had.

I love the overall sound and playability, and I’m looking forward to delving into the “Just Intonation” tunings built into it, some provided by Robert Rich. Sixteen tuning scales in all. A real wow feature!

I also love how they were able to make such a big sounding synth so compact. My old Four Voice SEM based synth was 50 or more lbs, and a real monster to move. My OBxa weighed in at 40 or so. It had 1/2 times more depth in size and about 1/3rd wider. Hard to shlep these around for gigs. This new Oberheim is much more svelt and sexy.

A great synth all around. Very well thought out in all aspects. I hope Dave built a Poly Chain mode into it as he has for the Prophet 6, for an OB Module. I’d be up for a 12 voice monster. anytime.

I admit only having about 30 min with this so far, but I've been comparing it to my Prophet-6 and Prophet-12 in my studio, where I know how things should sound.

First off, I must say that I'm very unimpressed with the factory patches - worse than usual, I'm afraid. The Prophet-6 had some nice ones out-of-the-box, but really, you don't buy a synth like this for the presets, right? Use da knobs and make yer own! You paid extra for those knobs, so use 'em. Just don't just an analog synth by its factory patches.

So, immediately jumping into panel mode I did what you'd expect: take the filter for a spin. I owned an OB-8 for years and also a Two-Voice, and that LP res sweep put a smile on my face. A big smile. Whether it sounds like your SEM or OB-8 from 19-something I can't say, as those all sound different, but it sounds OB to me - and *definitely* will not be confused with the Prophet-6 (which, IMHO, is not the synth for big filter sweeps). In all honesty, sweeps on the Prophet-12 in 4-pole mode sounds a lot like the OB-6 - same flavor of resonance sweep, if you don't go too crazy with the resonance. That the Prophet-12 is in 4-pole mode and the OB-6 is a 2-pole filter doesn't seem to matter; perhaps the Prophet-12 oscillators have more high-frequency harmonics to start with.

The other filter modes, BP and variable LP-notch-HP, sound fantastic, too. That's definitely one thing neither the Prophet-6 or Prophet-12 can match.

If you own a Prophet-6, most every other feature is as you'd expect - tho the knobs are placed ala Oberheim, rather than Sequential. It's personal preference - and really doesn't matter; you're buying it for the sound, right?

One difference from my OB-8, if memory serves, is that the -8 max attack time was really long, and I used that to effect on occasion. The -6 time seems more normal, which is probably good for everyday sounds. You'll just have to use those knobs again to get those extra-long sweeps. I haven't tried the new effects, but ergonomically I noticed that it's a bit harder to adjust them, since they really require your right hand; using your left hand obscures the LED readout. A minor thing. Overall, I sorta like the OB-style panel layout than the Prophet-6, but IMHO the Prophet-12 is more refined still.

Bottom line: if you've drooled over "the good old days" of analog poysynths, the last coupla years have been amazing. If you can only buy one synth, you have lots of new choices. If you can afford to get them all, your analog dreams come true. IMHO these three, the Prophet-12, Prophet-6, and OB-6 are in a league of their own. Which one(s) you choose is up to you. They all sound fantastic, and they all offer different colors in the audio palette. The Prophet-12 is great for deep programmers; the Prophet-6 is spot-on Prophet, and the OB-6 is spot-on Oberheim. You really can't go wrong.

Thanks, Dave and Tom!!