Oberheim OB-Xa

{{Short description|Polyphonic analogue synthesizer}}

{{Infobox synthesizer

| image = Oberheim OBX-a Front.jpg|thumb

| image_caption = Oberheim OB-Xa analog polyphonic synthesizer

| synth_name = OB-Xa

| synth_manufacturer = Oberheim

| synthesis_type = Analog Subtractive

| polyphony = 4, 6 or 8 voices

| timbrality = Bi-timbral (keyboard split/layering)

| oscillator = 2 VCOs per voice

| filter = Switchable 12dB/oct and 24dB/oct resonant low-pass

| attenuator = 2 x ADSR; one for VCF, one for VCA

| left_control = Pitch
Modulation

| lfo = 1

| keyboard = 61 keys

| velocity = No

| aftertouch = No

| memory = 32 or 120 patches

| ext_control = Oberheim system

| fx = None

| dates = 1980 – 1983

| price = US$4595 (4-voice)
US$5595 (6-voice)
US$6195 (8-voice){{cite book|last=Forrest|first=Peter|title=The A-Z of Analogue Synthesizers Part Two: N-Z|publisher=Susurreal|location=Devon, England|date=1996|isbn=0952437716|pages=20–21}}

}}

The Oberheim OB-Xa was the second of Oberheim's OB-series polyphonic analog subtractive synthesizers, replacing the OB-X with updated features.{{cite book |last1=Vail |first1=Mark |title=Vintage Synthesizers |date=1993 |publisher=Miller Freeman Books |location=San Francisco, California |isbn=0-87930-275-5 |page=154}}{{cite web|url=http://www.musicradar.com/us/news/tech/blast-from-the-past-oberheim-ob-xa-601472|title=Blast from the past: Oberheim OB-Xa - MusicRadar|website=Musicradar.com}}

History

The OB-Xa was released in December 1980, replacing the OB-X after only a year on the market. The OB-Xa was the first Oberheim product adorned with blue horizontal pinstripes on black background that would become standard trade dress for future Oberheim products. While the OB-Xa offered the same polyphony as its predecessor (4, 6 and 8-voice models were offered), its keyboard could be split into two halves (each with its own voice) or to layer voices to create thicker sound (essentially making two notes sound for every key pressed). The OB-Xa also added the ability to switch between 2-pole 12 dB and 4-pole 24 dB filtering. It offered Filter Envelope modulation for oscillator 2 (which allows the pitch to be modulated by the envelope) in place of the OB-X's ability to cross modulate (frequency modulation of the first VCO with the second VCO).{{Cite web|date=2016-05-25|title=The 10 Most Widely Influential Synths Ever|url=https://flypaper.soundfly.com/produce/10-influential-synths-ever/|access-date=2021-05-25|website=Soundfly|language=en-US}}

File:Oberheim OB-Xa Internals.jpg

Instead of the discrete circuits for oscillators and filters utilized by the OB-X, the OB-Xa (and the Oberheim synths to follow) switched to Curtis integrated circuits. This made the inside of the synth less cluttered, facilitating troubleshooting, and reducing the cost of manufacture. It was getting more difficult to service the OB-Xa due to the scarcity of Curtis chips; however, Curtis in June 2016,{{cite web|url=http://www.curtiselectromusic.com/|title=Home|website=Curtis Electromusic Specialties|access-date=5 July 2018}} Coolaudio{{cite web|url=https://www.coolaudio.com/features-page.php?product=V3340D|title=V3340D Voltage Controlled Oscillator|access-date=27 April 2020}}{{cite web|url=https://www.coolaudio.com/features-page.php?product=V3320|title=V3320 Voltage Controlled Filter|access-date=27 April 2020}} and Alfa{{cite web|url=http://www.alfarzpp.lv/eng/sc/semiconductor.php|title=Semiconductor production|access-date=27 April 2020}} all started re-manufacturing some of these chips which has breathed new life into the longevity of the OB-Xa and many other synthesizers that use these chips.

Notable OB-Xa users

  • The Carpenters{{Citation needed|date=June 2025}}
  • Miles Davis{{Cite web |date=28 August 2020 |title=The Oberheim synthesizer: a playlist |url=https://blog.scienceandmediamuseum.org.uk/the-oberheim-synthesizer-a-playlist/ |access-date=2021-05-25 |website=National Science and Media Museum blog |language=en-GB}}
  • Brad Fiedel
  • Calvin Harris{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=80&v=Ob4Nk6gz8Ec&feature=youtu.be |title=Calvin Harris, Dua Lipa - One Kiss (Live on The Graham Norton Show) |date=2018-04-20 |last=CalvinHarrisVEVO |access-date=2025-04-11 |via=YouTube}}
  • Billy Idol{{Citation needed|date=June 2025}}
  • Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis{{Cite web |title=Oberheim OB Series |url=https://www.soundonsound.com/sos-past-articles-now-online-back-january-1994 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150606082939/http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/sep98/articles/retro_oberheim.html |archive-date=2015-06-06 |access-date=2025-04-11 |website=Sound on Sound}}
  • New Order
  • Gary Numan
  • The Police
  • Prince
  • Queen
  • Robert J. Walsh
  • Cliff Richard
  • Rush
  • Simple Minds{{Cite journal |last=Bacon |first=Tony |date=July 1982 |title=Fact File (EMM Jul 1982) |url=https://www.muzines.co.uk/articles/fact-file/4297 |journal=Electronics & Music Maker |issue=Jul 1982 |pages=16}}
  • Rod Stewart
  • The Stranglers
  • Thompson Twins
  • Van Halen (main part of their 1984 single "Jump")

Hardware re-issues and recreations

In 2017, Behringer announced it would replicate the CEM3340 VCO chips used in the OB-Xa synthesizer. The widow of chip creator Doug Curtis released a statement clarifying that the replica was made without permission and that Curtis "would be deeply saddened by the attempt of others to trade on his name and to make unsubstantiated claims of equivalency to his original inventions".{{Cite web|title=Curtis chip company speaks out against vintage synth cloning|url=https://www.factmag.com/2017/03/22/curtis-electromusic-vintage-synth-cloning/|date=2017-03-22|website=FACT Magazine|language=en-US|access-date=2020-05-21}} In 2018, Uli Behringer announced that Behringer would be producing a clone of the OB-Xa known as the UB-Xa,{{cite web | url=https://gearspace.com/board/electronic-music-instruments-and-electronic-music-production/1196469-behringer-ub-xa-synthesizer.html | title=Behringer UB-Xa Synthesizer - Gearspace }} but a microprocessor shortage delayed the project.{{cite web | url=https://musictech.com/news/industry/behringer-chip-shortages-worsened-by-ukraine-factory-shutdowns-but-could-be-relieved-by-2023/ | title=Behringer: Chip shortages worsened by Ukraine factory shutdowns, but could be relieved by 2023 }} The following year, however, Behringer announced that the UB-Xa was ready for manufacture, and announced a desktop version. The first UB-Xa units were delivered in December 2023.{{cite web | url=https://musictech.com/news/gear/behringer-ub-xa-oberheim-synth-ready-for-production/ | title=Behringer's long awaited UB-Xa synth is finally ready for production }}

In May 2022, the Oberheim OB-X8, a new 8-voice analog synthesizer with the voice architecture and filters of four classic Oberheim models: the OB-X, OB-SX, OB-Xa, and OB-8, along with functionality and features not included on the original models, was announced. The new synthesizer is manufactured by Sequential in partnership with Tom Oberheim.{{Cite web |last=Rogerson |first=Ben |date=2022-05-10 |title=Superbooth 2022: Oberheim is back with the OB-X8, an analogue love letter to its '80s synths |url=https://www.musicradar.com/news/oberheim-ob-x8-synth-launched |access-date=2022-05-18 |website=MusicRadar |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Willings |first=Sam |date=2022-05-11 |title=Superbooth 2022: Tom Oberheim's OB-X8 lands, carrying on the OB legacy from 1979 with help from Dave Smith |url=https://musictech.com/news/gear/superbooth-2022-tom-oberheim-ob-x8-focusrite-sequential/ |access-date=2022-05-18 |website=MusicTech |language=en-GB}}

References

{{Reflist}}

Further reading

  • {{cite magazine|title=Oberheim In Time|page=70|magazine=Music Technology|date=March 1990|volume=4|issue=4|issn=0957-6606|oclc=24835173}}