we'll here it is... new Obie SEM w MIDI/CV ..

[clusterchord]

fresh posted on AH mailing list.. supposed to be under a grand..

[chrisrnps]

Ack.

That certainly complicates the whole "should I order a SEMblance or save up for the Telemark" quandary, doesn't it?

[clusterchord]

yeah indeed it odes. speaking of Telemark, i'm wondering if the back panel of this new SEM is hiding some extra cv/gate and audio i/o, to make it fit into modular world..?

leaving that out woudl be shooting oneself in the foot, for this type of specialty product. and phhlease racking options too.

[Derp]

Probably a total different beast from the SEMblance. Even the manual says that it's inspired by the SEM, but not designed to be a clone. Judging by the control layout alone, i can definitely see that. Entirely different designs and different modulation routings. Be slutty, get all three!

[shadowfac]

[idiotboy]

Are you like me and, after looking at the picture, wandered over to Website for Tom Oberheim ?

Old school. Gotta love the guy.

[noizek@t]

Holy mother of satan!

Must hear. Must touch.

Or... is this just a modded SEM, and therefore a hoax? You know, that whole "If it seems too good to be true" thing.

[chrisso]

Yes, the sound of this thing is absolutely key.
If it looks the same, but doesn't sound the same..... it's pointless.

[Logo]

I just saw him speak and show it off in Boston. I don't know how it compares to the og, but it's the same circuit design and sounds really damn fine.

It should take a few months and he's shooting for under a grand...

[Justynfromnz]

I am Preparing the Girlfriend for imminent bank account decimation...

[OurDarkness]

Yeah!

I knew something good would appear!

[Mike6581]

That looks a cracking piece of kit. Thanks Tom, I'll never save any money up for anything!

[Acid Hazard]

This totally kills my "I need a modular" argument i've been having with myself. What to do... what to do...

[Transistor]

I suddenly found myself drooling. That can't be a healthy reaction.

r,
j,

[Phaidon]

Originally Posted by Justynfromnz

I am Preparing the Girlfriend for imminent bank account decimation...

Good luck bro!

[Acid Hazard]

Maybe i'll get lucky and this get released right around the time of my B-Day =o]

[chrisso]

Is a single SEM that droolworthy?
Back in the day Oberheim didn't package it in anything less than 2 Voice configuration.

[Transistor]

Originally Posted by chrisso

Is a single SEM that droolworthy?
Back in the day Oberheim didn't package it in anything less than 2 Voice configuration.

I have personal reasons for this particular instance of gear-lust. And it's not even for myself.

r,
j,

[nofi]

Originally Posted by chrisso

Is a single SEM that droolworthy?
Back in the day Oberheim didn't package it in anything less than 2 Voice configuration.

I'm sure I've seen single SEMs as a finished box - well - pictures of them, at least.... They look a lot like that picture of the new one, but without the tekkologikal bit on the side.

anyway - yeah - I think these days people have a lot more ability to multitrack and sample and basically overcome the limitation in only having one note (and there's a lot of music based on lead sounds from monophonic instruments!)

I've been looking really hard for an original SEM for the last year, with no luck (well, i found one, but the seller was overseas and I didn't trust him, so no sale).. I'm very keen to see how this new one goes.

[clusterchord]

Originally Posted by chrisso

Is a single SEM that droolworthy?
Back in the day Oberheim didn't package it in anything less than 2 Voice configuration.

so youre saying its not a big enough sound to be used monophonic ?!?

only if you have a four-voice, right ?


i certainly think it is big enough. discrete vcos, SEM SVF etc.. to me, poly sounds only as good as its single voice sounds. and sequences running mono SEM voice, and changing filter with another row, are to die for. and if Tom got close to the original, this is definetely droolworthy.





anyway, old SEM and new SEM (again stealing the link from [AH] ):

[chrisso]

Originally Posted by clusterchord

so youre saying its not a big enough sound to be used monophonic ?!?

only if you have a four-voice, right ?

A single SEM is nice, but not exactly deserving some of the hyperbole in this thread IMO.
You're right, I've never been that satisfied with only one of my SEM's.
As a single voice, mono synth it is severely limited.
I do love the SEM, I just think two are more than double the fun of one.

[Mike6581]

It'd be great if you could use it as a MIDI-CV converter as well as a sound module as that'd kill two birds with one stone. It'll depend quite a lot on the price whether I buy one or not. If it's a similar price to the Mopho, I'll bite Oberheim's hand off. If it's more like the price of a Little Phatty, I can't justify it. With the price of the pound plumetting compared to the dollar, it will more likely be the latter if the figure of $1000 is true.

I think the reason there's hyperboly attached to it is because there's so few products out there like this. In theory you could link a couple together (or even four), it'd be really nice if you could have it so they could be poly-chained. Now that would be an interesting piece of kit. A suitable wing-man to your Oberheim Four Voice, perhaps Chrisso?

[clusterchord]

well true, the arhitecture is limited. however if it gets the necessary cv and audio interfacing to make it a semi-modular, it's gonna be very easy to overcome that.


looking from a modular perspective: you are basically getting 2 original OB vcos with thick sound, a multimode SEM, two envelope gens, VCA and a midi/cv.. for a thousand. thats sensational. to buy this in MOTM or MODCAN it would require going way higher price-wise. and one still wouldn't get the authentic OB sound, in case he/she wants one.

if a synth has good foundation at the source level i.e. good vco/vcf/vca, it's easy to make it as complex modulation-wise later. it will always sound great. most of the time, it doesn't work other way arround i.e. crap + lotta complex mods = pile of crap



@Mike: you cannot possibly compare pricing of a Mopho, that's a DCO based synth w little CEM voiceprocessor chip covering VCF/VCA, to a VCO discrete based machine like this, w multimode filter and all. they just cannot be produced at DSI pricepoint, and have a viable business.

[Mike6581]

Maybe the Mopho pricing is a bit of wishful thinking! I just hope it's not too expensive. If it's around £500 I might consider it. If it's the price of a Little Phatty (about £900) I coudn't justify it it myself (or the other half). If you shop around you can still get a hell of a lot of vintage synth bang for buck with that kind of money.

[rachel]

I want one. I don't have any Oberheim sounds in my setup. I like the sound of Amerikan
synths layered with the Japanese ones. It's like a California roll

I have been looking for something Oberheim sounding but they are pretty rare over here.
I have always looked at the OB1 as something like a classic sounding synth so one can only
hope that a similar reboot is in store for it, just like the SEM. Perhaps we will see 2 models
of the SEM - the MIDI version and a CV version with a simpler panel to make a four voice.

Stupid question - does this thing store patch memory? It has enough computer bits
in it to do so?!


rachel

[steveman]

Originally Posted by rachel

Stupid question - does this thing store patch memory? It has enough computer bits
in it to do so?!
rachel

Highly unlikely, only computer bits are in the MIDI/CV converter.

[Yoozer]

Originally Posted by rachel

Stupid question - does this thing store patch memory?

The controls say no. The display on the left seems to be purely for MIDI settings, and the tiny buttons seem to be for external modulation.

Patch memory would require the presence of bank/patch buttons, or something similar; the display's buttons only seem to have "up" and "down" to quickly switch MIDI channels.

[oldgearguy]

Not to start a debate on this, but a question to anyone that was there/heard the discussion -- did Mr Oberheim mention whether it was surface mount or through hole design?

Just curious since the form factor looks so much like the original.

Plus, if it was through hole, that means all the modifications to bring patchpoints out might still apply...

[massimo]

If these cannot be linked to have a polysynth if desired, it's a shame. After all, you can do so with Voyagers. I guess when most people think of the Oberheim SEM sound, they have the polyphonic Fourvoice in their mind and in their desires, rather than a single mono voice. My guess, but I may be wrong.

Best regards
Massimo

[Beermaster]

Nothing I have ever used sounds as big ballsy and downright Amazing as a real Oberheim SEM. It makes me grin just tweaking them. ONE SEM out weighs stacks of other VCOs - Its just sounds that GOOOD

Never need more than two SEMS as that would be just insane. I use my fourvoice as individual mono synths.