Iconic Oberheim synths used by countless legendary musicians
Here at GForce, we’ve painstakingly emulated every section of the Oberheim OB-E and Oberheim SEM to ensure sonic authenticity, right down to the analog inaccuracies of the original hardware instruments thus blurring the lines between analog character and digital precision. Every functional addition to these instruments was chosen to compliment the existing feature set and, very specifically, because it enhanced the sonic and musical qualities of the originals.
In the decades following the release of this now iconic synth, the Oberheim SEM has been used by countless legendary musicians, making the Oberheim SEM one of the most revered synthesizers of all time.
The Oberheim Bundle includes:
- The Oberheim OB-E v2– The award winning, Tom Oberheim endorsed emulation of the unique Oberheim 8 Voice. Eight SEM voices, each independently programmable, giving the instrument a unique architecture amongst synths and, most importantly, a musicality other synths struggle to match. A huge, sublime Patch library offers a fabulous starting point for those in need of instant inspiration.
- The Oberheim SEM – A precise, authentic monophonic Oberheim SEM A big but beautifully creamy sound in a small package with a host of additional features provide this fabulously simple synth with incredibly sonic flexibility.
And with Tom Oberheim’s seal of approval, you can be confident in their authenticity.
The OB-E – An Oberheim Octaphonic Sonic Adventure
The Oberheim OB-E is our take on the legendary Oberheim® 8-Voice and the first software instrument ever to receive Tom Oberheim’s personal endorsement.
More than just an emulation, the OB-E offers a unique musical experience. Sounding HUGE, it takes the iconic Synthesizer Expander Module (SEM®) based 8-Voice (a.k.a the EVS) into new sonic territory via a raft of enhancements and additions.
The concept of the 8-Voice is actually very simple; based around a single SEM containing two VCOs with Pulse and Sawtooth waveforms, two ADS Envelope Generators, one LFO, and a magical Multi-Mode Filter. In isolation each SEM is monophonic, but in the 8-Voice, because there are eight SEMs triggered by a polyphonic keyboard, you have a superb eight note polyphonic synthesizer.
This unique Octaphonic architecture offers fresh and exciting creative possibilities to music producers, composers and sound designers for the first time in the digital realm.
THE OBERHEIM SEM – A SIMPLE MONOPHONIC SYNTH WITH A HUGE SOUND
When Tom Oberheim created the first Oberheim® Synthesizer Expander Module (model SEM-1) in 1974, he had one goal – to make a synth that sounded great, whilst being extremely simple to use. In the decades since the release of this iconic synth, it’s been used by countless legendary musicians, making the SEM one of the most revered synthesizers of all time.
As well as painstakingly recreating the huge, unmistakable sound of the SEM, the GForce Oberheim SEM also recreates the ethos of the original – a simple monophonic synth that allows you to shape incredible sounds in an instant. And with Tom Oberheim’s seal of approval, you can be confident in its authenticity. Add to this more than 400+ categorised patches, and inspiration is just moments away.
GForce Oberheim SEM versus OB-E
We have added to the GForce Oberheim SEM some tools that we think are useful in a monosynth. There’s an arpeggiator and a simple 32-step step sequencer. You can also split the portamento rates between the VCOs that OB-E can’t do.
On the other hand, GForce Oberheim OB-E is not just composed of 8 x SEM, it’s made of 8 different SEMs which put together sound majestic as in the original Oberheim 8 Voice hardware.
Ultimately, we see OB-E versus SEM more as a mindset and workflow difference, a mentality to approaching the sound creation that we think compliments OB-E. It’s a simpler approach, but very rewarding. In the end, yes, you could get the same sounds out of OB-E, or close approximations, but the different workflow naturally leads to different outcomes.
What does OB-E adds over the SEM?
- 7 x SEMs, Polyphony and a unique 8-Voice Octaphonic architecture
- Vintage knob parameter for added character
- Continuous, round-robin mode where each note uses a new voice
- ZOOM enlarges an individual SEM filling the UI with front and rear panels side by side
- Group mode to edit all Modules at once
- Individual SEM Copy, Paste and Save
- Multiple triggering modes; Polyphonic, Monophonic, Mono Legato, & Unison
- Fully featured analogues style MIDI Sequencer, Stereo Delay and lush Reverb
- Upper/Lower sections can be Split across the keyboard
- Drum Mode
Features
- Oberheim OB-E, an authentic sounding emulation of the Oberheim® 8-Voice.
- Oberheim SEM, a truly authentic monophonic SEM experience and sound – small package, big sound!
- 700+ OB-Efactory Patches designed to fit in a mix, all tagged and categorised.
- 400+ SEMfactory Patches, all tagged and categorised.
- OB-Ecan load SEM
- SEMcan load individual SEM presets from OB-E.
