Added: 4 years ago
From: virtualoberheim
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  • what's the POINT of analog synth if it's end up in DAW?

  • sonicprojects op-x go home

  • you couldn't have matched the volumes a bit better?

  • If you want to hear music from NEURON !!!!! Welcome to neuronaluniverse's channel

  • 100 bucks isn't a bad price for a soft synth IMO...is what I paid for Arturia's MinimoogV and GForce's Oddity (among others). Given the A/B demo, the plug-in sounds pretty good. May not be the OB-X exactly, but still good in it's own right.

  • I think this is the closest sounding vsti to hardware next to the Korg Legacy series and D16 plugins.

  • i noticed that the real deal, has a lot more seperation between the notes, they are all distinct and recognisable in chords, and they sort of mush together on the software. thanks for the demo's love the obie's. :D

  • i realized.. i must buy a synth.

  • I think you have to consider the fun factor of analog synths. Computers can sometimes suck the life out of you. Make my funk the P-FUNK

  • One of the great things about real analog synths is the physics. They really can be inspiring by themselves - metal, wood, big knobs, the clicking of the buttons, even the smell. It's something real. But everyone who owns real analog hardware synths will agree that there are too a lot of disadvantages - weight, big size, breaking electronics (!!), no midi, limited memory, noise, lacking flexibility etc. etc..So when software can catch the sound up to 95% this is still a great experience! :-)

  • thats an excellent reply.....

  • @virtualoberheim

    My piano teacher who is pretty old school told me that he really hasn't been too impressed with digital synths until about 7 years ago or so,

  • I own an OBX 8 voice and its never sounded as thin and tinny as either of these.

  • Audio is bad indeed, due to combined wmv and youtube compression - neither of them sounds thin at all in reality - I'll probably soon put a better video; Youtube is simply no suitable place to judge audio details - plus audio of these was recorded completely dry directly to wav, no room impression at all; this makes them a bit hard and unrounded

  • Comment removed

  • yeah, I have an ob-xa and there's no comparison to analog. it's warmer, fatter and sounds better all the time.

    same for analog recording vs. digital

  • That warmth is probably distortion. Once you get past a certain money threshold, good analogue and good digital sound just as good IMHO. That money threshold is getting lower as time goes on too.

  • This is fiction and written by someone who simply doesn't know.

  • Think about the original statement of analogue vs digital recording and think about what I said. I've been in pro-level recording studios for 20 years champ and I've gladly used both types of recording gear. You can't definitively say one is better than the other at the top end of the market. I doubt you'd be able to hear the difference. In skilled hands, it simply doesn't matter, to say nothing of using decent mics and outboard gear.

  • I think that they did a very good job on this one but the analog is darker and thus warmer. Maybe with some EQ they can be made identical.

  • Yeah i think so .. i tried with some EQ on it and it sound the same or even better... you need to cut the mid & boost a lil bit the low..

  • Well they did a nice job on the simulation. It comes quite close to the real thing. But I hate to say it, the real OB-X sounds better! There is a undeniable smoothness and warmth to the real thing that the simulation lacks. Basically, the real own sounds alive / floating, while the simulation sound to clean and dead.

  • Clean and dead? Did you actually try it out? No one on earth has said that so far about OP-X, including many famous artists and many reviewers in big magazines; YouTube is a bad medium to judge sound details

  • Unfortunately for the sims fans the video speaks for it self. Although I agree that youtube won't make anything sound better, this does affect BOTH the OP-X and the real Oberheim. So in a way you could expect the difference between the direct output from the OB-X and the OP-X to be even bigger! I did indeed not try the OP-X, but I do own several real analog synthesizers so I know what a sounds like. Don't get me wrong, I think the OP-X can still be a real useful tool. just don't compare ;)

  • Well I just finished reading the other comments (I didn't read them before my first post), and the general opinion seems to be: "close but still sounds somewhat to digital." So for the "No one on earth has said that", please read the other comments as well. But don't take this as a personal attack, because so far I haven't heard a single virtual analog that sounds completely convincing. And this one seem to be one of the better ones even still.

  • true...software emulations are still lacking something...but as for VA's go...try the alesis ION...it sounds 100% like a real analog.

  • Sorry dude, but alesis synths suck .

  • They did before the andromeda and the ION.

    You obviously haven't tried those.

  • The only one that maybe is the Andromeda. I had kind of forgotten about it.

  • sorry dude, but andromeda rules

  • @ivan00000006

    The ION is fantastic. I've owned one for two years and sounds totally analog.

  • well yeah...but in my opinion it really doesn't matter if ya'll can make it sound exactly the same, cause' that's pretty much impossible even with sampling. there's always gonna be something missing. But as long as it sounds good, that's all that matters. and they do I would say 99.9% sounds similar. I'm a Producer/Sound Engineer and having lack of sound just because it's on youtube is an excuse. it sounds good man...good job :)

  • Very interesting point, I may look further into the laptop possibility. I nearly pulled all of my hair out when I had cubase for a short time. I will tell you that I really like the OPX sounds, and many of those sounds I would find useful since I play many of the songs that they were meant for.

  • I can barely tell any difference. I have owned the OBXA and OB8. Too Bad Sonic Projects doesn't make a real synthesizer with this software. I don't see myself dragging a pc to gigs with me.

  • OP-X is available for Receptor which is a rock solid solution for stage, and it will soon be available too in an adapted version for the V-Machine, which is smaller and cheaper, but not as powerful (but just enough for one instance plus some effects) - paired with a controller it's like a hardware synth then

  • Get a laptop.

  • I never had luck with soft synths, I hate the latency problem. I personally prefer simplicity, and want to get right to making music. I guess even I am started to get outdated.

  • Latency is no problem with a good ASIO soundcard; with a buffer setting lower than 512 samples there's no perceptible latency - with settings lower than 128 it's even better than in some digital hardware synths - and don't forget that the keyboards of synths like OB-X also have a minimal latency because they were demultiplexed by a Z80 processor

  • Soft synths can get down to "barely perceptible" latency with patience. I used to play pipe organs, and those have it much worse. ;) That said, there's no replacement for hardware *IF* you don't mind the cost of purchase, maintenance, space (physical/mixer), lugging it around, etc.

    I may well get one of these, but wish the positive notes came from someone other than virtualoberheim. ;)

    I love the HW/SW shootouts - thanks for posting!

  • sounded pretty close to me........ in a mix with a band i DOUBT anyone would tell.........

  • wow the real OBX beats the simulation in the face and throws it in the trash...good demo

  • imposcar was awesome, but this opx is good but is very more dry and digital than the real oberheim

  • Well please make a REAL OP-X for Mac in stead of this Reaktor version!

    I use RME fireface which is a decent D/A converter - tho not high end.

    Well I have heard that D/A converter argument - but then how come synths with relatively poor D/A converters such as lets say Waldorf Microwave 1 or Early EMU Samplers or sound so good and musical? When software synths sound so sterile and unmusical even through my comparatively much better RME D/A?

  • I take it you are affiliated with SonicProjects?

  • Maybe? ;-) Anyway, what often gets forgotten is that a softsynth only can sound as good as the d/a converter used. This makes a huge difference, I can assure you. Only a stable clock will let pass all the details and depth. The amount of "organicness" you can control with the tuning features in OP-X.

  • unfortunately I drive a Mac and so dont have access to the OP-X vst...

    The WOW timewARP 2600 is the closest analogue emulation I have found. However - Im not a massive Arp fan.

  • sorry but when played and programmed, and in full quality audio - the real OB-X or any analogue synth will sound a lot better than software. Warmer and more organic. Software sounds 'like' the real thing - but there is something missing in the quality of sound. I have the Reaktor OP-X and all it has done is make me want a real one more...Im saving for an OB8. Maybe at NAMM 09 Gmedia will announce their Oberhiem emulation which might be ok - we shall see...

  • Well, it's interesting there are a lot of users that have worked with the real thing for years, and especially those swear by the OP-X :-) You may also check the vst version which has more depth and sounds warmer.

    However it's nevertheless great to own real analog synths, so I only can encourage you to get a real OB-X or OB-8. I would personally never sell my analog stuff, also when it's rarely used anymore due to more flexible software.

  • Unfortunately, Gmedia has dropped production on their S.O.B. Oberheim emulation. But they have incorporated some of its top features into their new ImpOSCar 2 softsynth.

    ImpOSCar 2 looks and, above all, sounds very promising based on a NAMM 2009 video preview.

    I doubt it will be able to reproduce distinct OB-8 sounds, but it could very easily be amoung the top 2-3 virtual analog (analog & digital hybrid) synths to date.

  • They both sound great; a lot alike and yet a lot different. I would definately go with the real thing though.

  • Unfortunately there's a a tiny price difference: the last well serviced and working OB-X (not OB-Xa or OB-8) I saw on ebay went for $3500 - the software is $99 which is less than a pair of woodsides - I would never sell such a rare piece of hardware, but if I had to choose forever (which you actually don't have to) between them I would definitively choose the software because it's WAY more flexible and useful - but of course software can never replace the feel and inspiration of real hardware

  • @virtualoberheim

    VST's cannot be used forever, because they are always tied to an operating system.

    Once the OS doesn't support it any longer, you either are fucked or must keep around a very old computer running an old OS to have your favorite VST's still usable.

    Hardware is better for me, because it runs on it's own...

  • The Synthesis structure is identical. Patches sound identical which is good. The Pluggin definitely sounds crispier with more highs. Factor in that the cables and A/D converters can also make a difference in the sound.

  • Yes, you're right - it depends on many factors, including converters, preamplifying etc. - Furthermore youtube is not a suitable medium to judge sound details - it has got an aweful compression. In the real life the software OP-X in fact is less bright than OB-X, with a bit more weight in the mids. Unfortunately the volumes are not precisely matched in the video, OP-X is a bit louder which may make it a bit more aggressive, and resonance may be a bit higher sometimes too.

  • I could sware you played us and inverted the two,soundwise the first one,you claim is analog, is very weak,slow and sterile,just sounds like a plug in...the other one is alive comparatively and much dirtyer and interesting.... interesting video

  • No, no - it's not inverted, although that might have been an interesting experiment as suggested by nvbrkr :-)

  • Actually sounds pretty close

  • Well, not everyone agree with you, but,actually I agree. Surely I would buy the soft because I don't have 3700 dollars in my wallet just waiting for a new synth to spend on... :)

    With no overkill, I could rate the soft as "acceptable, affordable, and fit". It hasn't the vintage's vibe, but it works..

  • One thing I would suggest doing for this is lowering the volume of OP-X in this video by about 60%. Once I did that, I had a much harder time telling them apart. Naturally analogue will come off as having more movement and less precision, but as is mentioned here, once you start burying it in the mix, it's harder to tell regardless. I'm one of the ones who thinks the extra space, weight, maintenance costs, etc. are worth it, and still, I like OP-X for its character. Both are great.

  • An advantage of OP-X is that you can control it's precision - you can make it sound dirty and pissed off when you deactivate all the tuning knobs or rise the spread knob - but you can also tune individual sections (e.g. filters) for more precision, depending on what's more suitable for a dedicated sound

  • It would have been an interesting experiment to swap the sounds around, and claim that the analog is the digital, and vice versa.

    However - having listened to these clips for many many times now, I think it's rather obvious that one is an analog synth and the other a digital emulation that sounds too one-dimensional and harsh. Did the test even with ear plugs stuffed in my ears, and the difference is still easy to spot. It's no worse than any other VA though.

  • Yeah OB sounds warmer, but the Cutoff filter on OP is set a bit higher, that's why it sounds brighter (thinner).

  • man the ob sounds twice as warm

  • That looks and sounds great.

  • So how do run the software live? Is it a hassle? Is it reliable for club dates with a rock band? How do you do the audio?

  • Oh yes of course - Foreigner, Rooney and Night Ranger did use the software on their tours - Foreigner has bought it for their permanent live setup - the software is available in premium version for Muse Research Receptor which is the most regarded vsti harware player to date used by countless top acts

  • the soft synth is almost identical to the hardware.. sonic projects really did a fantastic job on the emulation, of this synth.

  • Didn't the OB-X have some sort of template presets on which you could customize your sounds off of?

  • The attacks are too harsh/quick on the plug in. Also possibly the oscillators are not free running causing too-hard attacks on every note?

  • The oscillators in op-x are free running - no problem to make attacks slower - there were not spent hours to make the two sound exactly the same (no two real ob-x sound the same) - it was just to show the similar character, the organic feel and the sound of the filters

  • Well i gotta say "VirObhm" this virtual weenie nails "That"

    synth.however do u think a virtual weenie could nail a

    emulation of one of Oberheims real synths,the "8 Voice Modular?

  • Have a look at the bigger brother of OP-X which is called "OP-X PRO" - this one does have an extremely sopisticated multimode filter (a combination of sem and xpander) plus many additional modulation routings

  • I Will check that out! and get back to ya!.

  • really the original sounds a little better more "alive" but because of the comparison we can hear the difference...

    i think that it could almost impossible for me to tell what's the real in a mix

  • Excellent point. Once the hardware OB-X finds itself in a mix it will lose some of its warmth. Not all, but some.

    Very nice softsynth. Very close to the original.

  • nothing beats an analog synth. I can hear the difference.

    I have an OB-XA - needs some repairs. Anyone know a good tech?

  • @rickhorvath I can repair it, but where are you from? I´m from Germany and I have repaired many synth.

  • Hi i have a question, i have 2 OB-X (Version 2 and 3) Possible the sound it's different beetween these versions ? thanks

  • No, the sound of Rev.2 and Rev.3 is exactly the same - there are only two minor differences on the outside (power switch on top and reset button replaced by chord button)

  • what is the function of the chord button ?

  • You can save an interval or chord you hold while clicking this button - the chord can be played now by a single key chromatically (as some did with the minimoog using all three oscillators)

  • Thanks and the reset it's for cancell all the song preset ?

  • Great plugin. Sounds very close to the OBX, but even on this crappy video sound quality, you can clearly notice how digital the VST sounds versus the OBX.

  • Very nice! With the exception of feeling digital, it sounds 100% like the real thing!!

    I bet with the OP-X Pro it sounds even more like the real thing!

  • The original really shows its colours here ...I use softsynths but this is really what its all about.

  • Possibly the best comparative demo I've seen in a lot of time.That's the way to do it,A/B.Also surprised at the results obtained with the OPX.If I hadn't the real thing I'd go for it.

  • Someone know an OBX for sale ?

  • On a side note, I had an OBX project that I put 1000 dollars into, then the power supply supply started on fire. But, if I had another 1000 I would get it fixed, and get the Encore midi kit, cause the OBX is the shite, and I will probably chose analog filters for years to come.

  • you are surely right - a digital clone will probably never sound 100% the same - but in the case of the op-x it has to be said that it's built almoust the same as a real analog polysynth (e.g. completely independent voices, free running oscillators which are never completely in phase) - so it does also behave in wide terms like a real analog - this was also one of the main goals - of course such videos are a poor evidence for that :-) - you better check it out with the demo version

  • It sounds very close to the OB-X, but still an awful lot like a DX-7 as well.

    digital summing and gain staging is the bane of VSTs, and digital synths in general. It's why in a static situation the VST will sound "just like" the real analog, but in use they behave very differently. The real thing in analog will usually sound better, because with digital the summing(waveform mixing) and their phase relationships are a poor substitute for voltage control )-:

  • and, more imprtantly, digital filters are just plain shite compared to analog

  • it depends on how good they are modeled - try out the one of op-x - you will be surprised...

  • Ya- good work - I like what you did.

    I'm speaking more generally, in the world of sound and synthesis technology design, I think the history, to me, shows a lack of really thoughtful investment in making good digital filters. In general digital filters aren't in the same ballpark.

  • damn, nice work man

  • Nice job!!! I love mine opx pro rocks

  • You did a fantastic programming job on this vSTi man, kudos. Better than any software I've heard you really nailed the Oberheim vibe. I look forward to your future creations. peace,

  • Very impressive software!but aint nothin like the real thing baby!!!!

  • Hello oberheimobx - in v2.0 (demo and full version) the first patch is preset number 7 "SEM Resonance Sweep" - just hold the notes to hear the filters sweeping down

  • I have also one...can you give me the first patch ? thanks

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