Oberheim OBXa RAW, no FX

Published on Feb 1, 2020 synthlegends

"Some of my presets and tweaking of the OBXa. I recorded it directly in stereo into my audio interface without any FX in the signal chain. So you can hear some stereo panning of the panned voices. Also in the DAW I didn't use any mastering, Plug Ins or equalizers.

The OBXa was introduced 1980, its forerunner was the OBX. Where the OBX had discrete VCO and SEM 12 dB filter design, the OBXa had Curtis chips.

The OBXa is quite limited in sound design, because it has no mixer for the waveforms and oscillators. There is only SAW and Pulse with PMW, but it has two filter types 12 dB and 24 dB. The only LFO can modulate PMW for OSC 1 and 2, VCO 1 and 2 and Filter. It has got also a random mode (SH). You can sync OSC 1 to OSC 2, which makes nice lead sounds. There is also an unison mode and portamento.

A great feature of that time was the split and layer mode. A famous split sound is used in 1984 from Van Halen.

The OBXa has not very quick envelopes, but is a fantastic synth for fat strings and pad sounds. PMW modulation by LFO independently for the Oscillators is a dream.

In this video I tried to demonstrate these capabilities for long evolving sounds with sweeping filters and evolving PMW as well.

Thanks for watching."