Of course, some diehard analog fans will remain determined to buff and polish (and repair) their classic synths, which is commendable. One of the reasons I’ve been moving my studio away from vintage gear in favor of detailed recreations that replicate their sound digitally (like the Roland Boutiques and System-8) or modern analog reissues of classics ( Korg Odyssey and MS-20 Mini) is that vintage gear is expensive to maintain in a pristine state. My Music Radar masterclass shows you how to get the most out of of each of these synths. Consequently, if you’re in the mood for a Model D but can’t afford the real thing, these hardware and software interpretations can get you there, but with greater flexibility than the original and at a price that won’t break the bank. And ApeSoft Mood, an iOS take on the Mini, approaches the original’s iconic filter behavior while adding sampling and FM to its array of Moogish oscillators. For example, the Arturia Mini V has modulation amenities that would be impossible to do with analog hardware alone, whereas the Roland SE-02 offers far more flexibility than the original. Its architecture has been the basis for countless analog monosynths to follow and its sound remains so distinctive that Moog recently reissued a circuit-perfect, limited-edition version for those with a devotion to authenticity.īut the modern era has brought us software and hardware versions of the Minimoog architecture that update the synth’s essential characteristics in ways that reflect the march of technology since 1971. Make no mistake, the Minimoog Model D was the synthesizer that kickstarted our industry. So with Korg’s reissue of the Odyssey available in three formats (keyboard, module, and the Odyssei iOS app), my Music Radar masterclass takes a closer look at its vast capabilities, using the tabletop version as our frame of reference. Korg’s ARP Odyssey re-issues are available in a tabletop version, a module version, and the Odyssei app.Įven now, the classic Odyssey’s features are capable of textures that we normally associate with modular gear, which makes sense as the Odyssey was basically a slimmed-down version of the 2600-arguably the synth that first brought modular to the masses. On the ARP side, the duophonic Odyssey included lowpass and highpass filters, hard sync, ring mod, and incredibly sophisticated modulation resources. On the Moog side, the Mini offered three oscillators, Bob’s massive filter, and ease of use. At the time, the Minimoog and ARP Odyssey were the two dominant mainstream monosynths. ARP “war” was just as passionate as the Mac vs. Familiar sounds practically fall out of the unit with minimal effort.Īnd thanks to Tom Oberheim, Marcus Ryle, and Dave Smith, the sound is… huge.īack in the early ’70s, the Moog vs. The Thompson Twins, Depeche Mode, Simple Minds, along with art-wave pioneers Japan and Ultravox, all used Oberheims in crafting their early records-and it’s astonishing how much these instruments influenced the sound of vintage synthwave. Sure, Van Halen’s “Jump” brass sound is a trademark of the OB series, but it’s also the sound of Prince and Jam & Lewis (aka The Minneapolis Sound), as well as a striking number of UK synthwave artists from the early 80s. ![]() When I first fired it up, I was startled by how much it instantly evoked the sound of artists who relied on it for multiple hits. After programming it for a month (and comparing it to other analog gear in my rig), I can confirm that the Oberheim OB-X8 is a truly fantastic beast with an incredibly specific sound, much like last year’s spot-on reissue of the original Prophets 5 and 10.
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