Oberheim OB-1

The Oberheim OB-1 was a monophonic, programmable, analog synthesizer introduced by Oberheim Electronics in 1978. It originally sold for $1,895 and was the first analog synthesizer capable of storing patches. The design was a replacement for the previous generation of Oberheim SEM (Synthesizer Expansion Module) based instruments and intended to be used for live performance.[1][2]

OB-1
Oberheim OB-1
ManufacturerOberheim
Dates1978
PriceUS$1,895
Technical specifications
Polyphony1 voice
TimbralityMonotimbral
Oscillator2 VCOs
LFO1
Synthesis typeAnalog Subtractive
Filter2 or 4 pole switchable VCF
Attenuator2 x ADSR; one for VCF, one for VCA
Aftertouch expressionNo
Velocity expressionNo
Storage memory8 patches
EffectsNone
Input/output
Keyboard37-key

Specification

The OB-1 is monophonic version of the Oberheim OB-X, with two VCOs and a Low Pass filter. It also contained an envelope control for both the filter and amplitude.[1]

Notable users of the OB-1 were the composer and musician Vince Clarke and the bands Tangerine Dream, Rush, and The Grid.[1] A 2014 feature on the French radio station France Inter claimed that the OB-1 had been used by the Star Wars sound engineer Ben Burtt to create the voice of R2-D2 and that the name of another Star Wars character, Obi-Wan Kenobi, derives from a transliteration of "OB-1".[3] However, Star Wars was first released in 1977, a year before the OB-1, and most sources credit the ARP 2600 synthesizer as being used to record R2-D2's voice.[4]

References
  1. "Oberheim OB-1". Vintage Synth. Retrieved 14 March 2015.
  2. Moog, Bob (2009). "Oberheim SEM Module". Keyboard Magazine Presents Vintage Synthesizers, p. 172. Backbeat Books
  3. France Inter (18 February 2014. "Star wars Identities: visite virtuelle". Retrieved 25 April 2015 (in French). See also Russ, Martin (2012) Sound Synthesis and Sampling, 3rd edition, p. 333. Taylor & Francis
  4. See for example, Kunkes, Michael (May-June 2009). "Sound Trek: The Audio Explorations of Ben Burtt". Editors Guild Magazine and Pinch, T. J. and Trocco, Frank (2004). Analog Days, p. 273. Harvard University Press
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