At the 2015 NAMM Show, Oberheim was showing their modern recreation of their classic Two-Voice analog synthesizer.
Here’s a video intro, via sonicstate:
Features:
- Mini-Sequencer is enhanced – you still generate a sequence with the knobs ( up to 16 positions ) but you can store sequences from the knobs into flash memory
- Two sequences can be played simultaneously (or play one sequence while also playing on the keyboard, like the old one)
- After sequences are stored in flash memory, you can edit them to add 2-way, 3-way or 4-way ratcheting and you can program the gate length from zero (like a rest) up to almost the complete step length
- Sequences can be chained into songs, and each step in a song can be programmed for sequence number, transpose amount and number of repeats
- Sequencer syncs to Midi Clock
- Keyboard outputs velocity and pressure
- Each module (both SEMs, Mini-Sequencer, Keyboard Control) has mini-jack patch points (56 patchpoints)
- Pitch and Modulation wheels
- Pan pots
- Headphone output
- Separate Vibrato LFO
The price of the new Tom Oberheim Two Voice Pro Synthesizer is $3,495. See the Oberheim site for details.
Nice, but too expensive for me.
i do wish Tom had managed to get this down to around 2k…he would have sold a truckload. I dont think 2k is too unreasonable a recommendation seeing as Moog’s Sub37 is well under that and also a Duo- poly lead synth made in the USA. Shame its just too many notes for me as well.
To be fair. The Two Voice is a bit more like two Sub 37s in one. And you won’t find all those patch points on the Moog. With that in mind the price doesn’t seem so bad (although I’ll probably never be able to afford one).
This quality of instrument is better to look at as a sort of musical investment. It is a steep price to pay for a modern synth, but not for a modern instrument-quality tool. I own a 1976 Oberheim Four Voice, and all it has needed since its creation is a check up on the digital logic bits that make up the keyboard circuit. Thats all. It is all discrete components (minus the CMOS littered about the keying circuit, but even those have modern replacements), and has the potential to outlast all ther other gear I have simply because of its design. Barring some external catastrophe, it has the potential to last indefinitely. I would say that is worth saving up for. It took me 7 years to save up for the FVS.
I am torn on this one as this may be my favorite of the classics. The price is steep for me at this time. If this had been issued two years ago, would have been more possible.
This or a Prophet 6 seems like a no-brainer. I know OB has always been on the pricey end, but $3,500 is rough.
When Mr. Oberheim decided to bring this back, he made some changes. So why not give the SEM 2 ADSR envelopes? Moog did that when they brought out the MiniMoog successor. And the price? You’ve got to be kidding me. I’d rather have a Korg Kronos and use the analog modeling on it.
If you’d prefer to use analog modeling, you aren’t the target market.
nobody really ‘needs’ this synth. it is a luxury product for those willing to pay. nothing wrong with that.
good news is: the industry strongly gets back into analog. choice gets bigger, competition gets stronger, future gear will adapt to the market (ie the users) better than gear today. so look forward to seeing some of the dream machines like this one soon on ebay. they have been there before. just wait for it.
Great product but if Oberheim wants to compete at all that price needs to drop, at least a grand. I’d love to have one but I couldn’t do so comfortably or without selling other gear, which is unsatisfactory for me. I’d love to see Oberheim do some entry level type stuff with products in the mid-hundreds range and then have this as their flagship at around $1700-$2000… But this won’t be happening I imagine. Legendary synth makers, horrible businessmen. Know the market.
Oberheim doesn’t need to compete, nor does he necessarily want to – I believe he said that the sem remakes were basically hand assembled in his garage. I expect the business model is to sell a small number at a price that makes the business sustainable, without the huge overhead and inventory of a large company.
Wonder if he bring back the beast, the 16 voice unit, so many have stated it is the things dreams are made of
You mean the 16 oscillator Eight Voice unit?
Looks nice! If this one was around 2k I would definitely consider it. 3,5k is just a bit too pricey for a duophonic synth without patch storage. If Dave Smith can bring an all-analogue 6-voice polysynth with 1000 patch memories and all the bells and whistles for 2,8k (2,5k street), I can see no reason why the price for this one should be this high…and TBH, Sequential is as big a name as it’s Oberheim…
A beautiful machine for a select market (like the voyager & the new modular).
I was always a SCI (& Roland) user…P-6 & Pro-2 for me.
However, if I do win the lottery, I’ll have the lot.
I happen to have two SEMs by Tom, and I am able to play them duophonically. True, it’s not exactly the same as this, but you can have both for under 2 grands, which seems to me pretty reasonable. While this 2 voice is not a product for everyone, Tom should be praised to have this on the market. We should all care for Tom and Dave Smith, without them and of course Bob, maybe now we would be forced to make music (kind of) with our phones. Thank you Tom!!!
Only two? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBU60E4AGwI
i love the little bass line in the background.
bim bom bim bub bub bub bom
It’s pricey for what you get.. but truly nice. However – why the sequencer?? Sequencers are one thing that digital does better. As well as poly keyboards etc.. I’d rather buy a synth with even more SEM’s than one with a sequencer. Most of us are stuffed with sequencers these days.. on our iPADS, mobile phones and computers. I see no reason why to build them into instruments (except maybe large work stations)..
Price aside, this synth seems pretty bad ass. I look forward to a comprehensive demo from Nick.
Hasn’t the two voice pro been out for a while now?
Tom has been building these entirely by himself by hand. Hence the very limited number that have been available. He’s been doing it mainly for the love of doing it again. The Two-Voice Pro is a really fine instrument with a very big, beautiful vintage tone. Put it in Unison mode and pan the two SEMs hard right and hard left respectively and you’ve got a true stereo 4-oscillator sound unlike anything else out there. Fantastic.
Eivind – I would have wholeheartedly agreed with your sequencer comment up until just recently, when I got a Korg Volca Keys. It’s my third analog synth but first non-workstation with a sequencer and I’ve been using it in just the 16 step mode. I haven’t even bothered to press the flux button yet because of the immense joys I’ve realized recording real time into a traditional 8 or 16 step sequencer (to which LFO and analog delay are synced). It’s amazing, and hugely a creative boost to work with those step loops on the machine and forget everything else. Then I record them into Logic (rather than flux on the Volca to do any midi sequencing beyond the 16 steps I can use creatively there with step trigger and active step I would use Logic or iOS sequencer). The biggest limitation is no octave/note transpose once notes are in there – Which the Oberheim has.