Back in the mid-80s, this beast took the synth world by storm as Oberheim's ultimate polyphonic powerhouse, packing the brains of the Xpander module into a full keyboard format with double the voices—pure analog tone meets digital wizardry.
At its core, each of the 12 independent voices rocks two analog VCOs pumping out triangle, sawtooth, and pulse waves with PWM, hard sync, and FM from Osc 2 modulating Osc 1 for wild metallic timbres. A standout 15-mode filter delivers everything from 1-4 pole low-pass to high-pass, band-pass, notch, and combo modes, all voltage-controlled for sweeps that no other synth could touch back then. The real magic is the modulation matrix: 27 sources like 5 envelopes, 5 LFOs, 4 ramps, 3 tracking generators, lag processor, velocity, and aftertouch routing to 47 destinations, letting you twist parameters in ways that feel modular but stay playable. It sports a 61-key velocity-sensitive keyboard with channel aftertouch, stores 100 single and 100 multi patches internally, and offers 1 stereo plus 6 individual mono outs for mixing precision.
Players have long praised its fat, aggressive sound—those Oberheim filters cut through mixes like a hot knife—and the matrix for endless sound design depth, though some note the deep programming curve demands patience. Even today, it's a holy grail for collectors chasing that era's bold, characterful poly synth tones.
