The OB-6 Desktop represents a rare moment in synthesizer history where two legendary designers—Tom Oberheim and Dave Smith—collaborated to create a modern interpretation of the classic Oberheim sound that defined 1970s and 80s electronic music. This isn't a nostalgic recreation but a thoughtfully engineered instrument that honors that heritage while adding contemporary features like polyphonic sequencing and digital effects.
The core of the OB-6 is its analog signal path built around two discrete voltage-controlled oscillators per voice, each with continuously variable waveshapes that morph between sawtooth and variable-width pulse, plus triangle on the second oscillator. You get a square wave sub-octave generator for added harmonic weight, hard sync capabilities, and an LFO with five waveforms that can modulate everything from oscillator pitch to filter cutoff. The centerpiece is the classic SEM-inspired two-pole state-variable filter with low-pass, high-pass, band-pass, and notch modes—the kind of filter that gives Oberheim synths their characteristic warmth and presence. Dual four-stage ADSR envelopes handle both filter and amplitude, with velocity sensitivity built in. The X-Mod system lets you use the filter envelope and oscillator 2 as modulation sources with bipolar control, opening up dramatic cross-modulation possibilities.
The desktop module measures 20.75 inches wide and weighs 13 pounds, with walnut end panels and a layout that feels intuitive despite the depth of features. You get a polyphonic step sequencer that handles up to 64 steps with six notes per step, plus a full-featured arpeggiator with unison mode, chord memory, and key modes—both sync to external MIDI clock. The effects section combines stereo analog distortion with dual 24-bit digital effects including reverb, delay, chorus, flanger, phase shifter, and ring modulator, with true bypass to keep the signal fully analog when effects are off. The module comes loaded with 500 factory presets and 500 user slots across 10 banks.
Since its release, the OB-6 has earned respect from both vintage synth enthusiasts and modern producers for delivering genuine Oberheim character without sounding dated.
