GForce Oberheim OB-E (Serial Nr + Download)

The OB-E – An Oberheim Octaphonic Sonic Adventure

The Oberheim OB-E is GForce’s take on the legendary Oberheim® 8-Voice and the first software instrument ever to receive Tom Oberheim’s personal endorsement. More than just an emulation, the OB-E offers a unique musical experience. Sounding HUGE, it takes the iconic Synthesizer Expander Module (SEM®) based 8-Voice (a.k.a the EVS) into new sonic territory via a raft of enhancements and additions.

The concept of the 8-Voice is actually very simple; based around a single SEM containing two VCOs with Pulse and Sawtooth waveforms, two ADS Envelope Generators, one LFO, and a magical Multi-Mode Filter. In isolation each SEM is monophonic, but in the 8-Voice, because there are eight SEMs triggered by a polyphonic keyboard, you have a superb eight note polyphonic synthesizer.

This unique Octaphonic architecture offers fresh and exciting creative possibilities to music producers, composers and sound designers for the first time in the digital realm.

An Augmented Yet Authentic Instrument

Every section of the synth has been painstakingly emulated to ensure sonic authenticity while adding the convenience of software control over those eight SEMs. Mono, Mono Legato, Poly, Unison and Split keyboard modes are all available. Add to this the new VCO3, doubling as an audio rate LFO for each SEM, and a stack of additional performance controls via velocity, polyphonic after-touch and MPE control then you’ll begin to understand the depth of musical possibilities OB-E provides.

A Collaboration with Oberheim and New ‘Vintage’ Control

As GForce neared the release of OB-E®, they were contacted by Tom Oberheim and Marcus Ryle (an Oberheim engineer in the 1980s) who were impressed enough to suggest a collaboration offering support to refine OB-E and to release the v2 update carrying their full endorsement. Despite receiving several Best Soft Synth 2021 awards, working under the guidance of Tom and Marcus, the already incredible sounding OB-E was further enhanced. Refining the Detune feature and adding a new Vintage control dials in more realistic musical inaccuracies in line with the original instrument for a truly authentic 8-Voice experience.

New in OB-E v2

The enhanced OB-E v2 is a pin sharp emulation of the Oberheim® 8-Voice thanks to the new Vintage control and a highly refined Detune parameter. In addition, it’s now available for both macOS and Windows. OB-E v2 features a new reverb, 100+ new Patches (bringing the total to over 700), a new Zoom function for the sequencer along with a crazy new Drum Mode enabling each SEM to be triggered by a dedicated key. 10 drum kit Presets are included to get you started. If you are looking for a new analog drum machine, give it a go, it might surprise you.

Creative Sequencer, Stereo Delay & Reverb

And that’s not all! With the original MS-1 sequencer as a starting reference point, an extremely comprehensive and creative 8-step Sequencer has been integrated, providing a flexibility and fun-factor unavailable via the original hardware. In keyboard Split mode with the Sequencer routed to SEM 8, the OB-E provides the ability to create a complete three part soundscape within a single Patch. An all-new routable Stereo Delay and lush Reverb provides sonically complementary effects.

More Than Eight Voices Put Together

The 8-Voice is not simply eight identical SEMs put together. The interaction of those 8 independent, and slightly different Synthesizer Expander Modules, plays a major role in making the 8-Voice’s sound so incredibly beautiful. The injection of these authentic inaccuracies into each of the eight SEMs in OB-E takes it to another level, one that blurs the lines between the hardware, and makes OB-E the most authentic emulation of the Oberheim SEM sound and 8-Voice instrument.

Finally, the instrument is complemented with 700+ factory Patches designed by Dave Spiers and a roster of brilliant sound designers. Even better, each Patch has been tagged, categorised and is quickly accessible from the OB-E’s librarian (arrow navigation friendly).

Oberheim OB-E v2 – key features

• [New] 100+ New presets
• [New] Vintage knob & Refined Detune parameter
• [New] Matrix Reverb
• [New] Drum Mode and 10 drum kits presets
• [New] PC support, VST3 and Apple Silicon Native
• [New] Sequencer Zoom
• [New] Flexible scaling UI
• A sonically authentic emulation of the Oberheim® 8-Voice
• 700+ factory Patches designed to fit in a mix, all tagged and categorised
• Librarian for easy access to the presets (Arrow Keys Navigation)
• ZOOM to enlarge an individual SEM filling the UI with front & rear panels side by side
• Group and Offset modes to edit all SEMs at once
• Individual SEM Copy/Paste/Save
• Upper/Lower SEMs can be Split across the keyboard
• Multi-faceted analogue style sequencer
• Extensive Velocity & Aftertouch modulation, Pan and Volume per SEM
• Polyphonic aftertouch and MPE

System requirements

Mac – supported formats

• Intel and Apple Silicon native
• Standalone application
• AudioUnit
• AAX
• VST2
• VST3

Mac – minimum system requirements

• Intel or Apple Silicon Mac
• macOS 10.13 or above

PC – supported formats

• Standalone application
• VST
• VST3
• AAX

PC – minimum system requirements

• 2GHz CPU with 2GB RAM
• Windows 7 and above

Installation

Your purchase includes a product key, delivered by email. Register and install it as follows:

1. Go to gforcesoftware.com and click the account icon. Log in, or select Signup to create an account.
2. In My account, click Register a Product.
3. Select the product from the Product Name dropdown and enter the product key you received from Koala Audio.
4. Check the product shown matches your purchase, then click Register.
5. The instrument is now registered to your account. The code to unlock it is available with the downloads on the My Instruments page, so you no longer need the code from your purchase email.
6. On the My Instruments page, download the GForce Installer for Mac or PC. It manages every GForce instrument and sound in one place.
7. Open the GForce Installer and log in with the same account.
8. Under All Products, find the instrument and click Install. Installed instruments show their version and update from the same screen.

Legal notice: All trademarks, service marks, trade names, and company names are the property of their respective owners. Oberheim, OB-X, SEM, and DMX are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners, including Tom Oberheim, Sequential, and Marion Systems, LLC, as applicable, and are used by GForce Software under license as part of an official collaboration.