GForce Software OB-E
- Thread starter el-bo
- Start date
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Bee_Abney
How long have I been out?
Day 2 of research. This time I compared what I can achieve with OB-E to Bazille, Knifonium, Lion and Thorn as well as sampled synths.
None of them have the sense of size and aliveness of OB-E, but all of them got me closer to the sounds I'm currently looking for.
Interim conclusion from Day 2: buy it eventually or just give in to its greatness.
OB-E might improve my sound, but it would do its best work if I let it transform my sound. Or use it for other, less personal, things.
None of them have the sense of size and aliveness of OB-E, but all of them got me closer to the sounds I'm currently looking for.
Interim conclusion from Day 2: buy it eventually or just give in to its greatness.
OB-E might improve my sound, but it would do its best work if I let it transform my sound. Or use it for other, less personal, things.
vitocorleone123
Senior Member
My OB-6 goes more extreme in several ways than the OB-E, but, even still, without the limited mod matrix, effects, and analog distortion, the OB-6 would definitely be a more "polite" synth - like the OB-E. I do sometimes wish it had 8 voices, though!
Do you have more success with 24db filters? Here's a track I did using the OB-6 for every synth sound except for the drums with its 12db filter. On your Density Scale (tm), how dense is this? The music, not me!! Ha. Just trying to hone in more on what you're seeking.
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Bee_Abney
How long have I been out?
I'll try focusing on the 24 dB filters tomorrow.
I love your track! It's definitely heading in the sort of direction I'm looking to explore. Here's an earlier track of mine made with Diva only (and only the soundset Sylphs by Subsonic Artz). I'm still figuring things out about what I'm aiming for, so your track was a big help to me.
I love your track! It's definitely heading in the sort of direction I'm looking to explore. Here's an earlier track of mine made with Diva only (and only the soundset Sylphs by Subsonic Artz). I'm still figuring things out about what I'm aiming for, so your track was a big help to me.
dunamisstudio
Senior Member
Arturia SEM will just have to do it for me, I just can't keep buying synth VSTs. I can raise its voice count but doesn't as many controls.
vitocorleone123
Senior Member
If you LOVE the SEM sound, genuinely love it, then the OB-E seems worthwhile. Or if you are a collector, of course. I'm still on the fence, like Bee_Abney. I'll probably get it... some time. But I have plenty of synths already, and am still trying to get rid of some synth plugins in the mean time. And if you already have something similar that you're happy with, software or hardware or both, then that lessens the urgency.
EvilDragon
KSP Wizard
Lies! LIES I TELL YA!
I really love the sound, but I'm on the fence as well. Mostly just because I'm really waiting for a high-end synth controller platform that can give me the best of both worlds with physical controls in a proper synth layout but with the convenience of a softsynth. The more recent synths releases (plugins) have really blurred the lines between hardware and software IMO (and they're properly been more than fine in a mix for quite a while)
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Bee_Abney
How long have I been out?
Day 3 of my trial of OB-E in order to see if could give me something that I'm missing and which I have a direct interest in using.
Today, I got some very nice sounds out of OB-E of just the sort that I might want. Rich, bassy, scary and noisy. Still, however, these sounds seem like something that I would use to layer with other sounds rather than as being my main focus. But sometimes it can be the details round the edges of the main sounds that make a real difference.
I played a lot with the filters and also tried switching off the effects. It turns out that, lovely as it is, the reverb has to go for me. I liked what I was getting much better once it was switched off. I also tried adding some external effects. I'd already tried EQ (with high and low filters too) and saturation; this time a added a greater range of static and modulated filtering, as well as some more full-on distortion. My conclusion, as with the internal effects, was that switching all of this off gave me the results I really enjoyed. I did also use some of the internal modulation, and I liked those results better.
Today I did some comparisons, and some layering, with DIVA, Dune, Falcon, Omnisphere, Soundpaint (synth sounds only), Halion, MSoundFactory and Bazille. Yes, I own all of those synths. No, I don't know how to use them all. Yes, I have other synths too.
Shame and guilt of having too much, spending too unwisely, and giving too little back to the world aside - that's right, I'm putting that aside! - this was a good bunch to compare it with. Unsurprisingly, as good as Falcon sounded, it doesn't have convincing analogue-sounding filters. So it sounded best for my purposes to use it for layering, or to use sounds made from organic/acoustic samples. Soundpaint sounded great, but most sounds are initially too quiet and need turning up. It has so much of the life of the instruments sampled. But, sadly, none of the danger. It does lack the fully dangerous quality of a synth that could start squealing or issuing smoke at any time. OB-E captures some of that (indeed, set the filters right and you might accidentally propose to your dog).
Dune 3 always sounded so big to me, but it sound tiny compared to OB-E. But, of course, they aren't like-for-like instruments. They both good at lush, almost shimmering pads, though. MSoundFactory was a struggle for me, as I am not fully confident with it. At least with the sounds I made, they would need layering for the sort of analogue-esque sound I'm looking for. But I expect the synth can achieve something closer to what I'm looking for. Halion sounded gorgeous, but rather wrong. Like Falcon, though, incorporating acoustic samples into the synthesis could be very useful.
DIVA was a big winner for me, which wasn't a surprise. It is designed to do something closer to what I'm looking for than is Zebra. And it definitely delivers. It didn't sound quite as alive and physical as OB-E, but could probably more closely approximate this.
Bazille, however, was easily the winner of the bunch. I made a patch that, on wouldn't quite work as a lead or a bass, but would be perfect for filling out a dense, analogue arrangement. With some modulation, it was every bit as lively as OB-E. It does, of course, sound very different. But, if I had to choose one synth for what I'm trying to do, out of all the ones I've tried, it would be Bazille.
Conclusion. At the end of all this, I have to say that OB-E is a genuinely fantastic soft synth, going about as far as a soft synth can (which may not be very far) to sounding like a physical analogue synth. It is distinctive, yet has some versatility. It can sound nasty. Hooray!
It can add dimensions to my sound that I cannot achieve with any of the other synths I have. A certain halo of high end (even with the high end rolled off somewhat) that Dune can do, but with even greater body and vitality.
Will I buy it? I don't really want to buy anything right now, and yet sales and introductory prices keep happening to change my mind. I am also interested in Palindrome II by Soundpaint, and some of the synthier SA libraries by Spitfire. Not to mention Arturia's new granular plugin. And then there is the Physical Audio sale.
But, one can't have everything, let alone everything right now. So, I may get nothing. But, if I were to spend around £120 at the moment, OB-E would, I believe, be the smart option for the music I am working on right now.
If this helped or interested anyone, great! If it annoyed anyone...
Today, I got some very nice sounds out of OB-E of just the sort that I might want. Rich, bassy, scary and noisy. Still, however, these sounds seem like something that I would use to layer with other sounds rather than as being my main focus. But sometimes it can be the details round the edges of the main sounds that make a real difference.
I played a lot with the filters and also tried switching off the effects. It turns out that, lovely as it is, the reverb has to go for me. I liked what I was getting much better once it was switched off. I also tried adding some external effects. I'd already tried EQ (with high and low filters too) and saturation; this time a added a greater range of static and modulated filtering, as well as some more full-on distortion. My conclusion, as with the internal effects, was that switching all of this off gave me the results I really enjoyed. I did also use some of the internal modulation, and I liked those results better.
Today I did some comparisons, and some layering, with DIVA, Dune, Falcon, Omnisphere, Soundpaint (synth sounds only), Halion, MSoundFactory and Bazille. Yes, I own all of those synths. No, I don't know how to use them all. Yes, I have other synths too.
Shame and guilt of having too much, spending too unwisely, and giving too little back to the world aside - that's right, I'm putting that aside! - this was a good bunch to compare it with. Unsurprisingly, as good as Falcon sounded, it doesn't have convincing analogue-sounding filters. So it sounded best for my purposes to use it for layering, or to use sounds made from organic/acoustic samples. Soundpaint sounded great, but most sounds are initially too quiet and need turning up. It has so much of the life of the instruments sampled. But, sadly, none of the danger. It does lack the fully dangerous quality of a synth that could start squealing or issuing smoke at any time. OB-E captures some of that (indeed, set the filters right and you might accidentally propose to your dog).
Dune 3 always sounded so big to me, but it sound tiny compared to OB-E. But, of course, they aren't like-for-like instruments. They both good at lush, almost shimmering pads, though. MSoundFactory was a struggle for me, as I am not fully confident with it. At least with the sounds I made, they would need layering for the sort of analogue-esque sound I'm looking for. But I expect the synth can achieve something closer to what I'm looking for. Halion sounded gorgeous, but rather wrong. Like Falcon, though, incorporating acoustic samples into the synthesis could be very useful.
DIVA was a big winner for me, which wasn't a surprise. It is designed to do something closer to what I'm looking for than is Zebra. And it definitely delivers. It didn't sound quite as alive and physical as OB-E, but could probably more closely approximate this.
Bazille, however, was easily the winner of the bunch. I made a patch that, on wouldn't quite work as a lead or a bass, but would be perfect for filling out a dense, analogue arrangement. With some modulation, it was every bit as lively as OB-E. It does, of course, sound very different. But, if I had to choose one synth for what I'm trying to do, out of all the ones I've tried, it would be Bazille.
Conclusion. At the end of all this, I have to say that OB-E is a genuinely fantastic soft synth, going about as far as a soft synth can (which may not be very far) to sounding like a physical analogue synth. It is distinctive, yet has some versatility. It can sound nasty. Hooray!
It can add dimensions to my sound that I cannot achieve with any of the other synths I have. A certain halo of high end (even with the high end rolled off somewhat) that Dune can do, but with even greater body and vitality.
Will I buy it? I don't really want to buy anything right now, and yet sales and introductory prices keep happening to change my mind. I am also interested in Palindrome II by Soundpaint, and some of the synthier SA libraries by Spitfire. Not to mention Arturia's new granular plugin. And then there is the Physical Audio sale.
But, one can't have everything, let alone everything right now. So, I may get nothing. But, if I were to spend around £120 at the moment, OB-E would, I believe, be the smart option for the music I am working on right now.
If this helped or interested anyone, great! If it annoyed anyone...
Pier
kiffaudio.com
Behringer is releasing a 2 voice SEM copy for $299:
https://www.synthanatomy.com/2022/0...wo-voice-analog-synthesizer-for-eurorack.html
https://www.synthanatomy.com/2022/0...wo-voice-analog-synthesizer-for-eurorack.html
Bee_Abney
How long have I been out?
Behringer is releasing a 2 voice SEM copy for $299:
https://www.synthanatomy.com/2022/0...wo-voice-analog-synthesizer-for-eurorack.html
Very appealing.
dunamisstudio
Senior Member
That might be the first Behringer synth I'll get.
elucid
Member
Love this piece of music! It got my attention straightaway and kept it - I like that and it’s unusual. Really interesting stuff.
Bee_Abney
How long have I been out?
That's very kind of you to let me know. We all need a bit of encouragement from time to time!
Well, that and devastating but accurate criticism of where we can improve...
rectifried
Member
I dont know if I have a lot of VI synths ,... Zebra2, Omni2... then all those Komplete things that .. hmmm..well I use Kontact mostly lol... got SonicProjects OBx a long time ago but have to use a wrapper in protools
But this?.. It is amazing. Just stunning. bought
But this?.. It is amazing. Just stunning. bought
vitocorleone123
Senior Member
3 years later I finally bought it.
It still holds up.
In fact, it might be my favorite emulated virtual analog polysynth to date. So it's currently sharing "top billing" with Twin3, along with Spire and Kontakt. Everything else is in a sub-folder (or deleted).
Picked it up for $84 in the Thomann BF sale.
I know it wouldn't have been true to the original, but ADS envelopes are kinda "meh". My SE-02 synth has those and if that, and now the OB-E, weren't so good sounding I'd avoid using them. Really wish the OB-E had ADSR envelopes (and a few more mappings, like why can't velocity or aftertouch be mapped to the filter mod?).
It still holds up.
In fact, it might be my favorite emulated virtual analog polysynth to date. So it's currently sharing "top billing" with Twin3, along with Spire and Kontakt. Everything else is in a sub-folder (or deleted).
Picked it up for $84 in the Thomann BF sale.
I know it wouldn't have been true to the original, but ADS envelopes are kinda "meh". My SE-02 synth has those and if that, and now the OB-E, weren't so good sounding I'd avoid using them. Really wish the OB-E had ADSR envelopes (and a few more mappings, like why can't velocity or aftertouch be mapped to the filter mod?).
kgdrum
Making a mess & calling it Art is where it’s at!
Should we start a betting pool for the date you decide to delete it?
vitocorleone123
Senior Member
I don't THINK so on this one!
The reason: I actually like the SEM filter. I still have the Gforce SEM monosynth installed. I have an OB-6. That said, I did delete the OB-X synth to see if I missed it. Heheh. But the OB-X was lacking the thing, whatever it is, that the OB-E has. But it also had better modulation, so... I may reinstall it. Definitely not selling it.
