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Oberheim Electronics
Oberheim is an American synthesizer manufacturer founded in 1969 by Tom Oberheim. Beginning in 1975, Oberheim developed some of the first commercially available polyphonic synthesizers and was a prominent synthesizer and drum machine manufacturer through the mid-1980s. In 1988, the company changed ownership and was eventually purchased by Gibson Guitar Corporation, which developed new Oberheim products and licensed the trademark to other companies that produced Oberheim products, but development of Oberheim products ceased after 2000. In 2009, Tom Oberheim began developing instruments through his own company, and in 2019, Gibson returned the Oberheim trademark to Tom Oberheim, whose company rebranded as Oberheim.
Tom Oberheim founded the company in 1969, originally as a designer and contract manufacturer of electronic effects devices for Chicago Musical Instruments under their Maestro brand, including the PS-1A Phase Shifter and RM-1 Ring Modulator, and briefly a retail dealer for ARP Instruments.
The company's first product released under its own name was the Oberheim DS-2, one of the first digital music sequencers. Recognizing that customers wanted to play one synthesizer while the DS-2 played a sequence on another, or layer the sound of one synthesizer with another, Oberheim introduced the Synthesizer Expander Module (SEM), a semi-modular analog synthesizer module, in 1974.
In late 1975, to replace lost sales after Chicago Musical Instruments successor Norlin canceled several large Maestro orders, Oberheim developed a series of polyphonic synthesizers by combining multiple SEM modules with a digitally scanned keyboard developed by Dave Rossum and a two-channel sequencer. The first of these was the Oberheim Two Voice, followed by the Four Voice and Eight Voice. These were among the first commercially available polyphonic synthesizers. Oberheim introduced the Two Voice and Four Voice at the June 1975 NAMM Show, the first time the company exhibited Oberheim-branded products. The following year, an optional Polyphonic Synthesizer Programmer module, capable of storing and recalling 16 instances of some SEM parameters, was made available for the Four Voice and Eight Voice.
Oberheim Polyphonic systems, with their distinctive signature cream-colored control panels, were used by such notable artists as Stevie Wonder, Lyle Mays of Pat Metheny Group, Herbie Hancock, Joe Zawinul of Weather Report, Jan Hammer, Geddy Lee of Rush.
In 1977, building on the technology developed for the Polyphonic Synthesizer Programmer, Oberheim introduced the monophonic OB-1, the world's first completely programmable synthesizer. Following the introduction of the Sequential Circuits Prophet-5 in 1978, Oberheim developed polyphonic OB-series models, which replaced bulky independent SEMs with internal voice expansion cards which supported digital control of synthesis parameters, and also utilized common cabinetry and power supplies. The first of these was the OB-X, introduced in 1979, which was available in either 4-, 6-, or 8-voice configurations.
The OB-X was succeeded by the OB-Xa in 1980. The first Oberheim product adorned with the blue horizontal pinstripes on black background color scheme that would become the company's signature look, the OB-Xa streamlined manufacturing and troubleshooting by utilizing Curtis integrated circuits. It also featured the Oberheim Serial Buss, a pre-MIDI proprietary parallel bus for directly interfacing the OB-Xa with other Oberheim Serial Buss-equipped products, such as the DMX drum machine introduced in 1980, and the DSX digital sequencer introduced the following year. The combination of the DSX, DMX and the OB-Xa (or, later, OB-8) was marketed by Oberheim as "The System". In 1983, the eight-voice OB-8 was released; while aesthetically similar to the OB-Xa, it contained an additional set of front panel functions (dubbed "Page 2" by Oberheim), which effectively doubled the number of programming options it offered relative to its predecessors.
OB-series synthesizers and the DMX drum machine became a staple of 1980s new wave, synth-pop and hip hop music, heard on tracks such as Van Halen's "Jump", New Order's Blue Monday, Herbie Hancock's "Rockit", Madonna's "Into the Groove", Prince's "Let's Go Crazy", Phil Collins' "Sussudio", and Stevie Nicks' "Stand Back".
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Oberheim Electronics
Oberheim is an American synthesizer manufacturer founded in 1969 by Tom Oberheim. Beginning in 1975, Oberheim developed some of the first commercially available polyphonic synthesizers and was a prominent synthesizer and drum machine manufacturer through the mid-1980s. In 1988, the company changed ownership and was eventually purchased by Gibson Guitar Corporation, which developed new Oberheim products and licensed the trademark to other companies that produced Oberheim products, but development of Oberheim products ceased after 2000. In 2009, Tom Oberheim began developing instruments through his own company, and in 2019, Gibson returned the Oberheim trademark to Tom Oberheim, whose company rebranded as Oberheim.
Tom Oberheim founded the company in 1969, originally as a designer and contract manufacturer of electronic effects devices for Chicago Musical Instruments under their Maestro brand, including the PS-1A Phase Shifter and RM-1 Ring Modulator, and briefly a retail dealer for ARP Instruments.
The company's first product released under its own name was the Oberheim DS-2, one of the first digital music sequencers. Recognizing that customers wanted to play one synthesizer while the DS-2 played a sequence on another, or layer the sound of one synthesizer with another, Oberheim introduced the Synthesizer Expander Module (SEM), a semi-modular analog synthesizer module, in 1974.
In late 1975, to replace lost sales after Chicago Musical Instruments successor Norlin canceled several large Maestro orders, Oberheim developed a series of polyphonic synthesizers by combining multiple SEM modules with a digitally scanned keyboard developed by Dave Rossum and a two-channel sequencer. The first of these was the Oberheim Two Voice, followed by the Four Voice and Eight Voice. These were among the first commercially available polyphonic synthesizers. Oberheim introduced the Two Voice and Four Voice at the June 1975 NAMM Show, the first time the company exhibited Oberheim-branded products. The following year, an optional Polyphonic Synthesizer Programmer module, capable of storing and recalling 16 instances of some SEM parameters, was made available for the Four Voice and Eight Voice.
Oberheim Polyphonic systems, with their distinctive signature cream-colored control panels, were used by such notable artists as Stevie Wonder, Lyle Mays of Pat Metheny Group, Herbie Hancock, Joe Zawinul of Weather Report, Jan Hammer, Geddy Lee of Rush.
In 1977, building on the technology developed for the Polyphonic Synthesizer Programmer, Oberheim introduced the monophonic OB-1, the world's first completely programmable synthesizer. Following the introduction of the Sequential Circuits Prophet-5 in 1978, Oberheim developed polyphonic OB-series models, which replaced bulky independent SEMs with internal voice expansion cards which supported digital control of synthesis parameters, and also utilized common cabinetry and power supplies. The first of these was the OB-X, introduced in 1979, which was available in either 4-, 6-, or 8-voice configurations.
The OB-X was succeeded by the OB-Xa in 1980. The first Oberheim product adorned with the blue horizontal pinstripes on black background color scheme that would become the company's signature look, the OB-Xa streamlined manufacturing and troubleshooting by utilizing Curtis integrated circuits. It also featured the Oberheim Serial Buss, a pre-MIDI proprietary parallel bus for directly interfacing the OB-Xa with other Oberheim Serial Buss-equipped products, such as the DMX drum machine introduced in 1980, and the DSX digital sequencer introduced the following year. The combination of the DSX, DMX and the OB-Xa (or, later, OB-8) was marketed by Oberheim as "The System". In 1983, the eight-voice OB-8 was released; while aesthetically similar to the OB-Xa, it contained an additional set of front panel functions (dubbed "Page 2" by Oberheim), which effectively doubled the number of programming options it offered relative to its predecessors.
OB-series synthesizers and the DMX drum machine became a staple of 1980s new wave, synth-pop and hip hop music, heard on tracks such as Van Halen's "Jump", New Order's Blue Monday, Herbie Hancock's "Rockit", Madonna's "Into the Groove", Prince's "Let's Go Crazy", Phil Collins' "Sussudio", and Stevie Nicks' "Stand Back".