GForce OB-E Oberheim 8-Voice Instrument Plug-In

It’s based around a single SEM, but the OB-E has eight of them – and each voice has all the features

GForce OB-E: a software emulation of the Oberheim 8-voice synth.

This instrument is based around a single Synthesizer Expander Module (SEM) containing two VCOs with Pulse and Sawtooth waveforms, two ADS Envelope Generators, an LFO and a multimode filter – but the OB-E has eight modules. That means it has 8-note polyphony, and each voice has the full complement of controls.

The developers began working on an SEM emulation years ago, but they discontinued it when Tom Oberheim announced his intention to make more of them in 2009. When that instrument was discontinued in 2018, GForce picked it up again.

OB-E incorporates an 8-step sequencer that uses Oberheim’s MS-1 analog sequencer as a starting point. The synth also has a stereo delay.

There are over 600 factory patches, categorized in the instrument’s librarian. In addition to his own programs, developer Dave Spiers recruited some heavyweight programmers: Tom Wolfe, Darren Price, James High, Alex Ball, Stefano Daino, Kent Spong, Jerry Kovarsky, Andrew Schlesinger, Nate Williams, Sean Charles, Graeme Rawson, and Hugo Brangwyn.

OB-E – key features

– Unique 8-Voice Octaphonic architecture
– An authentic sounding emulation of the Oberheim® 8-Voice

– 600 factory Patches designed to fit in a mix, all tagged and categorised

– Librarian for easy access to the presets (Arrow Keys Navigation)

– ZOOM enlarges an individual SEM filling the UI with front & rear panels side by side

– Group and Offset mode 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 ready