MOOG ONE VS PROPHET TEN AND OB8X

Polyphonic Analog Synthesizer
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VCO
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MOOG ONE VS PROPHET TEN AND OB8X

Post by VCO » Sat Nov 19, 2022 11:29 am

Was wondering what moog one owners think about the prophet 10 and oberhiem ob8x in comparison
To the moog one . Thanks was considering about getting a analog polysynth. Years ago I had an obxa. I’ve heard the demos of the ob8x and prophet10. I’m sure these are all great synths. Wasn’t very familiar with the moog one. Thanks would appreciate your insight.

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Re: MOOG ONE VS PTOPHET TEN AND OB8X

Post by rtcstudio » Thu Nov 24, 2022 8:39 am

First, I’m a super happy Moog One 16 voice owner. It will be my forever synth and keep me happily exploring sound spaces til I can’t any longer.
Having said that, there is an immediacy when programming the Prophet and OB-X8 and other polyphonics and even mono synths like the MiniMoog that you won’t have on the One. There is a much steeper learning curve on the One than on any other synth I ever had (and I’ve owned several, ARP 2600, CS-80, MemoryMoog, Jupiter8 etc).

But the learning curve is well worth it, and fits my geeky personality well. The One is deeper than I’ve ever experienced. It’s like a huge modular Moog with so many directions you can go.

So don’t expect to sit in front of a One for the first time and quickly dial up a gorgeous pad, like is easy to do on either of the two synths you mentioned.

You should watch every video and demo you can find on the One, listening to what it’s capable of, and also watching folks program it. Compare that to what you’ve discovered on the other two synths. And you really should go to a store where you can sit in front of all of them with a set of headphones. Make sure the One is loaded with the most recent 1.5 update and sounds, and then go from there.

Have fun!

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Re: MOOG ONE VS PTOPHET TEN AND OB8X

Post by noisebit » Fri Nov 25, 2022 6:38 am

VCO wrote: Sat Nov 19, 2022 11:29 am Was wondering what moog one owners think about the prophet 10 and oberhiem ob8x in comparison
To the moog one . Thanks was considering about getting a analog polysynth. Years ago I had an obxa. I’ve heard the demos of the ob8x and prophet10. I’m sure these are all great synths. Wasn’t very familiar with the moog one. Thanks would appreciate your insight.
There is no need for me to compare the three synths because all the synths have their own unique selling point.
If I want to dive deep into analog sound programming, then I take the Moog One 16. If I want to play the Prophet, I just use it. Same for the OB-X8. Every synth has it´s own sonically soul - and that´s good so. All three can sound so nice.

You can come close to some sounds or match among themselves, but there are borders caused by different electronically circuits. Most soniq possibilities for me are on the Moog One. For the Prophet and the OB-X8 I use
the Eventide H9. But the onboard Eventide Effects on the Moog One are as good as H9.

The best keybed has the OB-X8 (if I compare it wit the Prophet rev2, I have only the Dektop version of Prophet 10), than comes the Prev2. The keybed of my Moog One is a little creaky.

Prophet and OB-X8 power up and boot in seconds, there is no Linux in it. The Firmware in comparison to the Moog Ones FW is comparing an elephant with a mouse. Yes, OB-X8 has an extended page 2 mode, but it is not comparable with the huge and flexible mod capabilities (sources,controllers,destinations)of the Moog One. Doubling or splitting sound is good, but my winner is the Moog One with a 3 different synth conception, 16x3! Oscillators etc.

But one time a week I have to tune the OB-X8. The Prophet get´s out of tune after 10 Minutes, after tuning both are stable. The Moog One is with FW 1.5 absolut in tune, before 1.5 I had as many others problems in the lower octaves - now it is history.

The Moog One is my favority gear and I spend the most time with ( and I have not so much time for my hobbie :wink: ).
Moog One 16/NL C15/Waldorf Iridium/Prophet XL/Prophet 10 D/Prophet rev2 16/OB-X8/OB 6 D/2600/VC 340/Kurzweil PC3K7/Kurzweil 2500R/Access Virus TI2/Reason/NI Ultimate/Logic X

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Re: MOOG ONE VS PTOPHET TEN AND OB8X

Post by yvawoo » Sat Nov 26, 2022 12:48 am

Moog one is big and heavy. It has a loud fan noise that can sooth you and annoy you based on your mood. But, it has more possibilities of sound design with endless modulation possibilities. Almost every parameter can modulate others very easily. Moog one has very distinct sound. No quite like minimoog model D. The sound, in my opinion, is slightly thinner than minimoog model D. But, proper combination of two filters can make the sound richer. In fact, state variable filter can be used as two filters by separating the distance, then the total will be 3 filters at a time. Prophet 10 can use only one filter (low pass only) at a time. Moog one can be warm and dreamy and also be aggressive. It can play sounds from 3 oscillators, ring modulator, noise generator, and two filters (when keyboard tracking is 100%) and one external source. So, sound can be very loud and aggressive if you want it to be. I like melancholic sounds like the first program Key lime.

Prophet 10 has very acoustic instrument-like sound. Its controls and modulation possibilities are simple. But deep down it has such a beautiful and musical voice that always gives instant gratification. It is mono. No effects. But, still superb in every way. The release tail is so sonorous, it sounds as if there is reverb. Prophet 10 has very warm sound. It is very hard to make it sound bad.

I do not own OB-8x. I have OB-6, instead. Assuming they share similar genes, I can say only based on OB-6 sound. OB-6 has higher pitch overtones compared to Moog one or Prophet 10. In certain instruments, such as synth brass, it sounds okay. But to my ear, who plays acoustic grand piano, OB-6 sound is a bit too bright and not warm enough. I like darker and more meditative tone of both Moog one and Prophet 10. I hope OB-8x has better tone than OB-6.

To summarize, you can't go wrong by choosing either Moog One or Prophet 10. Moog one is fun if you like to design your own sound. It almost feels like playing an wave table synth in analog synth body - that much of possibilities I mean. And, is twice more expensive. Prophet 10 is simple with gorgeous sound. No bells and whistles. If you want any portability in the future, Moog one is simply too heavy and bulky. Prophet 10 is not small either, but more manageable.

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Re: MOOG ONE VS PTOPHET TEN AND OB8X

Post by MaxFerency » Sun Nov 27, 2022 12:04 am

Thanks this is a great breakdown of the different instruments! I'd imagine the Prophet 5 and 6 fit in along with the sound of the Prophet 10, but just with less voices?
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Re: MOOG ONE VS PTOPHET TEN AND OB8X

Post by noisebit » Sun Nov 27, 2022 8:50 am

yvawoo wrote: Sat Nov 26, 2022 12:48 am ... I hope OB-8x has better tone than OB-6...
I have both, first I got the OB-6 Desktop. Yes, there is a difference in some sounds if you want to get equal results. You get warmness in OB-6, but much more in OB-X8. The OB-6 has a sequencer :D I don't want to sell my OB-6 because I own a OB-X8, loving both :)

BTW...
For all three synths: If there will be a next FW update, the Moog Ones will top all of them. There is a big feature list for the Moog One and because of the open technically concept will be so much possible for this... I think, it is strong restricted for more features by FW updates for the OB-X8 and Prophet 10. That is a big plus for the Moog One.
Moog One 16/NL C15/Waldorf Iridium/Prophet XL/Prophet 10 D/Prophet rev2 16/OB-X8/OB 6 D/2600/VC 340/Kurzweil PC3K7/Kurzweil 2500R/Access Virus TI2/Reason/NI Ultimate/Logic X

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Re: MOOG ONE VS PTOPHET TEN AND OB8X

Post by Matthias Adloff » Mon Nov 28, 2022 4:29 pm

Owning all three, the definite best bang-for-the-buck is the Moog One by all means. Not only has it the best UI, the best FX section (ok, the other mentioned ones have none, but compared to ANY other synth), but also 48 OSCs with 2 filter types in 4 shapes + different noise types, ring mod etc. - add to that an infinite matrix, very good voice stability (best in class), an amazing amount of direct knobs, 4 outs (at least), input signal processing, unlimited patch storage, PC connectivity. Where should I stop?!?

So why would you also buy a P10? Easy, because it can do very special things that are hard to emulate with the Moog. Super clean pads, an amazing well balanced bass range (better than anything I've ever heard, much better than P5 from the 80ies), beefy and very musical stuff. It's hard to describe objectively, sorry. Technically, that ain't anything breathtaking, but the components seems to be very carefully matched, so yes, as some mentioned before, it is the most "instrument" of the three.

Okay, so why would you buy an OB-X8? Yes, that's quite hard to justify. It has quite a lot of things that I don't like, 8 voices being the most annoying one. That's simply not enough. They may or may not come up with a 16v version, but I wouldn't place any bets on that. Then, it does not sound as well balanced as the P10. I actually find it very similar sounding like my Rev2-16. Duh! But, and that needs to be emphasized, it brings a lot of playing fun, directness and ready-to-record sounds.

Regarding the prices, I notice the Moog One 16 has broken the 10k EURO threshold recently. I bought mine for 7k EUR new, so that's a difference. Still, the OB-X8 is overpriced, the P10 is pricey and the Moog One 16 is well-priced.

If you have loads of VSTis at hand, the Moog One is the unit that you can emulate the least. You actually cannot emulate it at all! For P10 and OB you can use VSTis to get 80-90% of the result. You have to decide if that's worth it in the mix.

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Re: MOOG ONE VS PTOPHET TEN AND OB8X

Post by VCO » Wed Nov 30, 2022 12:42 am

Thanks for your reply that gives me some insight. I would opt for the OBX8 over the P 10 being it’s in stereo, Like the way you think about voice count. I play large chord voicings poly chords being my background is in jazz. I should be able to play my jazz extensions with 8 voices. I guess I’m leaning that way because I use to have a OBXA that I wish I had never sold. Bought it for 500 dollars used at a studio I recorded at back in the day. That Moog 1 is a beast and expensive to boot. I’m a bit weary of thier quality control being I have a 2015 voyager I bought used that drifts. I have the sequential pro three and of course it’s paraphonic leaning with three notes although not the same as a true poly synth. I liked the demos of the oberhiem OBX8 all three are great but I would want a polysynth that was in stereo for that kind of bread so I guess the prophet 10 would be out being it’s only has one audio output. I think they should have made it stereo. It’s close in price to the OBX8. At least thier both bi timbral and have VCOs. I think these synths are very high priced. At least the Moog 1 is doing something new as compared to sequential and oberhiem cashing in on thier nostalgia. It’s cool that the OBX8 has the three versions combined. I also like the stereo panning of the OBX8 take care

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Re: MOOG ONE VS PTOPHET TEN AND OB8X

Post by VCO » Wed Nov 30, 2022 12:59 am

Do you think the 2022 Minimoog is overpriced at $5000? I think there seems to be this nostalgic craze that seems to be not as innovative as it is cashing in on the past. Nice synths just think it’s easierthan creating something new. Taking chances isn’t as safe . Nostalgia is a cash cow.

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Re: MOOG ONE VS PTOPHET TEN AND OB8X

Post by VCO » Wed Nov 30, 2022 2:43 pm

Thanks for everyone’s in sight it’s appreciated. Three things I am sure of they all sound great , high quality, high price.

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Re: MOOG ONE VS PTOPHET TEN AND OB8X

Post by Matthias Adloff » Thu Dec 01, 2022 3:46 pm

VCO wrote: Wed Nov 30, 2022 12:42 am ...I would opt for the OBX8 over the P 10 being it’s in stereo, Like the way you think about voice count. I play large chord voicings poly chords being my background is in jazz. I should be able to play my jazz extensions with 8 voices. ...
I hear you. And exactly in this case the OB-X8 will not suit you well. If you want a stereo patch, say a pad, then you have 4 voices. If it's stacked, you have 2 voices. No jazz chord really...

Okay okay, I'm a little hard here, of course you can have 8 voices and pan them. But I can really promise you that you will run out of voices. You like the P10 over the Moog One and the OB-X8 for it's fantastic sound? Get two of them for real stereo. Or, if money matters, use some Valhalla or Eventide FX, or just double track. Yes, the latter is a pain in the [***], but it works very well. You'll have stereo 10-note chords then - enough for jazz. No need to tweak patches for that, it just works out of the box, if you use the vintage knob a little.

You have been warned :D

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Re: MOOG ONE VS PTOPHET TEN AND OB8X

Post by VCO » Fri Dec 02, 2022 9:52 pm

If polyphony really matters then the sequential rev2 16 voice . I’m just not sold on the sound of DCOs. I’m the kind of jazz keyboard player you don’t want to encourage to use more than 8 voices LOL I employ voicings that exceed 8 voices naturally but probably don’t need to. 8 voices should really be enough. If I had to choose I’d go with stereo outs and lose the two extra voices . Don’t know what sequential was thinking, Bitimbral 10voices after touch velocity but no stereo outs .
I would think all of the sonic ambience that would be missing. For a monophonic synth that would be acceptable but not for a polyphonic with ten voices. You could have various combinations of audio outs with ten voices like the way the rev2 16 voice did. Plus with all that stacking capability I would think it would benefit with multiple outs. But I don’t design synths I can barely afford them let alone design them. I’m sure they have thier reasons

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Re: MOOG ONE VS PTOPHET TEN AND OB8X

Post by VCO » Fri Dec 02, 2022 10:37 pm

If I could pull one off that would be an accomplishment two would be unimaginable. That’s almost $9000 dollars total.
You might as well just buy a used baby grand piano your half way there pricewise for a used baby grand. Not a synth of course but you wouldn’t have to be as concerned with polyphony like in the synth world. And of course it’s acoustic although your dealing with other things being the acoustic grand piano has over 10000 parts. And maintenance and tuning is expensive. But no electricity bills.

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Re: MOOG ONE VS PTOPHET TEN AND OB8X

Post by Matthias Adloff » Sat Dec 03, 2022 4:34 am

Yes and no. I see people buying a new car each few years for 50k USD, which is permanently losing value - with every mile, with every day. Analog synths are stable in value. But of course, if you are running in debt to buy a synth, you should NOT do that. It is NOT necessary.
No question synths are overpriced these days. As well as road bikes, cars, energy, food. But look, it won't change if people complain! And don't forget that total turnovers are not that great with synths, the companies have to pay their bills, too.

Anyways. You should again consider buying a Moog One 16, by the way. You will definitely get the most sonic bandwidth out if this machine, and you can rely on VSTis for replacing the P10 and the OB-X8 without issues.

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Re: MOOG ONE VS PTOPHET TEN AND OB8X

Post by VCO » Sat Dec 03, 2022 3:25 pm

I wouldn’t be able to afford a moog one. I have a grand piano. It’s 42 years old. It’s from the DDR it’s from east Germany . It’s an august forester. It’s the model 190. 6 feet 4 inch. Bought it many years ago and it was $15000. The piano was probably made in 1980 I think I purchased in the early 80s . I’m the only owner. Back then 15,000 was like 30,000 in todays money. It’s the most expensive instrument I ever purchased. Analog synths hold thier value absolutely. I have a ensoniq fizmo that is rare and almost virgin condition. Only played it a few times. They fetch high prices. I need to change out the voltage regulator in it since thier known to fry the synth unexpectedly. I use to have a pro1 and an obxa wish I had never got rid of them. The only software synths I use are Aparillo and factory and
Animoogz. Rompler synths don’t hold thier value. There not worth money if you sell them better to just use them for what thier synth capabilities are. More value as a musical instruments. I prefer hardware synths software seems to lag in my experience. Software has come along way though and sounds great nowadays. Even though analog synths increase in value its mostly people that are into synths and music that care about them. So I would think more people are apt to buy that expensive automobile since it’s considered needed to go to and from work and other tasks. Unless your very fortunate and make a living with your music and use synths for work or education or media, studio, etc then synths would be considered luxury items as it would be for most musical instrument purchases. Most concert pianists don’t own a Steinway model D unless thier famous. Although if you played with symphony’s you probably could save the money over the years. Some of them make 100,000 a year but very few. Most classical pianists teach. My tuner teachs, classical piano tunes pianos and is a piano tech. Some of his students have played at Carnegie Hall in New York City.
Unfortunately it’s such a small percentage that are professional. That’s not always an indicator of talent but whether you get a break and of course it is a fierce competitive environmental. What’s the difference between a large pizza and a musician? A large pizza can feed a family of four. My august forester today that same model the 190 would cost around 55,000 to 60,000 dollars that shows you what the rate of inflation is. My voyager has increased in value and I bought it used. Wouldn’t sell it though it’s not about the money it’s really all about the instrument. Luckily I purchased it when I heard they were being discontinued. Glad I did wouldn’t have been able to swing it now and I’m a jazz player LOL
That’s a jazz musician joke cause it don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got that swing. Glad you have all those cool synths.
Next week my piano action gets regulated. I found out a reconditioning of the action costs 1/15 of what my piano originally cost. That would be like $1000 dollars. I’m not getting that done. Just the action regulation. Take care

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