Memorymoog vs. different oberheims

[Beluhan]

So many people have Oberheims(OB 8, Matrix 12, OBXa).
What's the difference to memorymoog? Tell me your opinion.

[mee3d]

in my opinion the memorymoog retains it's legendary status and sound due to it's raw, uncontrollable energy . . it really was holding on to the end of all things analog. This thing was over-engineered, whilst being under developed. Its not the most unreliable synth of all time (that has to go to the Rhodes Chroma) it can be close to it but i think that added to it's sound, Oscillators drift creating rich harmonics not found on other synths at the time. I liken the MM to a real acoustic instrument in that it has it's own sound color and personality.

The Matrix 12 is a beast . . basically it's a modular built into a keyboard case. Some of the audio processing is discreet analog while other parts are controlled via software controlled digital DSP hardware. The sound to me is big and rich but not as harmonic as a memorymoog, the M12 sounds too clean and has the ability to sound quite digital, it can also make quite realistic emulations of acoustic instruments and the huge modulation section can add a wealth of variation for sound design.

The OB8 is a lovely synth . . the presets don't do it justice. This synth can sound large and American, and also thin and japanese. It's SEM style 12db 2 pole filter just screams for lead sounds while switching in the 4 pole setting mellows the filter nicely . . It's not as fat as the moog filter, nor are the envelopes as snappy so in general it sounds a little thinner and this limits it's use for bass sounds. Once again this Oberheim sounds cleaner then the memorymoog . . even though you can dial in "oscillator drift" it doesn't have the unruley character that the MM does.

Mal

[Beluhan]

Thanks for your opinion Mal,

you have a nice collection of vintagesynths. Do you still use them all? Have you ever regret one purchase of your listed gear?
It's great that analog gear is affordable today, so i can choose what i like without spending 10000 of $s, allthough i made some mistakes in the past, i purchased a Roland JX 10 cheap, which i don't like anymore. Voyager the same, most of the time i'm using my early Model D, which i like more.
I still don't know if i should buy an OB 8, i allready own 2 Memorymoogs (LAMMs) and i like them a lot and won't sell them.
But i'd like to have some synth that isn't that fat as the MM, for background.

[mee3d]

I have bought every synth on the basis of character. The memorymoog sounds great along side the Jupiter 8, the Yamaha CS-60 sound expressive next to the rich tones of the Synthex etc.

I have sold some of the kit recently . . the gearlist represents what was in my studio up untilearly this year. I kept the memorymoog but got rid of most of the other polys having discovered that a Rhodes Chroma can actually sound like the Roland, the SCI, the Oberhiems etc (but not the memorymoog).

The only bad purchase i believe i have made was with the Prophet 5 . . I know a lot of people like this unit but when you put it up next to all of it's contemporarys it sounds weak.

Regrets . . i have a few . . getting rid of my LAM/RMS Model D in favor of keeping the Voyager . . . Big mistake, and selling off my CS-60 but that was more to do with not having the room.

Anyway . . there's always oportunities to buy more items in the future.

mal

[Drew]

what you really don't like the p5?? i have only had the good fortune to play this once when i went to buy a sci pro one the guy selling it was nice enough to let me have a go of his p5 and to me it sounded lush!!! i guess it's a matter of personal taste.

[miket156]

It depends on what you compare the Prophet 5 too, and which REV you're talking about. Although I never owned a memory moog, I have to agree that it was a ballsy synth, basically an over grown mini moog with lots of voices and a great front panel control. I played a MM a few times, and was always impressed with the sound. I had an OBX, then went with an OBXa, and got a Prophet 5 Rev 3. I waited for Dave Smith to address some of the problems with the earlier verions, and also to put my hands on more money to buy the Prophet after I had shelled out big bucks for my Oberheims. I'd have to agree that the Prophet sounded a bit thinner than the OBXa and the MM, but everything else did too. When used in the same KB rig, the OBXa and the Prophet were a great duo.


Mike T.

[mee3d]

I'm just saying that if you are lucky to have a Prophet 5 and some other polys in you set-up you will find the P5 is lacking . . . I'm not saying it's a bad synth, on it's own or coupled with a mini it's great but when you put one up against a MM or OBXa (or similar) it shows it's age - remember, the MM was developed some 5-6 years later then the P5.

Personally, when i added a Chroma to my collection I realized that I could emulate a variety of synths on the Chroma . . it could sound like a Jupiter 8 . . it could sound like a P5 . . it had simular modulation capabilities to the Matrix 12 . . . It has a fantastic weighted velocity and aftertouch keyboard . . . so I sold some of these synths and bought another Chroma.

Kept the MM though, as no synth can emulate that one.

Mal

[LWG]

The OB8 is a lovely synth . . the presets don't do it justice. This synth can sound large and American, and also thin and japanese. It's SEM style 12db 2 pole filter just screams for lead sounds while switching in the 4 pole setting mellows the filter nicely..l

Mal,

Neither OB8 or OBXa utilize the OTA filter found in the SEM-based Oberheims. They both use the CEM chip set.
The first OBX is actually closer to the SEM products than the OBXa or OB8.
The latter two synths don't have the brashness of the MM because they don't have a mixer section per se and they don't have poly mod, but the 12db slope gives them greater separation when mixed with self or other instruments.
All the OB synths have a slightly differing sound, but work well with the
MM and P5 in that the sounds and functions don't overlap too closely.


Regards,


LWG

[mee3d]

Sure . . I wasn't saying they were SEMs . . just that the Poly Obi's have that 12db filter sound (style I think I used) similar to the SEMs . . I'm not that fussed about how it works . . whether its discreet components, SSM's or Curtis chips, I was just trying to describe the tone in laymans terms.

Mal

[TZ_Keyz]

I used the OBXa, OB8, Matrix 12, & the Memorymoog in the 80's. The Memorymoog was my favorite. Having said that I did like the Oberheims also. I owned a Prophet 5 also, but found myself favoring the OBXa. The Matrix 12 I had was very problematic. I got introduced to the Memory Moog through Aldo Nova. The more I played it, the more I loved it. I used mine until it developed so many problems I had to retire it. It was capable of "Loud Rock" sounds that could stand up to a guitar through a Marshall. I wish I had a dependable working one now. Nothing has the Memorymoog sound. I bonded with it like I did with my Minimoog. TZ