Sequential OB-6 Keyboard
Product information "Sequential OB-6 Keyboard"
What happens when synth icons Dave Smith and Tom Oberheim join forces to build an analogue synthesizer? The answer is: Sequential OB-6
Based on the classic SEM design, the oscillator and filter circuits were developed by the two industry legends. The OB-6 stands for warm, powerful sound. Six voices - each features two VCOs plus a sub, a multimode filter and an amplifier section - are available. Also on board: multi-effect processors, stereo distortion, an arpeggiator and a polyphonic sequencer.
The Sequential OB-6 thus combines the traditional virtues of the Oberheim sound generator with modern features.
Firmware update
The OB-6 now supports MPE (MIDI Polyphonic Expression) with the new update. From now on the OB-6 can also be controlled by controllers such as the Roli Seaboard, Expressive E Osmose and LinnStrument. Another new feature is the Vintage Mode (known from the Prophet-5 Rev 4). This emulates the behaviour of vintage components such as oscillators, envelopes and filters. In addition, the aftertouch curves have been improved.
- Aftertouch: yes
- Color/ Finish: Black / Blue
- Dimensions (WxHxD): 807 x 323 x 117 mm
- Display: LED
- Effects: digital dual effect section (reverb, delay, chorus, Tom Oberheim's phase shifter and ring modulator)
- Keyboard: Velocity sensitive
- Keys: 49
- Other in/outputs: Line out L / R 6,3 mm jack, headphone jack 6,3 mm
- Playing Aids: Pitch Bend, Modulation Wheel
- Polyphony: 6
- Power supply: Power cord with IEC C14 plug
- Sequencer: 64 Step-Sequencer
- Subcategory: Synthesizer
- Synthesis: analog
- USB / MIDI: MIDI In/Out/Thru, USB to Host
- Weight: 9,5 kg
- two VCOs + sub-oscillators per voice, variable waveforms
- classic SEM inspired variable filter
- Arpeggiator
- sound generation: analog
Behind the synthesizer workshop Sequential Circuits from San Francisco stands the small but distinguished company of the legendary synth pioneer and Grammy winner Dave Smith. Dave Smith is also regarded as the driving force behind the MIDI specification, worked on physical modelling synthesis in Yamaha's development department as President, and among other achievements produced the Korg Wavestation and other technologies that are now legendary. After developing software synthesizers for Intel in 1994, he realised that his heart lay much more with hardware synthesizers and shortly afterwards founded his own company Dave Smith Instruments. Classics followed, such as the Prophet-X, Prophet Rev2, Prophet-6, OB-6 and the Tempest drum machine in collaboration with Roger Linn, to name just a few cult instruments. Dave Smith renamed his company DSI to Sequential in 2018 to close that chapter of his legacy.
The success story of his current company actually began in 1974. That year he not only founded his company, but also developed his first musical instrument, the analogue 16-step sequencer. The wood-cased sequencer was called the Model-600 and was originally intended just for Dave's personal Minimoog. But his invention was so well received that he sold a number of units. Driven by those first sales, the digital sequencer Model-800 and the Programmer Model-700 for Minimoog and ARP-2600 followed, before in 1978 he achieved perhaps his greatest triumph. With the Prophet 5 he developed the first fully programmable analogue polyphonic synthesizer with built-in microprocessors.
Just two years later he doubled the polyphony with the Prophet 10 and caused a sensation on the fiercely contested synthesizer market. In 2020 we were delighted to hear that Dave intended to breathe new life into his two flagships, the Prophet-5 and Prophet-10, with revised features while keeping the same circuitry. We are hugely proud to inform you on our landing page "The Return of the Prophets" about the most important innovations.
History has never sounded better!