I really wish more people would do INIT patch demos. It gives you a much better sense of the basic character or a synth, filter behavior, as well as the nooks and crannies of what's possible on it, not just some sound designer's idea of a polished product preset.
I agree. I try to do that as much as possible (see my Moog Muse demos). Initialized patch demos show the journey and wandering which sometimes is as important as the destination.
I do this on purpose... record all my demos without external processing so that people can get a feel for the actual sound it has out of the box. If you want to hear it with external effects, run this video through it and find out.
@@Manmademadman I will do that only if playing some nice chords at home with this beast. But thanks for your video. Let's hope they will release a desktop version ;)
To me hardware synths have 4 primary aspects - interface (1:1 to "divey"), architecture (range/types of sounds), components/build (impacts sound and reliability/durability), and price/margin. Some seem to be fine with a "menu" interface, but I am not among them so something like this is heaven though endless rotaries w/led surrounds would be better even if breaking the classic aesthetic. (A sub-osc would have been nice too IMHO) The "essentials only" focused architecture is also wonderful. Some want a broad "do it all" architecture, but again I am not among them. Though the components are of a higher quality this is still an SMB/IC/DSP build with digital mod path (nothing inherently wrong with that in the least). That does mean the margin is probably pretty hefty. So, folks just have to decide if this focused knob-per-function beauty is worth it to them individually. For me I would save a few more bucks for an Omega 8. To each their own and nothing here is in any way a negative comment on OB-X8; quite the opposite.
Congratulations! I really appreciate the fact that you recorded this video as a "real time experience". Tom, Marcus, Dave and the rest of their team did an amazing job on this synth.
@SYNTHPUNK No this would be you, you think the Pro 3 is analogue when it's a hybrid. All you do is buy junk, tell everyone how good it is then sell it. You don't even play your synths, you use Reason to sequence them.
@SYNTHPUNK Out of respect for the owner of this channel I am going to try to keep this civil (when I am commenting on your channel, that is a different story). I would like to believe that most of us in the synth community are made up of decent people and that we have an inherent respect for those that share our passion for music and technology. However, since no one vocation and/or hobby is 100% immune to the occasional obsessive contrarian.....we have to deal with the likes of you from time to time. I just subscribed to @manmade madman 's channel because he really seems to have a true understanding of a wide range of musical styles and techniques and crafts some excellent music and sounds. It also helps that his studio is full of some of the most iconic instruments from the past and present . This real time demo was made by someone that clearly knows what a real analog synth sounds like and can do. Those of us who spent a good portion of our lives playing "real analog synths" can concur that the new OBX-8 is a sonic marvel. I am not going to play a childish game with you of "who has had more experience with analog synth", other than to say, I got my first analog synth at 14 years old (a Korg Mono/Poly.....all I could afford at the time) and have purchased, played, and performed with most of the important analog synths of the past 50 years. As far as I know, there isn't an analog exam where we can see who knows more. That said, a Sequential Six Trak is a perfectly fine (if somewhat limited) 1VCO synth, The Matrix 6R is still one of the real deals out there in the vintage market (It does sound great). However, NO ONE who was buying a Matrix 6 back in 1986 felt that it sounded better than the OBX/XA/8 line. The one exception from that series is the Matrix 12, which was and still is a wonder. The Matrix 6 is a synth on a chip (all aspects of each voice are on 1 of 6 chips) while the Matrix 12 was a true VCO synth with separate components for each step in the analog chain. The filter was also far superior. Why can't you just enjoy your Matrix6R and not post video after video telling everyone that the OBX-8 is lousy and a waste of money? Because of the nature of the TH-cam algorithm, many of us in the synth community wind up seeing the plethora of videos that you release several times a day (I just searched OBX-8 tonight and sorted for the most recent posts, and of the most recent 10 posts, 6 are absurd rants coming from you). Please, if you want to be part of the synth community, how about you try to find some common ground with the rest of us? And just blindly touting the superiority of whatever synth or piece of software that you just purchased does not count. All of that bragging just comes off as arrogance, narcissisms, and ultimately ignorance .
@@jeffreyhaspiel8489 Well said, you pointed out very many insecurities John has, he likes to boast about ownership but rarely understands what he has bought. He has posted that a Rev 2 is better than a P6 and OB6, then later stated that a MicroFreak betters a Rev 2. I can tell you with the gear I own, he is clueless to how to utilize his gear and hasn't yet displayed in any form or fashion why one synth is better than another, other than recycling that saying of his *it's crap* He does what he does to manipulate the AI and also his audience, he is on a crusade to sell some gear so he can now buy a X8, just so he can gloat, like he did with his MoogOne, which funnily enough he made almost no music with. The icing on the cake is he has made a video where he stated he is a guitar guy, not keys, and he uses Reason to sequence any gear he may have. He makes big fire, yeah maybe in his imagination but he has simply nothing to back up any of his claims other than some TikTok filter videos with the same over done immaturity of an adolescent. He says what he does is *parody* when people have told him to stop he still continues. Michelle, daughter of Bob Moog asked him to stop making Moog merch, he then continues to mock her. He can do what ever he wants on his channel, but the lack of respect he has for other channels is why he is the ultimate failure.
@@Manmademadman I have read it's a Fatar, my best Fatar is the Blofeld, then Pro 3. I think the intention with P3 was a little lighter so you could play bass lines quicker than say the action of the Blofeld. The OBX8 here is 7K lol, I can buy 3 great synths for that price so it's a big pass for me, does not mean I cannot value it for what it is and it seems they hit the nail on the head. Fwiw, people who spout that older synths sound better because of the parts they use, ie larger, this is not the case, it's the same how CPUs have gotten smaller in die size making their clocks higher. I've seen 2 IC boards in the X8, one person mentioning how their MoogOne relies on many more boards thus requiring more power and generating more heat. This is one major factor of why I have not bought one, even though I have AC, I hate heat. Especially those late Summer night jams. Another reason is lack of multiple outs, it would have been nice to track 3 engines separately, alas I look elsewhere for more suitable solutions. The funny thing is I have enough gear here not to buy anymore, but I do have one little module put away for Xmas, and if and when more space presents itself, like that Ikea rack idea of yours, I should be able to fit a few more pieces in. Again thx for your work and explanations.
You definitely coaxed the analog growl and bite out of the OB-X8. Love the fact that you recorded it raw. Can hardly wait till mine arrives in the coming weeks.
I'm just sick and tired of people doing the same thing over and over and over and over and posting that like its legitimately a contribution. People need to hear this synth and hopefully its useful to someone. Plus, Rush is hands down the worst band of all time!
Pretty sure 1st Terminator movie was used for brass on OBX? I can see why too. This is rich in overtones, thank you for not doing Jump or Sawyer, just hearing what you had RAW was more than enough to understand these synths are worth what the asking $ is. I did hear the OBX vs 8 and felt the 8 was brighter, X was darker but that could be due to the aging of components too. What we have heard in the past could have a lot to do with how synths were recorded, tape has a much better mid sweetspot than digital does. We did a comparison of tape vs digital, using 2 inch and AVID HD gear. Reference was cymbals being struck, there was so much more body in tape than there was digital. The fact there is not a brand new OBX in existence without any aging just recordings as reference makes it really hard to compare, the VS video was a really good effort though and I doubt anyone who has bought the 8 will be disappointed. Thank you for taking the time and care to show to many of use what we will never be able to afford lol.
I will have to add, the volumes are way off for specifics and quite low in some places. I am having to turn up my end quite high, did you record a little low?
@@dankeplace Yup, recorded low to avoid clipping. One thing I failed to mention is that this synth is very dynamic; lots of range in volume due to filter topology gain compensation (or lack thereof) and overall patch interchanging. Its setup in banks so that you can have OBX, OBXa, OB8, and OBSX patches, and they are fairly similar but also unique. Again, lots to pick and choose from, and you can use parts of each synth in a single patch.
I appreciate your replies and glad you liked it. No one has the balls to do what I did; turn on a synth and hit record and publish that. You are SPOT ON CORRECT about what we hear vs. what a synth can do. On recorded music, the synth might have gone through DI, preamp channels, EQ, compression before it hit tape. Then at mix time, it might have done it again. Thus, our "fondness bias" might have been for the recorded synths on records we loved listening to, and not necessarily the sound and tone of the actual units. Just like guitars, drums, voices, etc. everything got treatment on the way in; nothing was "dry"
@@Manmademadman Thx for all the replies, Jump is a classic example of studio produced work reliant more on production than just the synth alone. YT is in no way going to be the X8s friend if what you're saying abt it being dynamic. There are a lot of haters of this synth purely because they expect it to better something they have never played 1st hand or think they know better. Glad someone got to expose the synth in the way you did, warts and all, excellent work.
@SYNTHPUNK You sold your P5 because a) you never knew how to calibrate it b) thought an all analogue synth sounded too digital. You know absolutely zero about synths. You're the same person who posted after buying a Cobalt8X, that it was the best wavetable synth available, when you were corrected, you changed your story and then returned the synth within 1 week. What about asking Mr Tuna about the Juno X if it sounded better than VA?
@@HotelPools he makes music but does not play his gear. He uses Reason to MIDI sequence his so called predictable music. He tries to make out like he knows more than anyone else but he really doesn't know much at all. 2 examples. 1 He asked Mr Tuna if a Juno X sounds better than VA. 2 He bought a Cobalt8X telling everyone how it was the best Wavetable synth around, when everyone corrected him that it was VA, he got rid of it within a week. He can't even mix his music properly but always tells other content creators their sound is off. He is on his 15th YT account in 2 years.
Seeing someone working with the filter envelope, setting decay to something and sustain to 100% - wondering about no outcome .. priceless
HAHA if you could see the befuddlement on my face when that happened... THE FILTER WON'T GO PAST 100%, DUMMY!!!!!!!!!!!!
"No Jump or Tom Sawyer"
but I wanted to hear those things. Could you at least throw in a Dreams?
You know the answer to that!
Can’t stand demos with a bunch of fx so thank you for showing it dry how it would be as if I just opened it and turned it on.
Well then, thank YOU for noticing and commenting!
I regret not calling the video "60 seconds AFTER unboxing" to start a new trend.
I love these sorts of demos because they’re basically going through what anyone would probably do when they first got it. This is excellent.
Thanks, and I wanted to make this so that people can experience exactly what I experienced. Maybe I'll keep doing it! Love your videos too!
9:35 very nice..
I really wish more people would do INIT patch demos. It gives you a much better sense of the basic character or a synth, filter behavior, as well as the nooks and crannies of what's possible on it, not just some sound designer's idea of a polished product preset.
I agree. I try to do that as much as possible (see my Moog Muse demos). Initialized patch demos show the journey and wandering which sometimes is as important as the destination.
Congratz! 👍🎹
11:56 That's the sound I live for. Is the OB-X8 good for that use case?
Of course! If you like the sounds around here, imagine what you could do under your control.
Hi :) do you have some FX pedal you could use with it so you could finally bring a different video demo to TH-cam ? thanks ;)
I do this on purpose... record all my demos without external processing so that people can get a feel for the actual sound it has out of the box. If you want to hear it with external effects, run this video through it and find out.
@@Manmademadman I will do that only if playing some nice chords at home with this beast. But thanks for your video. Let's hope they will release a desktop version ;)
To me hardware synths have 4 primary aspects - interface (1:1 to "divey"), architecture (range/types of sounds), components/build (impacts sound and reliability/durability), and price/margin. Some seem to be fine with a "menu" interface, but I am not among them so something like this is heaven though endless rotaries w/led surrounds would be better even if breaking the classic aesthetic. (A sub-osc would have been nice too IMHO) The "essentials only" focused architecture is also wonderful. Some want a broad "do it all" architecture, but again I am not among them. Though the components are of a higher quality this is still an SMB/IC/DSP build with digital mod path (nothing inherently wrong with that in the least). That does mean the margin is probably pretty hefty. So, folks just have to decide if this focused knob-per-function beauty is worth it to them individually. For me I would save a few more bucks for an Omega 8. To each their own and nothing here is in any way a negative comment on OB-X8; quite the opposite.
The Omega 8 is an awesome synth, from an awesome company, and I would love to get my hands on one sometime to see if it fits with me!
Congratulations! I really appreciate the fact that you recorded this video as a "real time experience".
Tom, Marcus, Dave and the rest of their team did an amazing job on this synth.
Yup they sure did. And the build quality is 10/10 (pots are steel shaft) and the keybed is the best I've ever felt. And and and!
@SYNTHPUNK No this would be you, you think the Pro 3 is analogue when it's a hybrid.
All you do is buy junk, tell everyone how good it is then sell it.
You don't even play your synths, you use Reason to sequence them.
@SYNTHPUNK Out of respect for the owner of this channel I am going to try to keep this civil (when I am commenting on your channel, that is a different story). I would like to believe that most of us in the synth community are made up of decent people and that we have an inherent respect for those that share our passion for music and technology. However, since no one vocation and/or hobby is 100% immune to the occasional obsessive contrarian.....we have to deal with the likes of you from time to time. I just subscribed to @manmade madman 's channel because he really seems to have a true understanding of a wide range of musical styles and techniques and crafts some excellent music and sounds. It also helps that his studio is full of some of the most iconic instruments from the past and present . This real time demo was made by someone that clearly knows what a real analog synth sounds like and can do. Those of us who spent a good portion of our lives playing "real analog synths" can concur that the new OBX-8 is a sonic marvel. I am not going to play a childish game with you of "who has had more experience with analog synth", other than to say, I got my first analog synth at 14 years old (a Korg Mono/Poly.....all I could afford at the time) and have purchased, played, and performed with most of the important analog synths of the past 50 years. As far as I know, there isn't an analog exam where we can see who knows more. That said, a Sequential Six Trak is a perfectly fine (if somewhat limited) 1VCO synth, The Matrix 6R is still one of the real deals out there in the vintage market (It does sound great). However, NO ONE who was buying a Matrix 6 back in 1986 felt that it sounded better than the OBX/XA/8 line. The one exception from that series is the Matrix 12, which was and still is a wonder. The Matrix 6 is a synth on a chip (all aspects of each voice are on 1 of 6 chips) while the Matrix 12 was a true VCO synth with separate components for each step in the analog chain. The filter was also far superior. Why can't you just enjoy your Matrix6R and not post video after video telling everyone that the OBX-8 is lousy and a waste of money? Because of the nature of the TH-cam algorithm, many of us in the synth community wind up seeing the plethora of videos that you release several times a day (I just searched OBX-8 tonight and sorted for the most recent posts, and of the most recent 10 posts, 6 are absurd rants coming from you). Please, if you want to be part of the synth community, how about you try to find some common ground with the rest of us? And just blindly touting the superiority of whatever synth or piece of software that you just purchased does not count. All of that bragging just comes off as arrogance, narcissisms, and ultimately ignorance .
@@jeffreyhaspiel8489 Well said, you pointed out very many insecurities John has, he likes to boast about ownership but rarely understands what he has bought.
He has posted that a Rev 2 is better than a P6 and OB6, then later stated that a MicroFreak betters a Rev 2.
I can tell you with the gear I own, he is clueless to how to utilize his gear and hasn't yet displayed in any form or fashion why one synth is better than another, other than recycling that saying of his *it's crap*
He does what he does to manipulate the AI and also his audience, he is on a crusade to sell some gear so he can now buy a X8, just so he can gloat, like he did with his MoogOne, which funnily enough he made almost no music with.
The icing on the cake is he has made a video where he stated he is a guitar guy, not keys, and he uses Reason to sequence any gear he may have.
He makes big fire, yeah maybe in his imagination but he has simply nothing to back up any of his claims other than some TikTok filter videos with the same over done immaturity of an adolescent.
He says what he does is *parody* when people have told him to stop he still continues. Michelle, daughter of Bob Moog asked him to stop making Moog merch, he then continues to mock her.
He can do what ever he wants on his channel, but the lack of respect he has for other channels is why he is the ultimate failure.
@@Manmademadman I have read it's a Fatar, my best Fatar is the Blofeld, then Pro 3.
I think the intention with P3 was a little lighter so you could play bass lines quicker than say the action of the Blofeld.
The OBX8 here is 7K lol, I can buy 3 great synths for that price so it's a big pass for me, does not mean I cannot value it for what it is and it seems they hit the nail on the head.
Fwiw, people who spout that older synths sound better because of the parts they use, ie larger, this is not the case, it's the same how CPUs have gotten smaller in die size making their clocks higher.
I've seen 2 IC boards in the X8, one person mentioning how their MoogOne relies on many more boards thus requiring more power and generating more heat.
This is one major factor of why I have not bought one, even though I have AC, I hate heat. Especially those late Summer night jams.
Another reason is lack of multiple outs, it would have been nice to track 3 engines separately, alas I look elsewhere for more suitable solutions.
The funny thing is I have enough gear here not to buy anymore, but I do have one little module put away for Xmas, and if and when more space presents itself, like that Ikea rack idea of yours, I should be able to fit a few more pieces in.
Again thx for your work and explanations.
Great Job, Shane! 23:20 - oomph
You definitely coaxed the analog growl and bite out of the OB-X8. Love the fact that you recorded it raw. Can hardly wait till mine arrives in the coming weeks.
Thanks. It was risky to go without knowing anything, but I think thats how most people approach a synth. Hope it helps.
if you play 3 notes or more at once it makes a chord 🥴
Wait--- do you mean to tell me this thing is also polyphonic??????
LOL
Probably he can't play anyway...
I‘m satisfied with left-hand octaves making a synth like this even more growl and sizzle than unison.
@@RayyMusik 🙄
nice work Shane!
i like how you specifically say no tom sawyer patch
I'm just sick and tired of people doing the same thing over and over and over and over and posting that like its legitimately a contribution. People need to hear this synth and hopefully its useful to someone.
Plus, Rush is hands down the worst band of all time!
Thanks for this. Enjoy the X8!
Sounds good! $2,500 well spent.
double that
@@jeuxdeau2009 WHAT?!?!? 🤭😏
Pretty sure 1st Terminator movie was used for brass on OBX?
I can see why too.
This is rich in overtones, thank you for not doing Jump or Sawyer, just hearing what you had RAW was more than enough to understand these synths are worth what the asking $ is.
I did hear the OBX vs 8 and felt the 8 was brighter, X was darker but that could be due to the aging of components too.
What we have heard in the past could have a lot to do with how synths were recorded, tape has a much better mid sweetspot than digital does. We did a comparison of tape vs digital, using 2 inch and AVID HD gear.
Reference was cymbals being struck, there was so much more body in tape than there was digital.
The fact there is not a brand new OBX in existence without any aging just recordings as reference makes it really hard to compare, the VS video was a really good effort though and I doubt anyone who has bought the 8 will be disappointed.
Thank you for taking the time and care to show to many of use what we will never be able to afford lol.
I will have to add, the volumes are way off for specifics and quite low in some places.
I am having to turn up my end quite high, did you record a little low?
@@dankeplace Yup, recorded low to avoid clipping. One thing I failed to mention is that this synth is very dynamic; lots of range in volume due to filter topology gain compensation (or lack thereof) and overall patch interchanging. Its setup in banks so that you can have OBX, OBXa, OB8, and OBSX patches, and they are fairly similar but also unique. Again, lots to pick and choose from, and you can use parts of each synth in a single patch.
I appreciate your replies and glad you liked it. No one has the balls to do what I did; turn on a synth and hit record and publish that.
You are SPOT ON CORRECT about what we hear vs. what a synth can do. On recorded music, the synth might have gone through DI, preamp channels, EQ, compression before it hit tape. Then at mix time, it might have done it again. Thus, our "fondness bias" might have been for the recorded synths on records we loved listening to, and not necessarily the sound and tone of the actual units. Just like guitars, drums, voices, etc. everything got treatment on the way in; nothing was "dry"
@@Manmademadman Thx for all the replies, Jump is a classic example of studio produced work reliant more on production than just the synth alone.
YT is in no way going to be the X8s friend if what you're saying abt it being dynamic.
There are a lot of haters of this synth purely because they expect it to better something they have never played 1st hand or think they know better.
Glad someone got to expose the synth in the way you did, warts and all, excellent work.
That sounds really great, be interesting to hear it through a little ambient fx too but he’ll it’s sound is next level
@SYNTHPUNK You sold your P5 because
a) you never knew how to calibrate it
b) thought an all analogue synth sounded too digital.
You know absolutely zero about synths.
You're the same person who posted after buying a Cobalt8X, that it was the best wavetable synth available, when you were corrected, you changed your story and then returned the synth within 1 week.
What about asking Mr Tuna about the Juno X if it sounded better than VA?
Does this synth punk guy even make music or just buy gear and make vids bashing other gear.
@@HotelPools he makes music but does not play his gear. He uses Reason to MIDI sequence his so called predictable music.
He tries to make out like he knows more than anyone else but he really doesn't know much at all.
2 examples.
1 He asked Mr Tuna if a Juno X sounds better than VA.
2 He bought a Cobalt8X telling everyone how it was the best Wavetable synth around, when everyone corrected him that it was VA, he got rid of it within a week.
He can't even mix his music properly but always tells other content creators their sound is off.
He is on his 15th YT account in 2 years.
@@dankeplace Not a big fan of Mr. Punk's thoughts either. I guess he's gonna have his opinions and we'll have ours.
@@BougieButler what he posts isn't opinions though, it's outright trolling.
Thanks for making the video Shane
Very cool. I appreciate this more than any other demo thus far. Simply because this demo is the most realistic! Thank you.
And that thumb up at the end was the icing on the cake of approval. Good show man 🙂
@@audioartisan glad you found it useful. Wanted to make a demo unlike all the others
Very uninspiring though!
Plenty of polished examples out there. I like the straight out the box take
Very cool , congrats on the new addition to your synth family!
Fab