Tom Oberheim founded the company in 1969, originally as a designer and contract manufacturer of electronic effects devices for Maestro, including the PS-1A Phase Shifter and RM-1 Ring Modulator,[3][4] and briefly a retail dealer for ARP Instruments.[3] The company's first product released under its own name was the Oberheim DS-2, one of the first digital music sequencers.
In 1975, Oberheim introduced the semi-modular Synthesizer Expander Module (SEM) to complement the DS-2 sequencer and enable a user to play one synthesizer while the DS-2 played a sequence on another, or to be controlled by and layer with a keyboard synthesizer. The SEM featured a two-pole voltage-controlled filter that could operate as a low-pass, high-pass, band-pass, or band-reject filter, giving it a different sound than the Moog and ARP four-pole low-pass ladder filters popular at the time.
The company later combined multiple SEM modules with a digitally-scanned keyboard and a two-channel sequencer to create a series of polyphonic synthesizers, beginning with the 2-Voice, followed by the 4-Voice and 8-Voice.[1][5] An optional programmer module, capable of storing and recalling 16 instances of some of the sound settings, was available for the 4-Voice and 8-Voice. These were among the first commercially-available polyphonic synthesizers.
In 1977, Oberheim introduced the monophonic OB-1, the world's first completely programmable synthesizer. In 1978-1981 it was followed by the polyphonic OB-X, OB-Xa, and OB-SX. The final model of the series, OB-8, was released in 1983. The OB-X and OB-Xa were flagship models available in 4, 6 and 8-voice configurations (with the OB-8 available solely as an 8-voice unit), whereas the OB-SX contained fewer programming options. The OB-series synthesizers replaced the relatively bulky SEMs with internal voice expansion cards which supported digital control of synthesis parameters and also utilized common cabinetry and power supplies.[6]
Oberheim introduced the Xpander digitally-controlled polyphonic synthesizer in 1984, followed by the Matrix-6 and the Matrix-12. The rack-mounted Matrix-1000, though bearing the Matrix name, was marketed after Oberheim was acquired by Gibson.[7][8]
Oberheim Electronics declared bankruptcy in 1985 and was acquired by a group of lawyers who changed the name to Oberheim ECC. Following the acquisition, Tom Oberheim was creatively still at the helm of the company for a couple of years, before leaving to found Marion Systems. After a second bankruptcy in early 1988, Gibson Guitar Corporation acquired Oberheim. Gibson, under the direction of Keith McMillen, produced the Oberheim OB-Mx[11] in collaboration with D.N. "Lynx" Crowe and Don Buchla; the Oberheim Echoplex Digital Pro digital delay and looper in collaboration with Aurisis Research (Matthias Grob, Kim Flint, Eric Obermühlner); and re-released the Oberheim Strummer and Matrix 1000.
In 2009, Tom Oberheim announced that he was manufacturing a new version of the SEM.[16][17][18][19]
In 2011–2012, Tom Oberheim announced a successor to the 4-Voice called the "Son Of 4 Voice" (SO4V),[20] as well as an updated version of the classic Two-Voice known as the Two-Voice Pro.[21] The "Son Of 4 Voice" and the Two Voice Pro started shipping in 2014.[22]
At the NAMM Show in January 2016, Tom Oberheim announced the Dave Smith Instruments OB-6, a collaboration with Dave Smith resulting in Tom Oberheim's first voltage-controlled multi-voiced polyphonic synth since the mid-1980s; Tom Oberheim designed the VCO/VCF part replicating his SEM module, while control features, arpeggiator/step sequencer and effects processing were designed by Smith using his Prophet platform.[23]
Oberheim trademark returned
In July 2019, Gibson CEO JC Curleigh returned the Oberheim trademark and IP to Tom Oberheim as "a gesture of goodwill to the musical instrument industry."[24]
In May of 2022, the new Oberheim released the OB-X8, the company's first synthesizer in decades. As with the Sequential-made OB6, the OB-X8 was designed and built in collaboration with longtime friend Dave Smith, and it combines the original Oberheim's three signature OB polysynths-the OB-X, the OB-Xa and the OB-8-in a single unit.
Legacy
Both Marcus Ryle and Michel Doidic worked for Oberheim as instrument designers before helping develop the ADAT multitrack digital tape recorder for Alesis, (a 'prosumer' grade digital recording multitrack deck designed to compete with the Tascam DA series of digital multitracks) and then moving on to found Line 6 together.[25]
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