Listening to the legendary Tom Oberheim speak, two things become
crystal clear: First, he is an exceedingly humble man. Second, he has a genuine
passion for synthesized sound. Those two qualities combined made for an
incredible celebration launch of Oberheim's new Two Voice Pro Synthesizer, held
at RSPE Audio Solutions' headquarters in Universal City, CA.
As well as designing analog synths, Oberheim has engineered a
number of revered effects processors, sequencers and drum machines. He was also
instrumental in developing the MIDI standard.
At the RSPE Audio event, several of his original creations were
on display, on loan for the evening from film composer Michael
Boddicker.
The man of the moment kicked things off with a musical trip down
memory lane: "My wife's going to be mad at me because I'm going to do what
she told me not to do," he explained, cueing up a selection of tracks that
feature his instruments. "But it's a piece of my life that I'm very proud
of...I'll make it short, dear." He flashes her a cheeky smile.
Among the tracks were massive hits like Gary Wright's "Dream
Weaver", "Tom Sawyer" by Rush and – the biggest anthem of them
all – "Jump" by Van Halen ("everybody recognizes that one,"
he jokes).
He spoke briefly about his own career, both with humour and
humility. He recalled his surprise in discovering that 20-somethings were
interested in his original SEMs (Synthesizer Expander Modules), thinking they
were “a relic, a museum piece.”
He still seems genuinely shocked at how much some of his
old synths sell for on eBay: “$9,000? What?!” That was for an original Two
Voice synth – the one Oberheim still claims as his favorite.
That particular moment came shortly after he reintroduced a
modern version of the SEM. That eBay sale, he explained, made it obvious what
his next project would be. It was something he had been meaning to do anyway:
"All the years at Oberheim Electronics, I always said I
would take a Two Voice home for me. I never did and (the company) ended before
I ever had the chance. So I thought 'well, I guess I'll have to build myself
one.' That's what I'm doing now and I'm really happy with it."
It was time for the lucky few who were able to make it to RSPE Audio to hear the results of his latest labor of love.
Design-wise, the Two Voice Pro is identical to the 1975 Two
Voice, with the addition of some “interesting upgrades”. Users now have the
ability to store sequences and chain them together to form more complex musical
structures. There are also new editing features and each module (both SEMs,
Mini-Sequencer, Keyboard Control) has mini-jack patch points – 56 in total.
Admitting he's “not a keyboard player”, Oberheim turned the Two
Voice Pro over to friend and composer Drew Neumann for a demo. If it had been
possible to turn away from the stage and scan the audience as he played,
chances are good more than a few people would've been caught visibly drooling.
The sound of the Two Voice Pro is incredible.
Before parting for the evening, Oberheim played one last tune:
“In A Sentimental Mood” by Steps Ahead. He listens with his eyes closed, and
looks as if he is almost moved to tears.
"It's not all about Oberheim synthesizers for me. If I hear
a great synthesizer song I don't wonder 'Is that an Oberheim?' Sometimes I
know...but I just love synthesizer music. That's what I listen to all day long.
Most of it is ambient, but there's some other great stuff out there...I just
love synthesized sound in its various forms."
