James is right. :-)

buy 8 vco's and four SEM doepfer filters to start
with...
(although i do not have the SEM doepfer filter module
yet to comment on its sound...)

and 3 out of my 4 SEM's are in my tech's to be
converted to modular rack.

so, soon i'll have an Oberheim 4-voice modular synth
(20 U in total)

best regards, :-)
Bakis.



--- James Husted < the_ersatz_planet@... > wrote:

> As a past owner of a 4-voice, a 2-voice, various SEM
> modules and once
> hosting a website of Oberheim Schematics (an EM
> magazine pick-of-the-
> month) I am very familiar with the sound of the SEM.
> It has been some
> time since I owned a Oberheim (i still have all the
> schematics
> though!) so this is from very strong memories. I
> think there is
> nothing quite comparable to a 4-voice played in
> unison mode - a very
> huge sound. I can't say the component parts of a SEM
> are very
> remarkable. A SEM can be easily made with most
> modulars today.
> Especially the basic low-pass filter sound commonly
> used. The filter
> was a standard 12db/oct multimode with a knob to mix
> through the
> modes - a standard multi-mode with a mixer module
> will give you more
> options than the SEM did. The VCOs were Saw and
> Pulse - you can get
> more waveforms and mix them too. The Envelope
> generators were simple
> ones Attack Decay Sustain also easy to get. They
> were pretty snappy
> if needed. The main "sound" that the 4-voice had,
> the sound I think
> you seek, was the product of having 8 VCOs playing
> at once and not
> being exactly in tune. it is like the difference
> between one violin
> and 8 - a big difference. Most polyphonic
> synthesizers today have
> VCOs that are derived from one clock source and the
> add variation or
> purposely de-tune slightly to get a fatter sound.
> With a modular,
> each VCO will be out of tune also but the pitch
> relationship between
> VCOs will change over the playing range (because of
> tracking errors)
> and also over time (because of thermal reasons). The
> keyboard had a
> couple of modes. The common lowest note priority -
> highest note
> priority and the awesome unison mode (split-able
> between keyboard
> halves) but the most unique mode was the scanning
> one. With each
> keypress a different SEM was played. This meant with
> a 3-note chord
> played a very cool choral sound happened - it was
> fairly hard to get
> the SEMs to sound exactly alike.
> I think you can get very close to the Obie sound
> with a modular. I
> think you can surpass it even. It will cost you some
> cash and a tone
> of space. Ask Bakis - he has a few SEMs and enough
> Doepfer to make a
> good 4-voice emulation I'm sure (it sure looks like
> it in his
> pictures!). I think the key is - buy tons of
> modules!
>
> -James
>
> On Apr 13, 2008, at 3:44 PM, John Talbert wrote:
> > Hi, Mark! Thanks for the recommendation. I'd
> forgotten about the
> > AH list.
> >
> > I realize I'll need essentially one mono synth
> worth of modules for
> > each voice (vco, envelope, filter, vca, panner).
> Right now I have
> > enough of those as well as a MCV24 to manage the
> polyphony. Although
> > I only have one SEM module at the moment, I'll get
> more if this
> > experiment works. I just want to find out if I
> can really get the
> > sound of an Oberheim 4-voice, and if so, I can
> finally stop
> > entertaining thoughts of spending $5000+ for a
> second-hand one on
> > eBay. I'm just too worried that spending that
> kind of cash on
> > something that old is just too big of a risk.
> >
> > Kindest regards,
> > John
> >
> >
> > On Sun, Apr 13, 2008 at 4:00 PM, Mark Pulver
> < mark@... >
> > wrote:
> >>
> >>
> >> As a thought, you might also wanna pop in on the
> Analogue Heaven
> >> list and
> >> ask this question. That can increase your chances
> of finding
> >> someone with a
> >> 2 -4 -8 voice, or even the single SEM you're
> looking for.
> >> Subscription info
> >> is here:
> >>
> >> http://machines.hyperreal.org/Analogue-Heaven/
> >>
> >> One thing to keep in mind as you build up a
> Doepfer based SEM
> >> multi- is
> >> that one thing behind the power that comes from a
> real 8 voice is
> >> that each
> >> voice is NOT exactly the same as the others. Even
> the slightest
> >> extra tweak
> >> of resonance, cutoff, attack time, etc., coupled
> with panning the
> >> multiple
> >> voices across the stereo spread (but never HARD
> left or right!)
> >> adds to
> >> that lush power... Much like Phil Spector's "Wall
> Of Sound"
> >> technique.
> >>
> >> Good Luck!
> >>
> >> Mark
> >> ------
> >>
> >>
> >> J. Talbert (09:45 AM 4/13/2008) wrote:
> >>> Hi, folks!
> >>>
> >>> I haven't posted here much since I came here for
> advice on
> >>> purchasing
> >>> my first A100 modules. But I can happily say
> that my A100 has grown
> >>> quite a since those first 12 modules you guys
> helped me pick! So
> >>> here's what I'm hoping someone here can help me
> with now...
> >>>
> >>> Ever since Joe Zawinul appeared on the cover of
> Keyboard magazine
> >>> decades ago with his Oberheim 8-voice, I've had
> an intense desire to
> >>> own at least a 2 or 4-voice. However, I'd rather
> not spend the kind
> >>> of money these things are going for these days
> (especially given
> >>> their age). So my crazy quest is to try and
> patch something that can
> >>> sound reasonably similar on an A100 and *maybe*
> even a Nord Modular
> >>> G2 or G1 (yeah I know they're not analog, but
> it's really just for
> >>> fun in that case). Unfortunately, I can't find
> the sound of a raw
> >>> SEM. I believe I've already got the necessary
> A100 modules and of
> >>> course the Nord Modulars have an endless number
> of modules to build
> >>> from. What I'm hoping someone can provide are
> short WAV recordings
> >>> of:
> >>>
> >>> - Note (single voice) with saw, square and pulse
> waveforms
> >>> - Note with a slowly opening and then closing
> filter (no resonance)
> >>> - Note with a slowly opening and then closing
> filter (mid resonance)
> >>> - Note with a slowly opening and then closing
> filter (full
> >>> resonance)
> >>> - Filter only (self resonating)
> >>>
> >>> I would also like a brief description of how
> voice allocation works
> >>> on a 2, 4 or 8 voice in terms of how SEM banks
> are assigned. And of
> >>> course, if there are other quirks that this
> instrument has which
> >>> contribute to it's sound that I might need to
> know about, please
> >>> include that information as well (like envelope
> behavior, sequencer
> >>> strangeness, etc.)
> >>>
> >>> I hope this all isn't too much to ask, but I'd
> really

=== message truncated ===


Bakis Sirros - Parallel Worlds / Interconnected / Memory Geist
1 group owner
http://www.parallel-worlds-music.com
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http://www.myspace.com/memorygeist
http://www.DiN.org.uk
http://www.musicamaximamagnetica.com
http://www.shimarecords.co.uk
http://www.rubberrecords.gr
Athens-Greece


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