I think both synths are great. OB6 has the buzz sound and the Prophet 6 has the warm sound. You are blessed to have both. I want a Rev2 to go with my Prologue. Both are completely different types of synths but they both shine at what they do IMHO
thank you. best comparison video i've watched. many people just go "now let's set cutoff frequency to 5 in both synths" instead of trying to recreate a sound made on one synth with the other.
The only real difference between those two synths is the sub octave: square with the OB-6 (ie. MASSIVE), triangle with the P6 (ie. subtle). As you didn't use that in your comparison, we basically see they are nearly identical -give or take this or that micro-adjustment of the filter. A million thanks for your work!
When you dial up similar filter cutoffs on both instruments, the OB of course sounds a bit brighter. But if you add a bit of resonance to both, then back off on the OB’s cutoff to make it more closely match the Prophet’s overall spectrum, to me THAT is where the OB shines. Dark, resonant sounds on the OB-6 have a chewy, gnarly quality that sounds like nothing else on the planet!
I own the ob6 and this is exactly where I also hear the reason to buy it. Because in more basic settings due to its more scooped nature it can seem abut thin compared to the prophet6 (24db filter option). So for classic lead and bass I prefer the prophet, but than I also prefer my Behringer Model d for that 😂
Had both, kept the OB-6. It’s in a different, emotional, inspirational, musical league esp if you know what to listen for. Also had rev2 but that’s gone. OB-6 was the synth I’ve been looking for in a modern synth.
I initially bought the Rev 2, but was so uninspired by it. So I got the OB-6. What an inspiring instrument. I still have the Rev 2 as the mod matrix has so much depth, but considering getting rid of it. Do you ever miss your Rev 2?
OB-6 every time!! The prophets great. But the 6 has that something extra. I’ve decluttered my studio space and am left with 8 synths. One being the desktop OB. Don’t think I’ll ever part with it. Kudos for this comparison vid mate. 🕶✌🏻🎶
Yeah, I've only had the Prophet a short while, but really the OB is the one I gravitate to every time. Its definitely the keeper if I was forced to choose------- but if I had to have ONE synth and one synth only, it might be the P6 for its all roundedness
Hey Mr. Tuna. Really love your videos. Just curious, which would you recommend as a great versatile first hardware synth? I’ve been eyeing the Prophet 6, OB-6, Pro 3 the most, But open to any recommendation you have! Btw for context, I make cinematic music and enjoy Stranger Things, Blade Runner 2049, Tron Legacy, etc
To me the prophet sounds darker, whereas the ob6 brighter and more likely to cut thru the mix , it would dominate whereas the prophet would kinda be the glue. On a superficial note I like the look and knobs more on the prophet but have always dug that instantly recognisable Oberheim sound. Both excellent, I think those lucky enough to be able to afford both do so to avoid making a very tough decision!
it seems like it's kinda hard to rein in OB-6's power and brightness when you want a more delicate or mellow sound. But on the other hand, it also seems kinda hard to make really big and beefy sounds on the prophet. So i guess it mostly comes down to preference and what you need it for.
@@MRTUNA hey man, just wanted to say that your videos were very helpful in me making my decision between the 2 synths. I ultimately decided on the OB-6 and have been very happy with my choice. That 2 pole filter really just sounds beautiful.
Classic dilemma , I have a Prophet 5 and OB8. I would say that rings true for those as well. The prophet is the more versatile instrument I think . Mellow or bright . Oberheim does fat chunky smooth sounds .
I think arguing between these two is like arguing between the OBXA and Prophet 5. Simply there is no point to it. They function differently in songs from the 80s and both are very easy to pin point for various reasons. The 5 had far more subtlety and the OBXA was more front and center; pronounced. These two have more in common than their predecessors but really the same philosophy applies I feel. Pick the one that best suits your needs or get both like a whole hell of a lot of us.
i appreciate the ob6s bright fizzle on top but i prefer the prophets warmer, moodier sound. they both have their own personalities, but personally, i think the prophets low key emotional vibe is cooler than the ob6's flashy, declarative vibe. do you think its worth it to have both, or is that $uperfluous?
Navid Izadi I never expected to have both, but now that I do, I couldn’t imagine being without them! There is a lot of range to the P6 but despite that the OB makes some magic that the prophet can’t touch.... I’ve got lots of synths that can cover prophet territory (maybe not as dark or as beautifully) but the OB has a character that is all it’s own and very unique in my set up.
yeaa, i like to make a lot of dustier low-fi stuff from time to time and it suits that really well. i can get that with my juno 60, but theres a lot more range on the prophet imo
OB-6 sound is light like a feather, sounds more musical, sound is wider. The programming doesn't seem to really match the sounds. However with the notch filter and the different filter chips the OB-6 sounds like magic to me. Such a great synth... A bit expensive however, and it would be so much more useful with 8 voices.
After months of saving and thinking which one I should get ...I opted for the Prophet 6. This synth is the best I have ever played. looks nice. Sturdy. sounds right.
I have an OB6 but played with both before buying. I definitely find that the patches I make generally end up with a little 'fizz' in them, but that I can easily tone it down to sound more Prophet-like....the ''fizz' is very seductive when in programming mindshare. However, with the Prophet, whenever I reached for more 'fizz', I got 'buzz' instead which was tiresome to listen to. I think this is why the Prophet patches generally are programmed to be thick (to mix some dark and heavy with the buzz), or warm and fat. For me, it was this extra dimension that the OB6 provided that steered my money there.
They are remarkably similar! Of course the OB6 was designed off of the P6 chassis and shares a lot of the same function, but there is quite a noticeable difference in character and where they excell. Although I find the P6 to be more of a jack-of-all-trades, the OB-6 definitely has more immediate presence, and an overall brasher, punchier quality. This patch keeps mostly to the similarities between the two, but things can get wildly different when experimenting with smooth transitions on the OB's state-variable filter. The P6 definitely has a notable darkness to it that really sells the slow evolving pads.
MR TUNA Music Don't know if you have any experience with them, but how do you think the OB-6 compares to the mono SEM type synths - SE Boomstar AS Nyborg, oberheim's own - on the market?
Ive only had really limited experience with the newer two-voice pro but the OB absolutely exemplifies that character. I havent tried any of the Studio Electronics versions but they are supposed to be very very good too!
hey tuna! didnt know u had a youtube channel. really dig your stuff on IG. the impending purchase of one of these 2 is drawing near...which would you save from a fire (obviously both), gut reaction....go! :)
its weird I've been going down the list of comments and answering ones I've missed-- I literally just did the fire scenario for another guy completely coincidentally before coming across yours haha. my gut reaction is to save the OB6, but it depends if my whole studio was on fire or not of if it was just the two of them in a room without the rest of my gear. If EVERYTHING was burning I would take the P6 because its a little more versatile and can cover a lot of bases without giving itself away with its amazing but rather specific character (like the OB). If it was just the the two of them on fire, I love that OB sound so much I wouldn't want my studio without it! (sorry P6)
MR TUNA Music after a long while debating, I ended up with the P6. The OB reminded me more of my old Rolands. If I had no other synths, I might have gone OB
great comparison between these two beasts! do you think ob6 is a great synth for bass sound too? bass sound comparison between ob6 and p6 would be very appreciated...no videos on youtube about that so far
MrDeSteeve ob is great for bass! It’s got a real bite when you dial in the filter that can cut through the mix and nail that 80s bass sound. Ill see if I can make a video coming up!
I have an OB6 and it is great for bass. Especially with multimode filter and the sub osc. It is a little too perfect sometimes so you want to detune OSC 2 and also bring the global detune up. The onboard effects are really good. So it is hard not to use chorus, phase or flange here as well.
6:25 onwards. Great comparison, both sound absolutely gorgeous, different moods. I would love to have both but have neither right now! I love the P6 at 9:44. Did these start out as factory patches?
Dave Bellamy this was originally a patch a started from scratch on with the OB and then became of of my favourites, so I had to see how well I could dial it in on the P6. I actually use the P6 patch just as much now. Between the two it would be a really really hard choice for me (and this patch notwithstanding) I think I’d pick the OB if I HAD to go with one or the other.
Thank for the kind words, kinda catching up on old comments today so forgive the lateness of my reply- This was a patch I originally made from scratch on the Prophet6 and it was such a stand-out for me I really wanted to see how it would translate.
I think with regards to this brassy sound he is playing the Prophet 6 wins. The sound is more defined, expressive and playable. The OB sounds like a cheap imitation in this instance but still strangely sounds amazing. In fact everything sounds pretty amazing through a SEM filter. I would actually like to hear both synths layered. I'm not knocking the OB6. It wins on other types of sounds but not this one.
I actually use this patch on the Prophet6 all the time, I rarely ever use it on the OB, so I definitely agree with you on that one. Id have a hard time picking between the two if I had to save only one in a fire or something, but I always told myself while the OB may be my favorite synth, the P6 is the one I would keep if I had to limit myself to just one synth
I think I prefer the rounder tone of the P6 than the more sizzly tone of OB6. Both sounds great though. Still the best sounding modern analogue polies in my opinion. Some might say Moog One. Well that sounds great as well, but would rather buy a rev2 when comparing prices.
Both pretty much the same except for some totally irrelevant nuances. However, the OB-6 did seem to have a slightly wider stereo image when chords were being played. But when effects are added, no one will ever notice. Both of them will do the trick just fine. There's no better here....
I've had both. One of the reason I let the Prophet 6 go and kept the OB-6 is this. The Prophet 6 needs to be dulled down to not sound buzzy/harsh, the 'fizz' on the OB-6 is musical and nice but not so on the P6. Most of its best sounds are with the filter dialed down to cut out the hashy noise. Due to it being 4 pole it then makes a lot of the P6 sounds sound muffled, I found it had a very small sweet spot on the filter and while great for a certain sound it was less flexible than you'd think (esp if you have other synths with 4 poles that sound better). The Ob-6 doesn't have this issue at all, between the filter, notch dial-in ability and the "better" sounding resonance, the Ob-6 can be bright or dark and never sound muffled or harsh. THIS is the #1 reason most prefer OB-6 over P6 but many haven't ever stated it or spotted it I think. Also the VCOs being looser in the Ob6 means its more organic and less brittle sounding up top vs the P6.
Karl Fest if it’s right from the get-go that’s just the sound of the OB. Maybe RU-vid compression is freaking it out. If I dial it in later it’s just my inability to match them properly! But definitely not an exact science I was just having fun seeing how close I could get them
I just spent another five minutes listening super closely while playing the OB (and was gumming around with the mod wheel too just to be sure it wasn’t even the slightest bit active) and I’m 99.9% sure that’s just the character of the synth itself and maybe it’s exemplified a little more in the video compression
En este caso me quedo siempre con El OB-6. Tiene mejor sonido notable, pasivo y tranquilo facíl de apreciar escuchandolo, tiene mejor calidad de sonido es muy clasico con solo compararlo en este caso el Prophet-6 mas moderno.
Because despite being very similar, they are totally different synths! The OB has got that sizzle and scorching sound but cant touch the dark heart and depth of the P6
@@thattrumanguy Actually, despite most demos, OB-6 can get dark just as well but retains more detail. Prophet 6 if you go too far just sounds muted and mushy, esp in a mix. There's a fine line where the P6 is good, in the middle of the filter, OB-6 is great closed down or fully open. I had both. Now just the OB-6 (some appearances of them on my channel if people think I'm bs-ing ;) )
quoi dire a part que les deux sont de la merde ! le son est sans vie ,plat sans aucun relief ! chinois quoi ! quelle chiasse ! quand tu switch sur du prophet 5 même sur RU-vid la différence est énorme bref, pour faire simple les synthé sont passés de FAT a FLAT
This video using some veeerrry basic patch structure to show the similarities between the two, so in that sense it's not really meant to blow you away sound-wise, but I feel the OB6 is the single best polysynth being made today! And thats only a little of my own confirmation bias!