In the olden days, back when dinosaurs were thinking about becoming disposable lighters and I was one of the three sales guys at Sequential (Circuits) the main difference was "edge". The Prophet always had Smitty's velvety sound, the OB had the overdriven filter. The other main difference at that time was the Prophet had 128 points of knob resolution and the OB 64. Apples and oranges. Some artists have referred to the OB as "noble sounding", which I always took to mean that big, buzzy fanfare in and around the Jump thing with more or less brass "quack". Grab a fistful and your balls seemed to get bigger. Like the Prophet, though, modulation sources and destinations were limited by modern standards. I'm biased, of course, but I always felt the Prophet was the more articulate of the two, capable of warmer sounds. Example - more "Moog-ish" if you will. Had it not been, all our old Tomita demos would never have worked as well as they did. And that depth of character was the difference. Like the OB was the scruffy kid in the block party band and that was its gig, but you could dress up a Prophet and take it anywhere from 80s ballad slop to Tahoe lounge lizard. And then, like Dave said, what everyone wanted was real instruments in a portable box, not synthesizers. Hopefully this time around people are buying synths for the right reasons, not to simply replace 400 pound electroacoustic devices or fake horn sections but for synthesizer music. Remember Suzanne Ciani's very wise comment - The worst thing that ever happened to electronic music was putting keyboards on synthesizers.
As a Prophet owner I'm kinda biased towards it. I think Falcon could have picked or at least tweaked some better patches or maybe played with a bit more enthusiasm. Stranger Things soundtrack has got loads of Prophet-5 sounds, I've dialled up some on mine that just nail that vibe. But hey I also can't front on the OBX8, its got that lush stereo pan sound & 2-pole Oberheim filter sizzle that just makes you go wow. Both synths are cream of the crop. On looks alone though Prophet wins hands down, I don't know why they went for the dull grey and black OBX theme rather than the iconic black and blue lines from the OBXa/OB8.
Delicious comparison! I want both on my rack above the Hydrasynth Deluxe and Korg SV-2 88. Was expecting more similarities, but one is a carpenter's toolboox, and the other that of an auto shop!
Nothing wrong with having both if you can afford. Both have pros and cons. OBX8 stereo panning vs P10 mono. P10 10 voices vs 8V OBX8. Both sound great, can't go wrong with either imo.
I generally preferred the Prophet in this test, which is weird because I’d keep my OB6 over the P6 if pushed! Maybe that means I should be cashing the P6 in for a P5/10! 😅
@@SpacehotelMusic Interesting to hear someone with a similar view. If you had were given an OB-X8 tomorrow would you sell the OB-6 or do you think it would still have a place?
This is a great comparison video I really like the concept. Perhaps it could be possible to build the same patch on both and compare the differences in timbre that way? I think that would be an interesting future video.
I am biased , because I own Prophet(s) and thats all I need for any vibe:) Have Obie 6 and Matrix 1000 to cover OB territory... it is a monster synth tho, X8.
All Prophet sounds are held back too much, I'm convinced they could be designed much more vivid and expressive. Could be a product of the player or the synth itself. Dunno. On the other hand I am having problem with the Oberheim resonance. Have never understood it.
@@mikemorrisonmusic same here got the Oberheim first and love it. But a Mellotron and Juno is what I really need to get next and an ARP 2600. Then maybe a Prophet 10 keyboard and Waldorf M.
The desktop models will run you about $7k for both. Have a Prophet 10 desktop and preordered the OB-X8 desktop. So happy they made the OB-X8 desktop module. This is endgame for me.
Awesome comparison, and hilarious too. The Prophet has that smooth “Prophet” sound..beautiful. The OB has that fat, lush Oberheim sound. This is comparing apples and oranges. They’re both amazing, and very different. There are a lot of things that you guys didn’t get to explore…more things that are unique to them. Both incredible instruments….the best one is the one that fits your needs.obviously, having both is best, albeit financially daunting. I loved this “playoff” between Jack and the Falcon…you guys are a crackup. PLEASE DO MORE LIKE THIS.
…btw, back in the ‘80’s, I had a Prophet-5, and my guitar player had a OB-X 6 voice. We covered so much ground between us…and hear ing them both together was pure magic !
@@TheChrisVella definitely Madness. To see two obvious synth-heads with a true appreciation for “the sound”, playing off each other, and explaining their thinking…classic
I want both but only had funds to get one and bought the Oberheim as I wanted that lush wall of stereo sound. Will save up for the P10 and Minimoog and ARP 2600 then I can do John Carpenter and Vangelis type stuff. Juno 60 rules as well as the Virus that can do it all in one box.
@@GuitarsAndSynths You get that lush sound with the P10/5 if you do some stereo panned recordings. Sounds phenomenal. (Prophet 5/10s really shine in a multitrack scenario)
Two completely different synth with different sound palettes. Combining both synths in a composition is where they will truly shine as they are complimenting each other in most wonderful ways.
That's exactly how I felt. OB-X8 has an amazing appeal on its own, but I feel like the Prophet 10 would sit better in a mix layered with other instruments. Really just wishing the Prophet 10 had an arpeggiator or sequencing capabilities.
Having owned an OB-6, I’d go Prophet. Love the Oberheim filters and the sound of the OB-6 on its own but found it a bit too aggressive to be an all around synth. The Prophet is more tame but possibly more utilitarian. Wife versus girlfriend, husband versus boy toy, gin versus tequila. Pick your poison.
I have both of these synths and find them to be the opposite. The Prophet is more forward sounding and brash, while the OB-X8 is more lush and smooth. I do think the OB-X8 is capable of some really deep low end that the Prophet can’t quite achieve.
I was lucky enough to have an OBXa, Prophet 5 Rev 3 and Jupiter 8 side by side in my studio. When the JP8 came in, the P5 was just surplus to requirements next to the Oberheim and the Jupiter. Somehow, I always wanted the P5 to be 'more' - I was always adding top end on the filter and a touch of LFO from the wheel to make the sound move. This comparison shows why for my tastes. The Oberheim every time for me, but it's always just personal taste and if I only had the P5 I would love it because it had some fabulous sounds - it was just up against the best of the best.
Funny I had the exact opposite reaction with the same set up. to me the Jupiter sound has such a specific sound to its filter that it because the piece used for addition. the OB is the pad and swell machine while the Prophet is always the root of it all.
@@Fluxwithit Yes, …. you know I totally get that …. It’s why I always tend to qualify my comments with the observation that it’s all subjective … mind you it’s interesting what you say about the root of it all. I don’t know if you’re thinking about it’s solid bottom end, but to put things in perspective, I still kept my Pro One for that clear unique bottom end sound, so I know what you mean. Love that sound, but the 5 note limit just always drove me mad too! Still, I’m not looking for a new 10 to replace it … definitely the other 2 for me 😊👍
@@DoctorJezz yeah this is all opinion of course. :) for me meaning the root of it all... I just find the prophet sounds big and holds down the center of the track. whether its bass or melody. the OB always had this movement about it. The Jupiter tends to have so much more a "liquid" squishy sound to it that makes it great for adding splashes of flavor. now my main set up is the P10 rev4 , jupiter 6 , Omega 8 , Hydrasynth and a system 8 ... all fun bits of color to add but the prophet 9:10 times is doing a more traditional analog pad sound (and I love using it for EP type sounds) where as the rest are adding flavor with a bit more character that stand out more in a mix.
@@Fluxwithit 👍 Yep - I do wonder what getting a new 10 might make me think about my old Rev 3 sometimes! Anyway it was great to hear from you - enjoyed your reflections on Prosynth network - all the best man 😊🙏
@@DoctorJezz every time I’ve used a rev 3 near a rev4 I’m pretty astonished at how close they get to each other. Very very close. The differences are there make me happy not sad which is pretty cool. You would think the rev 4 would kinda lose some of that mystical magic 😂 but I don’t feel like it does.
Both are obviously beasts but I kept finding the Oberheim sounded like something I’d expect to hear on an old Star Trek episode, whereas the Prophet sounded like something I expect to hear on a record 🤷🏻♂️
you can get the pro 800 from Behringer, sounds close to the prophet. And Behringer is shipping the Oberheim clone soon. So you can kinda have both, gor half the price of one
3:19 Jack, your mate Falcon is at a disadvantage. "What's the patch called?" "113." "Oh, mine's called 'Warm 80s pad.'"🤣😂😅👍 Need to tape over Jack's LCD display next time.😂😂😂
This was so much fun to watch and listen to, even with all the fist bumps and hand slaps. I like the sound of both. They are at the top level of the synth world. It was an excellent idea to choose presets based on applications & scenarios. I've not seen that done before. I think you missed a few opportunities to play them together as a duo.
1:24 Great stuff on the two shillings. Has to be a sterling silver one pre-1920.😊 Or the 50% silver ones pre-1947 were very handsome coins too. I thought you were going to use a Bitcoin or a Doge for a minute!😂
I called it a draw, but I'd take the Prophet... Unless you were giving them away in which case I'd take the Oberheim, sell it, buy the Prophet, and have a weekend in Bognor on the change.
Prophet I think for me. Because of the interface (knob per function). I think there is probably a lot of overlap between these two and I reckon I could kind of eke out Oberheim-ish tones out of the Prophet push come to shove. Also two extra voices is a nice feature. The menu diving on the OB kind of puts me off. They should have reconsidered and modernized the interface but it's a great sounding poly as well. Answer is probably get both :). I mean, you wouldn't be sorry I'm sure. But the price for both is probably prohibitive for most and that's another plus for the P10. Can find them used for as low as $3400 USD.
Pad: tie B-Movie Lead: Prophet Thunderous Bass: Oberheim Searing Lead: Oberheim Squidgy Neo-Soul: Prophet Wildcard: Oberheim? But the real winner was the sounds we made along the way.
Judging a synthesizer by its factory presets has been misleading since the 1980s. Here we're actually comparing two different synth programmers to each other.
One thought I’m having rt now… you can tone down the oberheim to get it more mellow prophet like, you cannot tone up the prophet to get the OB sound. 🤔🤔🤔
I'm not sure whether it's down to whether Prophet sounds better than Oberheim or vice versa, but Prophet is more generic, middle of the road and Oberheim is instantly and only Oberheim. I've got things like rev 2, prologue, mfb synth Pro, Nymphes, JD-XA, Waldorf M and I don't feel that the Prophet would add a vastly different, instantly recognisable sonic pallete, but the Oberheim would. Nothing I've got can go anywhere near the distinctive Oberheim sound. Both are great but one is unique, I've heard a flipside argument that the Oberheim is more limited, more of an acquired taste and harder to sit nicely in the mix.
It's so amazing to have these synths around again, all new and just amazing as their vintage counterparts. I wish i had a couple thousand bucks to spare though
The Prophet definitely sounds warmer, clearer, and punchier...It has that 70s mojo in spades. The Oberheim has awesome routing, FX, stereo, and mod options that the Prophet is lacking in, but imo the raw timbre and warmth award has to go to the Prophet
After this vid (well designed and well made) I would prefer the Obie. But anyway... 5k are too much. With such a price I would ask virtual analog, wavetables, stereo, effects, matrix modulation, software driving in my DAW. I don't play to remember analog days. I play live in a cover band to have fun. I would consider something more up to date like Arturia Polybrute (never tested, I am afraid to fall in love). To survive I am living with a huge number of VST things, cheaper and more flexible. Of course I am missing the "two hands more parameters editing" effect and the feticism. But I must pay my bills...
That was fun! I was expecting to go for the Prophet - I owned a 5 back in the day and let it go for peanuts sadly, it was a beautiful synth, but here I was more drawn the Oberheim - funny old world 🙂
Prophet 5 is one of the best looking synths of all time. Ever since seeing one on its side in a local shop in 1986 and reading about them in E&MM I've lusted after one.... thanks to the REV4 I was able to get one and expand it to 10 voices. I love the sound of the OBX8 and I would definitely have gotten one but I can't quite justify another analogue beast!
Put the Prophet through some stereo effect so that difference diminishes and then it would give the Oberheim a run for its money! At least for some sounds, like the more mellow warm pads.
Played both and ended up with the Oberheim. OB X8 has that raw, gritty sound and the Prophet is more smooth. Both great but needed more of a cutting tone.
i sold my SEM for £1700 a month ago - have to say , its not worth it ... but how amazing is that - bought for 1200 - and sold for more - not many synths do that
I liked the idea of how you organized this nice confrontation between these two titans. It wouldn't make much sense to have a too deep and serious confrontation. I think every enthusiast already has an idea about what he prefers. You can clearly feel the difference in personality between the two machines, but as far as I'm concerned I can't give a preference. Greetings from Italy.
Falcon was killing Jack up until round 4 then Jack came back. I was proposing putting Jack behind the camera and having Falcon only onscreen but it was even haha. Both monsters synths though. I picked up the pro 3 SE so I get both the OB filter and Prophet filter without selling my house! (plus mono > poly) :DD
10:00 Yeah. Just that has an early 1980s hit written around it. I can hear the other instruments. It's made for a hit song. Beautuful sound. So simple.🤗
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I don’t know… Oberheim always had that strange quality that makes me go “ugh… I don’t like it” and I rarely like any sound coming from this instrument…
