OBXD
Have you guys checked out
this freebie synth yet? I don't add new synthesizers to my toolbox very often, as I feel that it's better to get a good handle on a small number of them than to become a collector.
I also like to roll my own patches rather than scrolling through hundreds of presets looking for something that fits. That means I appreciate straightforward easy-to-program synthesizers, and OBXD falls into that category. If you've ever programmed any synthesizer you'll figure out OBXD in a few minutes.
Of course, ease of use means nothing if it doesn't sound good. I've tried out lots of similarly simple synths, but the vast majority of them sound like children's toys. OBXD gets close to the classic Oberheim sound. I think it'll actually be useful, because my old Oberheim used to get a lot of use before I sold it along with all my other old synths.
The biggest drawback to this synthesizer is that it doesn't come with a preset library, so you have no choice but to program your own patches. However, I think that third-party libraries will be forthcoming later this year. A handful are already available on KVR, since OBXD was the featured synthesizer in a recent
One Synth Challenge. Listening to the submissions for that contest is what prompted me to check out OBXD.
