Huge brasses, strings, and pads made the OB-Xa dominate the hottest artists’ keyboard stands, from Prince to Van Halen’s iconic ‘Jump’.
With OP-Xa V, that same unmistakable presence comes to life right in your DAW. There’s just something about the sound that invites you to dig in with both hands and come up with great parts. True Analog Emulation® ensures an authentic muscle car synthesizer experience - while our added touches add heaps of production horsepower that’ll get your creativity racing.
Chart-topping Spirit
Today’s hottest hits are drawing on ’80s synth sounds more than ever. With OB-Xa in your arsenal, you’ll be ready to produce the next one.
The Real Deal
We went back to the source to model the OB-Xa, analyzing every detail, component, and behavior of the genuine article with TAE® emulation.
Jump Right In
The straightforward user interface and signal path can turn a novice into a seasoned synth enthusiast in record time.
Sound That Slaps
TAE® does not emulate sounds - it duplicates how vintage analog circuits behave, and you’ll hear the difference. Earth-shaking, hair-raising, soul-stirring.
Where Hardware Can’t Go
Trouble-free tempo sync. Gorgeous built-in effects. Even more polyphony. The awe-inspiring nature of a classic synth, the enhancements of software.
The Poly
that Could
Oberheim® already had a legacy of fat-sounding synths. But for many, the OB-Xa was the one that hit the sweet spot.
The OB-Xa packed up to eight massive-sounding synthesizer voices in an integrated, programmable slab form factor. After its debut in December 1980, musicians noticed.
Founded by Tom Oberheim, Oberheim Electronics’ first product was a ring modulator pedal introduced in 1970. Then came the Maestro phaser, then the DS-2A, an early digital sequencer that could record and play back notes from popular analog synths in real time — a mind-blowing feat for 1973. Its success led Oberheim to design his own synthesizer: the Synthesizer Expander Module.
Discover the history
Sporting two VCOs, a filter, an LFO, and two envelopes, the SEM was an entire synth voice in a box. SEMs just begged to be ganged together for polyphony, and the Four Voice, Two Voice, and Eight Voice did exactly this, integrating multiple SEMs with a keyboard and programmer (or sequencer) in a road-case enclosure.
These were transportable but still bulky, and with the ’80s looming (and the competing Prophet-5 dropping in 1977), the market wanted a tighter size-to-polyphony ratio. First came the OB-X — basically SEM circuits under common sheet metal. The late ’70s ushered in integrated circuits, and Oberheim miniaturized the SEM design onto Curtis semiconductor chips.
With a hefty price point for eight voices, the OB-Xa was no impulse purchase but certainly approachable for pros and the committed. It poked the 5-voice Prophet on polyphony and the ability to split the keyboard. Once guitar deity Eddie Van Halen joyfully put the OB-Xa front and center in the “Jump” video, keyboardists either had one or wanted one.
Black and
Blue Beauty
OP-Xa V melds the best of the OB-X, OB-Xa, and OB-8 synths with today’s DAW-centric music workflows.
In many ways it’s the most OB you can get outside of having a collection of all three. Here are just a few of the features that set that benchmark.
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01. Authentic Oscillators
Triangle, saw, and square waves with variable pulse width, cross-mod from the OB-X, and hard sync create the signature sounds of the ’80s.
02. Flexible FIlters
Choose 12dB filtering for the classic OB sound or 24dB mode for more aggressively resonant timbres.
03. Bend One or Both
We duplicate the original’s option to pitch-bend oscillator 2’s pitch only, for musical statements that sing in intervals.
04. Ultrawide
Adjust the stereo spread of the oscillator, filter, and LFO outputs for fatter bass, more expansive pads, and a truly immersive mix.
05. Standalone Vibrato
A comprehensive vibrato section means you don’t need to tie up an LFO to get this go-to musical effect.
Resurrecting
a titan
Our teams of engineers and audio experts set out to capture every velvety-smooth sinewave, every dazzling sawtooth chord, every detuned sub-rich bass, and every split-keyboard stacked timbre that put the OP-Xa on the map.
To fully experience the majesty and raw power of an instrument like this, samples simply won’t cut it. OP-Xa V is the result of exhaustive measuring, analysis, and reverse-engineering of every aspect of the original instrument - and then some.
The unique behavior and sonic character of the Curtis chips played a crucial role in the colossal sound we know and love; replicating the bite and bark of the Curtis filters was an integral part of nailing OP-Xa V’s sound. We also incorporated some choice cuts from the instrument's famous peers - OB-X and OB-8 - and enhanced them with new features for a supremely authentic and far-reaching analog experience.
Blu2th
Arturia Front and Center
A producer with an acute awareness of harmony and a musician with the ear of a sound engineer, to say that music has always been Blu2th’s calling is an understatement.
Read the StoryOB Enhanced
The Advanced Panel makes OP-Xa V more powerful than you can possibly imagine.
Once we nailed the sound, we multiplied the modulation possibilities and added effects derived from our FX Collection. It all adds up to an instrument that’s yesterday and tomorrow at once, and a musical force that will always be with you.
Map performance control sources like velocity and aftertouch to any destination you like with just a few clicks.
Design and assign your own modulation curves that sync to tempo. Loop ’em or opt for one shot. The possibilities are endless.
Stack up to three FX in series or parallel and choose from nine types including deep reverb, ping-pong delay, and stereo chorus.
Surgically control variations between several aspects of the voices: pitch, pulse width, cutoff, resonance, envelopes, and modulation.
Hear it
in action
Hip-hop. Cinematic. EDM. Rock. The original OB-Xa won adherents across all musical genres and applications. These demos from our artists and sound designers showcase just a handful of ways OP-Xa V shines.
Minor Arsenal
Lily Jordy
Adventurous melodic track, mixing chiptune-like drums and bassline with lush lead and pads.
OB Mystery
New Loops
Slow and mysterious cinematic track using only OB-Xa V as the sound source. No additional effects nor plug ins were used.
Crunches Under Foot
Matt Pike
Evocative Trip Hop track with broken beat track made using only OB-Xa V as the sound source.
Glowsticks & Whistles
Matt Pike
Bouncy EDM track making extensive use of the arpeggio settings.
Do We Know
Solidtrax
Airy melodic track in which all sounds, even the drums, were made using presets from Solidtrax, that can be found in the instrument.
Sopalin Seroplexx
Based on the "Alphi" preset, used in a arpeggied, synthwave bass way. Additional drums are from the CMI V.
Sopalin
Seroplexx
Based on the "Alphi" preset, used in an arpeggiated, synthwave bass way. Additional drums are from the CMI V.
Artistscorner
PressClippings
MusicTech
On OP-Xa V
“This soft-synth breathes new life into a legend of synthesis with astounding accuracy, and some thrilling updates.”
Computer Music
On OP-Xa V
“OP-Xa V adds some lovely touches in terms of some modern modulation and effects. We can see it being a synth we return to again and again. ”
Music Radar
On OP-Xa V
“OP-Xa V gives you a great marriage of old and new, and we can see it being a synth we return to again and again for a wide variety of functions, not to mention quick sound design and inspiration.”
Future Music
On OP-Xa V
“The arpeggiator, additional modulation and stereo tools work really well with the base synth design, and add a touch of extra chaos that helps bring this classic into modern realms.”
Included in
V collection
Legendary Keyboards Reinvented
This instrument is also part of the V Collection -your complete dream line-up of the legendary synths, organs, pianos and more that made keyboard history. They’re modeled with the most advanced technologies for authentic realism, and enhanced with new creative options. Whether you use it as DAW plugins in the studio or standalone at gigs, V Collection puts the greatest keys of all time at your fingertips for instant inspiration.
Learn More
The features
you need
Integrated in-app tutorials guide you through every aspect of the instrument, from individual parameters to tips from our sound designers, so you can focus on the creative stuff. It shouldn't be this easy, but it is!
Arturia Software Center lets you download, organize, and update all of your Arturia software titles in one place, as well as manage all of your licenses across multiple devices. Keep it simple.
Our virtual instruments and plugins are designed to fit right into your setup without hassle. Whatever your style, you can explore sound while enjoying full compatibility with major DAWS, on both Windows and MacOS.
Instantly find the sound that’s in your head with intelligent & streamlined preset browsing. Search with keywords, explore by instrument type, musical style, and more - you can even save your favorites to quickly recall later.
Whether you want the full visual immersion of our classic instrument emulations, or to save precious screen real estate, the interfaces for all of your Arturia virtual instruments can be resized to a scale that suits you.
Instruments come seamlessly mapped for the Arturia KeyLab range - but they’ll place nice with other MIDI controllers too. Instant sound tweaking macros, easy DAW integration, and standalone operation.
Gallery
Main Features
Stereo spread with left/right offsets on oscillator, filter, and LFO parameters
Modulation matrix
Arpeggiator
More flexibility on the LFO for easy modulation
Up to 16 voice polyphony
Innovative voice detuning
On-board effects: delay, chorus, reverb, phaser, flanger, compressor, overdrive, multimode filter, and bitcrusher
Oscillators’ continuous X-Mod modulation (cross modulation)
Oscillators’ (1, 2, and noise) mix in filter section for rich sound sources
4 Function Generators
Sleek design for great visual experience of your sound
Seamless preset selection with the visual browser
Over 400 presets
Individual voice panning
Extension panel includes Mod Matrix, four Function Generators, and 3 busses with 9 effects each
MTS-ESP ODDSOUND microtuning compatibility
MPE compatibility
Platform specifications
Windows
- Win 10+ (64bit)
- 4 GB RAM
- 4 cores CPU, 3.4 GHz (4.0 GHz Turbo-boost)
- 3GB free hard disk space
- OpenGL 2.0 compatible GPU
- ARM processors not supported on Windows
Required configuration
- Works in Standalone, VST, AAX, Audio Unit, NKS (64-bit DAWs only).
Apple
- Mac OS 11+
- 4 GB RAM
- 4 cores CPU, 3.4 GHz (4.0 GHz Turbo-boost) or M1 CPU
- 3GB free hard disk space
- OpenGL 2.0 compatible GPU
Work with ASC
- An elegant and simple solution to help you install, activate, and update your Arturia software instruments.
All manufacturer and product names mentioned on this page are trademarks of their respective owners, which are in no way associated or affiliated with Arturia. The trademarks of other manufacturers are used solely to identify the products of those manufacturers whose features and sound were studied during the development. All names of equipment, inventors, and manufacturers have been included for illustrative and educational purposes only, and do not suggest any affiliation or endorsement by any equipment inventor or manufacturer.