Oberheim 8 Voice

Oberheim 8 Voice FVS-1 for sale. Fully restored, a process which took approximately 90 hours. This unit was sold to a customer in the UK, but we do buy, restore and sell these.

The OB Eight Voice is comprised of a 2 FVS-1 Four Voice synthesizers. One is the typical model with the keyboard, and the second is a smaller keyboardless expander box that latches onto the back of the 8v. It contains 4 SEMs and a mixer module. This beautiful instrument could play up to 16 oscillators at once, for insanely humongous sounds. Here's more info about the 4v:

The 4 voice was one of the first polyphonic synths. Each of the four Synthesizer Expander Modules ( SEMs ) can be assigned to a different note. Splitting voices between modules is also possible, as is a monophonic unison mode. A single voice is surprisingly powerful, offering 2 oscillators, 2 envelopes (1 for filter, 1 for volume), an LFO, pulse width modulation and a real sweet multimode filter with sweepable mode (which few synths offered). The programmer module allows fast saving and recall of programmed sounds. With a combined 8 oscillators, these sound unbelievably fat. Even a single SEM sounds great. In unison mode, play all VCOs on one key for one of the most powerful vintage synth sounds ever. Nothing sounds like it to us and we've played everything. This is a personal favorite. This FVS-1 has the standard configuration of modules: 4 x Synthesizer Expander Module ( SEM ) Keyboard Output module Polyphonic Keyboard module Programmer module.

If you are an analog synth head who makes musical sounds, you need one of these. To avoid disappointment though, we would recommend anyone looking for a dedicated sound effects machine to go for something else. This 4 voice is fabulous at musical tones and can make some interesting sound effects but there are better choices for clangs, zaps, explosions and similar atonal timbres. 

Famous users include: Joe Zawinul, Chick Corea, Styx, Larry Fast (Synergy), Jan Hammer, Herbie Hancock, Human League, Lyle Mays, Michael McDonald / Doobie Brothers, Patrick Moraz, Pink Floyd, Steve Porcaro, The Shamen, Tim Simenon, Depeche Mode, Vince Clarke / Erasure, Tangerine Dream, Stevie Wonder and many other influential musicans who could afford one - this was a very expensive instrument when it came out! 

Photos are not yet available, so the images here show a previously sold unit.