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Missing a Voice/Sound Board for my OBX-a......Help!

Missing a Voice/Sound Board for my OBX-a......Help!

2006-03-01 by L8RDOOD

I'm somewhat of a novice so forgive me if my questions seem "ignorant". 
I bought off Ebay quite awhile ago an Oberheim OBX-a. I got it cheap 
because the seller said it was "dropping a sound". Not knowing any 
difference at the time, I thought it would be cool to have a vintage 
synth to "restore" as a project. Well, due to several unforseen 
situations, I wasn't able to get on the project so I put it off for a 
year. As I researched, I found the contacts needed to be cleaned & the 
keys leveled, among other things. Since my time for this was not going 
to be like I thought, I decided to take it in to a repair shop in L.A.. 
   It took quite a while but the repairman said it was missing a voice 
board. To get all the work done, he wanted nearly double what I even 
paid for it so I decided to pass on getting the board for now. So now 
it's a 7 voice synth. I had the contacts cleaned anyways and I will be 
picking it up this week(minus the missing board). 
   Here goes the questions: Are all the voices the same? If not, are 
they numbered or named so I know what to get? Does anyone on this list 
have any boards available to sell? Is this even worth my time to do 
this? If anyone has done this in the past, please help if you can & 
thanks for all your help in advance!

Re: Missing a Voice/Sound Board for my OBX-a......Help!

2006-03-01 by nelsonj_sce

All the voice boards are the same.  
The general number convention is voice 1-4 are on the bottom, voices 
5-8 are on top.  
Running as a 7 voice is no problem, but you will only get 3 voices 
rather than four when you split the board (the other end of the split 
will have 4 voices) , but when you double, some strange things might 
happen - I have never tried it. 

 

--- In oberheim@yahoogroups.com, "L8RDOOD" <nansbears@...> wrote:
>
> I'm somewhat of a novice so forgive me if my questions 
seem "ignorant". 
> I bought off Ebay quite awhile ago an Oberheim OBX-a. I got it 
cheap 
> because the seller said it was "dropping a sound". Not knowing any 
> difference at the time, I thought it would be cool to have a 
vintage 
> synth to "restore" as a project. Well, due to several unforseen 
> situations, I wasn't able to get on the project so I put it off for 
a 
> year. As I researched, I found the contacts needed to be cleaned & 
the 
> keys leveled, among other things. Since my time for this was not 
going 
> to be like I thought, I decided to take it in to a repair shop in 
L.A.. 
>    It took quite a while but the repairman said it was missing a 
voice 
> board. To get all the work done, he wanted nearly double what I 
even 
> paid for it so I decided to pass on getting the board for now. So 
now 
> it's a 7 voice synth. I had the contacts cleaned anyways and I will 
be 
> picking it up this week(minus the missing board). 
>    Here goes the questions: Are all the voices the same? If not, 
are 
> they numbered or named so I know what to get? Does anyone on this 
list 
Show quoted textHide quoted text
> have any boards available to sell? Is this even worth my time to do 
> this? If anyone has done this in the past, please help if you can & 
> thanks for all your help in advance!
>

Re: Missing a Voice/Sound Board for my OBX-a......Help!

2006-03-01 by L8RDOOD

--- In oberheim@yahoogroups.com, "nelsonj_sce" <nelsonj_sce@...> 
wrote:
> That's good to know they're all the same. To replace/install a 
board, is it just a  matter of plugging it in or is there soldering 
involved? Do you happen to know if an OB-8 board is the same as an 
OBX-a board(can I switch them)? I'm asking this in case I cannot find 
a board for the OBX-a, then maybe a OB-8 board will work the same. 
Plmk if you know and thanks again!
> All the voice boards are the same.  
> The general number convention is voice 1-4 are on the bottom, 
voices 
> 5-8 are on top.  
> Running as a 7 voice is no problem, but you will only get 3 voices 
> rather than four when you split the board (the other end of the 
split 
> will have 4 voices) , but when you double, some strange things 
might 
> happen - I have never tried it. 
> 
>  
> 
> --- In oberheim@yahoogroups.com, "L8RDOOD" <nansbears@> wrote:
> >
> > I'm somewhat of a novice so forgive me if my questions 
> seem "ignorant". 
> > I bought off Ebay quite awhile ago an Oberheim OBX-a. I got it 
> cheap 
> > because the seller said it was "dropping a sound". Not knowing 
any 
> > difference at the time, I thought it would be cool to have a 
> vintage 
> > synth to "restore" as a project. Well, due to several unforseen 
> > situations, I wasn't able to get on the project so I put it off 
for 
> a 
> > year. As I researched, I found the contacts needed to be cleaned 
& 
> the 
> > keys leveled, among other things. Since my time for this was not 
> going 
> > to be like I thought, I decided to take it in to a repair shop in 
> L.A.. 
> >    It took quite a while but the repairman said it was missing a 
> voice 
> > board. To get all the work done, he wanted nearly double what I 
> even 
> > paid for it so I decided to pass on getting the board for now. So 
> now 
> > it's a 7 voice synth. I had the contacts cleaned anyways and I 
will 
> be 
> > picking it up this week(minus the missing board). 
> >    Here goes the questions: Are all the voices the same? If not, 
> are 
> > they numbered or named so I know what to get? Does anyone on this 
> list 
> > have any boards available to sell? Is this even worth my time to 
do 
> > this? If anyone has done this in the past, please help if you can 
& 
Show quoted textHide quoted text
> > thanks for all your help in advance!
> >
>

Re: Missing a Voice/Sound Board for my OBX-a......Help!

2006-03-01 by nelsonj_sce

I don't think the OB-8 has individual voice boards, rather it has a 
big mother-board.  Don't even think about trying.    

The OBX-A boards are just a plug-in and a 8 or so screws, as I 
recall, no soldering.  You have to use the OBX-A boards, don't try 
anything else (unless someone corrects me and tells you you can use 
an OB-SX board.)Also, you have to make sure the OBX-A knows you have 
8 voices installed.  According to the service manual, you have flick 
a small toggle switch on the OBX-A to turn the voice on: "On the 
front of the OBXa [after you open up the top pannel] is a 8 position 
DIP switch.  This switch is used for voice selection, it is 
labled "VOICES".  If the switch is down (the open position) that 
voice is off.  Position 1 is for voice one, position 2 is for voice 
two, and so on." This is really easy to do so just make sure you 
flick the switch up.

Good luck in finding the 8th voice - but I would not be to worried 
about running the board in 7-voice mode.  If this is your only 
problem be thankful. I run 7 voices on my 8 voice OB-X most of the 
time.       


--- In oberheim@yahoogroups.com, "L8RDOOD" <nansbears@...> wrote:
>
> --- In oberheim@...m, "nelsonj_sce" <nelsonj_sce@> 
> wrote:
> > That's good to know they're all the same. To replace/install a 
> board, is it just a  matter of plugging it in or is there soldering 
> involved? Do you happen to know if an OB-8 board is the same as an 
> OBX-a board(can I switch them)? I'm asking this in case I cannot 
find 
> a board for the OBX-a, then maybe a OB-8 board will work the same. 
> Plmk if you know and thanks again!
> > All the voice boards are the same.  
> > The general number convention is voice 1-4 are on the bottom, 
> voices 
> > 5-8 are on top.  
> > Running as a 7 voice is no problem, but you will only get 3 
voices 
> > rather than four when you split the board (the other end of the 
> split 
> > will have 4 voices) , but when you double, some strange things 
> might 
> > happen - I have never tried it. 
> > 
> >  
> > 
> > --- In oberheim@yahoogroups.com, "L8RDOOD" <nansbears@> wrote:
> > >
> > > I'm somewhat of a novice so forgive me if my questions 
> > seem "ignorant". 
> > > I bought off Ebay quite awhile ago an Oberheim OBX-a. I got it 
> > cheap 
> > > because the seller said it was "dropping a sound". Not knowing 
> any 
> > > difference at the time, I thought it would be cool to have a 
> > vintage 
> > > synth to "restore" as a project. Well, due to several unforseen 
> > > situations, I wasn't able to get on the project so I put it off 
> for 
> > a 
> > > year. As I researched, I found the contacts needed to be 
cleaned 
> & 
> > the 
> > > keys leveled, among other things. Since my time for this was 
not 
> > going 
> > > to be like I thought, I decided to take it in to a repair shop 
in 
> > L.A.. 
> > >    It took quite a while but the repairman said it was missing 
a 
> > voice 
> > > board. To get all the work done, he wanted nearly double what I 
> > even 
> > > paid for it so I decided to pass on getting the board for now. 
So 
> > now 
> > > it's a 7 voice synth. I had the contacts cleaned anyways and I 
> will 
> > be 
> > > picking it up this week(minus the missing board). 
> > >    Here goes the questions: Are all the voices the same? If 
not, 
> > are 
> > > they numbered or named so I know what to get? Does anyone on 
this 
> > list 
> > > have any boards available to sell? Is this even worth my time 
to 
> do 
> > > this? If anyone has done this in the past, please help if you 
can 
Show quoted textHide quoted text
> & 
> > > thanks for all your help in advance!
> > >
> >
>

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