Publicado
Sat, May 18, 2024, 08:00
- The TEO-5 offers many classic features in a compact form.
Legendary US synth maker Oberheim has a new instrument in the works.
TEO-5, named after the company's founder Tom Elroy Oberheim, is a five-voice polysynth with a modulation matrix. It offers two variable-shape oscillators plus a sub-oscillator, and a similar filter design to Oberheim's influential SEM modules from the mid-'70s.
Full features include monophonic and polyphonic LFOs, two envelopes, inbuilt FX, sequencer and arpeggiator, a split function for playing two patches at once, and cross modulation on the oscillators. There's a small LCD screen for selecting FX and managing presents, though the controls look mostly knob-per-function.
TEO-5 also has a modulation matrix—a simple way to route modulation sources such as its LFOs, its envelopes or keyboard velocity to destinations like the filter or the frequency of the oscillators. This is a function on many classic Oberheims of the '80s, such as the Matrix 6 and Matrix 12. TEO's matrix has 19 slots, with 19 modulation sources and 64 possible destinations.
Like many US synth companies, Oberheim went out of business in the '80s. It returned to the market two years ago with a large, pricy polysynth called the OB-X8. This new instrument will be a smaller and more affordable synth, but with many of the same features and sonic properties.
Watch a video about TEO-5.
TEO-5 should be available this summer priced $1,599 / €1,599.