Sonic Projects OP-X PRO-3, a new version of the popular Oberheim OB-X emulation, is here with major new features and improvements.
The Oberheim OB-X is a legendary analog polyphonic synthesizer from 1979. Emulations of this classic are also available for the DAW. Very popular is the OP-X PRO-II Synthesizer from the independent Swiss developer Sonic Projects. It doesn’t always have to be the big names.
This year, the OP-X has faced big competition. GForce Software released an officially endorsed emulation of the Oberheim OB-X. This has an outstanding sound quality and authenticity. Sonic Projects responds to the GForce version with an even newer one, the OP-X PRO-3.
Sonic Projects OP-X PRO-3
The OP-X PRO-3 remains an authentic emulation of the Oberheim OB-X poly synth. It’s not a free upgrade, but it offers tons of new features that are worth the upgrade price of 35€.
First of all, there is a new, completely reorganized interface with no more hidden functions to make the workflow smoother and faster.
OP-X PRO-3 also benefits from an impressive set of new engine upgrades. It starts with an improved, smoother sound quality without sacrificing the typical warm and full signature sound of the former version.
This version uses the most CPU, says Sonic Projects. However, the purchase ships with two other versions (ECO and LC) that offer 100% of the original but use less CPU. There is also a new brightness mode in the max CPU version, that makes the sound even brighter and brilliant.
Then, you explore two new self-oscillating filter types: fully 24dB with OB character and MG (ladder type 24dB with less bass amount in high resonance settings). With these new additions, you get a total of 10 filters (including self-osc modes). They offer seamless mixing between the modes and freely modulation in the new mod-matrix.
OP-X PRO-3 also features a new preset-based modulation unit with chorus, double-chorus (CE1), flanger, chorus-flanger, phaser, and five different ensemble effects. Three are modeled after the original ARP Solina.
New Modulation Power
On the modulation side, the synth got a big envelope boost with a new dedicated voice-based pitch envelope (12 in total) and two envelopes (one mono, one poly), giving you a total of five envelope generators.
The pulse width modulation also now offers a new key-tracking trim pot to make the depth of pulse with modulation depend on the key pitch. You also get two new LFOs (one global, one voice-based) that upgrade the LFO count to 4.
Another highlight is an all-new expandable matrix modulation with five slots (2 poly, 3 mono) (Mx1 to Mx5), each with a source and destination slot. They offer classic modulation options, but also the ability to modulate the amounts of other slots, giving you tons of sonic flexibility.
It doesn’t stop here. OP-X PRO-3 also features a new “boards” page that shows the inner synth structure based on the 12 separate voice boards, all tuneable separately. This gives you the freedom to carefully create your personal OB-emulation with the tuning according to your wishes.
Further, Sonic Projects improved the unison and aftertouch capabilities of the synth. In legato mode, you can now choose either the last note priority or the low and highest note priority. The aftertouch, on the other side, is now smoother and better usable.
Other New Features
The new OP-X PRO-3 is fully backward compatible with your old patches. Even though the engine now has 199 parameters, patches from the OP-X Pro II remain compatible without a patch format transition system.
Lastly, it ships with 300 new presets showing off some of the new features. The library also contains an extended Famous 80s A-Z section at the very bottom of the categories that includes 475 alphabetically sorted famous 80s sounds including many new ones.
First Impression
A massive upgrade to one of the best vintage Synthesizer emulations on the market. I have been using the OP-X PRO-II for many years and love the sound. Very epic and fat. The new features make sense and fit perfectly to an OB-X emulation. I’m looking forward to checking out the new version.
Sonic Projects OP-X PRO-3 is available now for an introductory price of 99€ instead of 119€. Existing users can upgrade from OP-X PRO-II for an intro price of 35€ instead of 39€. It runs as a 64-bit VST3 and AU plugin on macOS (native Apple Silicon + Intel) and Windows. A demo version is available now.
More information here: Sonic Projects
It looks promising, but a bit weird the difference between buying a new OP-X PRO-II and the brand new OP-X PRO-3 is only 30 EUR, whereas those that have bought the OPX-PRO-II in the past need to pay 35 as a ‘special sale’ upgrade price. I would have expected the other way.
The upgrade price is totally fair for the amount of new features they put it. I don’t know why they left it for purchase but for me it doesn’t much sense buying an old plugin (5+ years) compared a new ones with better sound quality etc. for 30€ more 🙂
This plug-in is a star really. It has a certain top-level feature the set that exists *just before things get so complicated I lose track or abstracted with a long mod matrix list. Mentally/logically, this is perfect for me, i can feel “inside the patch”, unlike maybe say Surge XT, which is wonderful, but doesn’t feel like that. I’m sure the interface could be better, but it’s definitely easier to read than the last one, theres just a lot going on. Sounds fantastic! I’m glad the developer is sticking with it over the years because the design has a solid foundation.