The Oberheim TEO-5: with the new Poly Chain OS update, you can turn two TEO-5 units into a TEO-10 analog polysynth and add new features.
Oberheim, also a Focusrite company, released the TEO-5 desktop simultaneously with the Sequential Take 5 desktop. It also has the same features, but without a keyboard.
And yes, like the Take-5, the Poly Chain update is also now available for the TEO-5
Poly Chain Update
Oberheim has today released the poly chain OS update for the TEO-5 analog polyphonic Synthesizer. It’s a free update for all TEO-5 owners.
Like on the Sequential Take-5, the highlight of this new update is the Poly Chain function, which allows you to link two TEO-5 into a fully integrated 10-voice Synthesizer. This means players can perform bigger chords and more complex arrangements without worrying about voice stealing.
Clever, all front-panel controls are mirrored from one unit to the other for seamless sound tweaking, as if they were a single, expanded synth. That’s not all that the new OS update includes.
The TEO-5 also receives the new violet noise generator, which emphasizes high frequencies while reducing low-end content, opening up new possibilities for sound design.
Further, it benefits from the same boost for the built-in arpeggiator. It now houses 10 new, inspiring play modes designed to spark fresh rhythmic and melodic ideas. Modes like Spiral and Leapfrog introduce surprising new musical elements, creating parts that feel alive.
According to Sequential, these patterns go beyond simple up-and-down motion, using virtual “playheads” to weave intricate note paths, adding new flavor to your compositions.
Also new is the Whiplash, a new timing mode that keeps each arpeggiator cycle the same length regardless of how many notes you hold.
The result? Notes bunch together or spread apart dynamically, producing rhythmic tension and release that stay in step with the overall bar length of your composition.
A great update that will surely delight TEO-5 5 users
The new Poly Chain OS update is now available as a free update for existing users. Sequential TEO-5 is out now.
More information here: Sequential
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Article from May 16, 2024
New products should only be announced when they are planned. Very often to the NAMM or Superbooth. Leaks can ruin the surprise. It is also possible that leaks were intentionally planned from the marketing floor.
Whether planned or not, an Oberheim leak occurred in April. Today, we know the information was true. Oberheim introduced the TEO-5 Synthesizer at Superbooth 24.
Oberheim TEO-5
After the leak in April, the specifications should be pretty well known. The TEO-5 is a new 5-voice polyphonic analog Synthesizer. It’s not officially confirmed, but I assume it’s based on the Take 5 platform, as both synths are very similar.
Monophonic, polyphonic, and enhanced unison modes are available. The latter offers variable stacking from 1-5 voices.
The analog core offers two VCOs with saw, square/pulse, triangle, and noise. Nice, you have simultaneously selectable wave shapes with an additional sub-oscillator for an extra bottom end. You can add harmonics using oscillator hard sync and classic X-mod with through-zero FM.
Then, it has a discrete SEM-lineage state variable filter (VCF) that delivers the classic Oberheim tone. You can morph it from lowpass to highpass through notch, with a selectable band-pass mode. It’s great to see a modern polyphonic analog synth featuring an SEM filter.
Parameter animations are possible with polyphonic and monophonic LFOs with five waveshapes and tempo sync. Two onboard envelopes offer meticulously modeled envelope responses based on the Oberheim OB-8.
A modulation matrix handles the management of 19 slots, 19 sources, and 64 destinations. According to Oberheim, you can also create modulation in audio rate sources and destinations in the TEO-5.
Onboard Effects
Of course, the new Oberheim TEO-5 also offers the best-known vintage knob that recreates vintage synth characteristics by adding voice-to-voice variations in component behavior.
At the end of the signal chain, you have a multi-effects processor with two slots. The first one hosts a reverb effect with damping, pre-delay, and tone, while the second is freely selectable.
It includes various algorithms: stereo delay, BBD delay, tape delay, chorus, flanger, Oberheim phase shifter and ring modulator emulations, vintage rotating speaker, distortion, high-pass filter, and Lo-Fi.
Like the Sequential Take-5, the new Oberheim TEO-5 includes a full-featured arpeggiator and a polyphonic step sequencer with up to 64 steps. Other features are polyphonic portamento, 256 factory programs, and 256 custom user programs.
TEO-5 uses a 3.5-octave FATAR velocity- and touch-sensitive keyboard. Not poly but monophonic aftertouch.
Connectivity
On the backside, the Oberheim TEO-5 offers a stereo output (L/R outputs), a headphone socket, pedal inputs, a USB port for data, a 5-pin MIDI interface (in/out/thru), and a built-in power supply. Further, a high-resolution OLED display enables patch management and easy access to advanced features.
According to the press release, Tom Oberheim was part of the development team. He says: “I’m so proud to be able to make a synth like this… compact and affordable, the Oberheim sound for 2024”.
Oberheim TEO-5 First Impression
The new Oberheim TEO-5 appears to be a comprehensive package, offering analog polyphony, SEM filters, effects, and a sequencer, all for an affordable price. What I’ve heard so far sounds excellent, and I’m looking forward to more demos.
I’m almost certain this will be a huge success, especially since it’s the most affordable original Oberheim Synthesizer available.
Oberheim TEO-5 will be available soon for 1699€
More information here: Oberheim
way more interesting than all the ob’s
I hope there will be a desktop version
Agreed, a desktop version would be amazing. I have my doubts though – it seems like the design is keyboard-focused. Also, there’s been no hint of a desktop Take 5.
seems to me its more reasonable to have a desktop version for this than the prophet6/ob6
Very good price for something like this.
I assume this SEM also doesn’t self-oscillate?
people that use their own name on products always strikes me as icky. like people that talk about themselves in the third person; Jimmy on Seinfeld, or Vob ShitzInPants.
probably a good synth though. oh well.
So Moog, Buchla, ARP, Doepfer, Behringer, Dave Smith, Axel Hartmann and Schmidt are icky? Geez.
ghb think so too
Rather quickly you can become an adepted teogolist these days.
Sorry, I meant teologist, guess I’m not there yet.
All this is Thanks to Behringer. TEO5 has great deal of specs and new functions because Sequential couldn’t bear cheap fake. That’s why we need compeptition.
Competition is good when its advancing the tech or offer same tech for lower price, but this is not the case with behringer. DSI they did it before with the rev2, and before that with prophet8, 10 years before the deepmind (the first behringer synth) with specs that surpass this one in many ways, and made in usa (this one is made in china), so its possible we get less quality for the same price because of this kind of “competition”. Behringer business is mostly degrading our beloved occupation to lower standards, in many ways