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Oberheim Polyphonic Synthesizer

1975 polyphonic analog synthesizer

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General referenceInterpretive dossier study · Crown Archives visual atlas
Record originEnglish Wikipedia
Text licenseCC BY-SA 4.0
Source revisionDec 1, 2025
Entity authorityQ7074739 ↗
Source-derived summary

The Oberheim Polyphonic Synthesizer is a series of analog music synthesizers that was produced from 1975 to 1979 by Oberheim Electronics. Developed by Tom Oberheim, they were the first production synthesizers capable of playing chords.

Background

After Oberheim introduced the DS-2 digital music sequencer, Tom Oberheim recognized that customers wanted to play one synthesizer while the DS-2 played a sequence on another, or layer the sound of one synthesizer with another. To address this need, he introduced the Synthesizer Expander Module (SEM), a semi-modular analog synthesizer module, in 1974. The SEM featured two VCOs and a two-pole voltage-controlled filter that could operate as a low-pass, high-pass, band-pass, or band-reject filter, giving it a different sound from the Moog and ARP four-pole low-pass ladder filters popular at the time.

Specification

In late 1975, after Norlin canceled several large Maestro orders, Oberheim developed a series of polyphonic synthesizers by combining multiple SEMs with a digitally-scanned keyboard developed by Dave Rossum and a two-channel sequencer. By packaging two or four SEMs, each capable of generating one voice (or note), together under keyboard control, he was able to create synthesizers that could play two or four notes simultaneously. These synthesizer models were logically named the Oberheim Oberheim Two Voice (TVS) and Four Voice (FVS).

In 1976, Oberheim introduced the Polyphonic Synthesizer Programmer (PSP-1), an optional module which made possible the storage and recall of most of the SEM's parameters, as well as the ability to glide from one note or chord to another using portamento.

In 1977, the Oberheim Eight Voice (EVS), available with either a single or dual manual keyboard, was added to the series.

Editorial summary

This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Oberheim Polyphonic Synthesizer” as 1975 polyphonic analog synthesizer. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.

Editorial reviewA concise reference frame for defining the subject, testing terminology and identifying the institution closest to the evidence. The current lead gives the account dated anchors—1975, 1979, 1974, 1976—that can be checked directly. The selected authority fields contribute no independent date. The account is most persuasive where Oberheim, Polyphonic and Synthesizer can be independently traced.
Editorial analysis

Why this record matters

The subject matters to the general reference register because the source frames it as 1975 polyphonic analog synthesizer. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.

Evidence profile

Vocabulary and entity names are the principal evidence signals here, because they determine the precision of every later search. The source revision retrieved here is dated Dec 1, 2025. The linked authority identifier is Q7074739. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 1975, 1979, 1974 and 1976.

Critical limits

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Source & attribution

This entry incorporates text from “Oberheim Polyphonic Synthesizer” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.