[sdiy] Knobs for Oberheim SEM-1A

[Tom Wiltshire]

It seems to me this is a fairly common problem. Panel switches for the Prophet 5 (or similar) are about the same price - $5-6 for the switch and a bit more for the cap. At nearly $7 a switch, you don't want to use a lot of them in your design unless you're aiming at the very top of the market. The Rev.4 Prophet 5/10 have probably $250 of switches on the panel at the prices I would have to pay. 

Still, quality isn't cheap, and hopefully that's why. A lot of these things are still running thirty years later, so that says something about the parts they used.


> On 9 Apr 2025, at 17:24, Todd Sines via Synth-diy <synth-diy at synth-diy.org> wrote:
> 
> Terry, I’m so jealous to hear that you just got off the phone with Tom! I’d love to pick his brain, but… don’t have his # :P
> 
> Apparently, Randy Pisciano also was on the phone with Tom when he was designing the reSEMble. 
> 
> I know it would be cheaper to just buy a couple of B 2XMs and “B” done with it… but their approach to Tom did not sit well with me. I just cannot afford OG SEM‘s at the price they are commanding these days. Not that Tom sees any of that money anyway. I don’t know why I sold the one I bought back in 2005 for something like $300 — really kicking myself on that one.
> 
> Some more searches turned up the following
> https://groupdiy.com/threads/elma-classic-collet-knobs.79725 <https://groupdiy.com/threads/elma-classic-collet-knobs.79725/>
> 
> https://www.don-audio.com/navi.php?JTLSHOP=ca005bf583d885281708f96c999cfa14&suchausdruck=Elma+Classic+Collet+Knob <https://www.don-audio.com/navi.php?JTLSHOP=ca005bf583d885281708f96c999cfa14&suchausdruck=Elma+Classic+Collet+Knob>
> 
> https://www.newark.com/elma/020-3520/knob-14-5mm/dp/01M9603?CMP=AFC-OP <https://www.newark.com/elma/020-3520/knob-14-5mm/dp/01M9603?CMP=AFC-OP>
> 
> From what I can tell, purchasing one complete knob with a “beak” indicator involves buying three parts, the black glossy cap, the black glossy shaft, and the black glossy “beak” indicator at the bottom. All in this comes to about $7 USD a knob if you’re ordering quantities of under 500. Croak. 
> 
> 
> Todd
> 
>> On Apr 7, 2025, at 7:52 PM, TERRY SHULTZ via Synth-diy <synth-diy at synth-diy.org> wrote:
>> 
>> Hi Folks,
>> 
>> Just got off the phone with Tom Oberheim and I quizzed Tome about where he 
>> Purchased the knobs for the SEM1-A for the TVS/FVS and 8VS synths.
>> 
>> The company is called ELMA Products and look into the Rotary Switch area on their web site.
>> 
>> Tom further mentioned that they no longer make the skirts for the knobs, which are collet type and not D or splined .
>> 
>> I hope that this helps the folks that send out a email thread on knobs.
>> 
>> I use Selco these days and I used them on E-mu products I was designing for Drumulator and Emulator 2.
>> 
>> Best regards to my audio friends
>> 
>> Terry
>> 
> 
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