OBERHEIM SYNTH

I have a .wav file of the factory presets on my iPhone, and am trying to load it into my OB-Xa but am having trouble.

I have a cable from the headphone out to the TO OUTPUT jack on the OB-Xa.

When I turn switch the CASSETTE ENABLE switch, the front panel CASSETTE LIGHT lights up.

I can hear the .wav file in the OB-Xa's output, but nothing happens. When I press PLAY on the OB-Xa front panel, the PLAY switch does not light.

I am able to write patches to all of the memory locations, but cannot load anything via the cassette interface.

Any ideas?

these beasts are very particular about the volume of the cassette input signal.

it way work better from a line level device.

the phone may not be delivering what it wants to see.  also, make sure you hit the load command right when the cassette leader noise starts.

z



 
NEW ALLIANCE EAST!!!!

--------------------------------------


New Alliance East - Mastering

New Alliance East - Facebook

X :::: B :::: S




________________________________

 From: imbuedblue <alexis.v.rogers@...>
To: oberheim@yahoogroups.com 
Sent: Sunday, May 5, 2013 7:15 PM
Subject: [oberheim] OB-Xa problem loading factory presets
 


  
I have a .wav file of the factory presets on my iPhone, and am trying to load it into my OB-Xa but am having trouble.

I have a cable from the headphone out to the TO OUTPUT jack on the OB-Xa.

When I turn switch the CASSETTE ENABLE switch, the front panel CASSETTE LIGHT lights up.

I can hear the .wav file in the OB-Xa's output, but nothing happens. When I press PLAY on the OB-Xa front panel, the PLAY switch does not light.

I am able to write patches to all of the memory locations, but cannot load anything via the cassette interface.

Any ideas?

The manual states that when loading from the cassette tape, to reduce hum the "TO LINE INPUT" and "TO MIC INPUT" jacks have no ground connection and it is necessary to connect both the Input and Output cables when recording data onto the cassette recorder.  While you appear to be loading data from the cassette player you might want to connect both jacks when transferring data.  The quality of the cables with sufficient shielding is important also and I've also been told that wiping a thin film of WD-40 on the plug jack helps insure a good connection.  

--- In oberheim@yahoogroups.com, "imbuedblue" <alexis.v.rogers@...> wrote:

>
> I have a .wav file of the factory presets on my iPhone, and am trying to load it into my OB-Xa but am having trouble.
> 
> I have a cable from the headphone out to the TO OUTPUT jack on the OB-Xa.
> 
> When I turn switch the CASSETTE ENABLE switch, the front panel CASSETTE LIGHT lights up.
> 
> I can hear the .wav file in the OB-Xa's output, but nothing happens. When I press PLAY on the OB-Xa front panel, the PLAY switch does not light.
> 
> I am able to write patches to all of the memory locations, but cannot load anything via the cassette interface.
> 
> Any ideas?
>

At last search for the OB-Xa_patch_book.pdf and figure it out yourself knob by knob.


--- In oberheim@yahoogroups.com, "imbuedblue" <alexis.v.rogers@...> wrote:

>
> I have a .wav file of the factory presets on my iPhone, and am trying to load it into my OB-Xa but am having trouble.
> 
> I have a cable from the headphone out to the TO OUTPUT jack on the OB-Xa.
> 
> When I turn switch the CASSETTE ENABLE switch, the front panel CASSETTE LIGHT lights up.
> 
> I can hear the .wav file in the OB-Xa's output, but nothing happens. When I press PLAY on the OB-Xa front panel, the PLAY switch does not light.
> 
> I am able to write patches to all of the memory locations, but cannot load anything via the cassette interface.
> 
> Any ideas?
>

Thanks. I wondered whether it was a input level issue or not. It's a friends OB-Xa that I was working on and recalibrating. He doesn't really care about having the factory presets. I just wanted to make sure everything was working as it should before I returned it, and loading the presets was the only problem.

--- In oberheim@yahoogroups.com, Nick Zampiello <newallianceeast@...> wrote:

>
> these beasts are very particular about the volume of the cassette input signal.
> 
> it way work better from a line level device.
> 
> the phone may not be delivering what it wants to see. Â also, make sure you hit the load command right when the cassette leader noise starts.
> 
> z
> 
> 
> 
> Â 
> NEW ALLIANCE EAST!!!!
> 
> --------------------------------------
> 
> 
> New Alliance East - Mastering
> 
> New Alliance East - Facebook
> 
> X :::: B :::: S
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ________________________________
>  From: imbuedblue <alexis.v.rogers@...>
> To: oberheim@yahoogroups.com 
> Sent: Sunday, May 5, 2013 7:15 PM
> Subject: [oberheim] OB-Xa problem loading factory presets
>  
> 
> 
> Â  
> I have a .wav file of the factory presets on my iPhone, and am trying to load it into my OB-Xa but am having trouble.
> 
> I have a cable from the headphone out to the TO OUTPUT jack on the OB-Xa.
> 
> When I turn switch the CASSETTE ENABLE switch, the front panel CASSETTE LIGHT lights up.
> 
> I can hear the .wav file in the OB-Xa's output, but nothing happens. When I press PLAY on the OB-Xa front panel, the PLAY switch does not light.
> 
> I am able to write patches to all of the memory locations, but cannot load anything via the cassette interface.
> 
> Any ideas?
>

How about doing throwing in a few patches, then doing an export/import 
operation. That way you test both directions.

Also, I would also try different cables. I have some that pass audio fine 
but refuse to work with the 22 kHz signal. I have to grab the right cable; 
that's burned me a couple of times until I remember, oh yeah, I need that 
one...

Scott in Ohio

And as alluded to before, it likes a hot signal.

In addition to liking a hot signal, it also likes nice sharp square wave data.
If the heads on the cassette aren't clean and/or in good condition, there may be difficulties.
If the azimuth is out by just a small amount, the waveform really rounds off.
There is a clipping circuit in a timecode reshaper that fixes these problems. 
I used the Otari reader/re-shaper, but almost anything that purports to recondition ( not regenerate) timecode will do.
I suspect a cheap fuzzbox will do too, but have a listen to what the data sounds like coming off the cassette, it shouldn't be dull sounding.
Typically there are some thumps and a chattering along with a tone.
Each of the Oberheim devices from this era have a distinctive sound, once you've heard it a few times, you can tell which is which.
A comparison can be made by attempting a cassette dump from the front panel. 
The tone and chattering will be full on bright, and a cassette recording should be slightly duller, but not dramatically duller.

Another issue can be a data inversion.
Until I standardized which cable and cassette machine I used, the backup and restore detail was a bit hit and miss.

Still another issue is the mono/stereo quandry.
My technique was to record both channels and then play from only one of them, leaving a spare track in case of dropout (poor tape to head contact for a moment).
Also a second pass was made immediately after the first in case of physical damage to the playing surface, tape breakage and repair etc.

.Interestingly,after a restore, patch A1 will be whatever was in there before the restore until you press "A" "1" to load the tape's patch A1.

Good luck with your quest

--- On Thu, 9/5/13, 65 Lotus <Lotus@...> wrote:

From: 65 Lotus <Lotus@...>
Subject: Re: [oberheim] Re: OB-Xa problem loading factory presets
To: oberheim@yahoogroups.com
Date: Thursday, 9 May, 2013, 17:47
















 



  


    
      
      
      And as alluded to before, it likes a hot signal.