GForce Software OB-EZ – Nice and EZ Does It
GForce Software’s OB-EZ aims to make your OB-E experience lighter, cleaner and more streamlined with a full OB-E engine wrapped in a minimal skin.
Doesn’t Time Fly?
Has it really been three years since GForce stunned us with its fully authorised, faithful and impressive OB-E? A quick flick through the pages of Gearnews confirms it. It’s also been two years since they made OB-E even better with V2. And 18 months since they broke out an SEM from OB-E.
Now we have a new addition to the OB-E “family”. OB-EZ arrives today and delivers another twist on the SEM-based paradigm. According to the GForce blurb, OB-EZ has been developed for “producers who want to inject that thick, organic and majestic sound in their tracks quickly with a new streamlined workflow”.
A Lightweight Heavyweight
Despite this description, do not think for a minute that OB-EZ compromises on the OB-E sound. Beneath its minimalist UI sits the full OB-E engine. Thats eight SEMs kicking out that huge, octaphonic Oberheim sound. But instead of eight sets of detailed and identical controls, the interface has been stripped back to essentials.
This includes basic filter and envelope controls, as well as the ability to add component ageing, vibrato and effects. The effects sit atop the UI and are themselves cut-down versions of the FX found in OB-E. With an update to OB-E coming this spring, you will be able to import any of the 260+ OB-EZ presets into OB-E itself for more detailed control.
More Information
GForce Software’s OB-EZ is available now for free for all new and existing OB-E owners. It is also available at an introductory price of £24.99 GBP/$29.99 USD. After that, it will be £49.99 GBP/$59.99. OB-EZ comes as a standalone application as well as AU*, VST, VST3 and AAX on Mac and PC
(*Mac only)