# Oberheim DSX (1983)
The Oberheim DSX is a digital sequencer - not a synthesizer. It was the brain of what Oberheim called their "performance system." Introduced around 1983 at a US price of $1,495.00, it was built to sit at the center of an Oberheim setup and link the OB-Xa (or OB-8) and the DMX drum machine, so one musician could compose and perform with the whole rig at once. No computer required.
The DSX records in real time and in step time, with a resolution of 96 pulses per quarter note. It offers 32 sequences and 6 songs, with a note capacity of roughly 20,000 notes, and each sequence can run up to 999 measures. It could record all four channels simultaneously in real time - no multitrack or overdub approach - which made polyrhythmic recording practical. You can chain or cascade up to 32 sequences. The unit has MIDI In, Out, and Thru, DIN sync (sync 24), and FSK tape sync for locking to analog tape.
Keyboard Report was impressed, calling it "probably the best MIDI sequencer for the money right now" and noting that "it's got the best software of any MIDI sequencer we've yet seen" and that Oberheim's MIDI is better implemented than most other companies' (Keyboard Report, quoted in Mats Nylund). The same review acknowledged the programming could be tedious — the front panel's numeric keypad and parameter entry are not what anyone would call friendly — and suggested the DSX shines best when paired with a computer. A 1983 Polyphony promotion noted the Oberheim system was a compositional and performance tool and an invaluable pre-production recording aid (Polyphony, December 1983, p.2). Later commentary echoed that: powerful sequencing, but cumbersome editing.
The DSX was frequently sold as part of a complete Oberheim system with the DMX and OB-Xa. That is the context where it makes the most sense. As a standalone MIDI sequencer it was capable but finicky. As the coordinator of an all-Oberheim rig, it was genuinely ahead of its time.
Known specs:
- 4-voice digital sequencer
- 32 sequences, 6 songs, ~20,000-note capacity
- 96 ppqn resolution
- Real-time and step-time recording
- MIDI In / Out / Thru, DIN sync, FSK tape sync
- US price: $1,495.00
Units are now over 40 years old. The internal battery may need replacement, and there are no modern replacements. Plan to use it with period-correct Oberheim gear or via MIDI.
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