Oberheim Two Voice TVS-1A with Mini Sequencer


It’s 1975. If you walked into Mo Mahoney’s Drum Shop, you would have found three performance synthesizers ready to play. A MiniMoog, an Arp Odyssey and an Oberheim 2 Voice. With it’s creamy white panels, it some how looked more sleek and clean than the other two units. The Mini had three VCO’s, but you had to give one up for any LFO modulation, it was only monophonic, and it had a certain tuning reputation at the time, but it was the industry standard and the most expensive of the three. The Arp unit sold a lot more units for Mo. Arp extended more credit, and actually had a number of price point solutions. The Odyssey on the floor at that time was a white face, with a limited duophonic capability and a dedicated LFO, it also cost less and had a good reputation for tuning stability. It just wasn’t as fat.

And then there was the Obie. The 2Voice had been built on two Synthesizer Expansion Modules that had been thickening Arp and Moog sounds over the last year. Tom added a keyboard, Sample and hold, and in our case, a hyper-cool 8 step sequencer. This unit was about the same price as a Mini, but was so much more fun. The combination of Tom’s 4 VCO’s and 12dB filter design created sublime flute and string sounds, and the performance characteristics of this design allowed you to add a second voice in a number of musically useful ways. It was beautiful, man.  

When Gearzley pulled this out of the collection, the sequencer couldn’t help but play a certain song from the 80’s about having 2 much time on their hands. The TVS-1a’s performance section a constant source of inspiration. It’s a unique sound from that time and place. It has been professionally restored followed by a two week man hunt to get it back from our repair guy who just needed to “test one more thing for six or seven hours.” It is the root of all that Oberheim would become, and it can be yours.

This item is sold As-Described

This item is sold As-Described and cannot be returned unless it arrives in a condition different from how it was described or photographed. Items must be returned in original, as-shipped condition with all original packaging.

Product Specs

Condition Excellent (Used)

Excellent items are almost entirely free from blemishes and other visual defects and have been played or used with the utmost care.

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Made In

  • United States

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