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What is the reason of big price difference between keyboard ver. & module ver.?


I'm considering buying a OB-6 keyboard or module.
When I checked prices on dealers website, I found that there is a big price difference between keyboard and module.
It is almost 900USD difference in Japan, and I found it weird because the difference between Rev2 key and Rev2 module is only 230USD. 
So, could someone tell me what actually made that big price difference?  If there are big reasons and they are beneficial, I'd like to consider buying key version, but I can't pay 900USD for just another 4 octave Fatar keybed.


I'm speculating here, but perhaps Tom Oberheim signed a contract with DSI about receiving more royalties from the keyboard version than the module ?
Or perhaps it's a question of sales volume being more profitable on one version than the other ?
Because, as we all know, both version are identical electronically, aside from the added four octaves only keyboard and mod wheels, which I agree are not worth the asking price even though it's a Fatar keybed.
Minimoog D (vintage), OB6 (Desktop), Oberheim Matrix-6 (MIDI Controller), Prophet REV2-16, DeepMind 12

Thanks for the replying!

Considering that keys I only own are Rev2 and Arturia KeyStep, it will be great to have key ver. of OB-6
so that I can play Rev2 with my right hand and OB-6 with left hand kind of play.
However, as price is so different, it will be very economical to get module version...

I could easily pay the price of key ver. if the price difference were under 300USD...

As you may, or may not know, I also own both the REV2 16 keyboard version and OB6 Module version, and both go very well together. I can get sounds out of the OB6 that the REV2 couldn't touch, and vice-versa.
My OB6 module is sitting on top of my Oberheim Matrix-6 keyboard, that I use only as a MIDI controller, and it fits so well that it looks like it was made to fit on there!
The reason I did that, is that I wanted a 5 octave keyboard to play the OB6.

Well, I'm now more excited to see what will happen when a OB-6 meets my Rev2!
I think that SEM style filter will be great for ambient or experimental sounds.

It looks like I won't be dissapointed whether I go module or key, but I won't be able to decide until I save up money.
(TBH, I still can't decide which I'll get first: P6 or OB6.)


Ever consider the thought that the Rev2 is just a cheaper synth to produce?
And they probably sell 10x more Rev2s than OB-6s?
Just economics.

OB-6  Prophet-6  Prophet.Rev2/16  no kids

I agree that the production costs of OB-6　and P-6 may be higher than that of Rev2 and they sell Rev2 more.
But then, should it be the prices of OB-6 module and P-6 module higher than the actual prices? Maybe the modules are more popular than key versions, so the production costs are much cheaper?
Perhaps I should be impressed about how Sequential made prices of modules so cheaper lol.

No, logically speaking, the module housing could be relatively the same across the board while the housing of the key versions could vary drastically. I've owned a REV2 key, OB-6 module, and currently own a Prophet 6 key. Thus I can't speak for the REV2 module, but I can say the P6 is easily distinguishable in its overall quality of build (comparatively to the REV2). I'm not sure if I could say the same between the module versions of the two.
« Last Edit: April 10, 2019, 04:01:04 PM by Ocean Machine »

I find it a bit strange that the price difference is so big. In Europe, where I live, the difference is about EUR 250.

The only Sequential synth on the European market where there is a big price difference between keyboard and module version is the Prophet 12, where there actually is a big difference in the number of controls on the panel.

Could there be a lack of demand for the OB-6 module version on your local market, and thus some surplus that dealers are struggling to sell?

When I was shopping for my OB-6, I called around a lot, and was planning to get a module, just because of cost. I found one shop that was willing to sell me a new-in-box keyboard version for $2400, but they were holding tight on the module price of $2299. For $100 I decided to go for the keyboard as the Mod and Pitch wheels are better than anything I had.
DSI OB-6, Nord Electro 3HP & 6HP, Roland SoundCanvas SC55mkii, Beatstep Pro, Minibrute 2S, MPD18 (+mpcstuff), Roland TD-4 V-drums, Fender-Rhodes Stage MK1, Reaper, plus dozens of acoustic instruments and mikes.

Back when sound modules were more common, it was normal that the module version of a synth was quite a bit cheaper than the keyboard version.  Sometimes they would be nearly half the price.  In some cases, features like on board sequencers were left off, or in the case of the Motif ES, sequencer, sampling, and fewer expansion options.  The nice thing about the Sequential stuff is that there is no functional difference between the keyboard and modules, ever since the P12 (the module of that is still quite easy to navigate in spite of the reduced controls, however).