The software emulation (of the Oberheim OB-Xa) is indeed interesting...so much so that these past few years have been spent editing some of the factory presets included with the comparatively inexpensive Arturia OB-Xa V (now referred to as the OP-Xa V), sampling, and sequencing the modified programs to recreate some of the classic sounds heard on Signals, GUP, and POW. For instance, the classic brass synth (or growling bass synth depending on the song) layered with the celestial choir - shimmering pad sound that can be heard throughout Subdivisions and The Analog Kid. Variations of this ethereal choir sound can also be heard on Chemistry and Digital Man and all throughout Grace Under Pressure on The Body Electric, Kid Gloves, Red Lenses, and Between The Wheels along with a heavy dose of OB-Xa (and perhaps Roland Jupiter-8) brass synth layered with the classic PPG Wave organ sound - as heard on Distant Early Warning, The Body Electric, and Red Lenses. The heavily modulated brass synth with delay vibrato effect (rapid LFOs following a certain interval) heard throughout Power Windows on songs such as Marathon and Middletown Dreams sounds to me like an OB-Xa (or Roland Jupiter-8) and doesn't sound too unlike the Van Halen Jump patch aside from slight modifications to the sawtooth waveforms with respect to LFO modulation, filter section, filter and loudness envelopes, effects routing, etc...and is sometimes layered with what sounds like a Yamaha DX7 or PPG Wave synth.
More to follow but in the meantime, enjoy a few of my audio samples from Signals:
