Oberheim OB-Xa

The Oberheim OB-Xa is an 8-voice polyphonic analogue synthesizer, released in December 1980 by Oberheim electronics. It had the signature horizontal blue lines over black background design for the panel, which became a trademark aesthetic of subsequent Oberheim products.

Background
The OB-Xa was Sting’s main keyboard synthesizer with The Police between 1981 and 1984. Sting started using it around the time of Ghost In The Machine. It was probably one of the new "toys" that members of the band were offered by various manufacturers at the time. Sting especially taking an interest in polyphonic synthesizers like the Oberheim pulled the album into a more synthesizer-oriented direction as a result. The Oberheim features as synthesizer textures on "Invisible Sun" (originally written as a chord sequence on the synth) and probably the main riff in "Spirits In The Material World".

The OB-Xa Sting owned had 32-program patch memory. By the time of Synchronicity, he upgraded to the newer version of the OB-Xa with expanded program memory of 120 programs, probably bought as part of the "Oberheim Performance System" package (which included the DSX sequencer and DMX drum machine). Photos of Sting and his Oberheim synth from then on had the '120 Programs' label right next to the logo.

In the studio & examples
As far as recording goes: according to Hugh Padgham, Sting never really liked spending ages programming a synth (such as the OB-Xa) to get particular sounds he wanted. Instead he'd say he wants roughly such-and-such and runs through the different presets available on the synth until he found something, then he'd record it.

On Synchronicity, Sting had started operating the Oberheim in conjunction with the DSX sequencer, and started to experiment with the extended range of sounds (from the 120 programs update) and functions available from the synth. The Oberheim synth appears in the portamento in "Synchronicity II" (just before the final chorus) and the percussive sequencer patterns developed with the DSX in "Synchronicity I" and "Walking In Your Footsteps". Some have mistaken the synth sound on the latter two songs for an FM synth, but as confirmed by those involved in the record it is purely the Oberheim analog synth.

In addition to songs from those albums, "How Stupid Mr. Bates" (which The Police recorded for the Brimstone and Treacle soundtrack) features Oberheim OB-Xa filter modulation, which is heard throughout the song.

Live
Live, Sting played the OB-Xa during the Ghost In The Machine tour between 1981 and 1982, having replaced the Minimoog. Besides filling in the Minimoog's shoes, he'd play "Invisible Sun" on the synth while Danny Quatrochi handled bass duties. The OB-Xa's live debut was on the 22 August 1981 concert at the Liberty Bell Park, Philadelphia.

On the Synchronicity tour, the OB-Xa (the updated version with 120 programs storage) was accompanied with the DSX sequencer. Sting operated the two in conjunction for sequences for "Synchronicity I", "Walking In Your Footsteps", "King Of Pain" and "Wrapped Around Your Finger". For all Oberheim equipment on the tour (the OB-Xa included), data cassettes were used to reprogram them for each song. In the OB-Xa's case, the tapes stored data for specific patches.

Sting also had an Oberheim OB-8 but didn't seem to use it on tour.

Post Police
It was speculated Sting's Oberheim OB-Xa was given to Kenny Kirkland (who used one on Sting's Dream of The Blue Turtles tour). Apparently - from Danny Quatrochi's memory - the Oberheim was given to a repair shop in London, but had either been stolen or sold off to someone else and it was never seen again.

The Oberheim was replaced with the more sophisticated and expensive Synclavier workstation.