TED-8 is discoDSP's software take on the Oberheim TEO-5, the compact five-voice analog synth. Rather than sample the instrument, discoDSP models its signal path: two oscillators per voice, a sub oscillator and noise, feeding a 2-pole state-variable filter built after the Oberheim SEM design that sweeps from low-pass through notch to high-pass.
The headline reason to pick the plugin over the hardware is scale. TED-8 runs eight voices, and its Poly Unison mode stacks up to six per note across eight notes for as many as 48 voices, well beyond what the desktop module offers. A 16-slot modulation matrix, a 64-step sequencer with chords, rests and ties, and an arpeggiator with the usual directions round out a synth aimed at pads, stabs and leads that need movement.
It ships as a Universal Binary 2 in Standalone, VST, VST3, AU and AAX, with builds for Windows, macOS and Debian Linux. A USB link mirrors a real TEO-5, so owners can treat the plugin as an editor with total recall. The introductory price was $99, moving to $199, with a $49 path for existing discoDSP customers.
Set against alternatives such as OB-Xd, Cherry Audio Memorymode 2 and Diva, TED-8 earns its place when you specifically want the TEO-5's SEM-filter voice and the recall that software brings. The full first look lives in our TED-8 feature.