 Instead of discrete circuits for oscillators and filters, the OB-Xa (and the Oberheim synths to follow) switched to Curtis integrated circuits.This made the inside of the synth less cluttered, facilitating troubleshooting, and reducing the cost of manufacture.It was getting more difficult to service the OB-Xa due to the scarcity of Curtis chips; however, Curtis in June 2016, Coolaudio and Alfa all started re-manufacturing some of these chips which has breathed new life into the longevity of the OB-Xa and many other synthesizers that use these chips.