listening to some Arp Odyssey demos last night... Now, I don't even want chip-based analogs...

I've been shopping around for a mono to complement my AX-80 (no unison, no glide, does mono in chord mode if you don't hold down a chord when pressing it), which I'm happy with soundwise. But the Odyssey just puts it (and pretty much everything else I've youtubed) to absolute shame. I'm having a hard time with my inner slut right now...

Anyway, why the absolute glut of moog-alikes but no arp'ish synths?

moog is definitely trendy and has "brand-power", not to detract from moog stuff, i'd love some but there's lots of great equipment out there.

Oh certainly, but the sound has just been done to death... (I mean I'd be just fine not hearing another moog lead for the rest of my days, and I'm just about sick of a ladder filter, but that's mostly about me, I'm a turn left kinda guy.) I understand the Moog thing is valid and all that, but dammit I want a chainsaw not a butterknife... That's why I have the AX-80 instead of a Juno or somesuch...

And see the thing is that, having heard that demo, its like you can hear the depth of all those discrete components, even over my AX which is a damn good synth in its own right and suits my ears perfectly. Its like another degree of separation...

The Arp Odyssey is a classic too, I wasn't aware that it wasn't getting any love these days.

You should also check out the Tiesco 110f if you can.

Well if imitation is the best form of flattery, then no its not getting the love it deserves...

I was just saying that I'd been limiting my search for the right monosynth to stuff from the early MIDI era and forward (including polysynths with unison/glide), since I'll be wanting to integrate it into a modern setup, but I had no idea that the early mono's were that damned good...
I'll do that. Thanks!

I made the mistake of . . . playing an Octave Cat in a store a few months ago. I was instantly hooked. After convincing myself that I HAD to buy an Octave Cat, I ended up instead buying an Odyssey at a great price.

So I guess what I'm trying to say is:

Resitance is futile. Give in and buy an Odyssey or something similar like an Octave Cat. No the Cat isn't a direct copy, but it has its similarities.

tho interestingly enough more than a few most coveted, legendary ARPs, basically have a transistor ladder inside (like blue and gray versions of ARP2600) that moog even sued them for, or a recreation of ladder via transistor array chips like Oddysey mkII, Axxe mkI, Pro Soloist, DGX etc..

not that there's anything wrong with being tired of ladder sound. sound of ARP is more than just its filter and i concurr that ARPs are much less covered in various clone designs.

on that note, just lately i heard announcement that AM Synth will start making 2600 version (4012) transistor ladder clone, and also ARP's early VCO (4027) clone. not sure how accurate will this sound as the guy puts in some "better" or "improved" components, which i hate as it destroys the orignal (desirable) character. but we'll see. colour me intrigued..

if one wants some other, ARP-specific filters, that would first n foremost be the 4072/4075 design from late oddys , axxes and 2601. Yu Synth makes a DIY PCB, or you can buy a finihsed one in euro/mu from STG Labs. sounds fantastic. some Studio Electronics synths have also cloned this filter, sounds great but is noisy as hell. unusable unfortunately.

there will also be a ARP 2500 State variable filter from AM Synths.

The Odyssey is a great synth and I prefer it and the 2600 to any Moog (except perhaps a Voyager XL and the guitar, which are just nice examples of modern tech and would both be nice). The Odyssey is a perfect example of the greatness of analog. 15 years ago I found a deal on a mint Odyssey and its character quickly had me selling my first two synths (JP-8000 and Prophecy) although after a few years of a building frustration with patch sheets and fighting with the limits of analog subtractive synthesis I decided that although I loved them, they just weren't practical and didn't fit with my needs.

That said, if space and money weren't a concern I'd repurchase a mkIII in a heartbeat (those PPC pads were great) just for the joy of playing it ...although if money weren't a factor a 2600 would be cooler or better still, there's EMS and Buchla ..pure magic..

but yes, these are the analogs that are worthy of all of the praise and hyperbole

Pretty much... Now what's that they say about champagne tastes?

Yeah I read that. Of course the filter is just one element (albeit the most prominent one), and the ladder is a great filter. If I were to get an Odyssey, I'd look for the later 2 pole version, just to be different... But then again, I wouldn't complain too loudly if I ended up with the ladder-knockoff version either...

That's my concern too, but then again, I think I may be chaotic enough to be able to deal with no recall. Not to mention the fact that I don't mind composing in an unorthodox way using my sampler, pasting together phrases and such without a concern about being able to duplicate a given sound ever again... (I sometimes do it that way with my AX, even though it has MIDI and patch storage.) OTOH, that's the main reason I was looking at MIDI era synths. I just don't want to make a $2k mistake like that. Not that I have $2k to spend...

It shouldn't amaze me that they're selling for $2000 now, but I bought mine for $300 (and shortly afterwards found a mint Two Voice for $350 and a MS-10/VC-10 pair for $450). Those days are so long gone...

nice

The ARP Odyssey is one of my favourite synths. not only is it a great synth instrument in the traditional sense, it's also a brilliant sound design tool and great for sound effects, drums, drones etc.

yeah ladder knock off (with transistor arrays) has its own sonic variant on ladder sound - i had axxe mkI arround with this filter and its just out of this world beautiful. pure liquid. compared to my minimoog, they're nothing alike. Axxe had something magic you just can't get on any moog, or a sem, or old roland, their own perfection/excellence withstanding.

PS earlier oddy (mkI) had a OTA based (agressive) 2-pole filter. the later version, the mkIII had the equally interesting 4075, today often reffered as "post lawsuit" filter, bcs its ARPs original 4pole design.

bottom line one can't miss with any of the various versions of oddyseys or axxes.

Cool thanks for that info clusterchord, I'll keep that in mind. I saw a tabular breakdown of the various odyssey filters somewhere once before. I'll try to locate that.

symmetrical sound,

how'd you like to double your money???

...not writing what was all about in the thread in hopes of people reading it out of curiosity..

..instead I just made a few enemies


See you around... BUDDY!

By the way, I hate people on craigslist who use 'keywords'... No I don't want your damned Alesis Ion...

























Not that I'm not guilty of similar tactics... Right DSK?

I love my MK I to death!!!

Perfect companion to my......eeeh Minimoog heh

You might try locating an ATC-1 with the ARP filter. (there's a replaceable cartridge in the back. the "ATC" stands for analog tone chameleon) I have no idea how close it comes to an actual ARP but the Moog filter that came with mine does a pretty good job of capturing that round moogish sound. I think there's an SEM replicant as well. Easier to find and less service headache than an old ARP, but probably will only get you part of the way there. For guys like me, it's enough.

Or maybe a modcan basic system with the arp filter.

well i don't have much but more to get some gear would always be nice, paying bills might be an idea too lol.

yes
Arp 4075 analog modular synthesizer low pass filter SDIY pcb. Odyssey Axxe 2600 | eBay

I must admit I'm inching ever closer to the whole modular world.

i got vaz modular recently which *might* just about stop (delay) me from spending all the money i don't have on a hardware modular system

i doubt it, though buying gear on credit sucks.

Well just started playing with it last night and think its gonna keep me busy for a fair while.

Sent from my GT-I5800 using Gearslutz.com

Great instrument! I also love the sound of GForce Oddity, but I don't know if it sounds the same...

I think they did a good job. some of the basslines coming from there are instantly recognisable. Some is a bit too.. analytical sounding, and not quirky enough to be the full 100%. Nevertheless, good stuff.

I hate the Odyssey. I had one and it was a total lemon. The output was incredibly noisy and once I got my Voyager and Ring Mod I could make all of the sounds the Odyssey made and more. All you need to do is switch the Voyager's filter from 4 pole to 2 and turn off the third oscillator. There you go: Arp Odyssey.

If you do decide to go with one be prepared to save extra money for repairs because you're going to need them. I personally will never buy an Arp product ever again. I know this post comes off as incredibly negative, but all the Odyssey ever did for me was cause me heartache, frustration, and an empty wallet. I spent more money on repairs for the piece of sh*t than I spent on the synth itself.

There is a good reason why Arp Instruments went bankrupt.

ok, but they're 30 year old synths. what did you expect? they need service.
you don't buy a 30 year old car, and expect it to perform like a new one, without maintenance. some cars have been maintained better, and are a better buy.
sorry you bought a lemon. I still like my Axxes. One needs service, the other already had.