ARP Odyssey

Sliders and knobs, switches, pure hands-on. I have a white-face , in the 26000 ser no. Got it from a gent who played it since 1970, when he purchased it from the original owner. I received a manual (the one with Pete Townsend front and centre on the cover) which was written in 1976 for later models, but it pretty much explains every feature. It refers to the switches as "the black slider" or "the red slider" but the manual is in black and green, so you have to have the machine in front of you to really know what's happening. But otherwise everything is well-explained, with examples and lots of sample patches..

We're dealing with an analog machine. For analog monosynth it gets a 10. I recently picked up a Minimoog and the ARp has more mod routing possibilities, plus PWM and sample and hold. The keyboard has pretty good action, no real complaints. Let's straighten out one thing: ALL ANALOG KEYBOARDS DO HAVE A MEMORY. They have exactly one. When you turn it on, it will still sound the same as the last patch you dialed up before you shut it off! If it didn't then when you shut it off, all controls would reset themselves to zero. I understand there originally was a footswitch for VCO 2 and a pedal for the VCF. I've never seen them but the pedal for the VCF would be nice.

Lovely, more analog sounding than the Moog, like really flat. The Moog has a certain spacey-ness to the sound, the way the filters respond and the characteristic. You can get some really funky sounds on the Moog, but the ARP is much more...earthy? You can also get spacey with the ARP, but there is a grit and funk all its own in the ARP. The controls are very sensitive and you can literally spend days tweeking everything. I'm still learning some of the advanced features. You can use osc 1 as a modulating LFO, you can tune osc 2 to a different note than osc 1, creating "duophonic" sound at a fixed interval. Or you can sync the two oscillators for the same note. There is ring modulation, which can create bell-like sounds depending on the other settings. Watch out for the resonance control, it will cause deafness in humans and dogs. Don't adjust it while holding a note; adjust, then play. The VCF ADSR is quite nice, and can be combined with the AR of the VCA in various ways to make the keyboard very expressive. Using the square wave to modulate the filter with a decay and release up a bit, you can create an interesting delay efeect. The possibilities go on and on, believe me. After all anything analog includes the setting "infinity". I took one mark away because it's not "pristine" sound, it's gritty. For real nice and clean you want Moog. But they're apples and oranges.

It was in a bag in the attic for 25 years. It still worked, but many of the sliders were stiff, especially the Noise/Ring Mod slider. Some loosened with playing, but the unit will need service before it's a 10 in this dept. A few sliders were broken off as well but still working. Unfortunate but not impossible to fix. These sliders are meant to be used, and if they stay idle, they stiffen. The keyboard tracks well, but will need to be re-calibrated to play in tune properly. Mind you it's not bad at all, considering the age. Sometimes I will play for example a low G, then a D right after, but a G will trigger instead. This happens elsewhere too, but it may have to do with the release still discharging before hitting the next key. Playing technique may be the fix.

I have found a very reliable tech to work on it, and will rely on this person for all my analog gear from now on. Don't let just anyone work on these older units. They are getting old, and should be treated like 100-year-old antiques. If you gig, take the responsibility when it breaks down. There's no way I would take my Moog or ARP on the road at this point. People only drive antique cars in nice weather on Sundays. Same attitude applies here to taking these things out of the house. Cover the ARP with a plastic dust cover when not in use. The sliders are open and dust will get inside the unit. I understand there are CV/Gate mods for this unit. I'll be talking to my tech about that in the future.

If it were lost or stolen, would you buy it again or get something else?

If I had the money, I'd replace it.

Is it worth what you paid?

Absolutely. It's available much cheaper than a Moog but as worthy.

How long have you been playing?

Long enough to know a minor from a major.

What other gear do you own?

PolySix, EH MiniSynth, Minimoog Model D, Sequential Multitrak, Fender Rhodes Suitcase 88, Hohner D6 Clavinet (black), several other dig-analog hybrids, a few racks, Mac G5 w/Cubase SX and Halion, bla bla...

what do you love about it?

It's musical sound and versatility.

What do you hate?

The stiff sliders - fixable.

Software version? Presets? Editing patches? Whatsthat?
Pure analog, sliders rather than knobs, but nothing too difficult to learn. Anyone can learn a two-oscillator synth, I guess. Never had a manual.

Keyboard action... well, the triple padded cells must have been a cool concept back then, but they only work properly one out of ten times. Better to forget about it and play like a non-sensitive keyboard. And the sliders come in too flavors: too sticky or too loose. Moog knobs I have seen are sturdier. Ok, I probably did not get the best preserved board out there, but ARP materials and workmanship seem desperately cheap to me.

Sounds real good. It's a shame so many players today think of it as a phat bass thingy only. So much solo work to do, so many cool sounds to experiment with.

I may be repeating myself, but this thing won't get any award for "most reliable analog synth". Every time you turn it on, anything can happen. Yep, it may even work fine!

Of course ARP is long gone, but the local techies here seem to know how to deal with it. Unfortunately, I see them a little too often for my taste.

I don't think the great sounds of this board are worth the maintenance pain. All 70s synths are kinda unrealiable since they were built to last a few years at best, but this one really puts your nerves to the test. In addition to a contemporary Roland (which I love, no matter what the anti-digital crowd says) I also have a SC Pro One which I would never sell, but the Odyssey does not have a guaranteed place in my lineup.

Straightfoward for those who have any analog programming skills. Small learning curve for youngsters.

It is what it is - a monophonic analog synth with the ability to split the two oscillators (duophonic) into a single filter. (For me a true polyphonic analog synth would have a full signal path for each voice)

Very unique, classic sound. The earlier comparisions to the Minimoog aren't quite the way I've thought of the two. I'd say that the Odyssey is to a Minimoog what the Strat is to the Les Paul.

Samples will never do this synth justice!

Well covered earlier.

Well covered earlier.

I would look for a replacement if needed, and if I could find a second one, I'd buy it for parts.

A classic. If you want real analog, this is certainly a great choice

I've got a Black/Orange model 2823, with PPC pads.. I don't have the manual, but if you've used other analog synthesizers you will figure the Odyssey out rather quickly. The controls are laid out logically, and clearly labeled.

The Odyssey is a duophonic synth, oscillator 2 being the 2nd voice. I didn't particularily like this feature, so I disabled it. I believe most people will use this synth for its massive lead/bass capabilities. The filter is extraordinary, and very musical when tracked by the keyboard. There are 2 envelopes, the first of which is very fast, and can make great percussive sounds... there are cv/gate ins and outs, so you could use expander modules, sequencers, etc with this synth. (the AVATAR would be a nice add-on..4 oscillators = yum!)

This is the catagory in which the ARP Odyssey excells. The oscillators are thinner than moogs, but not by much.. Much fatter sounding than Korgs, though. You can do anything from leads, to drones, to wierd star-trek noises.. it all depends on your willingness to fiddle with switches and sliders for hours on end. If you like the Moog, Korg, Roland type stuff, the ARP will do well in your collection.. Don't buy it if you want to do piano sounds..

This is the only negative point I can think of about my ARP.. I'm a tech, so it doesn't scare me too much, but if you're not technically savvy, then steer clear. It will require regular adjustments, and tweaks to stay in tip-top shape. The keyboard is somewhat clunky, and it feels like a 20-something instrument. Again, I actually enjoy this about vintage gear.. it definitely keeps me on my toes. After warming up, it's oscillators seem rather stable, but this could vary from synth to synth. Don't count on this synth live, unless you're armed with a tool kit and know how to use it. I've had to break it open before a sound check to tweak minor things, and I'm sure this is common..

ARP no longer exists, so forget about customer support.

Note that the $250 I paid for mine was abnormal, and I had to do some repairs before it was roadworthy... I love my ARP, and if it were stolen or lost I'd try to replace it.. The sound is great, it blows my Korg MS-2000 away, and is much more fun to create patches on.. I highly recommend this keyboard for the intermediate or expert synth user, but I would not recommend it for beginners.. a little to heady!
I would like to add that despite the fact that everyone seems to think it's the cat's meow, the 2800 whiteface version should be avoided for very regular use because the circuit board is encased in resin, making repairs VERY difficult. And the filter is not all that much better than the latest model, the 2823. The MkII, (black & gold) also has somewhat of a limited filter range, but is still much easier to fix than the whiteface model, and the filter's cutoff range can be increased. If you get an odyssey, go to this website for info:
http://www.overacker.com/ody/index.html

Subtractive Synthesis. Obviously the guy(s) below me don't know what the hell they are doing or talking about. I guess the ARP doesn't have enough buttons automated options for them. Hey guys, guess what! You have to be able to play when dealing with the classics. This synthesizer (shy of the ARP 2600) is one of the badest machines EVER made. Just ask George Duke, Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock... Any Fusion or Rock band worth its salt about this machine.
As for the Moog (Mini), it doesn't compare. Don't get me wrong the Mini Moog is awesome for what it can do. But the oscillators, filters, ring modulation, ASDR.. etc on the ARP is clearly superior! Take it from someone who knows. I grew up during this era.

2 oscillators, although there is a patch that can get you 3 note chords.

Analog. What more can I say. With all this new found analog craze (70's retro) This is the one!

Absolutely!

Defunct. Thanks to the Avatar and senior managements refusal to listen to Inventor Alan R. Pearlman about its release.

Well it was stolen years ago. One day I will probably replace it, if I can find one that was used by a professional, or one of the names mentioned above.
The price for a good used one should tell you something of its value.

somehow this is not as friendly as I thought.

mono 2 vco with somewhat ok sounds

I think you better of with more musician synth
such as minimoog or octave cat etc.
the sounds of the ARP family synths are weak and dull
compared with moog.

This is really where its sucks the most.

what?
it is 2000 not 1970...

forget it.
This one has more hype than noise.
I sold it and bought myself an Octave Cat
which is the better synth and more musical by far.
don't wast your time on it.

The Odyssey is a very comprehensive analog synth that, at first glance, looks like a synth for a Rocket Scientist, but then Alan Ross Pearlman (ARP) designed amplifier modules for the Apollo Space Program before forming ARP Inc. If you have a good understanding of analog synthesis, the Odyssey is easy to use with every parameter immediately accessible. The Odyssey is a cut down version of the ARP 2600, and generally came in three models:

2800 (Mk1 - 1971) Cream/white pannel, black labelling.
2810 (MK2 - 1974) Black pannel, Gold labelling and CV Gate interface jacks.
2820 (Mk3 - 1977) Black panel, orange labelling, PPC controller, new slider caps, new case

Even when compared with todays analog modelling synths, the ARP Odyssey offers plenty of comprehensive features that made it the classic machine that it is. Basically, the top row of sliders affect the actual audio signal path, while the bottom row control the extent that modulators and controllers affect the audio signal. The Odyssey uses switches instead of patch leads to make connections between modules (2 VCOs, VCF, VCA) and their Modulators (LFO, Sample & Hold, AR, ADSR and Keyboard).

2 VCOs Saw and Pulse Waves
Ring Modulator
White & Pink Noise
LFO
Sample & Hold Generator
Low Pass 24dB/Oct VCF
High Pass 12dB/Oct Filter
VCA
AR Generator
ADSR Sustain Release Generator

The Odyssey is duophonic, so when you play two notes, Oscillator 1 tracks the low note, while Oscillator 2 tracks the high note.

On the negative side, the Odyssey uses sliders to control Course Oscillator pitch, rather than the preferrable octave switches. This makes tuning awkward if you quickly need to change pitch on the fly. The other minus is that my machine (2800), uses a knob to control pitch bending instead of a wheel.

Even compared with today's digital machines, the Odyssey still has that unique musical sound of its own. I once read that if you changed the sound on the Odyssey every second it would take you about a year to realise its full sonic potential. The filter is very musical and versatile, producing a superb pure sine wave tone when Self Oscillating. Using the Low Pass and High Pass filters together, you get a Band Pass Filter! The S&H generator enables some superb bubbling filter or random pitch sounds that could find there way into any Sci Fi special effects music.

Sonically the Odyssey is thin, sharp and bright, whereas a Moog is fat, warm and mellow. The Odyssey, with its comprehensive modulation facilities, is sonically more versatile than a Minimoog. This is subjective but I generally consider the Odyssey to be better at imitative synthesis than a Minimoog.

My Odyssey is a 1972 model, that has cheated death once, so I think it has done well to last 28 years.

The sliders tend to be stiff. Be warned that some contact cleaning lubricants like Servisol actually destroy the carbon tracks within the sliders!

Alan Pearlman couldn't get a patent for his filter, so he encased the componenets in a resin block to make it difficult for anyone trying to copy his design. Unfortunately, this makes repairing a broken filter difficult, unless you know someone wanting to scrap an Odyssey that has a perfectly good filter block.

As mentioned in a previous review, you may need to recalibrate the tuning in winter and summer, since the Odyssey uses Temperature Dependant resistors to generate the Oscillator pitch.

ARP went bankrupt in 1980 mainly due to the high cost of developing the Avatar (Keyboardless Odyssey) guitar synth.

Kenton do CV/Gate and MIDI retrofits for ARP Odysseys.

I started out in analog synthesis 20 years ago with a Moog. I soon found myself using my friend's ARPs to complement the fat moog sound. I finally got my own Odyssey in 1990. The only other analogue that offers similar modulation capabilities is a Sequential Circuits Pro-One. The odyssey offers a palette of sounds that stand the test of time. I have had no shortage of offers to part company with it, but have so far declined since its absence would leave a gapping whole in my sound that would be difficult to replace. I also feel confident taking the Odyssey live. I know that it is probably belongs in a museum, but I intend to continue using mine until one of us meets our maker.

If you understand analog, it's very easy to program because all the
parameters are on sliders right in front of your face. The amount of
control offered by each slider seems to have been well thought out.
There were a couple of pitch bend options on the various models, mine
is a white-face which has the knob but I never use it because a) the
knob is missing, b) I prefer a wheel with a spring return-to-center.
And it doesn't have a modulation wheel, you have to tweak the sliders
themselves as you play, and sliders aren't as easy to tweak as knobs
or a wheel.

So for programming I give it a 10 (for a non-preset analog) but playing
only gets a 6 so I averaged it to 8.

Extensive feature lists are available elsewhere on the web.

One of the coolest things about the Odyssey is it's duophonic
capability. Unlike most analog monosynths which will play only the
lowest or highest note you're playing, the Odyssey will play the
lowest and the highest notes. This has plusses (you can play
harmonies, you can do cool things with the ring modulator, you can get
interesting portamentos and articulations), it also has minuses
(monophonic playing techniques that rely on only a single note
sounding won't work).

I actually like the keyboard on mine, it's nice and soft and doesn't
bounce. I use the keyboard because my Odyssey doesn't even have CV
inputs let alone MIDI.

And it's got a ring modulator, a sample-and-hold with selectable
inputs, a high-pass filter, and switchable white/pink noise,
all things you won't always find on similar synths, so for its
class it gets a high features rating.

It's a very musical synth, thanks to the usable parameter ranges,
envelope shapes, nice burbly filter, and sine/square LFO (as opposed
to tri/square). I find it hard to make a bad patch on it -- although
in the Odyssey's case, sometimes bad is good. It's duophonicness adds
interest to the sound that similar synths just don't have. Use it
anywhere you want a cool analog sound.

My Odyssey is probably 25 years old and everything works and sounds
great. The sliders tend to get broken off though so I really can't
give it a high rating. Also like every analog you might want
to tune it every now and then. I only use it at home.

There is no company anymore.

I love my Odyssey, and I learned analog on a Moog. I've had it for
about four years. I would cry if I lost it and then replace it. It
makes my Pro-One sound sterile. The envelopes, LFO, and filter on the
Odyssey are all more musical. I don't even miss not having CV or
MIDI. Ok, I'll admit I wish it had octave switches on each VCO
instead of coarse tuning sliders. It does have a +/- 2 octave switch,
but that controls the keyboard not the individual oscillators.

Note that your mileage may vary on the filter since the different
models had different filters.

Why hasn't anyone reviewed the ARP Odyssey? There are plenty of them out there. They sound great (no patching or presets) and they are easy to use. Think early 1970's when the awesome ARP 2600 was blowing minds and ears with artists like Weather Report and Edgar Winter Band. Who could afford the thousands of dollars needed to buy one if you weren't in a successful band? Answer from ARP: the junior version of the 2600, the Odyssey. It came out in black or white and later orange. If you appreciate the 2600, then you would love the Odyssey.

No polyphony, touch sensitivity, effects, expansion, or Midi. Don't need it. Small, basic, synthesis machine with two oscillators, two envelope generators, a ring modulator, noise generator, low frequency oscillator, VCF, VCA and a high pass filter, three octave keyboard, with sync, sample/hold, and auto repeat. Kind of like half a 2600. But without patching with cables. It does it's own thing very well.

This is a very hands-on synth. The sliders for the different functions supply the expressiveness. It sounds like an extremely electronic instrument for extremely electronic music. Don't expect saxs or pianos. It deserves it's own genre of music. Someone should think of one and invent a new style. What an opportunity!

It gets old and stiff and maybe needs an overhaul. But it is almost thirty years old. Very dependable for gigs. And inexpensive too. It will last forever or until I die, whichever comes first.

With ARP out of business, repairs are ify. Good Luck.

I suggest you read my reviews of the ARP 2600 and the Korg MS-20 here at Harmony-Central because my feelings about the ARP Odyssey are the same: old synths like these machines truely rule! And they are becoming more and more rare and expensive with every passing day. Get them while you still can, no matter what the cost because in the long run it will be more that worth it! They are the freakiest and coolest sounding synthesizers ever! Modern digital stuff doesn't even come close! Nord Lead? Give me a break! (or a Nord Lead). Thanks.