The Official Sequential/Oberheim Forum
OTHER DISCUSSIONS => General Synthesis => Other Hardware/Software => Topic started by: Sacred Synthesis on September 01, 2016, 01:29:29 PM
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:) Alas, it's true! The price will be $599, beginning this October. :)
http://www.korg.com/us/products/synthesizers/arpodyssey_module/
http://www.sonicstate.com/news/2016/09/01/korg-announces-arp-odyssey-desktop-module/
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Sounds about right. You should get two, one of each color.
My Axxe was the later brown-and-orange face, and I think that's the best ARP face style. But the white has a certain arcanity to it.
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Supports midi pitch bend as well unlike the keyboard version. I wonder if the keyboard version can be updated.
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Sounds about right. You should get two, one of each color.
My Axxe was the later brown-and-orange face, and I think that's the best ARP face style. But the white has a certain arcanity to it.
I had an Axxe, too, in the same style. I also had all three Odyssey types. The Mk III design was my favorite.
I'm quite excited about this Odyssey Module and will give it serious consideration. I'll also be interested to see what DSI comes up with this winter NAMM. Regardless, the Odyssey has always been on the top of my mono/duo synth list, and it would be a thrill to have one again - or better - to have two. Controlling it with a PEK or P'08 would give me the optimum keyboard length, so that it's hard to imagine a better solo synth. Of course, the fact that it has only one LFO is a problem, but it just doesn't seem as if the perfect analog mono synth is anywhere to be found. This would be perhaps close enough.
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<rant>
At 19.53" wide, that's only one key short of the width of a full-sized three octave (37-key) keyboard, easily enough to accommodate a 32-key keybed without a problem.
What were they thinking when they released the mini-keyed versions???
I would likely jump on this, though (as much as I love the look of the vintage white mk I) I suspect I'll go with the mk III orange/black, to site atop one of the Omni-2 units I'm finishing off in the garage...at the price, it's too hard to ignore, especially with three filter options and an XLR out.
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Omni 2? Beautiful. That's one ARP I always wanted but never had. Imagine if Korg re-issued that one as well! I'm just dreaming, I suppose. But I am surprised that no one has re-issued one of the old string synthesizer keyboards - say, ARP or Elka.
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A new and a very old Odyssey instruction video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9db6vHBR9-o
https://vimeo.com/34240890
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Omni 2? Beautiful. That's one ARP I always wanted but never had. Imagine if Korg re-issued that one as well! I'm just dreaming, I suppose. But I am surprised that no one has re-issued one of the old string synthesizer keyboards - say, ARP or Elka.
I don't think that something like a Solina String Ensemble (to stay with ARP) would blow anybody's socks off these days. And there's already the Streichfett by Waldorf for such needs. For analog poly synth enthusiasts, something like a String Ensemble is not really anything to loose sleep over I'd guess. It's not even polyphonic in the strictest sense, as it utilizes divide-down technology, which may not be regarded that big of a deal because it doesn't even have a filter.
Also: Who would go through the hassle of reproducing it - with or without minikeys - for maybe not more than $499 (to name a rather realistic price with regard to what you actually get)? And with a bit of programming, you can get similar sounds out of most current analog poly synths and even the Pro 2, the latter of which even has a nice preset that goes in that direction.
So in short: I think a string synth's use is too specialized and too limited to be worth being reproduced as a device made of analog components. After all, they were just like the dedicated string preset section of a home organ, housed in cheap pressboard.
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A new and a very old Odyssey instruction video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9db6vHBR9-o
https://vimeo.com/34240890
Nices ones! Although I would have hoped that the second file had been made available at a much higher resolution.
The first one shows, why I prefer the Whiteface's filter above the other versions. I just wish that Korg would have made their reissues available with proper mod and pitch wheels, as the push buttons are really awful to operate, since they need so much pressure and are really small. Even the original pitch knob would have been nicer. After all, Korg released a sort of Rev. 4 anyway by including all filter models and the Drive option, so why not improving the pitch and modulation controls? The latter is especially cumbersome, since Korg didn't implement pitchbend and modulation control via MIDI; it's only note on and off via MIDI.
Edit: I just saw that the module version supports pitchbend control via MIDI, but no control via mod wheel, which is still ridiculous.
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Omni 2? Beautiful. That's one ARP I always wanted but never had. Imagine if Korg re-issued that one as well! I'm just dreaming, I suppose. But I am surprised that no one has re-issued one of the old string synthesizer keyboards - say, ARP or Elka.
I don't think that something like a Solina String Ensemble (to stay with ARP) would blow anybody's socks off these days. And there's already the Streichfett by Waldorf for such needs. For analog poly synth enthusiasts, something like a String Ensemble is not really anything to loose sleep over I'd guess. It's not even polyphonic in the strictest sense, as it utilizes divide-down technology, which may not be regarded that big of a deal because it doesn't even have a filter.
Also: Who would go through the hassle of reproducing it - with or without minikeys - for maybe not more than $499 (to name a rather realistic price with regard to what you actually get)? And with a bit of programming, you can get similar sounds out of most current analog poly synths and even the Pro 2, the latter of which even has a nice preset that goes in that direction.
So in short: I think a string synth's use is too specialized and too limited to be worth being reproduced as a device made of analog components. After all, they were just like the dedicated string preset section of a home organ, housed in cheap pressboard.
The most interesting part would likely be the analog Ensemble effect, though you really have quite a few prototypes to choose from - for that matter, perhaps the effort would be better spent there. Imagine a box that could do a wide variety of ensemble effects (certainly, there is a range of variation between the Arp-branded units alone), Roland VP-330 ensemble, Juno chorus + Dimension-D, etc.
Once you have that, then it's simply a case of dealing with the tone-generator portion of the device (which needs to be nasty, along the lines of something that sounds like wet rotting cardboard when the effect is turned off). For pulse-constructed sawtooth imitations, a microcontroller could easily generate these, unless one really felt like implementing a complete divide-down network (I certainly don't).
The Streichfett, for nearly getting everything right, does have an issue with note doubling, which would not happen within an actual string machine, but let's be fair - the tone generator section is a wavetable engine, which has no notion of organ-style divide-down logic (at least within the current firmware). It also sounds too good IMHO with the effects turned off.
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Omni 2? Beautiful. That's one ARP I always wanted but never had. Imagine if Korg re-issued that one as well! I'm just dreaming, I suppose. But I am surprised that no one has re-issued one of the old string synthesizer keyboards - say, ARP or Elka.
I don't think that something like a Solina String Ensemble (to stay with ARP) would blow anybody's socks off these days. And there's already the Streichfett by Waldorf for such needs. For analog poly synth enthusiasts, something like a String Ensemble is not really anything to loose sleep over I'd guess. It's not even polyphonic in the strictest sense, as it utilizes divide-down technology, which may not be regarded that big of a deal because it doesn't even have a filter.
Also: Who would go through the hassle of reproducing it - with or without minikeys - for maybe not more than $499 (to name a rather realistic price with regard to what you actually get)? And with a bit of programming, you can get similar sounds out of most current analog poly synths and even the Pro 2, the latter of which even has a nice preset that goes in that direction.
So in short: I think a string synth's use is too specialized and too limited to be worth being reproduced as a device made of analog components. After all, they were just like the dedicated string preset section of a home organ, housed in cheap pressboard.
As I said, I was just dreaming. But it could make a decent module.
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The first one shows, why I prefer the Whiteface's filter above the other versions.
The Odyssey has a three-position "Filter Type" switch which offers each of the filters.
From Sweetwater:
"For the new Odyssey, the original design engineer, David Friend, was brought in as a consultant. Original schematics were deconstructed. Absolute authenticity was a must. For instance, it's well-known that during its decade or so of production, the Odyssey sported three different filter designs. Type I was a 2-pole, with an open sound and biting resonance. Type II was a 4-pole ladder filter: round, fat, and rich - great for basses. Type III was also a 4-pole design and similar in many ways to its predecessor, but smoother and silkier when you pushed the resonance. Well, the new Odyssey contains all three filter types - all available at the flick of a switch!"
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The first one shows, why I prefer the Whiteface's filter above the other versions.
But the Odyssey has a three-position "Filter Type" switch which offers each of the filters.
I know. Hence I called the Korg version Rev. 4.
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I guess I'm in the minority, but I actually liked the Odyssey's Proportional Pitch Control pads. They were sometimes smoother than a modulation wheel with a center detent. They took some getting used to, but for subtle changes, I found them quite effective. What I didn't at all like was the awkward dial on the earliest Odyssey design.
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I guess I'm in the minority, but I actually liked the Odyssey's Proportional Pitch Control pads. They were sometimes smoother than a modulation wheel with a center detent. They took some getting used to, but for subtle changes, I found them quite effective. What I didn't at all like was the awkward dial on the earliest Odyssey design.
I guess I'd prefer the Linnstrument when it comes to subtle control via pads. ;D
Seriously though. If adjusted the right way, or the overall implementation was high quality I would get it, but those pads on Korg's Odyssey felt rather stiff to me. You also have to keep in mind that the width of all three PPCs equals about the width of two of them on the original Odysseys (rev. 2 and 3) or Axxes. So it's that particular combination of force needed to cause any notable effect and the pads' small size that makes thos concept only a nice idea in theory. I at least found the pressure that you have to exert anything but subtle. In fact, I always waited for the moment my finger would disappear in the housing.
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That's reasonable. I haven't tried them on the Korg version, but I didn't have trouble with them on the original. But this would amount to yet another argument against shrunken synthesizers. If a company wants to re-issue a vintage instrument, it should re-issue the exact same dimensions or "proportions".
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That's reasonable. I haven't tried them on the Korg version, but I didn't have trouble with them on the original. But this would amount to yet another argument against shrunken synthesizers. If a company wants to re-issue a vintage instrument, it should re-issue the exact same dimensions or "proportions".
It's not necessarily problematic with regard to the overall front panel, but you have to think of the PPCs has having been shrunken just like the slimkeys. I know that not everybody was a huge fan of these controls on the originals. But the consensus amongst those who liked or got used to the PPCs on the originals seems to be that the shrunken version doesn't allow for any subtlety, as you can't easily touch them from all angles to get different responses from the margins to the center in order to navigate from weak to strong changes. There's simply not enough space for that. To compensate for that, the technology used would have to be more sophisticated, like on MPE controllers for example.
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Plus: I'm not bringing this up to talk you out of it. You should just consider this when getting one and assure yourself whether it works for you. If you indeed plan to control one or two Odyssey modules from another keyboard, the pitch control won't matter so much, as pitch bend movement can now be received via MIDI on the module only. However, the control over the modulation/LFO depth won't be transmittable via an external mod wheel. And that's something to consider if you want to control two units at the same time, unless a third arm is an option. ;)
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Right. I won't even be using the PPCs, since the Odyssey will be some distance from my keyboard.
Regarding the instrument's size, I know you and others feel it's plenty big enough (i.e. your soccer field joke), but have you tried to very finely and precisely tune an oscillator with a slider? It's not especially precise, so that you want the slider to have as long a travel distance as possible. Plus, it's sometimes helpful if you can rest the side of your hand on the panel. The Korg Odyssey's shrunken size obviously shortens this distance and eliminates some space, making fine tuning just a bit more difficult. Of course, the extreme example of this is the Roland Boutiques, which I wouldn't ever bother with because of this issue. But the shrunken Odyssey will suffer a bit from the problem, too.
Speaking as some one with enough studio space and who does very precise, if somewhat simple, synthesizer programming, I would never want an instrument shrunken in size in any aspect - not the key size, not the keyboard length, not the control panel, not the parameters, not the manual, and not even in a module version.
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Right. I won't even be using the PPCs, since the Odyssey will be some distance from my keyboard.
Then you definitely need to consider whether no MIDI control over modulation depth is something you could live with. I don't know how often you typically use the mod wheel, but it will definitely make it less expressive - even if you would only use it for subtle changes here and there.
Regarding the instrument's size, I know you and others feel it's plenty big enough (i.e. your soccer field joke), but have you tried to very finely and precisely tune an oscillator with a slider? It's not especially precise, so that you want the slider to have as long a travel distance as possible. Plus, it's sometimes helpful if you can rest the side of your hand on the panel. The Korg Odyssey's shrunken size obviously shortens this distance and eliminates some space, making fine tuning just a bit more difficult. Of course, the extreme example of this is the Roland Boutiques, which I wouldn't ever bother with because of this issue. But the shrunken Odyssey will suffer a bit from the problem, too.
I didn't feel as if the sliders' travel wasn't enough the two times I checked it out. The only problem is - just like on the original - that there's no detented indication for the tuning of oscillator 1 halfway through its slider's complete travel; sort of a clearly indicated zero position. Other than that, the panel didn't feel small. It's still pretty big if you think of the squareness of the keyboard version. Plus: the sliders are moving firm enough for tiny adjustments. It's not that you need to be afraid of shaky hands while operating it.
I wouldn't lean on the panel though. Not only because there's not that much space to the sides, but also because the unit is very lightweight. It's not a metal chassis, it's plastic. And there's no internal power supply. So all of that makes it a lot lighter than the original.
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That's reasonable. I haven't tried them on the Korg version, but I didn't have trouble with them on the original. But this would amount to yet another argument against shrunken synthesizers. If a company wants to re-issue a vintage instrument, it should re-issue the exact same dimensions or "proportions".
From my experience the Korg ones are terrible, just unusable.
Saying that though many reviews seem to put the Korg ones as superior to the Arp ones!
I agree that the keyboard on the Karp should have been bigger (standard size), but keeping the depth the same as the original would seem a step to far, those things were huge and the slider size in the karp seems perfectly useable to me.
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That's reasonable. I haven't tried them on the Korg version, but I didn't have trouble with them on the original. But this would amount to yet another argument against shrunken synthesizers. If a company wants to re-issue a vintage instrument, it should re-issue the exact same dimensions or "proportions".
From my experience the Korg ones are terrible, just unusable.
Saying that though many reviews seem to put the Korg ones as superior to the Arp ones!
Interesting. I only found reviews in which the writers found the PPCs either as bad as on the original, or much worse - in case they used to like the pads on the original, like the guy behind the RetroSound channel. While I can't speak for the original, I can definitely understand the latter reasoning because of all the aforementioned reasons (size and pressure needed).
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I could easily be wrong.
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The PPC on my Axxe wasn't functionally bad, but I found it tactilely unpleasant.
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The most interesting part would likely be the analog Ensemble effect, though you really have quite a few prototypes to choose from - for that matter, perhaps the effort would be better spent there. Imagine a box that could do a wide variety of ensemble effects (certainly, there is a range of variation between the Arp-branded units alone), Roland VP-330 ensemble, Juno chorus + Dimension-D, etc.
Once you have that, then it's simply a case of dealing with the tone-generator portion of the device (which needs to be nasty, along the lines of something that sounds like wet rotting cardboard when the effect is turned off). For pulse-constructed sawtooth imitations, a microcontroller could easily generate these, unless one really felt like implementing a complete divide-down network (I certainly don't).
The Streichfett, for nearly getting everything right, does have an issue with note doubling, which would not happen within an actual string machine, but let's be fair - the tone generator section is a wavetable engine, which has no notion of organ-style divide-down logic (at least within the current firmware). It also sounds too good IMHO with the effects turned off.
Had to laugh about the "wet rotting cardboard" description.
What do you think about the VP-03?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_KRQlFCwkk (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_KRQlFCwkk)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qs5d3lBsrkw&feature=youtu.be (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qs5d3lBsrkw&feature=youtu.be)
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What do you think about the VP-03?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_KRQlFCwkk (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_KRQlFCwkk)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qs5d3lBsrkw&feature=youtu.be (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qs5d3lBsrkw&feature=youtu.be)
Funny that you posted those, Paul, as I had not seen the comparison one until yesterday. The standalone demo had me convinced that I might be interested, until I heard the comparison with the VP-330 side-by-side.
It's tough to get that same silky vocoder sound in a modeled unit: if you think about it, you've got at least ten bandpass filters to model (20 slopes!), long before you have to model the string-machine sound itself. I'd bet that the VP-03 vocoder, within a mix, would actually be quite decent, but standalone operation as a string machine probably wouldn't cut it (I loved the choir sound on the original).
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What do you think about the VP-03?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_KRQlFCwkk (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_KRQlFCwkk)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qs5d3lBsrkw&feature=youtu.be (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qs5d3lBsrkw&feature=youtu.be)
Funny that you posted those, Paul, as I had not seen the comparison one until yesterday. The standalone demo had me convinced that I might be interested, until I heard the comparison with the VP-330 side-by-side.
It's tough to get that same silky vocoder sound in a modeled unit: if you think about it, you've got at least ten bandpass filters to model (20 slopes!), long before you have to model the string-machine sound itself. I'd bet that the VP-03 vocoder, within a mix, would actually be quite decent, but standalone operation as a string machine probably wouldn't cut it (I loved the choir sound on the original).
It doesn't sound 100% like the VP-330, that's for sure. But I guess at its price, the VP-03 will be good enough for those who are looking for that particular sound and could never afford the vintage unit that is selling at ridiculous prices these days (up to $4,000). The sequencer is also a nice add-on, which is why I enjoyed the end of the first video the most.
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Anybody hear of anyone offering wood end cheek for the Odyssey Desktop?
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There's quite a difference in size between the original Odyssey and Korg's shrunken version.
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Actually, the Odyssey has a wrap around sort of body, which would be difficult to imitate in wood.
This is probably the best source of ARP Odyssey information:
http://www.arpodyssey.com/
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The module version is not enclosed in that "tub" (see photos below). So there is indeed the possibility to attach wood panels. For that to happen, though, you might wanna wait until they've been out for a while. After all, there have been people who offered wood panels for the MS-20 mini and all that. So I'd assume that there might be a good chance of this happening again with regard to the Odyssey module.
(https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-J4xA_eReE28/V8eXZSH-JvI/AAAAAAAKid4/LeUFR8I9I5A3rYyKQBTxJoOtV3T0YPhBQCLcB/s1600/03%2BARP%2BODYSSEY%2BModule%2BRev1_slant.jpg)
(https://macprovid.vo.llnwd.net/o43/hub/media/1001/12575/05_ARP_ODYSSEY_Module_Rev1_rear.jpg)
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There are two (likely M3) screws on either side, so it might be possible to affix wood sides directly to the unit.
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The module version is not enclosed in that "tub" (see photos below). So there is indeed the possibility to attach wood panels. For that to happen, though, you might wanna wait until they've been out for a while. After all, there have been people who offered wood panels for the MS-20 mini and all that. So I'd assume that there might be a good chance of this happening again with regard to the Odyssey module.
(https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-J4xA_eReE28/V8eXZSH-JvI/AAAAAAAKid4/LeUFR8I9I5A3rYyKQBTxJoOtV3T0YPhBQCLcB/s1600/03%2BARP%2BODYSSEY%2BModule%2BRev1_slant.jpg)
(https://macprovid.vo.llnwd.net/o43/hub/media/1001/12575/05_ARP_ODYSSEY_Module_Rev1_rear.jpg)
That's what I thought, too. But the photograph from the back shows rounded edges, so it seems the exterior could b one piece. It's hard to tell without a picture from the side. I can't see any screws on the side, so it's hard to tell how it's held together and whether or not there are three pieces with right angles - two side panels and a bottom.
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The module version is not enclosed in that "tub" (see photos below). So there is indeed the possibility to attach wood panels. For that to happen, though, you might wanna wait until they've been out for a while. After all, there have been people who offered wood panels for the MS-20 mini and all that. So I'd assume that there might be a good chance of this happening again with regard to the Odyssey module.
(https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-J4xA_eReE28/V8eXZSH-JvI/AAAAAAAKid4/LeUFR8I9I5A3rYyKQBTxJoOtV3T0YPhBQCLcB/s1600/03%2BARP%2BODYSSEY%2BModule%2BRev1_slant.jpg)
(https://macprovid.vo.llnwd.net/o43/hub/media/1001/12575/05_ARP_ODYSSEY_Module_Rev1_rear.jpg)
That's what I thought, too. But the photograph from the back shows rounded edges, so it seems the exterior could b one piece. It's hard to tell without a picture from the side. I can't see any screws on the side, so it's hard to tell how it's held together and whether or not there are three pieces with right angles - two side panels and a bottom.
David is right. There are 3 screws on each side. So you just have to replace them with longer ones if you'd like to attach wood panels. Everything else - whether it's one piece or not - doesn't matter.
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Right. I won't even be using the PPCs, since the Odyssey will be some distance from my keyboard.
You should consider using a MIDI to CV converter like the Kenton Solo Pro in conjunction with the Odyssey. That way, you'd get the most out of it.
There's even a dedicated instructional video from Kenton: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-KzkRzBfwU
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Thanks for the information, but it shouldn't be a problem for me. Since both my hands and feet are nearly always busy playing, I wouldn't have occasion to use a MIDI device/wheel for modulation, nor the PPC pads themselves. All modulation on my patches for all the instruments is either set to a static level or else delayed via an envelope. I still think, design, and registrate as an organist.
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Alright. Then there's only one more thing to consider: http://www.vintagesynth.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=80956&start=15 (http://www.vintagesynth.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=80956&start=15)
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Vintage Synth Explorer is the only other forum I regularly read, and yet I missed that thread. Thanks, Paul, for pointing it out to me.
As a rule, I avoid instruments with low serial numbers. I never jump at a newly released synthesizer, but wait until the comments and complaints about it arrive on the proper forums and the instrument has been fully vetted. I intend to do the same with the Odyssey. It seems there may be some problems that need to be resolved, although that thread is from late 2015, so possibly the desktop version is better. Until I know, I'll sit back and wait. I have to know for certain this instrument is sound. Besides, I'm happy as a clam with my DSI synths.
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It seems there may be some problems that need to be resolved, although that thread is from late 2015, so possibly the desktop version is better.
You can keep an eye on this thread: http://www.vintagesynth.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=90192&start=15 (http://www.vintagesynth.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=90192&start=15)
User "Broadwave" will probably let everybody know whether the LFO/envelope re-trigger issue, amongst other things, has been solved or not.
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Not that I've made a decision, but it's always wonderfully liberating to be unexpectedly disappointed with an instrument previously desired. The new Odyssey? Eh, I could take it or leave it.
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I was less convinced by the honey-I-shrunk-the-Arp version, but the desktop version (and its filter-by-version flexibility) overrides any issues with regard to the changes introduced with MIDI support, including the retrigger issue above. I no longer bear it any Casio-resemblant ill will for its itty-bitty keys!
Plus - I have an extremely soft spot for the Odyssey's role in shaping the late 70s-early 80s synth scene:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWQ7O3DAPl0
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I don't care about the past influences of the Odyssey on music. The nostalgia potential means nothing to me. I simply want an instrument that sounds exactly like, and performs just as well as, the Odysseys I had many years ago. I preferred their sonic character to that of Moog and all the other synthesizers I once owned or played. But since the instrument has only one LFO, it had better work properly.
I basically understand the issue raised on VSE, but I don't know exactly how it would translate into daily use, how it would actually sound. A shaky or inconsistent modulation? That could be a problem for some one who will be using only the Odyssey's sweeter, smoother, more melodious side. Would it affect the LFO in other ways, or is it limited only to using LFO regulated repeat? If Korg cut some imprudent corners, then I'm ready to move on, but for now I'll keep watch. On the other hand, I haven't seen any other discussion about this LFO issue; no one else seems to be alarmed or posting about it, so I wonder if it really is a serious problem.
The same VSE poster added similar posts to the Korg Forum and Electro-Music, but no one has responded to either since late 2015.
http://www.korgforums.com/forum/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=100224&highlight=&sid=c5da65131c88d14f677fdd2b48b02a43
http://electro-music.com/forum/topic-65191.html
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Unless you're planning on mimicking the behavior of a repeat-triggered sequence, I don't think that this is a problem, when used as a modulator.
As for nostalgia - as an organist with experience in instrument restoration and MIDIfication, I am not oblivious to the notion, though it would be daft to assume that one exists within a historical vacuum, isolated from the effects of the past*. (I think that your solo synthesizer repertoire discussion affirms that point, if not sideways.)
* - the same applies to modern influences vis-a-vis the early music practitioner
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...It would be daft to assume that one exists within a historical vacuum, isolated from the effects of the past. (I think that your solo synthesizer repertoire discussion affirms that point, if not sideways.)
Correct. I certainly wouldn't make such a claim, as if the past has had no influence on me. It has, for better or worse. I simply meant that my preference for the Odyssey is a matter of music and not memories. Nor am I claiming that your case is mere nostalgia. If that's how you took my post, then I apologize for poorly expressing myself. But you hinted at the idea, and I jumped at it because some times folks get testy towards those of us who like vintage instruments and old school synthesis, as if we're blinded by irrational nostalgia. My response is, "No, we are not. We're simply interested in any instrument - old or new - that serves our purposes." And if there's one comforting advantage to vintage instruments, it's that they've been thoroughly vetted and every shortcoming found. It's always nice to know what you're getting into.
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Poking around the forums in search of information on this LFO/repeat issue, I did come across one predictable comment: a person sympathized with those poor folks who have purchased a flawed Odyssey re-issue, while he gave a sigh of relief that he owned an old original Odyssey with no such flaws. I knew some one would say it.
Jeepers, maybe the prices of used Odysseys are about to go up!
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I was less convinced by the honey-I-shrunk-the-Arp version, but the desktop version (and its filter-by-version flexibility) overrides any issues with regard to the changes introduced with MIDI support, including the retrigger issue above. I no longer bear it any Casio-resemblant ill will for its itty-bitty keys!
Plus - I have an extremely soft spot for the Odyssey's role in shaping the late 70s-early 80s synth scene:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWQ7O3DAPl0
This friendly reminder made me dig out "Metamatic" again yesterday. ;)
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I was less convinced by the honey-I-shrunk-the-Arp version, but the desktop version (and its filter-by-version flexibility) overrides any issues with regard to the changes introduced with MIDI support, including the retrigger issue above. I no longer bear it any Casio-resemblant ill will for its itty-bitty keys!
Plus - I have an extremely soft spot for the Odyssey's role in shaping the late 70s-early 80s synth scene:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWQ7O3DAPl0
This friendly reminder made me dig out "Metamatic" again yesterday. ;)
Ah Yes. !!
John Foxx in all his Synthesizer glory!!
Not that I am getting nostalgic or anything!! :P
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Ah Yes. !!
John Foxx in all his Synthesizer glory!!
Not that I am getting nostalgic or anything!! :P
Definitely a great album featuring a neat minimal setup at its core (ARP Odyssey + Sequencer, Elka Rhapsody, and a Roland CR-78). John Foxx and Gareth Jones also did a great job on the production.
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Ah Yes. !!
John Foxx in all his Synthesizer glory!!
Not that I am getting nostalgic or anything!! :P
Definitely a great album featuring a neat minimal setup at its core (ARP Odyssey + Sequencer, Elka Rhapsody, and a Roland CR-78). John Foxx and Gareth Jones also did a great job on the production.
For sure!!
Although listening to John Foxx's last band before he went solo Ultravox and the album "Vienna" is almost 180 degrees opposite in regards to the amount of equipment used and the production value on it!
Anyway not to deflect from the Korg Arp desktop thread.... 8)
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Although listening to John Foxx's last band before he went solo Ultravox and the album "Vienna" is almost 180 degrees opposite in regards to the amount of equipment used and the production value on it!
Well, Ultravox went kitsch and that was that.
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Although listening to John Foxx's last band before he went solo Ultravox and the album "Vienna" is almost 180 degrees opposite in regards to the amount of equipment used and the production value on it!
Well, Ultravox went kitsch and that was that.
Two words: Conrad Plank.
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Although listening to John Foxx's last band before he went solo Ultravox and the album "Vienna" is almost 180 degrees opposite in regards to the amount of equipment used and the production value on it!
Well, Ultravox went kitsch and that was that.
Two words: Conrad Plank.
Not sure if I would make Conny Plank responsible for the song writing. He was a great producer, totally underrated.
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Again to distract from the Korg/ARP desktop synth...
To my own listening as much as I really enjoy the rawness of John Foxx's "Metamatic" (especially the CR78/808 high tom 8th runs!!.. That really was part of the 80's) I still think that Ultravox's Vienna captures the best of what production was achievable at that time.
I am no expert I should say but Conni Plank on production did a marvelous job in this album!
I saw a doco on you tube once with Midge ure showing off the Mini moog that did that "Vienna" bassline..cool!
That was without Billie Currie's massive collection of synths!
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I played guitar with Ultravox from 93 until 96-97. Did one studio album and one live album.
Really enjoyed my time with them.
Billy is a great musician and his sounds were unique. We ended up hiring one of his old Odysseys back from the guy he sold it to for him to record some solos on the studio album I worked on. It made all the difference and immediately sounded like Billy's older stuff.
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I played guitar with Ultravox from 93 until 96-97. Did one studio album and one live album.
Really enjoyed my time with them.
Billy is a great musician and his sounds were unique. We ended up hiring one of his old Odysseys back from the guy he sold it to for him to record some solos on the studio album I worked on. It made all the difference and immediately sounded like Billy's older stuff.
Cool!
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Dave Formula of Magazine also used an Odyssey (mk I), with a very distinctive oscillator sync sound:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NL56BMZQiAg
In later years, he'd been using a Creamware-based Arp clone (Prodyssey):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4HkNyo5Oy5k
though (having tried one of those) I'm not convinced that it was worth the cost, relative to these re-issues.
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I played guitar with Ultravox from 93 until 96-97. Did one studio album and one live album.
Really enjoyed my time with them.
Billy is a great musician and his sounds were unique. We ended up hiring one of his old Odysseys back from the guy he sold it to for him to record some solos on the studio album I worked on. It made all the difference and immediately sounded like Billy's older stuff.
I think for the past couple of years he's been using the GForce Oddity.
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Dave Formula of Magazine also used an Odyssey (mk I), with a very distinctive oscillator sync sound:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NL56BMZQiAg
In later years, he'd been using a Creamware-based Arp clone:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4HkNyo5Oy5k
though (having tried on of those) I'm not convinced that it was worth the cost, relative to these re-issues.
Great band as well - big fan of "Secondhand Daylight". As for the Creamware Odyssey: That's not really on par with anything out there anymore. He might have even switched to the Korg reissue as well, but who knows.
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The creamware prodyssey isn't bad, I have a Noah here that runs the same code and it's pretty good.
There is a tiny bit of aliasing though some of the time.
Always fancied the ASB one though.
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The creamware prodyssey isn't bad, I have a Noah here that runs the same code and it's pretty good.
There is a tiny bit of aliasing though some of the time.
Always fancied the ASB one though.
I have great respect for what they (Creamware) were trying to accomplish with the Noah, and their platform in general. But they couldn't standup up to Avid/Digidesign within the DSP-based recording (and virtual instrument) space; even TC and UA have had problems staying relevant within that space. It's a tough business....
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Years ago I worked with Creamware on an ingest system for radio, they were nice to work with. Shame it all went wrong for them.
I have also worked with Avid on a couple of projects, who are not nice at all.
The day Avid goes down the pan will be when I crack open a bottle of champagne.
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I was contemplating getting two modules and sequencing them but I couldn't find a decent enough sequencer so I'll probably spend more to get the Oberheim Two Voice Pro to do my sequencing.
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I don't care about the past influences of the Odyssey on music. The nostalgia potential means nothing to me. I simply want an instrument that sounds exactly like, and performs just as well as, the Odysseys I had many years ago. I preferred their sonic character to that of Moog and all the other synthesizers I once owned or played. But since the instrument has only one LFO, it had better work properly.
I had an 2nd Series Odyssey back in the day and loved it. I bought a KARP Odyssey last year with the mini keys. When I started programming it I said to myself "This really is an Odyssey!". The mini keys really distract from the instrument, however. For me, the keys are practically worthless. I think Korg really blew it by shrinking the classic. For the most part, I use the KARP through a controller. If I want pitch bend and modulation, I reluctantly go back to playing that poor excuse of a keyboard.
Regarding the sound, it really is an Odyssey. You will really enjoy it. Given that the keys are virtually worthless, the module will be the better bet. I'm not sure I would get the module as a replacement for my KARP until it allows control by a modulation wheel.
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https://alanrpearlmanfoundation.org/product/arp-odyssey-freke-poster/
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https://alanrpearlmanfoundation.org/product/arp-odyssey-freke-poster/
I'm pretty sure that this poster alone guarantees neither of us will ever sell our Odysseys!
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I'm certainly inclined not to. I still love the ARP sound, in spite of some difficulties with the Odyssey. But I have another favorite Odyssey poster:
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The Odyssey, plus the Pro Soloist and 2600.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVkkNlGt_6Q
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I stumbled across this stand on Ebay - perfect for two Odyssey modules, but many other devices as well. About $112. They offer other stand configurations as well.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/154680002195
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I stumbled across this stand on Ebay:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/154680002195
Funny timing, as I just re-jigged my studio last night, pulling my Odyssey module down from the A-frame it'd been living on. Trying to find a nicer place for it, closer to hand. However, £95 makes it easy for me to keep looking!
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But think how happy your Odyssey Module would be sleeping each night in its very own synth bed. You have to baby these instruments if they're to sound good. :)
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But think how happy your Odyssey Module would be sleeping each night in its very own synth bed. You have to baby these instruments if they're to sound good. :)
True. But at the moment, I haven't any desk space. When I was living between two countries, I had two consolidated set-ups. Now that I'm back full-time in California, living on my wife's farm, I have a comfortable, "just big enough" small studio, but twice as much gear in one place than I'm used to! I've taken to rotating certain items that I don't otherwise use daily but that I wouldn't want to part with, including my Evolver. I'll bring something up from the basement and record with it for a few days, then bring it back down to the dungeon. The Odyssey is a synth I'd rather work with more than less, but I'm gonna have to knock out a wall at this point just to plug it in!
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https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/OdysseyFSKit--arp-odyssey-fs-analog-synth-diy-kit
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgN-pE5wZ2I
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1b3EdlEJLY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2asiJ95zOyE
If this Odyssey kit weren't a whopping $1,800, I'd sell one of my modules and buy one. But as it is, the price is too steep. One might as well get a 2600M for only another $200.
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Just last night I re-jigged my studio, partly to give me better access to my Odyssey module. It's now to the left of the Moog Grandmother, controlled from said Moog. I don't have any spare studio inches, so everything has to make sense in several directions. Not having the ARP set up in proximity to a keyboard controller, as has been the case here for a while now, has meant it's not had much of my attention. I've never fallen for the Odyssey as deeply as I expected and I think my having the module version and not the keyboard model is a big reason why. Any synth I have that's not got a keyboard tends to get neglected, even if I love the tone. I'm pretty certain this is a long-winded way of saying I wish the full size version was an option in my rig!
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I've had a similar experience. I love the Odyssey for its sound and capabilities, but lacking an actual keyboard version has made it seem rather distant and impersonal. Using a MIDI Keyboard controller hasn't helped this one bit. I've often thought that a keyboard version coupled with a module version would nicely solve the problem.
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I have the karp odyssey with the mini keys. I got it when it first came out. The full size version hadn’t been released.
I think it was expensive for what it is. Both the mini keys and the full size version. They should have released the full size version first and made it less expensive. Mini keys are a bad idea. I know you can midi other keyboards and use them as a master controller to control the odyssey as the slave. Mini keys is a deal breaker for me although I purchased the odyssey not realizing there would be a full sized version released. In hindsight I realize the odyssey was a nostalgia buy and doesn’t really have features like memory and stereo outs which is something I prefer even though I know the odyssey was a reissue of a 70s analog mono synth with midi.
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At the price it is, the build your own Odyssey feels like a bit of a gimmick to me. If it was a better price it would be worth it in my opinion.
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I agree. Korg should give buyers a discount for the labor. But I wish they'd re-release the Odyssey FS again in finished form.
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I agree. Korg should give buyers a discount for the labor. But I wish they'd re-release the Odyssey FS again in finished form.
Only the assembled model was somewhat discounted, since quite a few were sold off for $1200 or even less in the end.
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Oh, if only. $1,200 would be a bargain for these times.
The original price of the Module version was reasonable. I believe it was $600, which is the reason I was able to buy two. But adding an astronomical amount to that cost merely for a three-octave keyboard - and a fairly poor one - is ridiculous. But if the FS appeared again for $1,200, I might just sell one module and buy it. Sometimes there doesn't seem to be any way around the ridiculous.
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I have a Korg Arp slim key version odyssey. Great sounding synth just don’t like the slim keys. I saw that Korg is offering the FS Korg Odyssey version 3 kit for $1800 bucks. The B odyssey is $600 dollars
Full size, sequencer , effects. Was wondering if any one has the B odyssey and what might be the pros and cons of the B odyssey. I’m interested in a full size odyssey. Thanks
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I've got certain synths that stay in place all the time, synths I use for daily work/play. I've also got "more mono synths than I need" and these are the ones that sometimes end up unplugged or put on a high shelf or in a closet for a bit. The Odyssey has been one that's never been put away, but nor has it ever been used daily. I had it paired - via MIDI, as mine is the Korg module version - with the Moog Grandmother, and they made a fine team. While the Moog can be edgy, the ARP really did most of the shapr cutting. I've moved the ARP again, with it now sitting above the Prophet 5, one of my daily (hourly) synths. I'm not as interested in pairing it with the P5, but rather, with it now in a prime spot, I'm simply keen to use it more often than I had been. I love the sound. It just sounds... like an ARP, right? I've upgraded my Roland TR-6S with the CR-78 sounds and I'm suddenly John Foxx!