ARP Quadra

[Sacred Synthesis]

This is an excellent detailed explanation of the design of the Quadra.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTEKD_T6sQ0

[LoboLives]

Oh Korg…...If only....

[Paul Dither]

It's a fine synth channel overall. One can learn a ton of stuff about those old circuits.

[Paul Dither]

Oh Korg…...If only....

I think the problem or risk is that the Quadra is a bit weird by today's and even yesterday's standards. I mean in the way it combined the various engines. As a whole it's quite an usual design, as it combined a couple of previous products in one box and yet provided more than the sum of parts. Nevertheless, it contained interesting and unique functions like the trill feature or the option to modulate the Phase Shifter. What would maybe confuse today's players are the different layers with different split points as well as the fact that fader settings are not saved as part of the presets.

[LoboLives]

Oh Korg…...If only....

I think the problem or risk is that the Quadra is a bit weird by today's and even yesterday's standards. I mean in the way it combined the various engines. As a whole it's quite an usual design, as it combined a couple of previous products in one box and yet provided more than the sum of parts. Nevertheless, it contained interesting and unique functions like the trill feature or the option to modulate the Phase Shifter. What would maybe confuse today's players are the different layers with different split points as well as the fact that fader settings are not saved as part of the presets.

I don't think a direct re-issue would for the reasons you mentioned but....if you take the concept of the Quadra and upgrade it with actual memory (including fader settings), user defined split points for each engine and a better sequencer and it would be a unique beast in the current analog synth market. I know multitimbrality is spoken about by me and others but I do believe the best possible way to approach it would be the concept of the Quadra. 2 Mono Synths, 1 Paraphonic Synth and 1 Polyphonic synth with individual engines and settings. I think getting into 10 or 16 different individual parts with voice allocation becomes reliant on menu diving and generally takes a lot of effort to program.

Nah, best way is to have everything on the front panel with access to each individual engine all at once.

[Sacred Synthesis]

By modern standards, the Quadra is definitely an odd instrument - sort of a combination of several incomplete instruments.  But it wasn't considered so odd in it's time, but more of a convenient combination of things under one panel.  It's musical personality comes through, seemingly regardless of who's playing it.  I'd be happy to take it exactly as it is, in the tradition of having individually unique instruments, rather than generic ones.  But what I equally like about the Quadra - and what would keep it from ever being re-issued - is its size.  I realize that's easy for a guy in his home music room to say.  I just love large instruments, and the Quadra definitely qualifies as large, with it deep and wide panel and long keyboard.  There's just something about being bent over a single large synthesizer until the wee hours of the morning, with a single desk lamp, that's full of charm and inspiration. 

[SandyS1]

For that matter, the Trident was basically a two-oscillator, eight voice Polysix with string and brass machines. I'd rather see a modern reissue of it than of the Polysix. It's not as iconic as the Quadra, but it's a great sounding beast.

[Sacred Synthesis]

Mmm. A Korg Trident, yes.  Listen to this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XimYhHii-8