Korg announce ARP Odyssey synth - - updated

[BassTractor]

It's a steal.
Not perfec', mind, but a steal at £435.
Great as a first synth, and great as an addition for the pros.

Its competitors are either digital or a lot more expensive, so if its being analogue is important, then it's a steal.

It is far from as deep as digital synths in the same price bracket though, so there's a trade-off here.

Many people react negatively to the Korg slim keys. A Waldorf Blofeld Keyboard for example spawns a keybed of a different class, whilst Arturia and Novation do not.

Unlike some other offerings on the market, all four voices always have two oscillators available, and all four voices have their own filter (the last part is a drawback for certain sounds, but generally a lot more lauded than criticised).

It has the right amount of knobs and switches (29 and 14 IMS) to serve as a good introduction to subtractive synthesis, and also has some goodies under the hood that go beyond the first visual impression, as well as beyond bog standard subtractive synthesis.

It has a sequencer built in.

Edited August 30, 2016 by BassTractor

[The-Ox]

[quote name='BassTractor' timestamp='1453239529' post='2957811']
It's a steal.
Not perfec', mind, but a steal at £435.
Great as a first synth, and great as an addition for the pros.

Its competitors are either digital or a lot more expensive, so if its being analogue is important, then it's a steal.

It is far from as deep as digital synths in the same price bracket though, so there's a trade-off here.

Many people react negatively to the Korg slim keys. A Waldorf Blofeld Keyboard for example spawns a keybed of a different class, whilst Arturia and Novation do not.

Unlike some other offerings on the marked, all four voices always have two oscillators available and all four voices have their own filter (the last part is a drawback for certain sounds, but generally a lot more lauded than criticised).

It has the right amount of knobs and switches (29 and 14 IMS) to serve as a good introduction to subtractive synthesis, and also has some goodies under the hood that go beyond the first visual impression, as well as beyond bog standard subtractive synthesis.

It has a sequencer built in.
[/quote]

More excellent info! I've been playing around with some synths today, the korg arp odyssey and the moog sub phatty, both interesting! I'm a long way off from creating Dark Side of the Moon but they were good fun! I'm gonns delay my decision for a while and focus on bass and guitar for now

[BassTractor]

You said the g*-word!

You're welcome.
I may have missed important aspects, so just ask if you want to know more.

[The-Ox]

[quote name='BassTractor' timestamp='1453371460' post='2958779']

You said the g*-word!

You're welcome.
I may have missed important aspects, so just ask if you want to know more.
[/quote]

hahaha, apologies!!

[BassTractor]

Korg USA published a picture on Instagram, and it contains two different desktop versions, so there probably are three.
Yay!
Saves me from sawing off the keyboard of mine.


[URL=http://s1170.photobucket.com/user/basstractor1/media/Karp%20desktops%203%20and%201_zpsjhnpjhs2.png.html][IMG]http://i1170.photobucket.com/albums/r525/basstractor1/Karp%20desktops%203%20and%201_zpsjhnpjhs2.png[/IMG][/URL]

[RhysP]

I still really fancy one of these, and a Minilogue. If I manage to sell my Gretsch I might treat myself.

[BassTractor]

[quote name='RhysP' timestamp='1472472964' post='3121345']
I still really fancy one of these, and a Minilogue. If I manage to sell my Gretsch I might treat myself.
[/quote]

Good plan! The ML's a steal, don'cha think?
For me it's on hold now, as I need to have the money ready for a white Odyssey desktop - should they release those. That, and I'm hoping for a Maxilogue, which would fit my use better (4 or 5 octaves and 8 voices at the very least).

[RhysP]

[quote name='BassTractor' timestamp='1472547345' post='3121925']
Good plan! The ML's a steal, don'cha think?
For me it's on hold now, as I need to have the money ready for a white Odyssey desktop - should they release those. That, and I'm hoping for a Maxilogue, which would fit my use better (4 or 5 octaves and 8 voices at the very least).
[/quote]

Yeah, it's a cracking little synth for the money. I'd buy it just for the little oscilloscope. :-)

[BassTractor]

[quote name='RhysP' timestamp='1472549393' post='3121948']
I'd buy it just for the little oscilloscope. :-)
[/quote]

Aye. People keep reporting they expected a gimmick, but received a great tool.

[BassTractor]

Forgot to mention that Korg have confirmed TWO desktop versions: Rev. 1 and Rev. 3.
This is about colours only, as all Rev.s contain all three filters.
Haven't read an explanation for the lack of a Rev. 2

[BassTractor]

The new IOS app called ODYSSEi (sic!) IMHO sounds stellar and has much going on.

The app supports [i][b]polyphony[/b][/i]: up to 8 voices.
I couldn't believe my eyes.

Standard it comes with 100 presets and the Rev.3 skin but as expected with all three filter versions. Also has an unknown amount of user preset space.
As in-app-purchase you can get Rev.1 and Rev.2 skins - each with 50 presets.

Movement in sliders can be a part of a preset. One of the first presets I tried had three sliders dancing at the same time. It reminded me about how I got friends to do similar stuff decades ago - but for one gig only 'coz their being annoyed beamed from their faces.

Apart from two keyboards, the largest one of them almost playable, it comes with two Kaos pads. When you move your finger over one of the pads, you can see the connected sliders move - which might be good as a learning tool.

Dunno how this will work on an iPhone, and I'm sceptical, but on the iPad with 12.9" screen I think it's bloody fantastic.

BTW, these are on offer until January the 5th, as a lot of Korg stuff is right now.
IMS 30 to 50 percent off, depending on market.

Edited December 27, 2016 by BassTractor

[BassTractor]

Korg have semi-announced a [b]full size[/b] version, to be built in the USA.
No further details yet.

Edited December 26, 2016 by BassTractor

[BassTractor]

Full Size lim. ed. officially announced now in the Electronic Musician mag, with fittingly a full size ad.
So I'm counting on an introduction at NAMM, which I assume is in January.

[URL=http://s1170.photobucket.com/user/basstractor1/media/Korg%20ARP%20Odyssey%20Full%20Size%20ad%201%20Electronic%20Musician%202016.12_zps5p4ntvmv.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1170.photobucket.com/albums/r525/basstractor1/Korg%20ARP%20Odyssey%20Full%20Size%20ad%201%20Electronic%20Musician%202016.12_zps5p4ntvmv.jpg[/IMG][/URL]


[URL=http://s1170.photobucket.com/user/basstractor1/media/Korg%20ARP%20Odyssey%20Full%20Size%20ad%202016.12_zpsb5aack1b.png.html][IMG]http://i1170.photobucket.com/albums/r525/basstractor1/Korg%20ARP%20Odyssey%20Full%20Size%20ad%202016.12_zpsb5aack1b.png[/IMG][/URL]

[BassTractor]

Full Size:
- available from February
- all three colour schemes
- each of them having all three filter alternatives
- to be sent worldwide
- US$ 1,599

For that price, I personally expect it to be the KARP PCBs put into a bigger box, with rerouting for the user interface hardware.

[MisterT]

Oh lordy... full size keys...

http://www.korg.com/us/products/synthesizers/arpodyssey_fs/

[BigRedX]

[quote name='MisterT' timestamp='1484740926' post='3217932']
Oh lordy... full size keys...

[url="http://www.korg.com/us/products/synthesizers/arpodyssey_fs/"]http://www.korg.com/.../arpodyssey_fs/[/url]
[/quote]

And an extra £500 on the price.

[BassTractor]

Someone who tried one at NAMM reported that the FS keybed is toy-like, and not as good as the slim keys on the 86% size version. If confirmed by others, that would remove a lot of the attraction.
I guess it's an 86% size desktop for me then, with my personal choice of full-size MIDI keyboard.

[ash]

I got the FS version and the key bed was not worth the extra £500, I sold it straight away and intend to get the module version.

[Funkfingers]

These are fun.

The Prod only models mk1 and mk2 filtering. It also offers polyphony. 

Not true analogue but good enough for Dave Formula to keep after he sold his original Odyssey. 

[Quatschmacher]

On 23/01/2017 at 18:04, BassTractor said:

Someone who tried one at NAMM reported that the FS keybed is toy-like, and not as good as the slim keys on the 86% size version. If confirmed by others, that would remove a lot of the attraction.
I guess it's an 86% size desktop for me then, with my personal choice of full-size MIDI keyboard.

Can confirm this. I played the full size version and mini version side by side. The full size keys felt really cheap. I’d get the mini or the module version.

However, might be worth hanging on as Behringer showed a prototype Odyssey clone at Superbooth which has full size keys (same keybed as the Deepmind), built-in effects and a sequencer. It should be out this year.

Edited May 19, 2018 by Quatschmacher

[BassTractor]

33 minutes ago, Quatschmacher said:

Behringer showed a prototype Odyssey clone at Superbooth which has full size keys (same keybed as the Deepmind), built-in effects and a sequencer. It should be out this year.

Aye, the Behringer Odyssey (nicknamed the BARP) sounds very promising. I think I might buy one (as well as their Neutron and their Model D) and then sell my unused KARP Whiteface. The 86% keyboard remains usable, but is really not preferred by my hands - -  that's what 55 years of programming your fingers will do for you.

[bartelby]

19 minutes ago, BassTractor said:

Aye, the Behringer Odyssey (nicknamed the BARP) sounds very promising. I think I might buy one (as well as their Neutron and their Model D)

Did I read somewhere Behringer were entering the modular synth market too?

[BassTractor]

1 hour ago, bartelby said:

Did I read somewhere Behringer were entering the modular synth market too?

Couldn't say, really, whether you did indeed read that somewhere, but Behringer are entering the modular synth market too. 

There's talk of a Roland 100M clone and there's talk about cheap modules - reportedly Eurorack modules. The Neutron again is semi-modular - - though I don't know whether its cv standards mean it can be directly connected to Eurorack. Would suppose so.

Edited May 19, 2018 by BassTractor
forgot something, then remembered something

[Quatschmacher]

The Model D is really good. I bought one recently. Sadly I had to send it back as there’s a problem with the modulation section (and it seems to be problematic on quite a few of them) in that routing any modulation to the oscillators sends the base pitch sharp by a semitone. I’m waiting for another and hope it doesn’t suffer the same.

Behringer are also cloning an OB-X and have done a Pro One too. 

Edited May 19, 2018 by Quatschmacher

[pfretrock]

On 19/05/2018 at 21:02, BassTractor said:

Couldn't say, really, whether you did indeed read that somewhere, but Behringer are entering the modular synth market too. 

There's talk of a Roland 100M clone and there's talk about cheap modules - reportedly Eurorack modules. The Neutron again is semi-modular - - though I don't know whether its cv standards mean it can be directly connected to Eurorack. Would suppose so.

To resurrect an old thread, yes loads of Behringer Eurorack (Moog modular copies) modules out. If you put their Model D in there, that's when you realise there is no CV out available on the D. And no S trigger out, but the Model D gate inputs appear to output active high gate out signals! Strange. (you can hack into CV out on the back of the circuit board  at the 1V/octave test point)