120 Years of Electronic Music
Tonus/ARP Synthesisers
The ARP 2500
The ARP 2500
The ARP 2500
The ARP 2500
The ARP 250
The ARP 250
The ARP 2600
The ARP 2600
The ARP 2600 was designed as an easy to use version of the 2500
aimed at schools and university music departments. The 2600 had
a printed front panel showing the various routings and signal
paths and had all the synthesiser functions in one metal casing
(including speakers and soring reverb unit) with an external keyboard.
The first production run had blue panels, painted sheet-metal
cases, and polished wood handles which became known as the 'Blue
Marvin' or 'Blue Meanie' later models were housed in a vinyl-covered
luggage-style case with a dark gray panel. this model 2600 remained
in production from 1971 to 1981.
ARP Odyssey
ARP Odyssey
Developed during the mid 1970's the Odyssey was a popular 3 oscillator
synthesiser. The Odyssey had two syncable vco's and a dedicated
low frequency oscillator which could be used as a pulse width
modulation source. The Odyssey had a duophonic keyboard and sample
and hold and ring modulation.
ARP Avatar
ARP Avatar
The Avatar was a pitch to voltage guitar synthesiser developed
by ARP in the late 1970s. The synthesiser component was an Odyssey
in a metal box.
ARP Axxe
ARP Axxe
The Axe was a single VCO synthesiser released in the mid 70's
to compete with Moog's entry level Micromoog. The Axxe was essentially
a cut down easy to use version of the Odyssey.
The ARP Sequencer
The ARP Sequencer
The ARP Sequencer was a simple yet usable 2 X 8 step event sequencer
with a built in synthesiser. The notes were added in real time
to a sequences by using one of two sets of eight pitch sliders
while the seqence progress was marked by a series of flashing
red lights.
The Arp Little Brother
The Arp Little Brother
The Little Brother was a synthesiser expander playable from a
remote keyboard or synthesiser.
ARP Pro-Soloist / Pro-DGX
The Pro-Soloist was marketed as a domestic keyboard rather than
a serious instrument. The Pro-Soloist had a bank of preset voices,
which although limited, became popular with rock groups such as
Kraftwerk and Genesis during the 1970's .
ARP Omni
The Omni was a string synthesiser with simple filter and ADSR
controls. The Omni became popular with Disco music producers during
the late 1970's.
ARP Quadra
ARP Quadra
The Quadra was a cumbersome and expensive instrument developed
at the end of the ARP companies existence.The Quadra was marketed
to compete against a new generation of polyphonic synthesisers
but was essentially a glossily packaged hybrid of an ARP Oni and
a Solus.
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© 120 Years Of Electronic Music 2005