ARP ODYSSEY; Forty Years Later, A Complete Revival

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Anaheim, CA– January 21, 2015– – In conjunction with Arp Instruments Inc., Korg Inc. has revived the legendary analog synthesizer, the ARP ODYSSEY. Originally produced in 1972, the ODYSSEY quickly garnered a faithful following among musicians. Well respected for its high value, ease to play and portability, the ARP ODYSSEY had undergone several improvements during its arp_odysseyhistory and continued to be a long-seller until manufacturing stopped in 1981 due to economic hardships and the digital surge. Loved by a wide range of musicians as a historical classic, its sound can be heard on numerous classic songs.

Now in 2015, Korg has brought back the ARP ODYSSEY for today while preserving the basic design of the original. The new ODYSSEY has a compact body, highly operable sliders, and a 37 note slim keyboard that’s easy to play. In addition, a DRIVE switch (new function) is provided and connectors include MIDI and headphone output as well as Patch cables.

“Together the engineers at Korg and Arp were able to nail the sound and feel of the original. Under the advisory assistance of David Friend, the co-founder of ARP Instruments, every detail was adjusted to replicate the original unit’s distinctive synthesis,” shared James Sajeva, Brand Manager for Korg products. “Every aspect has been carefully considered to stay true to the quality of the original, down to the sophisticated semi-hard case.”

Korg has completely reproduced the original circuitry for artists looking to recreate classic sounds and explore new ones. The ARP ODYSSEY has been downsized to 86% of the original. Carefully selected parts are used in the familiar slider section, providing an operating feel that’s even smoother than the original.

Specifications

 Keyboard:

37-note (Slimkey, No velocity sensitivity, No aftertouch)

Maximum Polyphony:

2 voices for duophonic; normally monophonic

Controllers:

Transpose Positions: 2 octaves down, normal, 2 octave up

Proportional Pitch Control:

b (Pitch down) Pad: about -2 / 3 octave – (Modulation) Pad

# (Pitch-up) Pad: about +2 / 3 octave

Noise Generator:

Noise Spectrum Types (white and pink)

Portamento:

Maximum Speed: about 0.01 msec./oct

Minimum Speed: about 1.5 sec./oct

VCO (Voltage Controlled Oscillator):

Waveforms: Sawtooth, Square, Pluse (Dynamic Pluse)

Frequency Range: VCO-1 in low freq. mode, 0.2 Hz – 20 Hz: VCO-1 and VCO-2 (audio range) about 20 Hz – 20 kHz

Warm Up Drift: 1/30 semitone from turn on max

Pulse Width: 50 % – 5 %

Pulse Width Modulation: ADSR, +45 %; LFO, +15 %

Voltage Controlled Response: 1 V/oct

Maximum Frequency Shifts: LFO sin wave, +1/2 oct.; LFO square wave, +1.5 oct.; ADSR, +9 oct.; S/H, +2 oct.

* VCO-1 is low note priority, VCO-2 is high note priority.

VCF (Voltage Controlled Filter):

Types: Low pass (I: 12 dB/oct., II III: 24 dB/oct.)

Frequency Range: 16 Hz – 16 kHz

Maximum Usable Q: 30

Resonance: 1/2 – self oscillate

Voltage Controlled Response: C3 key (left edge): 0 V, C6 key (right edge) 3 V

VCA (Voltage Controlled Amplifier):

Dynamic Range: 80 dB

Ring Modulator:

Type: Digital

Input Signal: VCO-1, VCO-2 (square wave)

Sample & Hold:

Command Sources: Keyboard or LFO trigger

Sampled Signals: VCO-1 sawtooth wave and square wave, VCO-2 square wave and pink noise

ADSR Envelope Generator:

Attack Time: 5 msec. – 5 sec.

Decay Time: 10 msec. – 8 sec.

Sustain Level: 0 – 100 % or Peak

Release Time: 15 msec. – 10 sec.

AR Envelope Generator:

Attack Time: 5 msec. – 5 sec.

Release Time: 10 msec. – 8 sec.

Control Input Jacks:

Pedal: φ6.3 mm monaural phone jack

Portamento Foot Switch: φ6.3 mm monaural phone jack

Audio Output Jacks:

LOW:

Connector: φ6.3 mm monaural phone jack

Maximum Output Level: -20 dBu@ 10 kΩ load

Output Impedance: 10 kΩ

HIGH:

Connector: XLR connector

Maximum Output Level: +4 dBu@ 1 kΩ load

Output Impedance: 330 Ω

Headphones Jack:

Connector: φ6.3 mm stereo phone jack

Maximum Output Level: 50 mW + 50 mW@ 33 Ω load

Output Impedance: 10 Ω

* Controllable by volume knob.

External Audio Input (Ext Audio Input) Jack:

Connector: φ6.3 mm monaural phone jack

Maximum Input Level: -10 dBu

Input Impedance: 22 kΩ

MIDI Connector:

IN

USB Connector:

Type B

CV IN/OUT Jacks:

Keyboard CV (IN/OUT): 1 V/oct.

Connector: φ3.5 mm monaural phone jack

GATE IN/OUT Jacks:

GATE IN: +3 V (minimum)

GATE OUT: +10 V, key down; 0 V all keys up

Connector: φ3.5 mm monaural phone jack

TRIG IN/OUT Jacks:

TRIG IN: +3 V pulse min., 10 μsec. Duration minimum

TRIG OUT: +10 V pulse on key depression, 10 μsec. Duration

Connector: φ3.5 mm monaural phone jack

Power Supply:

AC adapter jack (DC 9 V)

Power Consumption:

6.5 W

Dimensions (W x D x H):

502 x 380 x 120 mm / 19.76″ x 14.96″ x 4.72″

Weight:

5 kg / 11.02 lbs

Accessories:

AC adapter, phone cable, mini-phone cable, owner’s manual, dedicated semi-hard case

Options:

VP-10 Volume Pedal, PS-1/PS-3 Pedal Switch

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