Growing up in New York City, Alan R. Pearlman was nicknamed ‘ARP’. The name stuck, and after leaving his job at NASA — where he designed amplifiers for the Gemini and Apollo programs — he established the ARP company. ARP’s instruments soon became known for their quality of sound, and it was here that his stable oscillators, and cordless patching technique really turned heads. Pearlman created the ARP 2500 in 1970, followed by the classic ARP Odyssey and ARP 2600. These cemented the company’s legacy as a leader in the growth and development of instruments for the electronic musical market.
In 2015, ARP’s history was thrust into the spotlight as the production of authentic reissues of the Odyssey commenced, and in 2019 his daughter Dina founded The Alan R. Pearlman Foundation. Created to honour Pearlman’s legacy, the organisation’s mission was to inspire future generations to imagine and create by ensuring Pearlman’s inventions remain publicly accessible. From the full-sized keyboard of the ARP Odyssey FS, to the long-awaited ARP 2600 FS and 2600 M, ARP synths once again stood at the forefront of modern music. Now, with the release of the ARP Odyssey FS Kit, musicians can take the ARP legacy into their own hands by building their own.
Staying true to the ARP Odyssey FS, the kit uses the exact analogue circuitry, preserving the original warm and rich sounds we’ve all grown to love. The kit also features all the original specs of the Rev. 3 model, with a full-size keyboard and a black panel design with orange lettering. To facilitate assembly of the Odyssey, a pictorial guide is included; no technical knowledge or soldering is needed. The ARP Odyssey FS Kit is a one-of-a-kind collector’s instrument, and can be distinguished from other Odyssey units by the engraved serial number plate.
The original ARP Odyssey was a 2VCO duophonic instrument — and the inclusion of oscillator sync, sample and hold, PWM, HPF, two types of envelope generator, and pitch bend using the PPC meant that it was able to create a rich range of tonal variation. The new ARP Odyssey FS Kit faithfully reproduces these functions and its distinctive penetrating character at the circuit level. Reproduced to spec, and accessible via a single switch, the ARP Odyssey FS Kit provides all three flavours of the original filter circuit variants. TYPE I (Rev1) is a 12 dB/Oct circuit that produces a sharp, punchy sound; TYPE II (Rev2) is a 24 dB/Oct filter with great-sounding lows; and TYPE III (Rev3) maintains excellent stability even when resonance is raised.
Benefitting from the reliability and stability of a new synth, the ARP Odyssey FS Kit features a spacious panel layout, smooth-action faders, and a standard-sized keyboard for comfortable playability. With a reputation centred around its analogue sound — and with a weight and essence to match the original — this is a true resurrection of the ARP Odyssey.
Specifications:
Keyboard
37-note (Standard key or Full size key, 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, Pulse (Dynamic Pulse)
Frequency Range: VCO-1 in low freq. mode, 0.2Hz – 20Hz, VCO-1 and VCO-2 (audio range) about 20Hz – 20kHz
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) 0V, C6 key (right edge) 3 V
VCA (Voltage Controlled Amplifier)
Dynamic Range: 80dB
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.
Stock due to arrive Late March 2023
RRP A$3,499.00
SSP A$2,799.00
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