A Blast from the Past!
I remember when I was just a kid going to the music store and hanging out before my piano lesson. over in the keyboard section there was this weird looking keyboard that was all white and had a bunch of fluorescent colored sliders. Of course I wanted to touch it! Luckily the old guys (probably 20 year olds at the time) let me. That was my first introduction to the Arp Odyssey!
Jump ahead to 2015. My second Odyssey is now sitting in my studio, and will be used on all our daily projects from commercials to film. It’s not the original White Faced one (Rev I), it’s black with gold lettering EXACTLY like MY first one (Rev II) only it’s 86% the original size (and it has MIDI and a USB Port).
First Impression
Growing up with Synthesizers and keyboards all my life I’ve seen and owned a lot of history. The Arp Odyssey was my first and was excited to get it (again!). I personally ordered mine from Guitar Center because they offered the version that looked like my first. The Odyssey Rev II with the Black Face with Gold lettering. You can also get the White Face from Sweetwater (Rev I) and the Rev III look that’s shown in the above photo wherever Korg Keyboards are sold. No matter which one you get, all of the three versions are in it!
What I first noticed when I opened the box was the Arp Logo printed right on the packaging. It was strangely exciting to see it again after all this time. The second thing I noticed was that it came with it’s very own carrying case (see below).
This WAS the Odyssey that I remember so it’s time to plug it in!
What does it sound Like?
This is not only an exact replica of what I used to play and hear, but it has the makings of ALL THREE Revisions in one place (There is a 3 position VCF switch that emulates all three iterations). Add a ‘Drive’ Switch, MIDI, and USB and you have the ‘New’ (AND improved) Arp Odyssey, 43 years later!
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: ?6.3 mm monaural phone jack
Portamento Foot Switch: ?6.3 mm monaural phone jack - Audio Output Jacks:
- LOW:
Connector: ?6.3 mm monaural phone jack
Maximum Output Level: -20 dBu@ 10 k? load
Output Impedance: 10 k? - HIGH:
Connector: XLR connector
Maximum Output Level: +4 dBu@ 1 k? load
Output Impedance: 330 ?
- LOW:
- Headphones Jack:
Connector: ?6.3 mm stereo phone jack
Maximum Output Level: 50 mW + 50 mW@ 33 ? load
Output Impedance: 10 ?
* Controllable by volume knob. - External Audio Input (Ext Audio Input) Jack:
Connector: ?6.3 mm monaural phone jack
Maximum Input Level: -10 dBu
Input Impedance: 22 k? - MIDI Connector:
IN - USB Connector:
Type B - CV IN/OUT Jacks:
Keyboard CV (IN/OUT): 1 V/oct.
Connector: ?3.5 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: ?3.5 mm monaural phone jack - TRIG IN/OUT Jacks:
TRIG IN: +3 V pulse min., 10 ?sec. Duration minimum
TRIG OUT: +10 V pulse on key depression, 10 ?sec. Duration
Connector: ?3.5 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
Date posted: June 2, 2015
