There’s no doubt that the original ARP 2600 design looks imposing – they are big and heavy, with Tolex-covered cases. When Korg introduced their very-limited run 2600 FS, this approach was also taken. Antonus have kept the rugged case and general aesthetic (and with various alternative colour options) but reduced the size to 80% off the original size. It also has a stereo output section that includes a spring-reverb unit. The educational intent is evident in the 2600’s front panel speakers that won’t quite convey the furniture-rattling bass of which the synth is capable, but do provide some onboard monitoring when creating sounds. The 2600 can be interfaced to the outside world via its audio input (which also feeds an envelope generator). On the control side of things, the 2600 has two envelopes – a simple two-stage one with just attack and release controls, and a conventional 4-stage ADSR. There are additional sections for sample and hold (and clocking) as well as lag generator and signal inversion circuits. They are likely to have been impacted by the time they have had for their components to degrade (or change), as any vintage synth might. Meaning that the examples that apparently sound the best are also the oldest. This is only muddied by the fact that – besides the aforementioned filter – component and board changes throughout the production run changed aspects of the sound (and with some cost-cutting measures making them technically worse in terms of noise). This is then followed by a VCA (Voltage Controlled Amplifier) section. The VCOs (Voltage Controlled Oscillators) are separately tuneable and routed into a VCF (Voltage Controlled Filter. However, there must be a reason why it is seen in a superlative light – not that the Odyssey is any slouch! In very basic terms, the 2600 is a three oscillator subtractive analogue synth. Given that the 2600 shares some circuit elements with the Odyssey, one could be forgiven for thinking that this is just a ‘deluxe’ version of its sibling. This helps with indicating the routing and function of each of its various sections. This comes from Alan R Pearlman’s original intent to include synthesizers in the music classroom. Like many other ARP synths, the 2600 attempts to make things easier to understand by including bold graphical elements on the front panel. The ARP 2600 sits somewhere between the simpler pre-configured design of an Odyssey and the flexibility of a full modular. Importantly, although there are numerous patch points, it is possible to use the 2600 as an entirely pre-configured synth. Patching can then be used to subvert standard routings (of which there are many already), access additional onboard functions, or interface with other gear. ones that start with a waveform that is then shaped by some kind of filter). Only the most ardent of synthesists could pull it off. This is where Minimoog and ARP’s Odyssey were squarely aimed. Both employed a fixed architecture that ended up forming the basis of many subtractive-synth designs (i.e. They later also found that creating playable sounds – especially ones that could be reproduced on stage – was difficult. Although they could create amazing soundscapes and elaborate evolving patches – perfect for sound design – the expense involved meant they were largely purchased by universities or wealthy rock musicians. The other drawback of early modular’s was their cost. This means that they require some degree of patching to make even the simplest noises. Antonus likes to think of their product as being as authentic as can be – but more on this later.Īlan R Pearlman’s ARP Instruments began in 1970 with the ARP2500, a huge modular system. Whilst modular systems offer maximum flexibility, they are also complex. To this, we can add the Antonus 2600, which itself is based around the TTSH DIY clone that’s been around for a number of years. That being said this is more than a slightly modded DIY build. Recently there has been a swathe of hardware-based clones (or tributes, depending on your perspective), with Korg, Behringer and others in the mix. There are also a host of plug-in emulations, including the long-standing TimewARP 2600 and versions from Cherry Audio and Arturia. The starting point for reviewing a unit like this is to state categorically that the ARP 2600 is regarded as sitting on the top-tier of classic synths. Because of this – and perhaps as it didn’t employ custom, rare or completely unavailable integrated circuit components or complex control and memory circuitry – many attempts have been made to reproduce its essence. We finally got our hands on the beautiful Antonus 2600.
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