Arp Odyssey

[crystalmsc]

And it's not from Korg, but from Behringer!? $500?? Why it always has to be like this, copying another companies ideas with lower price tag

[ImNotDedYet]

Guess we'll have to see which one's better.

Competition isn't a bad thing, but given Behringer's quality standards...who knows?

[Angstrom]

So, not the Korg Arp Odyssey but the Behringer Arp Odyssey?

Yeah, big difference there. The Korg Chinese plant is in Futong province and the Behringer plant is in Xarthangagang province. Totally different.


I'm more interested in new synths than recreations of what could be achieved with the technology of 40 years ago. All this recreation behaviour just means the synth world is turning into a fucking renaisance fayre.

[crystalmsc]

Judge from the screen, full midi implementation and price tag. May be the Behringer one is a VA, with some analog filters. It's just too good to be true, as a real high quality analog synth for such a price.

[crystalmsc]

While waiting for the Arp Odyssey, Korg came up with the MS20M kit and the SQ-1 Step Sequencer: http://youtu.be/mm1B_5bO4Ns

[CFM]

Yes, lets wait and see the price of the Korg ARP although I'd expect not to get one in my grubby hands until Sep -Oct. Looks like SQ-1 Step Sequencer could be on the cards, finally for MS 20 mini owners - that's good news!

[BoddAH]

So, not the Korg Arp Odyssey but the Behringer Arp Odyssey?

Yeah, big difference there. The Korg Chinese plant is in Futong province and the Behringer plant is in Xarthangagang province. Totally different.


I'm more interested in new synths than recreations of what could be achieved with the technology of 40 years ago. All this recreation behaviour just means the synth world is turning into a fucking renaisance fayre.

Or people are actually going back to the important basics like melody, harmony, song structure and great sounding instruments that just get the job done in the most straightforward way.

Technological progress is fine and all but this shit has seriously been getting out of hand in the music production world.

Who the hell needs three dozen VSTi software synthesizers that are each individually more capable than the entirety of Richard Wright’s or Jean Michel Jarre’s arsenal. All of these instruments must be learned, bought and constanty updated to even just work. And by the time many people (myself included) have actually gotten around learning a new synth they get bored of it and jump onto the next big thing. Never actually making music.

I mean probably more than half of what we call western music was composed for the piano. A single instrument. That’s like one single preset on one single VSTi. Who the hell needs 500 GB Sample Libraries. It’s like a writer on a constant quest of finding the perfect pen instead of just fucking writing a book.

[siliconarc]

full info is up...
http://www.arpsynth.com/en/arpodyssey/

around £980 according to MusicRadar site

[Angstrom]

So, not the Korg Arp Odyssey but the Behringer Arp Odyssey?

Yeah, big difference there. The Korg Chinese plant is in Futong province and the Behringer plant is in Xarthangagang province. Totally different.


I'm more interested in new synths than recreations of what could be achieved with the technology of 40 years ago. All this recreation behaviour just means the synth world is turning into a fucking renaisance fayre.

Or people are actually going back to the important basics like melody, harmony, song structure and great sounding instruments that just get the job done in the most straightforward way.

Technological progress is fine and all but this shit has seriously been getting out of hand in the music production world.

Who the hell needs three dozen VSTi software synthesizers that are each individually more capable than the entirety of Richard Wright’s or Jean Michel Jarre’s arsenal. All of these instruments must be learned, bought and constanty updated to even just work. And by the time many people (myself included) have actually gotten around learning a new synth they get bored of it and jump onto the next big thing. Never actually making music.

I mean probably more than half of what we call western music was composed for the piano. A single instrument. That’s like one single preset on one single VSTi. Who the hell needs 500 GB Sample Libraries. It’s like a writer on a constant quest of finding the perfect pen instead of just fucking writing a book.

Nope. Are you seriously saying that old monophonic analogues are intrinsically linked to melody, harmony, and song structure? That they are better for songwriting than a polyaftertouch physical modelling synth?
No. Nope. Noooope. If you were talking about Linstrument I could see that as an argument (it's poly input, poly pressure, poly articulations, etc) but a simple recreation of the cost effective solution from 1976? That is not about quality, it's about finance.

Do we remake 1970s sports cars and claim they are "better" than todays? No, we admit some elements are better, but some others can be improved. A modern sports car drives better than one from 1976.

It's easier to write a song with melody, harmony and structure using a default VST such as AAS LoungeLizard than it is with my two "desirable" Ms20s. These old instruments may be as distinctive as a bassoon, but is a bassoon the lynchpin of songwriting? Or is it just one recognisable tone in a wide tonal palette. The MS20s are in storage, that's how crucial they are.

As for your note about the problems in learning dozens of VSTs, just pick a few! I only ever use very few instruments, and I know every inch of them. The exact same method I used in the 80s when I was limited to really limited analogues.

Just like Movies are being made of of classics shows, it's purely for the reminiscing dollar. Why did they make a Robocop remake, a Total Recall remake, an A-Team movie, ... because it's a safe bet and it has a safe market.

It is nothing to do with quality or outcomes, it's to do with a safe investment.

[BoddAH]

Nope. Are you seriously saying that old monophonic analogues are intrinsically linked to melody, harmony, and song structure? That they are better for songwriting than a polyaftertouch physical modelling synth?

No. Nope. Noooope. If you were talking about Linstrument I could see that as an argument (it's poly input, poly pressure, poly articulations, etc) but a simple recreation of the cost effective solution from 1976? That is not about quality, it's about finance.

I am not implying they are “objectively” better in any way.

But there’s a thing to be said about the absolutely hands-on nature and intrinsic and musical imperfections of purely analog synthesis but I do realize this is mostly a matter of taste.

Do we remake 1970s sports cars and claim they are "better" than todays? No, we admit some elements are better, but some others can be improved. A modern sports car drives better than one from 1976.

Modern cars are objectively better than old-timers in every way. In the case of music instruments however, less is often more. A simple, straightforward, hands on quality instrument that you can really take the time to perfectly master and know in every detail gives you a much better way to express yourself (IMHO) than a feature laden mega software synths that would in theory take a decade to fully master and understand only to be inevitably discontinued or replaced by the next shiny big synth on the market. Leaving you to browse thousands of presets, just dial in random sounds, and argue on forums which synths has the most features and best sounds forever.

It's easier to write a song with melody, harmony and structure using a default VST such as AAS LoungeLizard than it is with my two "desirable" Ms20s. These old instruments may be as distinctive as a bassoon, but is a bassoon the lynchpin of songwriting? Or is it just one recognisable tone in a wide tonal palette. The MS20s are in storage, that's how crucial they are.

To me, hardware synths in general are more about hands-on experience than about sound. No matter how many MIDI controllers you buy and awkward mappings you create, nothing will ever replace tweaking your sound on a real synth on a one-knob-per-function basis. With everything in a logical, clearly labeled, well though out and most importantly never changing layout that you can truly learn to master and instinctively control.

This is especially true for analog synths wich don’t even have to deal with D-A conversions and offer REAL direct control. Basically allowing you to bend and use electricity itself.

This point is often dismissed but this intimate relationship is actually what playing a musical instrument is all about.

As for your note about the problems in learning dozens of VSTs, just pick a few! I only ever use very few instruments, and I know every inch of them. The exact same method I used in the 80s when I was limited to really limited analogues.

Just like Movies are being made of of classics shows, it's purely for the reminiscing dollar. Why did they make a Robocop remake, a Total Recall remake, an A-Team movie, ... because it's a safe bet and it has a safe market.

It is nothing to do with quality or outcomes, it's to do with a safe investment.

This is probably true to some degree. But these instruments have become classics for a reason. It’s a combination of ease of use, great and recognizable (and as such, inspiring) sound and pathos.

Also most people buy these instruments, at least in part, for their own sake. They’re beautiful objects that people enjoy simply owning. Products that they love and as a result also love to use, which is a good place to start to actually make music.

A physical synth doesn’t need OS compatibility, the latest DAW, MIDI mappings and MIDI controllers. It will never become obsolete. Even a synth from the 70s has nearly infinite sonic capabilities and you may still just turn it on and play away on it in 40 years.

I respect your point of view though and I’m like you in many ways. Playing a little devil’s advocate here.

[crystalmsc]

Right on time, the beatstep pro to accompany the Ody! Looks more interesting than the SQ-1 http://youtu.be/K1nQlFIonNw

[CFM]

The beatstep pro is certainly a nice piece of kit however don't count out the SQ-1 especially if you have a load of Korg gear + it's half the cost.

[TomViolenz]

Yeah, big difference there. The Korg Chinese plant is in Futong province and the Behringer plant is in Xarthangagang province. Totally different.

My bet?! They are exactly the same plant. That's how the design specs got into Behringers hands

[BoddAH]

Yeah, big difference there. The Korg Chinese plant is in Futong province and the Behringer plant is in Xarthangagang province. Totally different.

My bet?! They are exactly the same plant. That's how the design specs got into Behringers hands

The important part are the specifications though. Sure everything is made in China nowadays but the engineering part and exact specifications are made in Europe or America. If Behringer has a shitty team of engineers and skimps on the specifications the same plant in China may manufacture a very different synth.

[TomViolenz]

Yeah, big difference there. The Korg Chinese plant is in Futong province and the Behringer plant is in Xarthangagang province. Totally different.

My bet?! They are exactly the same plant. That's how the design specs got into Behringers hands

The important part are the specifications though. Sure everything is made in China nowadays but the engineering part and exact specifications are made in Europe or America. If Behringer has a shitty team of engineers and skimps on the specifications the same plant in China may manufacture a very different synth.

Well my assumption was that this is what got leaked to Behringer by someone at this Chinese plant.

So they may well skimp on implementing some of the specs (for cost cutting reasons - this is Behringer after all ), but not because they didn't know them.

This is admitetly all a conspiracy theory. A pretty plausible one though...