Guess Who’s Back? – KORG Reissues the ARP Odyssey

Sales of analog synthesizers over the past few years have been, for the most part, on the rise. Korg’s ARP Odyssey is surely the poster child for this revitalization.

The birth of ARP began in 1969 when ARP Instruments was founded. The ARP Odyssey didn’t come until three years later. ARP, noticing the synthesizer market was flooded with gigantic modular systems, sought out to develop a highly stable oscillator. “ARP challenged the status quo for synths in that era, and even after they were out of the game, their products were sought after,” says James Sajeva, Korg brand manager – Technology Products. “The drive was to make a synth that was easier to operate on stage hence more accessible to the performing musician, more stable (analog synths went out of tune easily based on ambient conditions, internal temperature, et cetera)… Beyond the technology, the list of users who incorporated Odyssey into their music is huge. Most notable users were Tom Coster, George Duke, Herbie Hancock, John Lord, and Frank Zappa.”

This led to the creation of the ARP 2500, a large modular synthesizer. The ARP 2500 used a large number of matrix switches, placed above and below the knobs and switches of the panel, replacing the patch cord design that was used on other manufacturers’ products of the time. Tuning was also now fairly stable.

In 1971, along came the ARP 2600, which was more compact than the 2500. The ARP 2600 was designed with the sound generator and the keyboard as separate units. Additionally, the 2600 featured built-in speakers and spring reverb, rarely seen on other models of the time,

And then, the ARP Odyssey was born.

The original ARP Odyssey was a duophonic unit with two VCOs. It featured a rich array of sound-generating potential, with functions and modulations options such as oscillator sync, sample & hold, pulse width modulation, high-pass filter, and two types of envelope generator. The original ARP Odyssey became the standard for subsequent eras of synthesizers, influencing even the polyphonic and digital synthesizers that were to come later. After it went on sale in 1972, the ARP Odyssey continued to undergo improvements. “There were three versions – each with slightly different aesthetics and a different resonant filter,” says Sajeva. “We’ve released all three versions – two of them as limited editions – and all three have all three filters built in and available at the flip of a toggle switch.”

The Odyssey of 1972 inspired a few products, but more importantly in Sajeva’s eyes, “Arp’s vision to bring synths to the stage in a way that musicians could use them quickly and comfortably was part of a huge movement that made numerous synth companies rethink the performance synth – including KORG.” It inspired KORG to reissue the synthesizer 43 years later.

In 2015, KORG welcomed David Friend onto the ARP Odyssey resurrection project. “David worked closely with the development and management teams at KORG throughout the project as an advisor,” says Sajeva. “Since there were many revisions of the original, David was able to provide historical, first-hand viewpoints into the subtle nuances and helped the teams to make decisions that would ultimately culminate in the modern Odyssey. Attributes like the pitch and modulation interface – which started out as knobs but ended up being the touch pads we see on the modern ARP – were decided together.”

KORG’s goal with the ARP Odyssey reissue was to use their vast experience in analog synthesizers to bring back a classic – even if it wasn’t their product. “It’s a nod to an instrument that was revolutionary and outstanding for its time – and still holds tremendous appeal today,” explains Sajeva. “KORG, a synthesizer company 50 years strong, resurrecting a flagship synth from another respected legacy company. And not just bringing it back in a modern version, using digital modeling or sampling of the original. KORG’s focus was to recreate the analog signal path that made the Odyssey what it was. To use a car analogy, that would be like Ford rereleasing the Mustang with the original carburetor-based engine – as opposed to the slick redesigned fuel injection engines of today. And why? Because as good as digital is, analog has its own distinct strengths, and Odyssey’s signal path and signature sound are standout on top of that.”

The ARP Odyssey reissue is a spot-on recreation of the vintage version, sonically and cosmetically, with some modern enhancements including 5-pin and USB MIDI. The reissue is also scaled down to 86 percent of the original’s size. “Odyssey still remains one of the most unique synths on the market,” says Sajeva. “The overall layout, signal path, and combination of sound shaping features are quite signature, and the duophonic oscillator structure is also rare in this day and age. True-analog synths – as opposed to digital or analog modeling synths – are enjoying a resurgence right now, but are still rarer than their digital brethren.”