Your chance to own a synth icon

In the 1970s, the ARP 2600 changed the sound of modern music. It went on the road with synth pioneers like Weather Report’s Joe Zawinul, who toured with two of them, linked by a custom interface designed by his keyboard tech. From Edgar Winter to Stevie Wonder (who had his 2600’s control panel labeled in Braille), the 2600 was everywhere. It even starred on the big screen — sound designer Ben Burtt used it to create the voice of R2-D2 in the original Star Wars trilogy, and also to generate sound effects for Raiders of the Lost Ark. Now ARP is reintroducing this iconic synthesizer, giving modern keyboard artists the pinnacle of vintage analog synthesis in a compact module that interfaces seamlessly with modern class-compliant MIDI controllers. From the panel layout to its onboard spring reverb, the 2600 M is virtually identical to its historical predecessor — except for its size and the added modern refinements we will discuss herein.

“I want orchestral sounds from a synthesizer; the kind of realism beyond imitation. I can make the 2600 sound like Coltrane…or change it to soft, haunting flutes.” — Joe Zawinul

Complete sound design studio

More than a synthesizer, the ARP 2600 is a complete sound design studio. In today’s hybrid analog/digital music production environment, the 2600 M is your bridge between the essential components of modular synthesis and the hands-on immediacy of a real-time performance/production synth. Of course, it’s armed with an arsenal of oscillators and envelopes, a filter, and an amplifier — the building blocks of classic analog synthesis. But the ARP 2600 takes you way beyond the basics with an onboard spring reverb tank and even stereo monitor speakers. The 2600 offers much of the functionality of a vintage modular synth system, including ring modulation, lag and voltage processors, an envelope follower, an audio preamp, a clock-able switch, a noise source, a sample & hold module, signal inverters, an aux mixer, and even parallel-wired/multi jacks.

Best of both worlds

Nearly every slider and switch on the 2600 front panel is hard-wired to a specific control source. Having hard-wired pathways gives you immediate control over all the 2600 has to offer, allowing the instrument to be played as is, with no patching required. In true modular fashion, when you’re in the mood to roll up your sleeves, throw some patches, and dive into sound design, inserting a patch cord into the jack associated with any hard-wired control interrupts that internal connection, letting you create an entirely new signal path to suit your needs. As a programming aid, the 2600’s famously detailed panel graphics clearly display the available signal routings and provide insight into the instrument’s architecture. It’s this marriage of sophistication and ease of use that sets the 2600 apart from other vintage analog synthesizers. Whether you’re an accomplished synthesist or seeking to become one, the ARP 2600 M will seriously up your game.

Prodigious processing power

The ARP 2600 M reveals its modularity through the unique assortment of esoteric, patchable modules it contains. To start with, there’s a set of parallel-wired Multiple jacks to enhance your routing options, for example, by allowing the same control signal to be sent to multiple destinations. Three independent Voltage Processors generate scalable control voltages or they can be used to attenuate any control signal, while the Lag Generator can be used to smooth out a control signal. You can tune the 2600’s Noise Generator for White, Pink, and Low-Frequency noise, or anything in between; plus, a series of three Inverters can reverse the polarity of any signal. The Electronic Switch can be sync’d to either the 2600’s internal clock or an external clock signal, as can the Sample & Hold rate. The ARP 2600 M also includes a dedicated Preamp and Envelope Follower for processing external audio signals.

Legendary 4-pole filter

The ARP 2600 M is equipped with a 4-pole Voltage Controlled Filter (VCF) with a roll-off curve of 24dB/octave. As with the oscillators, the 2600 filter also offers a Fine Tuning slider that allows precise control over the pitch of the self-resonating filter, which you can use to great effect. The input mixer stage of the VCF includes sliders for each Oscillator, the Noise Generator, and the output of the Ring Modulator. Historically, the 2600 went through a number of changes over its decade of production. Some of these were cosmetic, while others — notably the filters — were more sonically crucial. Today’s ARP 2600 M is equipped with a Filter Type switch that lets you choose between the response characteristic of either early- (4012 type) or late-model (4072 type) 2600 filters.

The VCA

The 2600 M’s Voltage Controlled Amplifier (VCA) features both Linear and Exponential control inputs, and the Initial Gain setting provides continuous output at its highest settings. Following the VCA, the audio signal of the ARP 2600 M passes through the Stereo Mixer section and the internal Spring Reverb tank before continuing on to the main outputs, the headphone jack, and the internal stereo speakers.

The cornerstone of the synth age

It would be impossible to overstate the significance of the original ARP 2600. It was launched at the 1970 Audio Engineering Society convention, and over the next decade, the ARP emerged as a major American player in analog synthesis. The 2600 would undergo several revisions on its journey to becoming one of the most highly coveted instruments from the vintage synthesizer era, attaining Holy Grail status among musicians, producers, and sound designers. Today’s ARP 2600 M is your opportunity to own one of the most sought-after instruments from the golden age of analog synthesis, in a roadworthy package with state-of-the-art updates that make it the ideal incarnation of this historic synthesizer. Bottom line: the ARP 2600 M will rock your world. It’s also an incredible value. Get yours at AudioProCT today!