ARP 2600
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The ARP 2600 is a semi-modular
analog Analog or analogue may refer to: Computing and electronics * Analog signal, in which information is encoded in a continuous variable ** Analog device, an apparatus that operates on analog signals *** Analog electronics, circuits which use analog ...
subtractive audio synthesizer produced by
ARP Instruments, Inc. ARP Instruments, Inc. was a Lexington, Massachusetts manufacturer of electronic musical instruments, founded by Alan Robert Pearlman in 1969. It created a popular and commercially successful range of synthesizers throughout the 1970s before de ...


History

Developed by a design team headed by ARP namesake Allen R. Pearlman and engineer Dennis Colin, the ARP 2600 was introduced in 1971 as the successor to ARP's first instrument, the
ARP 2500 The ARP 2500 is a monophonic analog modular synthesizer equipped with a set of sliding matrix switches above each module. These are the primary method of interconnecting modules. It is the first product of ARP Instruments, Inc., built from 1970 ...
, at a retail price of US$2600. Unlike other modular systems of the time, which required modules to be purchased individually and wired by the user, the 2600 was semi-modular with a fixed selection of basic synthesizer components internally pre-wired, with clear text labels and front panel screen printed graphics indicating the function of different sections of controls, and the signal flow between them. The 2600 was thus ideal for musicians new to synthesis, due to its ability to be operated either with or without patch cords. On its initial release it was heavily marketed to high schools and universities.


Features and architecture

The ARP 2600 features three VCOs, a 4-pole (24 dB/
octave In music, an octave ( la, octavus: eighth) or perfect octave (sometimes called the diapason) is the interval between one musical pitch and another with double its frequency. The octave relationship is a natural phenomenon that has been refer ...
)
Low-pass filter A low-pass filter is a filter that passes signals with a frequency lower than a selected cutoff frequency and attenuates signals with frequencies higher than the cutoff frequency. The exact frequency response of the filter depends on the filter des ...
, a VCA, a
ring modulator In electronics, ring modulation is a signal processing function, an implementation of frequency mixing, in which two signals are combined to yield an output signal. One signal, called the carrier, is typically a sine wave or another simple ...
,
sample and hold In electronics, a sample and hold (also known as sample and follow) circuit is an analog device that samples (captures, takes) the voltage of a continuously varying analog signal and holds (locks, freezes) its value at a constant level for ...
, a
white White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...
/
pink Pink is the color of a namesake flower that is a pale tint of red. It was first used as a color name in the late 17th century. According to surveys in Europe and the United States, pink is the color most often associated with charm, politeness, ...
noise generator, microphone preamp,
spring reverb A reverb effect, or reverb, is an audio effect applied to a sound signal to simulate reverberation. It may be created through physical means, such as echo chambers, or electronically through audio signal processing. Echo chambers The first re ...
, two envelope generators, and a four-octave
keyboard Keyboard may refer to: Text input * Keyboard, part of a typewriter * Computer keyboard ** Keyboard layout, the software control of computer keyboards and their mapping ** Keyboard technology, computer keyboard hardware and firmware Music * Musi ...
. In 1973,
Tom Oberheim Thomas Elroy Oberheim (born July 7, 1936, Manhattan, Kansas), known as Tom Oberheim, is an American audio engineer and electronics engineer best known for designing effects processors, analog synthesizers, sequencers, and drum machines. He has ...
, who was an ARP dealer, produced a kit that converted the keyboard into a duo-phonic keyboard capable of triggering two different oscillators simultaneously. The following year, ARP adopted this improvement and introduced the Model 3620 duo-phonic keyboard, which also included delayed vibrato as well as single and multiple triggering functionality. All versions of the ARP 2600 produced through 1976 utilized ARP’s Model 4012 filter, which was an imitation of
Robert Moog Robert Arthur Moog ( ; May 23, 1934 – August 21, 2005) was an American engineer and electronic music pioneer. He was the founder of the synthesizer manufacturer Moog Music and the inventor of the first commercial synthesizer, the Moog synthesi ...
's 4-pole "ladder" VCF, which became the subject of a patent dispute eventually settled out of court, and was replaced by an ARP filter design, the Model 4072.


Models

Model 2600 “Blue Meanie” (early 1971): The earliest 2600s were assembled in a small facility on Kenneth Street in
Newton Highlands, Massachusetts Newton Highlands is one of the thirteen villages within the city of Newton in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The Newton Highlands Historic District includes residential and commercial businesses back to the late 19th century. H ...
, during ARP's infancy as a company. Housed in a bright blue and light gray aluminum case with a keyboard mated to the synthesizer, this version was nicknamed the "Blue Marvin" (after Marvin Cohen, ARP’s CFO at the time) but is now commonly referred to as the "Blue Meanie.” Model 2600C “Gray Meanie” (mid-1971): The 2600C was produced in the ARP factory, and featured a gray control panel and updated keyboard model 3604C. Only 35 “Gray Meanies” were produced. Model 2600P (late-1971): The 2600P was housed in a suitcase-style vinyl-covered wood enclosure, making it a more portable instrument. V2.0 of the 2600P replaced Teledyne 4011/4017 VCO chips with more reliable 4027 chips by National Semiconductor for a brief run in 1972, before being replaced by 2600P v3.0, which was produced until 1974 and utilized 2037-1 VCO chips and featured a new G-clef ARP logo. In 1974, 2600P v4.0 introduced the new Model 3620 duo-phonic keyboard with LFO. Model 2601 (1975): 2601 v1.0 improved the jacks and slider controls of the previous model, but still included the disputed Model 4012 filter. In 1977, 2601 v2.0 introduced ARP’s new Model 4072 filter, as well as the orange-over-black design theme of ARP’s other synthesizers. One final version of the 2601, v3.0, was produced in ARP’s final days.


Impact

The first significant user of the 2600 was
Edgar Winter Edgar Holland Winter (born December 28, 1946) is an American musician. He is a multi-instrumentalist, playing keyboards, guitar, saxophone, and percussion, as well as singing. His success peaked in the 1970s with his band the Edgar Winter Group ...
, who connected the keyboard controller of the 2600 to the main unit via a long extension cord, allowing him to wear the synth around his neck like a keytar.
Stevie Wonder Stevland Hardaway Morris ( Judkins; May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, who is credited as a pioneer and influence by musicians across a range of genres that include rhythm and blues, Pop musi ...
was an early adopter of the 2600 who had the control panel instructions labelled in
Braille Braille (Pronounced: ) is a tactile writing system used by people who are visually impaired, including people who are Blindness, blind, Deafblindness, deafblind or who have low vision. It can be read either on Paper embossing, embossed paper ...
. Other early notable users included
Pete Townshend Peter Dennis Blandford Townshend (; born 19 May 1945) is an English musician. He is co-founder, leader, guitarist, second lead vocalist and principal songwriter of the Who, one of the most influential rock bands of the 1960s and 1970s. Townsh ...
, Joe Zawinul, and
Herbie Hancock Herbert Jeffrey Hancock (born April 12, 1940) is an American jazz pianist, keyboardist, bandleader, and composer. Hancock started his career with trumpeter Donald Byrd's group. He shortly thereafter joined the Miles Davis Quintet, where he help ...
. Sound designer
Ben Burtt Benjamin Burtt Jr. (born July 12, 1948) is an American sound designer, film director and editor, screenwriter, and voice actor. As a sound designer, his credits include the ''Star Wars'' and ''Indiana Jones'' film series, ''Invasion of the Body ...
used an ARP 2600, combined with his own voice, to create the voice of
R2-D2 R2-D2 () or Artoo-Detoo is a fictional robot character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise created by George Lucas. He has appeared in ten of the eleven theatrical ''Star Wars'' films to date. At various points throughout the course of the films, R2, ...
in the ''
Star Wars ''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera multimedia franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop-culture Cultural impact of S ...
'' films. Burtt also used the 2600 to create the sound effects of the
Ark of the Covenant The Ark of the Covenant,; Ge'ez: also known as the Ark of the Testimony or the Ark of God, is an alleged artifact believed to be the most sacred relic of the Israelites, which is described as a wooden chest, covered in pure gold, with an e ...
in ''
Raiders of the Lost Ark ''Raiders of the Lost Ark'' is a 1981 American action-adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Lawrence Kasdan, based on a story by George Lucas and Philip Kaufman. It stars Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Paul Freeman, Ronal ...
''.


Software emulations

Software companies, such as
Arturia Arturia is a French electronics company founded in 1999 and based in Grenoble, France. The company designs and manufactures audio interfaces and electronic musical instruments, including software synthesizers, drum machines, analog synthesize ...
and Way Out Ware, have released software emulations for use with modern music equipment, such as
MIDI MIDI (; Musical Instrument Digital Interface) is a technical standard that describes a communications protocol, digital interface, and electrical connectors that connect a wide variety of electronic musical instruments, computers, and re ...
devices and computer sequencers: * Arturia ARP 2600 V * TimewARP 2600 *Cherry Audio CA2600


Hardware re-issues and recreations

On January 10, 2020,
Korg , founded as Keio Electronic Laboratories, is a Japanese multinational corporation that manufactures electronic musical instruments, audio processors and guitar pedals, recording equipment, and electronic tuners. Under the Vox brand name, th ...
Inc. of Japan reissued the ARP 2600 as the ARP 2600 FS, a faithful reproduction of the original 1972 gray version. The re-issue adds features, including: the ability to select between the 4012 and 4072 filter types found in the 1970s versions, balanced XLR outputs, MIDI, a basic sequencer / arpeggiator, and a flight case for travel. The keyboard included is based on the original 3620 keyboard which now provides aftertouch. In 2022, Korg introduced a smaller version of the 2600 called the 2600M, which was identical to the FS but 40% smaller.


Behringer's 2600

In 2020,
Behringer Behringer is an audio equipment company founded by the Swiss engineer Uli Behringer on 25 January 1989, in Willich, Germany. Behringer was the 14th largest manufacturer of music products in 2007. Behringer is a worldwide, multinational group ...
released its own updated variant. In contrast to the original ARP or the versions produced by Korg, the following features are different or new: * 8U 19-inch rack chassis * No speakers * Digital spring reverb simulation instead of a physical spring tank (Behringer also makes "Blue Marvin" and "Gray Meanie" versions with a physical spring tank) * LED faders * VCO3 can output a sine or triangle wave, and has a PWM patch point * VCO2 and 3 can sync to VCO1 * Both VCF versions available, selected with switch


TTSH

Beginning in 2013, Swedish DIY synthesizer designe
The Human Comparator
has created multiple iterations of 3/4 scale PCB kits featuring circuitry and front-panel designs identical to the ARP 2600 (minus the keyboard). Dubbed th
TTSH
("Two Thousand Six Hundred"), this project allows a hobbyist to build their own synthesizer for a fraction of the price ($499USD for a panel and PCB set) of the original.


Gallery

File:ARP 2600, PNW SynthFest 2013.jpg, ARP 2600P v1.0 (1971) or v2.0 (1971-72) with 3604P keyboard, after the 2600 ''Blue-Marvin'' (1971) and the 2600C ''Gray Meanie'' (1971). File:Arp2600bluemarvin.jpg, ARP 2600P v3.0 (1972–74) or v4.0 (1974) with
3620 duophonic keyboard (1974-?), new G-clef logo. File:ARP 2600 panel, Energo 2011.jpg, ARP 2600P v3.0 (1972–74) or v4.0 (1974) panel details File:ARP 2601 v2.0 or v3.0 black-on-orange, owned by Steve Fisk.jpg, ARP 2601 v2.0 (1977–80) or v3.0 (1980, last 100 or so) ''black-on-orange'' model


Notable users

The following is a partial list of artists and musical groups who have used the ARP 2600: * 808 State *
Ben Burtt Benjamin Burtt Jr. (born July 12, 1948) is an American sound designer, film director and editor, screenwriter, and voice actor. As a sound designer, his credits include the ''Star Wars'' and ''Indiana Jones'' film series, ''Invasion of the Body ...
 — voice of R2-D2 in ''
Star Wars ''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera multimedia franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop-culture Cultural impact of S ...
'' * Bee Gees — bass in ''
Jive Talkin' "Jive Talkin" is a song by the Bee Gees, released as a single in May 1975 by RSO Records. This was the lead single from the album ''Main Course'' (as well as a song on the 1977 ''Saturday Night Fever'' soundtrack) and hit number one on the ''Bi ...
'' *
Brian Eno Brian Peter George St John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno (; born Brian Peter George Eno, 15 May 1948) is a British musician, composer, record producer and visual artist best known for his contributions to ambient music and work in rock, pop an ...
* BT *
Chemical Brothers The Chemical Brothers are an English electronic music duo formed by Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons in Manchester in 1989. They were pioneers (along with the Prodigy, Fatboy Slim, the Crystal Method, and other acts) in bringing the big beat genre ...
 — used on ''Dig Your Own Hole'' * Daniel Miller *
Depeche Mode Depeche Mode are an English electronic music band formed in Basildon, Essex, in 1980. The band currently consists of Dave Gahan (lead vocals and co-songwriting) and Martin Gore (keyboards, guitar, co-lead vocals and main songwriting). Depeche ...
*
Edgar Winter Edgar Holland Winter (born December 28, 1946) is an American musician. He is a multi-instrumentalist, playing keyboards, guitar, saxophone, and percussion, as well as singing. His success peaked in the 1970s with his band the Edgar Winter Group ...
(Frankenstein) *
Herbie Hancock Herbert Jeffrey Hancock (born April 12, 1940) is an American jazz pianist, keyboardist, bandleader, and composer. Hancock started his career with trumpeter Donald Byrd's group. He shortly thereafter joined the Miles Davis Quintet, where he help ...
*
Jean Michel Jarre Jean-Michel André Jarre (; born 24 August 1948) is a French composer, performer and record producer. He is a pioneer in the electronic, ambient and new-age genres, and is known for organising outdoor spectacles featuring his music, accompanie ...
* Joe Zawinul — usually played two with
Weather Report Weather Report was an American jazz fusion band active from 1970 to 1986. The band was founded in 1970 by Austrian virtuoso keyboardist Joe Zawinul, American saxophonist Wayne Shorter, Czech bassist Miroslav Vitouš, American drummer and voca ...
, one for each hand *
Joy Division Joy Division were an English rock band formed in Salford in 1976. The group consisted of vocalist Ian Curtis, guitarist/keyboardist Bernard Sumner, bassist Peter Hook and drummer Stephen Morris. Sumner and Hook formed the band after attend ...
*
Mary McCarty Snow Mary Helen Snow McCarty (26 August 1928 - 14 October 2012) was an American composer, organist/pianist, and publisher who wrote ''The Waveform Music Book: Composing, Teaching, Performing Electronic Music with the ARP 2600 Synthesizer'' in 1977. She ...
* Nine Inch Nails * Nitzer Ebb * Orbital *
Ozzy Osbourne John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne (born 3 December 1948) is an English singer, songwriter, and television personality. He rose to prominence during the 1970s as the lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Black Sabbath, during which period he adop ...
— used on '' Who Are You?'' *
Pete Townshend Peter Dennis Blandford Townshend (; born 19 May 1945) is an English musician. He is co-founder, leader, guitarist, second lead vocalist and principal songwriter of the Who, one of the most influential rock bands of the 1960s and 1970s. Townsh ...
*
Rush (band) Rush was a Canadian rock band formed in 1968 in Toronto, that was comprised primarily of Geddy Lee (bass, vocals), Alex Lifeson (guitar), and Neil Peart (drums, percussion, lyricist). The band formed in Toronto in 1968 by Lifeson, drummer John ...
*
Stevie Wonder Stevland Hardaway Morris ( Judkins; May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, who is credited as a pioneer and influence by musicians across a range of genres that include rhythm and blues, Pop musi ...
* Tony Banks (
Genesis Genesis may refer to: Bible * Book of Genesis, the first book of the biblical scriptures of both Judaism and Christianity, describing the creation of the Earth and of mankind * Genesis creation narrative, the first several chapters of the Book of ...
) *
Underworld The underworld, also known as the netherworld or hell, is the supernatural world of the dead in various religious traditions and myths, located below the world of the living. Chthonic is the technical adjective for things of the underwor ...
*
Vince Clarke Vincent John Martin (born 3 July 1960), known professionally as Vince Clarke, is an English synth-pop musician and songwriter. Clarke has been the main composer and musician of the band Erasure since its inception in 1985, and was previously ...
* Gaudi


References


External links


The ARP 2600: Evolution and Revolution The Metamorphosis of an Iconic Instrument
- Google Arts & Culture / Music Makers Machines exhibit
The Alan R. Pearlman FoundationVintage Synth ExplorerARP 2600 Patch Diagram
- Patch Diagram, useful for "saving" your patches
ARP 2600 Test Report - GreatSynthesizers


YouTube links


"Arp2600 Demo"
- A YouTube demo of the 2600. Later episodes go into detail about building patches. {{ARP Instruments ARP synthesizers Analog synthesizers Monophonic synthesizers