Tonus/ARP

Tonus/ARP Synthesisers

The ARP 2600 was designed as an easy to use version of the 2500 aimed at schools and university music departments. The 2600 had a printed front panel showing the various routings and signal paths and had all the synthesiser functions in one metal casing (including speakers and soring reverb unit) with an external keyboard. The first production run had blue panels, painted sheet-metal cases, and polished wood handles which became known as the 'Blue Marvin' or 'Blue Meanie' later models were housed in a vinyl-covered luggage-style case with a dark gray panel. this model 2600 remained in production from 1971 to 1981.

ARP Odyssey

Developed during the mid 1970's the Odyssey was a popular 3 oscillator synthesiser. The Odyssey had two syncable vco's and a dedicated low frequency oscillator which could be used as a pulse width modulation source. The Odyssey had a duophonic keyboard and sample and hold and ring modulation.

ARP Avatar

The Avatar was a pitch to voltage guitar synthesiser developed by ARP in the late 1970s. The synthesiser component was an Odyssey in a metal box.

ARP Axxe

The Axe was a single VCO synthesiser released in the mid 70's to compete with Moog's entry level Micromoog. The Axxe was essentially a cut down easy to use version of the Odyssey.

The ARP Sequencer

The ARP Sequencer was a simple yet usable 2 X 8 step event sequencer with a built in synthesiser. The notes were added in real time to a sequences by using one of two sets of eight pitch sliders while the seqence progress was marked by a series of flashing red lights.

The Arp Little Brother

The Little Brother was a synthesiser expander playable from a remote keyboard or synthesiser.

ARP Pro-Soloist / Pro-DGX

The Pro-Soloist was marketed as a domestic keyboard rather than a serious instrument. The Pro-Soloist had a bank of preset voices, which although limited, became popular with rock groups such as Kraftwerk and Genesis during the 1970's .

ARP Omni

The Omni was a string synthesiser with simple filter and ADSR controls. The Omni became popular with Disco music producers during the late 1970's.

ARP Quadra

The Quadra was a cumbersome and expensive instrument developed at the end of the ARP companies existence.The Quadra was marketed to compete against a new generation of polyphonic synthesisers but was essentially a glossily packaged hybrid of an ARP Oni and a Solus.