The Funk Bass Face-Off: Korg ARP Odyssey vs Minimoog Model D

This set of videos, via mootbooxle, captures his Funk Bass Face-Off, matching the Korg ARP Odyssey vs the recently introduced Moog Minimoog Model D.

In the first video, he uses the Mk1 Filter on the Odyssey, noting “I prefer my ARP to sound like an ARP, plus it’s what Herbie Hancock and George Duke used.”

In the second video, the Odyssey is set to use the Mk2 (Moog clone) filter, and he defeated envelope retriggering by patching Gate Out to Trig In, to emulate the Minimoog’s legato response.

Should this Funk Bass Face-Off go 9 rounds? Check the videos and let us know what you think!

22 thoughts on “The Funk Bass Face-Off: Korg ARP Odyssey vs Minimoog Model D

  1. Both are Lead synths – not Bass Synths (though obviously, both can do great bass!). I’d be interested to see how they face off in doing lead solos. But from these videos, neither comes out noticeably superior. I have the ARP in my collection, but no way I can afford the new (old) Mini moog. But I love the Odyssey – which complements the MS-20 Mini sitting next to it nicely.

  2. There are no lead synths or bass synths. It just depends on what you make of it. Both machines have been a staple for bass sounds in many genres.

  3. Well it basically sounds like the Moog is Lowpass filtered lower so it basically sounds more round but hard to compare when the LP filter is not adjusted in a similar area on both

      1. You’ve never heard the funk versions of Ultravox songs? Da Vienna? The Thin Wall Baby? The Voice Funky Momma?

        LOL. I guess my point was that when I think Minimoog, I think bass. And when I think Odyssey, I think lead.

        To me, when Minimoogs are used for leads they almost always sound the same and ho hum.

        There is zero argument in my mind that the Odyssey is far diverse in how it can sound.

  4. Funky indeed. In this case, I prefer the sound of the arp in the first video. I found its sound cutting through the mix in a very appropriate way.

  5. Comments are already showing how our tastes all differ!

    As a bass player and synthesist, I loved the Minimoog sound in this demo. Juicier and punchier on the bottom end. I can hear that sound clearly in a mix laying a solid foundation and not competing with pads/leads/guitars in the mid-range.

    More importantly, mootbooxie can actually play! I was half expecting a funky acid jam or something sequenced… but no! This was a real player using the synths as musical instruments.

    Great demo!

  6. Our society is way to obsessed with competitions and declaring winners and losers. It’s not even just sports. Look at how many television shows are competition based.

    Personally, I’m happy more than happy to delare both of these synths “winners”. They both sound great and its obvious why they both have strong legacies.

  7. I definately preferred the sound of the Odyssey with the Mk1 filter by far and had less of a preference in the second video when they are using similar filters. Not a surprise to me, I’m a weirdo and have never loved the Moog sound.

  8. Great video!

    I’ll listen to more of these any day.
    For me the attack of the ARP notes sounded better than the Moog and the Moog filter sounded round and mellow.
    ARP envelopes and Moog Filter for the tie?

    I think the winner is of this competition is anyone who owns both of these lovely synths.

    1. And the Arp doesn’t sound 3 times as good as a Bass Station.

      That’s not the point, though. The Moog has full size everything, is built to last 40+ years, is easily repairable, etc. No compromises

      The Korg Arp is meant to be a nice compromise.

      The fact that they both do what the companies set out to do so well is pretty amazing.

  9. Well this strengthens my opinion that the Minimoog is a ridiculously overrated synth. While the Minimoogs impact on music has been enormous, the sound of it was surpassed long ago, for example by all the monosynths Yamaha, Korg and Roland built in the 70s, at least the non-preset ones.

    But then this is just my opinion, and I happen to be biased against fat sounding instruments in general.

    The Karp sounds great. The Minimoog just sounds good.

  10. Face-off? Comparing two legendary synths by playing the same bass line with unrelated sound settings? This is just a show-off with a wrong title.

  11. I wasn’t crazy about the mini keys on the Odyssey, but now that the tabletop module is out, I might have to get that. They DO sound really good, and both are equally funky in different ways. For the price of the Moog, you could buy a half dozen Odyssey modules, probably.

    Still, I’m glad I got the Model D. It feels like an instrument to me in a way the ARP reissue didn’t. And it sounds glorious.

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