Korg ARP Odyssey FS Brings Back Full-Size Keys (Unofficial Sneak Preview)

It looks like Korg may be introducing a new ARP Odyssey that features full-size keys. 

Several images have been shared on social media and forums that show the Korg ARP Odyssey FS – what appears to be a full-size version of Korg’s new ARP Odyssey.

No official details have been announced, but it appears to be ‘coming soon’.

Note: We have not seen any official announcement from Korg on this yet, so whether this is an actual product, let alone specifications and pricing, is still to be announced.

36 thoughts on “Korg ARP Odyssey FS Brings Back Full-Size Keys (Unofficial Sneak Preview)

  1. make it with full analog and NOT DIGITAL RING MODULATOR! this was the biggest downfall on this synth’s reissue (and the reason i’d still prefer an ms20 for full real VCO ring mod tones). sure it’s noise, but it’s the difference between oak-y rich noise and tinny radio noise.

    1. The Arp and MS-20 both produce ring mod the same way. They XOR gate the square outputs of the two oscillators.

      So it is a “fake” ring modish sound, not much like a real diode ring mod.

      I was not aware the re-issue did anything different.

    2. caligari is basically correct. Look at the schematics for board B-1 of the original. The ring modulator is a couple of NAND gates and some other stuff. But notice that the square wave circuits also use NANDs. Oh no! The oscillators are digital too, according to your definition of digital which I think means anything that includes any logic gates even trivially or reasonably. Whatsoever shall we do. On the other hand those logic gates are just simple transistors, and some resistors, like much of the rest of the circuit.

    1. Not gonna happen. At least, not anytime in the near future. Nick Kwas basically said as much during the Korg AMA on reddit: “We just don’t know how realistic it is. Plus, there’s already companies making clones. My friend has a TTSH and it sounds absolutely fantastic! Really impressive.”

      If a product specialist for Korg basically recommends the TTSH to everyone, that likely means they have no current plans to make a 2600 reissue.

  2. I can’t imagine this’ll win me a bunch of pals here, but what I’d love to see is for this one to output MIDI (not least because there’s not a single full-size key three-octave professional-feeling controller on the market,), ditch PPC for a wheel (or have the additional option of a wheel,) and have octave up-down buttons in addition to the old switch, as there are times when you want those ‘ in-between’ octaves. An onboard digital tuner readout would be great too, for a visual way of making sure you’ve made it back to in-tune.

    I know this ain’t pure, but none of these additions would affect the sound of the instrument (which I love, I have one of the ones with the shitty mini keys,) they are simply additions that would surely have been on the original instrument had they been cheap or even in existence at the time. I have a couple of modules I like, it’d be great if I could bring an odyssey to a gig as my main instrument but also use it to control my prophet 6 module and/or a Microbrute. Seems like if someone wants an original Odyssey devoid of all modern conveniences, there are plenty out there for not so much more than they’ll probably charge for this one.

  3. This photo is taken at Musical Instrument Fair 2016 in Tokyo (5-7, Nov.). I hear that the detail of these products will be revealed at late November.

  4. Don’t need more keys. Just the desktop with CC for control and sysex for set/loading a patch. No need for patch memory. Please…. It can’t cost a million bucks and a laboratory full of scientists to make that happen. if Korg believes FS is what people want then adding this functionality will be welcomed as well.

    1. patch memmory is easy but the engineers are not thinking outside the box,and it already exists in some 3d printers and cnc machines for accurate tracking of the arms ,and is as simple as tape or circles with lines on at set distances like a ruler ,now just attach those to the knobs or sliders,job done……then a very cheap sensor counts the lines and knows where the slider/knob is……..quite why they have not done this is beyond me as it will not effect the analogue signal…
      i expect praise for educating you lot…..

          1. Because patch memory or MIDI means all the controls will need to be digitalized and that means altering original circuit then it will very much likely affect the sound. KARP’s VCOs are already more stable than the original (partly because parts used today is higher quality and also it was a request from D. Friend) and people call it “stale” “cold” etc. Digitized those things would contribute to that more. And if you want to MIDI control filter freq then it means filter will sound steppy because of 128 step limitation of MIDI…

            1. 7 bit MIDI has 128 step limitation, but 14 bit MIDI has 16,384 steps. The Moog Voyager, Minitaur and Sub37 uses 14 bit midi knob to be able to save and recall patches.

              1. It is easy to incorporate patches and midi upgrades into new synth designs.

                For the Arp Oddy, Korg wanted to keep the circuit and signal path as close to the original as possible, so any new bits stuck into the existing circuits were out of the question.

  5. Nice, wonder what the price would be for such full size beauty?

    My biggest wish would be better midi-implementation or least more than just “Note on/off” 🙂

  6. My biggest wish would be to have velocity and aftertouch. Possibly through CV outs/in as in the Minimoog reissue, so that the front facade would not be affected.

  7. This is an encouraging sign. But the main thing missing from both this and the Minimoog reissue is PATCH MEMORY!!! You can’t tell me a little LCD and some presets is going to detract from the authentic make-believe 70s experience. I remember the 70s synths. We would have LOVED to be able to store patches back then. Everyone was floored when the Memory Moog came out. Now 40 years later, we have to pretend presets never happened? Sorry, until I get presets and maybe some on board effects, no way I’m spending this kind of money on one of these things.

    1. I said the same thing on the Vermona DRM drum thingy and the Miami 808 clone. The analog taliban was very vocal against it.

  8. Hey, with this new Odyssey reissue and the new Minimoog D reissue, Ultravox can get back together and recreate their synth lead and bass sounds using these modern, reliable synths.

  9. An AH forum member who reached out to Korg directly, indicated that this was a hand-assembled one-off and that there are no plans currently to produce a full-sized Odyssey.

    1. GOOD NEWS! Because Korg is likely actually focusing their time on their new 8 voice analog poly that’s gonna blow people’s minds when it’s announced at NAMM 2017.

Leave a Reply to WPNX Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *