Korg Full-Size ARP Odyssey Synthesizer At The 2017 NAMM Show

At the 2017 NAMM Show, we talked with Korg Chief Engineer Tatsuya Takahashi about the new full-size Odyssey.

The full-sized Korg ARP Odyssey FS will feature a standard keyboard, a completely analog signal path and will be available in all three historic variants (white, black/gold and black/orange) – each with all three classic filters included:

13 thoughts on “Korg Full-Size ARP Odyssey Synthesizer At The 2017 NAMM Show

  1. “Made in America” …what kind of marketing is this? Doesn’t it have the same mediocre quality of switches and faders compared to the mini version?

  2. Love it. I used to have an old Arp Odyssey white face, and have been waiting for this model. It’s hard to find a replacement for everything it does without additional add-ons.

  3. What? Korg listened to market feedback? That’s crazy talk.

    Are you listening Roland? We don’t want micro sized “boutique” VA gear that requires a magnifying glass to use?

  4. Pretty fantastic deal since it’s identical to the original, with MIDI added, and originals (which were also Made in USA) run $3000 on ebay and often have fairly limited lifespans.

  5. Everyone keeps comparing with the originals. For me, out of all the reissues, only the Minimoog seems to compete in character with its geriatric forbearer. I don’t mean a quick listen to YouTube videos on a Macbook. I mean a relatively careful listen to the actual machines in a good listening environment.

    And this will only make a difference if you’re someone where the last 25% of the sound matters to you (there are plenty of people who are happy with the first 75% being “close enough” – I am one of those people sometimes, but usually with effects, not synths).

    I can’t lie that I like the oldies more with the exception of the Moog. Just one opinion but one that makes me less eager to buy the new stuff, cheap(er) as it is. I know everyone will claim apples to oranges comparison, since the old ones are all failing in different ways, but I guess I’m saying I prefer those older variants – even with all their different ages and conditions – 100% of the time. What is it? I think it’s real.

    I am invested in liking the new ones…they’re cheap…but they seem to lack something. Sometimes it takes a long time to identify, as well – I loved using a BS2 and then I slowly realized it never sounded as “good” (deep, rich, alive) as my old stuff.

  6. Korg’s website says this new FS is “aged”. Any word on how authentically they gummed up the sliders?

    But seriously… now that they’ve recreated these parts I hope they sell them separately. I’d buy some replacement sliders for my old ARP.

  7. These things really are huge, I have no problem with a mini version, actually an upright version like the 2600 would be the most practical. It’s great that theyremanufacturing in America, the more these analogue skills spread, the more analogue we will see!

    Great respect for Tatsuya, but I wish korg would let him go Wild, a bit like how at car shows they made wild dream prototype cars, it’d be a dream to see what Tats came up with in music engineering!

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