For fans of vintage synths painstakingly emulated in software, Arturia
are rockstars. They're best-known for their Moog emulations, but we've
been waiting for Arturia to bring another classic to software, the ARP
2600 synthesizer, since the software was first shown at AES. It's here:
the Arturia ARP2600 V. For those of you don't know what an ARP is, think
Herbie Hancock, Stevie Wonder, Depeche Mode, — listen to the sample
sounds. The 2600 was even the voice of R2D2. For those of you who just can't get enough, I bring you ARPday,
a list of links that could easily consume any productive time you'd
planned:
ARP Synthesizer:
Massively huge ARP Synthesizer page by Donald Tillman — even in-depth coverage of the ARP patents
(if you had a brilliant idea for a "Quasi-Logarithmic Multimeter for
Providing an Output which is a Linear Function of the Logarithmic of
the Input," you're too late!)
The Rise and Fall of ARP, history of company from Keyboard, 4/83)
ARP 2600 User Manual
Synth Museum on the ARP 2600
Vintage Synth Museum (look for ARP in left frame)
ARPtech with online schematics of modules
Mark Vail's Vintage Synthesizers Book, Backbeat Press
Arturia's Recreation:
Arturia product page
Download demo
Sound designers involved
Sample clips (audio — that's the ARP I love)
Discussion at KVR Audio
Compatibility: Windows / Mac (standalone, DXi, RTAS, HTDM, AU, VSTi)
Price/Availability: US$310, shipping December 22 (speaking of which, to my Keyboard colleague Francis Preve I say: Merry Christmas!)