Modern Arp Odyssey equivalent?

[hemmick reef]

I really like the Arp Odyssey but cant' afford the second hand price tag. I've tried the Oddity emulation but... not so sure - anybody else compared it to the real thing?

Is there a modern synth that can get near the sound of the Odyssey?
Thanks.

[calyx93]

Apart from various modules assembled from modern manufacturers or VST/software synths that share or offer the same parameters, the only one I'm aware of that was expressly meant to be an Odyssey clone would be the now discontinued Creamware Prodyssey ASB.

IIRC - there were a few issues with it that kept it from being 100% compatible - ring mod, I think - can't remember the other - but they might have been ironed out with bug fixes.

[meatballfulton]

I used to own an Odyssey and while Oddity has the right features, it doesn't really sound the same to me (based on old tapes of my Oddy and my typically unreliable memory for sound).

The harder parts to reproduce with modern analogs are the sample and hold (which is a lot more then just an LFO spitting out random steps) and the EG repeats. It could be done with a modular fitted with the right modules.

[hemmick reef]

Thanks for the replies. I persevered with oddity this evening. I still find it a bit tricky to use but I put up some youtube videos of the Odyssey and tried to match sounds. At first I could not get that nice harsh ringing sound that the hardware produces but after a couple of hours fiddling around with the parameters I got closer and closer until I was quite surprised with the results. I think software has to be worked a bit harder!

[Solderman]

I seem to recall Oddity's biggest problem was aisling in the upper register, typical of earlier VA.

[shaft9000]

you can buy the filter in various formats and maybe get a little bit of the sound, but all in all i don't think any synth made since really comes very close to the sound of those 70s ARPs.
i'm not exaggerating when I say that the digital emulations still have a very long way to go yet, to come anywhere near the experience of playing and recording with one.
they're very pointed little beasts with their own array of quirks, all rattling and roaring through those old VCAs and filters that somehow sound more present and alive than most anything else i've ever played. there's very little tonal overlap with other analogs even, for that matter; which is why they are as prized today as ever.
i'd lose all my eurorack and the voyager before i let go of my ARPs.

[Alex E]

In this case, the oddy might be worth saving up for.

Right now it's one of the best kept secrets in classic analog synthesis. It's expensive, but not too overhyped or overpriced for what it really is. Arp made quite a lot of these, and I think the supply pretty much meets the demand for them right now.

[mharris80]

In this case, the oddy might be worth saving up for.

Right now it's one of the best kept secrets in classic analog synthesis. It's expensive, but not too overhyped or overpriced for what it really is. Arp made quite a lot of these, and I think the supply pretty much meets the demand for them right now.

+1 as Alex said, they ain't cheap, but at least they're not at as much of a premium as say, a Pro5 or a Minimoog. You can still sometimes get an Oddy for under $2k. Not so with the others.

[Sir Ruff]

In this case, the oddy might be worth saving up for.

Right now it's one of the best kept secrets in classic analog synthesis. It's expensive, but not too overhyped or overpriced for what it really is. Arp made quite a lot of these, and I think the supply pretty much meets the demand for them right now.

+1 as Alex said, they ain't cheap, but at least they're not at as much of a premium as say, a Pro5 or a Minimoog. You can still sometimes get an Oddy for under $2k. Not so with the others.

Not sure those are really worth comparing since they are so different? anyways, you can still easily get an Oddy for <$2k, but I presume the OP knew that and that is still out of his range.

In that case, I would consider something like the studio electronics stuff (ATC?), particularly as you can swap out filters. Won't sound identical, but will be close, and far more reliable. Other vintage options are the Octave Cat (pretty similar features) or even a pro-1... again, won't sound identical, but certainly has a vintage sound. Those two are also very reliable and usually not as expensive.

[edfunction]

regarding the atc. has anyone done a comparison of the arp filter? it would be interesting to hear how close it is...
there's also the stg post lawsuit filter that might get you close, again i don't know how close.

[hemmick reef]

Thanks for the replies.
How about the modular route?

[Stab Frenzy]

Thanks for the replies.
How about the modular route?

http://www.analoguehaven.com/stgsoundla ... assfilter/

[hemmick reef]

Thanks for the replies.
How about the modular route?

http://www.analoguehaven.com/stgsoundla ... assfilter/

Thanks

[georgemarauder]

I just replaced my Arp Odyssey with an Oberheim OB-12 and I'm having good results. The OB-12 has 2 oscillators, ring mod, sample and hold, and can generally do everything an Odyssey can and then some. I've made similar sounding patches on the OB-12 that sounds like they could have come from an Odyssey. The only difference really is the ring mod on the Odyssey is a bit more grungy and lo-fi sounding than the ring mod on the OB, however, the OB's sounds nice too. In short, I don't miss the Odyssey at all. I know there are other synths that can compare to the Ody, but not many have the same hands-on capability of the OB-12. All the parameters are at your fingertips, just like on the Odyssey. And it stays in tune which is a great thing. All in all, I'm happy with the trade-off.

[shaft9000]

^^^that's gotta be the strangest VA substitute I've ever heard of^^^^
an OB-12 sounds like an Oddy? To me it sounds like a gritty digital synth with not enough power in the DSP to sound even remotely like a classic VCO analog, but hey - whatever works for ye!