Korg to release ARP Odyssey

BasariStudios · Post by **BasariStudios** » Sat Feb 22, 2014 12:19 am

Is that Jerry?

StephenKay · Post by **StephenKay** » Sat Feb 22, 2014 6:58 am

BasariStudios wrote:Is that Jerry?

Well, considering he's been using "jerrythek" for about 15 years, I would guess so.

Jerry:
So really, the original MiniMoogs didn't have a spring back to center position? That I didn't know, never having had one myself. (I bet they do now.)

Center detente, by the way, if I am not mistaken, refers to an actual "feeling" that the knob has returned to the center position. It "clicks into place". You know you have arrived there because the knob provides some physical feedback. The ARP knob had a "dead zone" in the center, where if you got it close to center it would be the same as center, but no center detente, so you never knew if you were there other than by your ears or your eyes. Minis were also like that? Or did Minis at least "click into place" when you got to the center?

Definitely not conducive to the guitar-like pitch-bending that is common now.

So who invented the concept of "spring back to center" for pitch-bend? I will kiss them.

StephenKay · Post by **StephenKay** » Sat Feb 22, 2014 7:13 am

Further on the "detent" thing, I see I am wrong spelling it "detente" which is a completely different thing. Oops. So there you have it, before someone rips into me.

Definition of detent:

detent |diˈtent|
noun
a catch in a machine that prevents motion until released.
• (in a clock) a catch that regulates striking.
ORIGIN late 17th cent. (denoting a catch in clocks and watches): from French détente, from Old French destente, from destendre ‘slacken,’ from des- (expressing reversal) + Latin tendere ‘to stretch.’

A "catch in a machine" - in other words, a notch where you feel the knob move into a slot, thereby (in the case of pitch knobs) indicating center position.

jerrythek · Post by **jerrythek** » Sat Feb 22, 2014 9:21 am

Yes, the Mini is not spring loaded. And it does have a physical detent, a slight feeling of slipping into (and out of) the center area.

Interestingly, there is no real dead space there, meaning the pitch is always varying slightly, so you can easily wiggle the wheel for vibrato.

Good question about the first spring-loaded pitch wheel: I've reached out to an expert on the history of synth who I'm sure will have the answer. I've Googled but I don't trust the answers I've found without some confirmation.

Stay tuned.

Hi Nedim - long time. Have you quit smoking yet?

Jerry

SanderXpander · Post by **SanderXpander** » Sat Feb 22, 2014 9:32 am

jerrythek wrote:
SanderXpander wrote:I have never used a knob like that, is it really that much harder than a wheel? The Mini's wheel didn't have center detent/return to zero either so I don't really see the benefit. I usually prefer a joystick anyway.
Yes, you wrote this wrong. It does have a center detent/safe dead area, but it does not spring back there.

Mini Model D #8866.

Jerry

Ah alright, sorry

I had to google it. I like to think my English is pretty good by now but little things still trip me up from time to time.

SanderXpander · Post by **SanderXpander** » Sat Feb 22, 2014 9:36 am

StephenKay wrote:
BasariStudios wrote:Is that Jerry?
Well, considering he's been using "jerrythek" for about 15 years, I would guess so.

Jerry:
So really, the original MiniMoogs didn't have a spring back to center position? That I didn't know, never having had one myself. (I bet they do now.)

Center detente, by the way, if I am not mistaken, refers to an actual "feeling" that the knob has returned to the center position. It "clicks into place". You know you have arrived there because the knob provides some physical feedback. The ARP knob had a "dead zone" in the center, where if you got it close to center it would be the same as center, but no center detente, so you never knew if you were there other than by your ears or your eyes. Minis were also like that? Or did Minis at least "click into place" when you got to the center?

Definitely not conducive to the guitar-like pitch-bending that is common now.

So who invented the concept of "spring back to center" for pitch-bend? I will kiss them.

Just to confirm, yes, the modern ones have it (Voyager, Little Phatty and I would assume Sub Phatty/37).

BasariStudios · Post by **BasariStudios** » Sat Feb 22, 2014 1:16 pm

jerrythek wrote:Hi Nedim - long time. Have you quit smoking yet? :-)Jerry

No, before i was smoking Analog, now i smoke Analog AND Digital too...

Stephen told me i should try Digital.

Joe Gerardi · Post by **Joe Gerardi** » Sat Feb 22, 2014 2:45 pm

StephenKay wrote:Even my beloved ARP 2600s (I have two, and they still work, kinda) had a horrible pitch-knob that had no center detente or return to zero. You just kind of swing it to right and the left and back to center and hope you get close.

Yeah, but you learned the trick of ending all your solos on a low note playing with your left hand so you could reach over with your pinkie and just barely reach the on/off switches underneath the knobs to switch them off, right?

..Joe

Huegel · Post by **Huegel** » Sat Feb 22, 2014 3:25 pm

To dispell all theories and bewilderment as to why Korg chose the Odyssey, is rather simple.

I asked them to. They did it.

I'm in my 20's and have an upcoming Electro Pop band based out of Boston. We use (mainly retro) Analog gear on our records and live because the analog circuitry isn't a static digital, signal. It's alive. Alive to a new generation of non-Baby-Boomers who chuckle lightly at the Baby Boomers who rather a Kronos over a piece of smooth and trippy circuitry that's alive with... electricity. Yum.

If you have to blame someone for the ARP Odyssey re-issue, I guess you should blame me. I am the reason.

I am unapologetic that Korg listens to me like a Hobbit listens to Gandalf.

Korg, thank you.

Some music for ROMpler/VA users to scoff at, using all Korg Analog Gear: http://soundcloud.com/lamuelectro/breakers-lamu-remix

P.S. over the years I've owned a few VA and ROMplers, they have their applications; but so does Analog (new and old)!

nitecrawler · Post by **nitecrawler** » Sat Feb 22, 2014 4:08 pm

jerrythek wrote:Kevin:

I am usually an optimist, but I can't bring myself to agree that the old knob for pitch bend will add anything positive to anyone's arsenal/technique. I always found it difficult and unnatural.

You are right that the older gear was all different and caused you to have to adapt. Each instrument had a different bend range, and you had to practice to get the feel for each interval on each instrument. That was when men were men I tell ya!!

I had no real problem with the Mini, but my Prophet 5 (rev. 2, serial 1047) had a horrible wheel. Too stiff, too deep of a center detent. It was hard to get out and back in smoothly.

Jerry

Older gear, so true. There was a club in the Denver area called Sam's on Lookout Mountain, near TV and Radio towers that turned my Mini-Moog into a useless piece of wandering and random tones and shrieks that would waken the dead without warning. One had to be quick on one's feet back then.

EXer · Post by **EXer** » Sat Feb 22, 2014 6:00 pm

on their website Korg wrote:a faithful recreation

Let's hope that by 'faithful recreation' they don't mean 'mini keys' and 'SMD components'.

synthjoe · Post by **synthjoe** » Sat Feb 22, 2014 9:34 pm

Out of pure curiosity: what's wrong with SMD?
I get your point about the mini keys (wholeheartedly agreed), but cannot see what's wrong with SMD?

SanderXpander · Post by **SanderXpander** » Sat Feb 22, 2014 10:18 pm

Harder to home-fix/circuit bend, I guess?

roblabs · Post by **roblabs** » Sat Feb 22, 2014 10:36 pm

Also I think they're mass produced and cheaply - they probably break easier.

mm-pro · Post by **mm-pro** » Sat Feb 22, 2014 10:56 pm

I have heard from a good source that it will be 3/4 scale.