ARP 2500
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (December 2015) |
| 2500 | |
|---|---|
 ARP 2500 | |
| Manufacturer | ARP Instruments, Inc. |
| Dates | 1970–1981 |
| Price | US$7180 - US$19920 |
| Technical specifications | |
| Polyphony | Duophonic |
| Timbrality | Monotimbral |
| Oscillator |
|
| Synthesis type | Analog Subtractive |
| Storage memory | none |
| Effects | none |
| Input/output | |
| Keyboard |
|
The ARP 2500 is a monophonic analog modular synthesizer. It was the first product of ARP Instruments, Inc., built from 1970 to 1981.
Features
[edit]
ARP advertised the 2500 as having two major advantages over other synths - stable oscillators with “no audible drift” and matrix switches instead of patch cords which obscure the modules. The oscillators combined Alan Pearlman’s patented exponential converters with a dual core design so they stayed in tune much better than their competitors. The sliding matrix switches were placed above and below the modules and were the main method of connection between modules and to the keyboards. There are rows of 1/8" miniphone jacks at the end of each row of matrix switches,[1] to interconnect rows of switches. Other major new features introduced in the 2500 were duophonic keyboards and state-variable filter/resonators. The main 2500 cabinet can hold 15 modules, and optional wing cabinets can each hold 8. The matrix switch interconnection scheme allow any module's output to connect to any other module's input. Unlike the patch cords of competitive units from Moog and Buchla, which can obscure control knobs and associated markings, the matrix implementation enables a cable-free experience but at the price of greater cross-talk.[2]
Although the 2500 proved to be a reliable and user-friendly machine, it was not commercially successful, selling approximately 100 units.[3] ARP initially produced 14 module types with many more planned to follow, but only a few new modules made it into production, while a few others reached the prototype stage.
Modules:
- 1001 Blank module
- 1002 Power control
- 1003 Dual envelope generator
- 1003a Dual envelope generator
- 1004 VCO
- 1004p VCO with mix pots
- 1004r VCO with mix rocker switches
- 1004t VCO with mix toggle switches
- 1005 Modamp (Modulator/VCA)
- 1006 Filtamp (Moog filter plus VCA)
- 1016 Dual noise / random voltage source
- 1023 Dual VCO
- 1026 Preset voltages
- 1027 10 stage Sequencer
- 1033 Dual delayed envelope generator
- 1036 Dual Sample & Hold
- 1045 Voltage controlled voice (1004, 1006 & 1003 in one module)
- 1046 Quad envelope generator (1003a & 1033 in one module)
- 1047 Multimode filter / resonator
- 1050 Mix/Sequencer
The 1012 Convenience module, 1035 Triple modulator and 1040 Noiselator existed as prototypes or mock-ups.
A collection of the 2500's most popular modules was redesigned into a single, semi-modular unit as the ARP 2600, leaving out the matrix switching and adding some new functions.
Notable users and appearances
[edit]John Kongos first used one at Trident Studios in 1971, then in 1973 he acquired his own - it was used extensively at his Tapestry Studio, on his own recordings as well as Def Leppard (Pyromania), Mutt Lange, Alain Chamfort, Tony Visconti, Ryan Ulyate and many others.
In 1972 Pete Townshend of the Who used an ARP 2500 on the Who's Quadrophenia.[4] Townshend built his own home studio to experiment and record, due to the enormous amount of time he spent creating his groundbreaking synthesizer orchestrations on both Quadrophenia, and the movie version of Tommy.
The ARP 2500 was extensively used by British producer David Hentschel on recordings such as "Funeral for a Friend" from Elton John's 1973 album Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. Jeff Wayne's 1978 multi-platinum selling album War of the Worlds features the ARP 2500, including the sound of Martian speech.
In the 1977 motion picture Close Encounters of the Third Kind,[5] a 2500 unit is used to communicate with aliens. Phil Dodds, ARP's Vice President of Engineering, was on set to install and manage the synthesizer; Steven Spielberg, liking his looks, cast him on the spot as an extra to play the 2500. The unit featured in the film consisted of a fully loaded main unit, two fully loaded wing cabinets and dual keyboards in a custom case. It was damaged by the artificial smoke/fog used on the film set.
It has been used by artists such as Aphex Twin, David Bowie, Vince Clarke, Ekseption, Faust, John Frusciante, Jean Michel Jarre, Cevin Key,[6] Kraftwerk, Jimmy Page, Vangelis and the Who. The composer Éliane Radigue has worked almost exclusively with the 2500.
While ARP no longer exist, a number of companies make modules based on the 2500. CMS make modules to fit 2500 cabinets if you are lucky enough to own one, Mos-Lab make a clone, while CMS, Behringer and AMSynths make Eurorack modules based on ARP2500 modules.
References
[edit]- ^ "ARP 2500 image at Sequencer.de".
- ^ Jenkins, Mark (2007). Analog Synthesizers: Understanding, Performing, Buying- from the legacy of Moog to software synthesis. Focal Press. p. 60. ISBN 978-0-240-52072-8.
- ^ "A Tribute to the ARP 2500, the Close Encounters Synth". 22 August 2017.
- ^ "Interview with Ron Nevison by Richie Unterberger" (Interview). Archived from the original on 4 December 2014. Retrieved 26 January 2015.
- ^ "ARP 2500". Sound On Sound. August 1996. Archived from the original on 6 February 2015.
- ^ Reed, Aleander. "The Conscious Subconscious (1997)". Interface. Litany. Retrieved 31 January 2019.
