Analog Synth Gallery

Arpeggiator:

Many synths can only play one note at a time (they are monophonic). With the arpeggiator on, if more than one note is pressed at a time, the synth will alternate between the notes. They also often have a range control that allows the user to tell the ynth to play additional octaves - so if the range is set to two octaves the synth will play the keys that are held down in the octave that they are played and then in the next octave up/down....

Unveiled in 1970 under the name, Tonus, Inc., this was ARP's first synthesizer. Modular in design, it uses [color-coded] sliders for patching, doing away with other modulars' messy cords. However, the sliders introduced problems with cross-talk. [Where patch cords are necessary, and they are for some things, the 2600 uses mini-jacks, not 1/4-inch] It was available in custom configurations. Along with Philip Dodds [ARP vice-president of engineering], the 2500 made a cameo appearance in Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977,1980), where it helped man communicate with the visitors from outer space through music and mathematics.

Synth Glossary