Korg ARP Odyssey Audio Demo

This video, via RetroSound, is an exploration of the sound of the new Korg ARP Odyssey. 

Originally produced in 1972, the ARP Odyssey was updated with several improvements throughout its history. It was discontinued in 1981, due to economic hardships and the rise of cheap polyphonic digital keyboards.

The new Korg Odyssey has a compact body, ‘highly operable’ sliders, and a 37 note slim keyboard. In addition, a new ‘DRIVE’ switch, MIDI and a headphone output have been added.

The new Korg ARP Odyssey has street price of about US $1,000. See the Korg site for more info.

65 thoughts on “Korg ARP Odyssey Audio Demo”

    1. That last section of the second paragraph is an incomplete sentence. There should be no comma before the word due. That phrase at the end of the paragraph doesn’t make sense as is. The thought is not connected to the first part of the paragraph.

      1. I think you win the award for the most pedantic post i’ve ever read on Synthopia. Utterly pointless and self congratulatory. You know what the sentence meant, and nobody cares anyway.

        1. The letter I in your first sentence in the word I’ve should have been capitalized. In addition, the wording after your first period is a phrase, not a complete sentence. There should have been a comma before the word utterly, and that phrase should have been included in your first sentence.

          2. “I’ve” in your first sentence should have been placed between quotation marks because you are referencing a word from another writer. It currently reads as “…the word I’ve should have been capitalized”, which is obviously really shabby, but you know that.

            Samuel Becket might have a thing or two to say about the importance of correct punctuation VS creativity.

            1. Grammar Nazi!

              Actually, that’s not necessarily correct. If the intent is to quote a source, then yes. If the intent (as in this case) is to use the word as an example and not as a source quote, then no quotes are needed.

              1. Not “necessarily” correct? Thats sounds a little vague. Therefore it’s not “necessarily” wrong either. Therefore you’re not necessarily correct in saying I’m not necessarily correct. Correct?

            2. Or James Joyce. Or even Shakespeare. This whole part of the thread is reminding me of that scene from Up The Down Staircase in which the English teacher corrects the grammar in a girl’s love letter to him, after which the girl jumps from the school roof. I object to this pseudo-comical association of “NAZI” with anything one considers to be a minor affront, such as improper grammar or denial of access to soup. Proper grammar is not on the same level as the murder of millions of people, and the passage of decades should not be an excuse to water down historical atrocities with weak humor.

          3. Have you ever considered that many people who comment on this blog are using mobile devices which are useful for expressing quick thoughts but prone to typing errors? I’m glad you were able to make yourself feel like a man through your critique of the author and respondents as your troll like existence must be pathetic and lonely in the real world.

            1. Some of you need to “lighten up.” Oh wait… No… That’s not right. Is it?

              As for the new Korg Odyssey, I’ll wait for another demo. My guess is that this one doesn’t do it justice.

              1. I think you are missing the point here. The internet is full of articles and comments as quick thoughts, these are vital quick exchanges fumbled into mobile devices – so that these exchanges work, and remain apart of our life. So when someone comes along, and misses the hub of the discussion, to then focus on a misplaced comma it is deeply harmful to that exchange, and undermines the discussion. But worse than this it is intimidation, it forces to exclude free comment, so people hold a fear to comment at the risk of being bullied for grammar, hence the phrase, “Gramma Nazi”.

  4. My only concern has been the slim keyboard. I’m accustomed, obviously, to full size keys, and I wonder how much of an effect the size has on personal performance.

      2. Keys at MIDI IN would occupy input needed for the sequencer, unless keyboard is plugged into computer, then routed into DAW and to MIDI OUT of interface. Maybe there is another workaround using a USB connector? I believe in the end it would be more convenient to just play those damn eightysixpercent-keys.

        Especially if your current midi-keyboard is AKAI LPK25.

      1. What’s with the thumbs down? It’s true. It’s sad that Steve Strange passed away from a heart attack at only 55. He was at the forefront of the New Romantic movement of the early 80s. I’m a huge Ultravox fan, and I liked Visage too when Midge Ure and Billy Currie were in the band (the first two Visage albums). The Anvil (the second Visage album)is a great synth album from beginning to end.

        1. You got 2 thumbs down because at least 2 dickheads read your post. Nothing personal, this site tends to attract at least one gob shite per article, although ‘John’ above seems to have set a new benchmark.

        2. I wasn’t one of the people that thumb-downed, and maybe I’m just giving them the benefit of the doubt, but maybe they meant “boo, that sucks that he died”, not “that’s a crappy comment”.

        3. Thumbs down for being a general schmuck. Still confused? Lose yourself in dissecting this comment; I’m sure you’ll feel better soon. Consider this the balance to the thumb up your bum.

    3. I can see how it could be argued that it’d be EASIER to play with bigger keys but I really don’t think that the synth would actually SOUND better…

      1. That is totally misleading. The full-size Odyssey’s keys are further from the camera, giving the illusion that the new one is only the size of two keys different. In reality there are five keys different (86% of 37 is ~32). I for one would’ve preferred 32 full-width keys in that space.

    5. Who determined the width of piano keys to begin with centuries ago? If the keys are wide enough to accommodate your fingertips, narrower keys means your hand can span more keys providing you with greater tonal range. If you have hands like Andre the Giant, you’d be out of luck even with a normal keyboard, or a guitar or clarinet for that matter. I’m going to type type in all caps not because I am shouting but because I just want to make sure people see it: IT’S A POOR CRAFTSMAN WHO BLAMES HIS TOOLS.

      1. i think grid the point is not that keyboard players are unable to play smaller keys because the keys are not wide enough to accommodate their fingertips. The point is that real musicians can play a keyboard blindfolded, or indeed on-stage in the dark fluently, because their “finger memory” is used to the world-wide standard size of keyboard keys. How do you think that Stevie Wonder can reach across and just land on a low F confidently and accurately…he knows the exact length and position of every key in his mind, just from experience. The point is that a smaller keyboard completely messes up a keyboard musicians finger playing. it is harder to solo, not because of the key size so much as because it is simply DIFFERENT to what they are used to all their lives. They can no longer dislocate their muscle memory from their musical brain. They have to constantly think about hitting the right keys, and it slows the music from “flowing” effortlessly out of the fingers. So it naturally makes them groan.

        i hope you understand now the problem and the reason for so many people complaining about the smaller size.

        people who do not understand this problem, usually are the ones that play a keyboard just with one index finger and a smile. this sounds like it might be you

        1. Stevie Wonder? And you think he is not able to adapt? Good musicians can play beautiful on cheaper instruments. Not so good musicians might think they need better keys.

          1. Actually, I heard that Stevie Wonder complained about the mini keys while demoing it at NAMM. For $1000, you’d think they would put normal sized keys.

    1. Neither will I. $1000 is too steep, especially for minikeys. However, the full size Odyssey with memory should be available from Behringer not too far in the future. For under $500. That I will buy. Behringer’s build quality has gone up dramatically in the past year so it can easily compete with Korg’s build quality.

  10. That guy from Korg who does the demos is rubbish. He can play keys, but knows nothing about sound design or synthesis. His demos for the MS20 mini were also rubbish.

  11. Maybe it is just me, but that sounds a little Korgy for a ARP – everything seems to have a buzz (beating) on it like a MS-20 sound that I can’t get into. I do like the sound of the ARP but something about this one that doesn’t sound so great, not bad, but not particularly good – it leaves a taste that says Korg rather than ARP.

  14. I’m not sure how helpful it is as a demo, it’s obviously going through some effects, (the reverb is noticeable), possible a bit of chorus as well? So not being able to hear the unprocessed sound of the synth tells us bugger all.

    1. If the MS20M module is anything to go by, once Korg get an MS20M mini out of the way, an Odyssey module is probably very likely. Korg like to reuse their technology, so why limit it to one product?

      On that note, I wonder will the Korg 770 filer used in the Volca Keys resurface in a 770 reissue, or better still, a brand new synth?

  21. it cannot compete with the real odydy, sorry dudes, for 1000$ you might get a nice toy
    with small plastic keys
    but the mids on this demo make my ears bleeding and the true oddy is all about low mids

    1. The small plastic keys don’t affect the sound. Nor does the size of the synth or anything else to do with it’s scale and appearance.

      Two different amazona.de reviews have compared it directly to an original. Both reviews said it sounds like a proper Arp Odyssey. They also said two original Arp Odysseys side by side dont sound identical, so this one sounded as close or as different as two originals.

      Not sure why people feel the need to give out about these. No one is forcing you to buy it. If you want to spend $2500 on an original, go for it, nothing wrong with that. But lots of great music will be made on these in future, and you’ll never know the difference.

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