KORG Officially Introduces the New ARP ODYSSEY and New KRONOS - Details and Live Video From NAMM

Scheduled for Jan 21, 2015 Korg

And the details are in. You'll find the list of full Odyssey specs further below. I wanted to lump the Kronos and Odyssey together with Korg's live video announcement feed from NAMM, as that is how they are/were released to the world. It's interesting that the press release for the Odyssey does not mention or include pics of the white and black & gold Odysseys. You can see pics of them side by side at NAMM here, and the black and gold prototype was pictured here. New pics will follow when they go live.  Until then, enjoy the show! Update: new front view of Odyssey and two new Kronos pics added below.  That's it for the initial press pics.  You can see the white and black & gold Odysseys on stage.

"ARP ODYSSEY; Forty Years Later, A Complete Revival

Long stopped, the wheels of history have again begun to move

Anaheim, CA– January 21, 2015- - In conjunction with Arp Instruments Inc., Korg Inc. has revived the legendary analog synthesizer, the ARP ODYSSEY. Originally produced in 1972, the ODYSSEY quickly garnered a faithful following among musicians. Well respected for its high value, ease to play and portability, the ARP ODYSSEY had undergone several improvements during its history and continued to be a long-seller until manufacturing stopped in 1981 due to economic hardships and the digital surge. Loved by a wide range of musicians as a historical classic, its sound can be heard on numerous classic songs.

Now in 2015, Korg has brought back the ARP ODYSSEY for today while preserving the basic design of the original. The new ODYSSEY has a compact body, highly operable sliders, and a 37 note slim keyboard that's easy to play. In addition, a DRIVE switch (new function) is provided and connectors include MIDI and headphone output as well as Patch cables.

'Together the engineers at Korg and Arp were able to nail the sound and feel of the original. Under the advisory assistance of David Friend, the co-founder of ARP Instruments, every detail was adjusted to replicate the original unit's distinctive synthesis,' shared James Sajeva, Brand Manager for Korg products. 'Every aspect has been carefully considered to stay true to the quality of the original, down to the sophisticated semi-hard case.'

Korg has completely reproduced the original circuitry for artists looking to recreate classic sounds and explore new ones. The ARP ODYSSEY has been downsized to 86% of the original. Carefully selected parts are used in the familiar slider section, providing an operating feel that's even smoother than the original."

"KORG Debuts Most Powerful Synthesizer with the New Kronos

Expanded Piano Engine, Improved Touch Panel Navigation, Improved Set List Mode, Search by Song Title Functionality, Redesigned Exterior

Anaheim, CA– January 22, 2015- - KORG USA debuted the new KRONOS, the most powerful version of its flagship synthesizer to date during Winter NAMM. For the first time enthusiast will be able to hear and see the new Kronos in action with live performances and in depth demonstrations by product experts and engineers.

'The new Kronos features the unrivaled 9-engine structure from previous versions, with numerous improvements to both sound capability and overall functionality. Truly, the most powerful synthesizer on the planet just got more powerful,' said James Sajeva, Brand Manager for Korg products.

'Our SGX piano engine, already revered for its German and Japanese grands, now also includes a 9GB Berlin grand with dedicated una corda (soft pedal) samples, plus sympathetic string resonance that works on all the SGX pianos” he continued. “It’s truly an amazing piano experience. There are new banks of sounds based on famous song titles for our cover players and those looking for ‘that’ sound for their recordings, plus a ‘best of’ bank from KaPro, who has created numerous libraries for the Kronos line.'

Other new features include system-wide Touch/Drag via the Kronos’ huge color TouchView™ screen; allowing the user to edit onscreen parameters faster and more naturally than ever.

An evolved Set List mode provides the capability to resize their custom text per set list entry, and enter text via either an onscreen QWERTY or external USB ASCII keyboard. Entries can also be color-coded for better organization and visibility, and users can even decide how many set list entries appear on the screen at time, allowing for more (and larger) onscreen text to remind you of lyrics, changes, or other notes.

An improved search function helps users to find the perfect sound faster than ever. Other improvements include onscreen metering in Combination and Sequencer modes, along with the ability to edit Programs within a Combination to hear the edits in context with other parts.

The improvements don’t end with the software, either; the new Kronos also boasts a new look, including natural wood side panels, easier-to-read silkscreened text, a sophisticated – and functional – vented back panel, and gold-plated audio I/O jacks."

-------

ARP Odyssey Specifications

Keyboard:

37-note (Slimkey, No velocity sensitivity, No aftertouch)

Maximum Polyphony:

2 voices for duophonic; normally monophonic

Controllers:

Transpose Positions: 2 octaves down, normal, 2 octave up

Proportional Pitch Control:

b (Pitch down) Pad: about -2 / 3 octave - (Modulation) Pad

# (Pitch-up) Pad: about +2 / 3 octave

Noise Generator:

Noise Spectrum Types (white and pink)

Portamento:

Maximum Speed: about 0.01 msec./oct

Minimum Speed: about 1.5 sec./oct

VCO (Voltage Controlled Oscillator):

Waveforms: Sawtooth, Square, Pluse (Dynamic Pluse)

Frequency Range: VCO-1 in low freq. mode, 0.2 Hz – 20 Hz: VCO-1 and VCO-2 (audio range) about 20 Hz – 20 kHz

Warm Up Drift: 1/30 semitone from turn on max

Pulse Width: 50 % – 5 %

Pulse Width Modulation: ADSR, +45 %; LFO, +15 %

Voltage Controlled Response: 1 V/oct

Maximum Frequency Shifts: LFO sin wave, +1/2 oct.; LFO square wave, +1.5 oct.; ADSR, +9 oct.; S/H, +2 oct.

* VCO-1 is low note priority, VCO-2 is high note priority.

VCF (Voltage Controlled Filter):

Types: Low pass (I: 12 dB/oct., II III: 24 dB/oct.)

Frequency Range: 16 Hz - 16 kHz

Maximum Usable Q: 30

Resonance: 1/2 - self oscillate

Voltage Controlled Response: C3 key (left edge): 0 V, C6 key (right edge) 3 V

VCA (Voltage Controlled Amplifier):

Dynamic Range: 80 dB

Ring Modulator:

Type: Digital

Input Signal: VCO-1, VCO-2 (square wave)

Sample & Hold:

Command Sources: Keyboard or LFO trigger

Sampled Signals: VCO-1 sawtooth wave and square wave, VCO-2 square wave and pink noise

ADSR Envelope Generator:

Attack Time: 5 msec. - 5 sec.

Decay Time: 10 msec. - 8 sec.

Sustain Level: 0 - 100 % or Peak

Release Time: 15 msec. - 10 sec.

AR Envelope Generator:

Attack Time: 5 msec. - 5 sec.

Release Time: 10 msec. - 8 sec.

Control Input Jacks:

Pedal: φ6.3 mm monaural phone jack

Portamento Foot Switch: φ6.3 mm monaural phone jack

Audio Output Jacks:

LOW:

Connector: φ6.3 mm monaural phone jack

Maximum Output Level: -20 dBu@ 10 kΩ load

Output Impedance: 10 kΩ

HIGH:

Connector: XLR connector

Maximum Output Level: +4 dBu@ 1 kΩ load

Output Impedance: 330 Ω

Headphones Jack:

Connector: φ6.3 mm stereo phone jack

Maximum Output Level: 50 mW + 50 mW@ 33 Ω load

Output Impedance: 10 Ω

* Controllable by volume knob.

External Audio Input (Ext Audio Input) Jack:

Connector: φ6.3 mm monaural phone jack

Maximum Input Level: -10 dBu

Input Impedance: 22 kΩ

MIDI Connector:

IN

USB Connector:

Type B

CV IN/OUT Jacks:

Keyboard CV (IN/OUT): 1 V/oct.

Connector: φ3.5 mm monaural phone jack

GATE IN/OUT Jacks:

GATE IN: +3 V (minimum)

GATE OUT: +10 V, key down; 0 V all keys up

Connector: φ3.5 mm monaural phone jack

TRIG IN/OUT Jacks:

TRIG IN: +3 V pulse min., 10 μsec. Duration minimum

TRIG OUT: +10 V pulse on key depression, 10 μsec. Duration

Connector: φ3.5 mm monaural phone jack

Power Supply:
AC adapter jack (DC 9 V)

Power Consumption:
6.5 W

Dimensions (W x D x H):
502 x 380 x 120 mm / 19.76" x 14.96" x 4.72"

Weight:
5 kg / 11.02 lbs

Accessories:
AC adapter, phone cable, mini-phone cable, owner’s manual, dedicated semi-hard case

Options:
VP-10 Volume Pedal, PS-1/PS-3 Pedal Switch"