Vintages ARP SOFTWARE & ACCESORIES LIST

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via this auction

"ARP SYNTHESIZER ACCESORIES LIST. Condition is Used. This is a list of the accessories you could buy from ARP SYNTHESIZERS back in the 70s. It is in excellant condition.

I don't believe I've seen this one before. Crazy to see the low prices on some of these including the ARP 2500 Owner's Manual for $6.00, Learning Music With Synthesizers for $7.50, and Lessons in Electronic Music for $8.95. Also if the manuals were available for order, that means they were not limited to the number of synths sold. Some cool ARP swag below as well.

Typed it out for the archives:

ODYSSEY

Learning Music With Synthesizers
(Textbook 213 Pages)
OD-01......................$7.50

Odyssey Patch Book
(75 Great Sounds)
OD-03......................$9.95

Odyssey Owner's Manual
OD-04......................$3.50

Odyssey Facsimile Pad (25 Sheets)
OD-05......................$1.00


OMNI-2

Omni-2 Owner's Manual
OM-01......................$3.50

Omni-2 Facsimile Pad (25 Sheets)
OM-02......................$1.00

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ARP AVATAR Guitar Synthesizer Demos

Published on Nov 23, 2016 Amazing Synth

Created a playlist for these moving forward. The 2nd video was previously posted here.

"This unit was produced in 1977 or 1978 and its signal path must be very similar to that of ARP Odyssey Mk III. According to the Service Manual they share several of the same PCBs.

I believe we can assume that AVATAR is a combination of early digital guitar module and analog synthesizer (Odyssey).

It can be controlled by CV/Gate, I have a Kenton Pro-2 for that. And it's rather volatlle."

Playlist:
ARP AVATAR analog synthesizer - arpeggio tweaking - Resonance
ARP AVATAR analogue synthesizer - Filter Sweep
ARP AVATAR guitar synthesizer - FM Sweep
ARP AVATAR synthesizer - Low Sweep
ARP AVATAR - Some Basses - Chameleon Line

ARP Avatar

via this auction
"The Arp Avatar is a synthesizer that lets the guitar player achieve a range of timbres and textures never before attainable on the electric guitar. The Avatar produces string, brass, reed and percussive instrument sounds, wind, rain, explosions, and other startling sound effects; stagerattling bass and super-synthesizer lead solos; plus dramatic combinations ofstraight or processed guitar with synthesizer. The sounds generated by the Avatar are controlled directly from your guitar and are responsive to a variety of playing techniques. At the heart of this process is the digital pitch extractor. The pitch extractor follows every nuance of the guitar signal, including finger bends, finger vibrato, hammer- downs and glissando. The pitch extraaor receives its signals from a specially-designed pickup which can be mounted on most solid-body electric guitars between the treble pickup and the bridge. This hexaphonic pickup transmits a completely separate signal for each string. The pickup connects to the main synthesizer console through a miniature connector. Each string is connected to its own low-noise preamplifier with adjustable gain so that each string can be perfectly balanced with the others. Each string also has its own fuzz circuit which permits clean fuzz. You can play a full chord without any string crossover, talk-back or distortion. The Avatar is also touch responsive. An envelope follower translates the strengh of the guitar signal into a control voltage that can be used to control dynamics. Adjustable trigger sensitivity allows the musician to set a minimum picking force necessary to trigger the synthesizer. When you play softly on the guitar, j ust the straight guitar sounds are produced. When the strings are picked harder, the synthesizer is activated and follows the pitch being played. LED status lights give you a visual representation of the trigger sensitivity. The control panel of the Avatar is human engineered in the Arp tradition. A logically arranged system of sliders and switches gives you quick access to every control function. Several other features add to the Avatar's performance flexibility. Mono performance and split-stereo studio outputs are available on the rear panel. In stereo, the E, A and D strings can be sent through one channel, while the G, B and E strings are sent through a second channel.

Systems interface jacks on the rear panel permit expansion of the Avatar with other Arp synthesizers. The Avatar also accepts a filter pedal, sustain switch and portamento switch, which allow foot control of various effects in live performance, including infinite sustain. Controls 1. VCO 1: Creates raw pitch. Sawtooth (brassy), square (hollow) and pulse (reedy) available. Pitch control sliders create variable vibrato and trill depth or sample/hold and envelope control. Pulse width controls create nasal, chorus or saxophone sounds. 2. VCO 2: Similar to VCO 1. Input for pedal-controlled preset intervals. Phase-sync switch slaves VCO 2 to VCO 1 for dramatic emphasis of harmonic series. Touch sensitive via envelope follower control. 3. LFO: Creates vibrato, trill, tremolo and repeat. Controls VCOs and VCF. Variable rate. 4. VCF: Adds, subtracts or emphasizes harmonics. Controllers include: pedal- controlled wah-wah; ADSR; sample/hold; LFO for tremolo; and envelope follower for touch responsive wah-wah. 5. HPF: Removes all low harmonics from sound to create thin textures. 6. ADSR, AR: Envelope generators that control articulation from percussive to lethargic. 7. S/H: Controls either VCOs or VCF for random patterns or rhythms. 8. Ring Modulator: Creates gongs, chimes or special ethereal effects. 9. Noise Generator: Used to create sounds of wind, surf, steam, bombs, trains, etc. 10. Guitar to VCF Switch: Processes guitar audio through VCF for polyphonic effects. 11. Portamento: Creates automatic glissando or- sliding sound between any Interval. Variable speed. 12. String Select Controls: Designates strings to "trigger" synthesizer; f.g., select low E only to control synthesizer snd play chords on remaining strings. 13. Trigger Sensitivity: Adjusts to each guitarist's playing style. 14. Hex Fuzz/Preamp Select Switch: Allows guitarist to choose clean sound with extended high frequency range or polyphonic "clean" fuzz."

Arp Avatar Synthesizer (Arp Odyssey without a keyboard)

via this auction

"very rare Arp Avatar synthesizer. There were only a few hundred of them made. This was made to use with guitar but works really well as a CV controlled synth. It's basically an Arp Odyssey without the keyboard... It was recently serviced by Arp repair guru Phil Cirocco and mechanically is working as it should. Servicing cost me about $1000 so I will start bidding there. See the .jpg of my invoice for the servicing for a complete list of fixes and modifications or go here for a more complete explanation of the upgrades and repair Phil does on Avatars

Also included is the Arp hexaphonic pickup that would be installed on your guitar. I do not have the cable that goes from the guitar to the Avatar however. I will include the Arp Avatar service manual and you should be able to make the cable yourself."

Bach on the ARP Avatar Lumina

YouTube Published on Jul 2, 2012 by DJjondent

"J.S. Bach_ Well Tempered Clavier_ Prelude & Fugue No.2 C Minor BWV 847
Played on a pimped out ARP Avatar. Bach is probably rolling in his grave.

Just mucking around with the filter and LFO settings for now."

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ARP Avatar - 6 videos

YouTube via 123synthland. Up for auction here. Note there are six videos in this set.
"We deal in vintage synthesizers, but you already know that. :) Here's the ARP Avatar we've currently got up for sale. The Avatar is essentially a keyboard-less version of the ARP Odyssey that was designed to be played by either a guitar or a CV Gate instrument like an old vintage keyboard with 1 volt per octave and gate outputs or an analog sequencer.
These days most people use them with a MIDI to CV converter or a guitar. These are pretty rare. They're often without the guitar pickup or their guitar circuitry isn't working right. This particular one was tested with a guitar, works well and comes with the hard to find guitar pickup as well. This series of video clips features the Avatar, with occasional help from a few other items we're unloading - a Roland RE-201 Space Echo, Roland SH-101 Blue and Oberheim Mini-Sequencer. All of the sounds are coming from the Avatar in all except 1 video where the SH-101 is patched through the filter together with the Avatar's oscillators. The reverb and delay effects are courtesy of the Roland Space Echo and any sequences you hear come from the Oberheim Mini-Sequencer and/or the SH-101. Several of these videos show just the ARP triggering itself, without a sequencer. Enjoy, and email me anytime at minime123@onebox.com"

VINTAGE RARE ARP AVATAR GUITAR SYNTHESIZER SN 0653 - Videos

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated. Testing basic functions of an Arp Avatar using CV/Gate from a Moog Little Phatty

Published on Aug 24, 2014 amir derakh

via this auction

Arp Avatar being sequenced by an MFB Urzwerg CV/Gate


Arp Avatar Tuned & Calibrated

via this auction

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Arp Avatar - Modularized by CMS

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.

via this auction

"Letting go of this Arp Avatar which was “modularized” by Phil Cirocco at CMS in 1995. Only 300 of the original units were produced, so I’m assuming the number of “modular” Avatars is less than that, although they they pop-up occasionally. I’m trying to scale down my studio and this synth is literally the biggest obstacle in this goal.

This is what it has:
It has many features of the Arp Odyssey: Two oscillators, and features such as oscillator sync, ring modulator, sample and hold, portamento, envelope follower and more. It is almost identical programming and interface. I read somewhere that the added patch points supposedly give the modded Avatar approximately 75% of the functionality of an Arp2600, but I really can’t say for sure.

Polyphony - Monophonic
Oscillators - 2 VCOs: Sawtooth, Square, Pulse
LFO - Sine, Square
Filter - Model 4075 4-pole, 24dB Low Pass Filter
VCA - Env 1: ADSR, Env 2: AR
Keyboard - None
Memory - None
Control - CV / Gate
Date Produced - 1977 - 78

This is what it doesn’t have:
- The top of the slider for String CV. It got broken off. The slider works but it’s tricky to move. See photos. It could be hacked with a fader cap or something. The ideal would be to replace the fader and those can be found fairly easily.
- The guitar synth functionality. The work done by CMS neutralized the Avatar’s guitar synth circuits. If this feature is important to you, this is not the Avatar you want.
- It does not have MIDI. The Avatar was produced in 1977/78 and MIDI didn’t come around until 1983, so you’ll need an MIDI to CV converter or a MIDI synth that has CV/Gate outputs. I triggered it via Doepfer MAQ 16/3 or a Roland MPU-101."

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Serviced and Working ARP Avatar

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via this auction

"On auction / for sale is an ARP Avatar that's been serviced recently. The Avatar is sort of an ARP Odyssey without keyboard, that can be controlled with cv/gate and or a guitar. The guitar interface part is often missing from Avatars as the synth is mostly used with cv/gate. This particular Avatar has the guitar interface part intact. A newly made interface cable in included, as well as a foot pedal and the original manual + patchbook. As can be seen in the pictures.

What else should i say about the ARP ? It's a great synth with lovely vintage sound that can be modulated extensively.

The Avatar is in perfect working condition and looks great - please check the pictures..."

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Arp Avatar Synthesizer with Original Hex Pickup

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.

via this auction

"This is a sale for one vintage Arp Avatar CV synthesizer/guitar synth with original Arp hex pickup (that can be installed onto an electric guitar).This is essentially the same as a vintage original Arp Odyssey as a module without the keyboard (but can be controlled by any Midi to CV controller). It can also be used as a guitar synth with a very unique sounding fuzz made famous by bands like Genesis. Because this is a used piece it is sold as is, working and in good condition (please look at pictures, some sliders don't have caps but still work). All analog synths do need servicing for scratchy sliders or pots and the Avatar/Odyssey sliders tend to be a bit stiff. The sound of it is incredible! The classic Arp sound. A poor man's Arp 2600 sonically (or their answer to the Minimoog). You can also run outside sounds through the built-in analog processing. It's a vintage toolbox of sound design."

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The Infamous ARP Avatar

video upload by Alex Ball

"A look at the infamous ARP Avatar from 1977. This is the first proper guitar demo of it to be uploaded to YouTube!

0:00 Intro
1:48 The Guitar Setup
2:28 Hex Preamp, Hex Fuzz, Special Effect
5:15 Pitch to CV
5:53 Here's the problem
7:10 Workarounds
9:22 Use as just a synth
10:26 Summary
11:41 Feature Song 'Right Back Round'


Further reading and watching:

https://www.alexballmusic.com/arp-avatar

Alan R Pearlman Foundation: https://alanrpearlmanfoundation.org/ [See the ARP Foundation interview with Alex Ball here]

Thanks: Dina Pearlman, Dave Friend, Bill Singer, Rick Parent, Mary Lock, Paul DeRocco, Bob Hoffman, James Martin, Nathan @ Synthchaser, TC and Phil M."

ARP Avatar Functional Demo

Published on Jan 4, 2015 Gul Dukat

"This video is not to demonstrate how the ARP Avatar works in general. It is rather to show that the functions of this model work as expected. The Modular part is not covered in this demo."

ARP Avatar unleashed (Sound only)

Published on Jan 4, 2015 Gul Dukat

ARP Avatar Flexi-Disk Demo

In case you missed the update to the ARP Avatar post I previously put up, title link takes you to page on Audio Playground where you can listen to this flexi-disk of the ARP Avatar. BTW, do check out the museum for more. Scroll down when you get there to get to the links. There's a collection of flash based vintage drum machines, tons of images and more flexi-disks.

via Andre.

ARP AVATAR GUITAR SYNTHESIZER 16X11 PRINT AD RECORD

via this auction

"1978 Arp Avatar Guitar Synthesizer 2-page Magazine Ad with 33 1/3 sound sheet record (never played). When joined ad measures approx. 16"X 11" inches. Introducing the Arp Avatar 33 1/3 sound sheet record of Ned Liben's First Landing, Free Fall & It's Up To You."

See the seller's other items for more.

Arp Avatar Vintage Guitar Synth MODEL # 2223 SN 0374 w/ Mods

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.

via this auction

No mention of what the mods marked A & B are. You can find some pics of the ARP Avatar unmodded in the archives. If you know what the mods are, feel free to comment.

"VINTAGE ARP AVATAR GUITAR SYNTHESIZER IN USED WORKING AS DESIGNED CONDITION. COMES WITH OWNERS MANUAL / PATCH BOOK AND SERVICE MANUAL. NEEDS SOME SLIDER CAPS. STILL IN ITS ORIGINAL BOX THAT IT WAS SHIPPED IN."

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ARP Hexaphonic Guitar Pickup

Title link takes you to shots of what is in the box.

via this auction.

Details:
"In 1977 ARP pushed into designing a synth that could respond to in-coming guitar signals using pitch-to-voltage technology. This gave rise to the Avatar, which in turn, was such a dud it practically sank the whole company before ARP finally sold off it's last and would-be greatest project - the Chroma - to CBS Musical Instruments. The Avatar was too expesnive for its own good ($3,000). It did seem to work, however; you use a hex pickup for your guitar which allows the guitar to play the synth sounds. Today the Avatar is used more like an expander module (as pictured above) with other ARP and CV/Gate type synthesizers.
It has two oscillators and is very much like the ARP Odyssey in terms of its sounds, programming and interface. Many of the features that make the Odyssey great (oscillator sync, ring modulator, sample and hold, portamento, envelope follower and more) can be found on the Avatar. The Avatar makes a great and more affordable way to get Odyssey sounds. Use it to fatten up you're current Odyssey or incorporate it into you're synth studio as an analog synth module via CV/Gate."

via Dave.

ARP Avatar

via this auction
"There is one big difference between this ARP Avatar and others that have been offered on EB, which is: it works! In fact we just spent $492.68 with Advanced Musical Electronics, LA's premier synth repair service, to insure it is fully functional. If you don't believe us, here's a copy of the receipt! IMO this synth is best used as an adjunct to a 2600 or other ARP of the same vintage. However we also include a NOS guitar pick-up - never been used. The Avatar is legendary as the synth ARP spent a ton of money working on but then never really sold or marketed it properly. Opinions vary on the effectiveness of using it as a guitar synth and your mileage may vary. This particular synth is in G+ condition - probably as good as you'll find."

Arp Avatar vintage analog synthesizer

via this auction

"Rare Arp Avatar vintage analog synthesizer in mint condition works flawlessly, is perfectly tuned and scaled, and comes with original manual, hex pickup, ARP voltage pedal, ARP switch pedal, even the template for installing the pickup! All charts and manuals are in pristine condition, too.
The sliders are smooth and clean. Switches are tight and accurate.
I used this synth under cv/gate control and have no reason to believe there would be any problem if you want to use as a guitar synth. Everything is included. There is also an original tech manual and setting charts also included.
The Avatar is a cool alternative to the 2600 or Odyssey synths, allowing you to control from a midi to cv converter such as the Kenton Pro-solo, and being able to stand upright for easier access to the controls."

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ARP Pro/DGX Monophonic Analog Synthesizer Mk II 1977

Note: Auction links are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.
YouTube Published on Jun 1, 2012 by keyboardresource

"Sounds exactly the same as the ARP Pro-Soloist (1972) but built much better. Gone is the cardboard bottom of the Pro-Soloist. The Pro/DGX has all-metal construction. The metal ends have a thin piece of what looks like leather glued to them. The rocker switches of the Pro-Soloist were replaced with two position button switches with a light above or below them. So, you always know which sound is selected. Also has cleaner output than the Pro-Soloist. Also, switches are arranged logically with the portamento switch located with the rest on the left side."


via this auction

"Sounds exactly the same as the ARP Pro-Soloist (1972) but built much better. In 1977, ARP redesigned their entire lineup (ARP 2600, ARP Odyssey, ARP Solus, ARP Omni, etc.) by making them more robust and giving them all a sleek orange, black and white look with plain, Helvetica font and detachable (current standard) three-prong power plugs. While they discontinued the ARP Explorer I, they added the ARP Quartet and ARP Avatar (synthesizer for guitar) and changed the name of the Pro-Soloist (2701) to Pro/DGX (2733). Gone is the cardboard bottom of the Pro-Soloist. The Pro/DGX is all-metal construction. The metal ends have a thin piece of what looks like leather glued to them. The rocker switches of the Pro-Soloist were replaced with two position button switches with a light above or below them. So, you always know which sound is selected. The DGX also has cleaner audio output than the Pro-Soloist."

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ARP Avatar

This one is for sale via Todd. You can reach him at sines_tr at scale.gs.

"$850 or $950 with a Doepfer MCV-4 MIDI to CV converter [which can do both linear and logarithmic CV control, plus gate & trigger output].

Here are the links I have for the Arp stuff:

Phil Cirocco
discretesynthesizers

Here's the guy in the Netherlands that does a ton of Mods: link

These are some general Odyssey mods that can most likely be applied to the Avatar: link"



YouTube via scalenyc
"me testing out the ARP Avatar and running a drum loop through it."

Update via Todd in the comments: "It's been sold.. thanks for everyone's interest."