ARP Avatar

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Pics of the inside below.

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Switched On Austin - Synth studio & store tour | Austin, TX

synth4ever

https://www.switchedonaustin.com

A synth studio and store tour of Switched-On in Austin, Texas -- including the Switched On synthesizer showroom, walk-through of the Switched On synth store and brief highlight of the synthesizer repair area.

During a trip to Austin in early 2020 I had a chance to revisit the Switched On synth shop I first toured in 2018 [video bellow]. Switched On have since moved from their original location to a new spot and are under new ownership, so it was a great opportunity to see the new synth store.

This synth studio and store walkthrough showcases Switched On's extensive record collection, tape machines, various synthesizers, modular gear, classic vintage synths, rack units and more. To learn more about Switched On, visit https://www.switchedonaustin.com

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Restored ARP Omni 2 Synthesizer with Synthchaser MIDI Adapter

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via this auction, also on Reverb

"Here's a nice, restored ARP Omni 2... with MIDI!! This synthesizer has just been fully serviced by Synthchaser, the United States' leading ARP specialist - recapped, new key bushings, new LED sliders, clean, fully functional, calibrated, in tune and sounding great. And best of all, this has been fitted with the Synthchaser MIDI Adapter! This keyboard is the sound of Joy Division and is all over The Cars' "Moving In Stereo", and many other late 70's/early 80's albums. It produces the lush Solina/String Ensemble sounds plus has a polyphonic synthesizer section with a voltage controlled filter, LFO, and ADSR, and a dedicated bass synthesizer section.

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Synthchaser Restored Vintage ARP Quadra Synthesizer Keyboard with New Sliders

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Synth Chaser

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"This ARP Quadra has just been professionally overhauled by Synthchaser, the foremost expert on ARP Quadras! Work done included new red LED sliders (illumination can be dimmed or disabled by control of a knob mounted just inside the synth), recap of all tantalum and electrolytic capacitors, new touch sensor, keyboard refurbishment, new IC chips, and more reliability enhancements!

Here is a video demo of the actual keyboard being sold:

While many synths are listed as "serviced" or "fully serviced", they are usually devoid of any details of what was actually done. Those that do provide details or service invoices often reveal that the synth was merely superficially serviced, and not genuinely "future-proofed". I have not only serviced this Quadra, I've taken it down to the chassis and overhauled it. Work done included:

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70s Synth Strings from Italy - The Crumar Multiman-S

Alex Ball synth vids

0:00 - Opening demo
0:35 - The String Synthesizer
2:44 - Paraphony
4:11 - The Crumar Multiman-S
4:32 - Basic Strings Demo
5:42 - Low Strings Ensemble Demo
6:07 - Phased Strings Demo
6:34 - Brass
7:46 - Piano
8:17 - Clavichord
8:31 - Bass
9:01 - The Multiman
10:11 - Outro Disco Bonanza

"Today we take a look at the Crumar Multiman-S, an Italian string synthesizer from 1977.

We also look at the concept of a string synthesizer in general; an instrument that served as a stop gap, but that forged its own identity due the distinctive sound and the records they were used in.

Originally conceived by Ken Freeman, others saw the impending gold rush and got their instruments out. When I say there was a 'string synth heyday', I'm not exaggerating. Here's a list of just some of them:

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Vintage ARP Omni 1 Keyboard Synthesizer Overhauled with LED Sliders SN 2483 1698

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Synth Chaser

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"This synthesizer has just been fully serviced by Synthchaser, the United States' top ARP specialist - recapped, new key bushings, new LED sliders, new reliable pushbutton switches, clean, fully functional, calibrated, in tune and sounding great. This keyboard is the sound of Joy Division and is all over The Cars' "Moving In Stereo", and many other late 70's/early 80's albums. It produces the lush Solina/String Ensemble sounds plus has a polyphonic synthesizer section with a voltage controlled filter, LFO, and ADSR, and a dedicated bass synthesizer section.

Has a some scratches on the case, which is common to these synths, see photos. However, the keyboard sounds great and has been completely overhauled inside with hundreds of dollars of new parts and many of hours of labor, including:

Synthchaser Precision LED slider upgrade. All 15 of the old original sliders have been replaced with new, smooth, high precision LED illuminated sliders. The difference in the way these sliders feel and perform compared to the originals is a huge improvement. The LED colors match the color scheme of the panel graphics.

Illuminated slider caps - Slider caps with a translucent plastic stripe that allows the LED illumination to shine through, while giving you something substantial to grip onto. I just started using these caps, and they look and feel awesome!

Synthchaser replacement pushbutton switches - All 10 of the original pushbutton switches (which are notorious for having the mechanical latches break) have been replaced with retrofits. The original switch caps are still installed so they look the same from the outside.

Power supply rebuilt - All tantalum and electrolytic capacitors in the power supply have been replaced, and high quality, high temperature 105 deg C capacitors have been used for the power supply filter capacitors.
All tantalum capacitors replaced - The tantalum capacitors in ARP synths are ticking time bombs. All of the over 100 tantalum capacitors in this synth have been replaced with electrolytics to help provide stable operation for years to come.

Synthchaser 4075 Filter Enhancement Kit Installed - The ARP Omni uses the same 4075 filter submodule found in the Odyssey, Quadra, Avatar, and Pro DGX. This has been recapped, and enhanced to provide superior frequency response.
Keyboard rebuild - New key bushings installed, buss bar & key contacts cleaned, key contacts adjusted, and keys ultrasonically cleaned

Oscilloscope calibration - Fully calibrated to factory spec using oscilloscope and frequency counter."

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Ex-Jefferson Starship ARP Quadra Synthesizer Serviced w/LED Sliders New Membrane

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Synth Chaser

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"This ARP Quadra was owned by Pete Sears and toured with Jefferson Starship in the 1980s! It has just been professionally overhauled by Synthchaser, the foremost expert on ARP Quadras! Work done included a new membrane panel, new blue LED sliders, recap of all tantalum and electrolytic capacitors, new touch sensor, keyboard rebuild, dozens of new IC chips, and more!

While many synths are listed as "serviced" or "fully serviced", they are usually devoid of any details of what was actually done. Those that do provide details or service invoices often reveal that the synth was merely superficially serviced, and not genuinely "future-proofed". I have not only serviced this Quadra, I've taken it down to the chassis and overhauled it. Work done included:

New membrane panel - The membrane panel with the switches that enable the various features and pull up the presets is a known weak spot of the ARP Quadra, and many otherwise good Quadras have been turned into expensive doorstops due to failed membrane panels. A brand new (manufactured in 2020!) Synthchaser membrane panel has been installed. It looks just like the original! Have other "future-proofed" Quadras had this part replaced? I think not!

Synthchaser Precision LED slider upgrade. All 35 of the old original sliders have been replaced with new, smooth, high precision LED illuminated sliders. The difference in the way these sliders feel and perform compared to the originals is a huge improvement.

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ARP Omni 2 Keyboard Synthesizer Serviced with LED Sliders

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Uploaded on Jun 5, 2020 Synth Chaser

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"This synthesizer has just been fully serviced by Synthchaser, the west coast's leading ARP specialist - recapped, new key bushings, new LED sliders, clean, fully functional, calibrated, in tune and sounding great. This keyboard is the sound of Joy Division and is all over The Cars' 'Moving In Stereo', and many other late 70's/early 80's albums. It produces the lush Solina/String Ensemble sounds plus has a polyphonic synthesizer section with a voltage controlled filter, LFO, and ADSR, and a dedicated bass synthesizer section.

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ARP Omni 2 Keyboard Synthesizer Serviced with Purple LED Sliders

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Uploaded on May 4, 2020 Synth Chaser

via this auction, also on Reverb

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1977 ARP Avatar

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"Works great. Obvious wear and tear from its birth in 1977. Some sliders are missing the little plastic caps. Works awesome when paired with a modular system via cv and gate ins / outs. Awesome for guitar players with the guitar pickup (sold separate). Comes with power cable . Fun synth!"

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Arp Avatar - Modularized by CMS

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"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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ARP AVATAR SYNTHESIZER BROCHURE WITH DEMO SOUNDSHEET

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"ARP Avatar Brochure w/ 33 RPM Eva tone soundsheet 1978 . Condition is Used. This is in perfect condition. The corners have never been bent or dropped! I got it from the music store in the late 70s. I played it one time and then put it in a box, so 40 years later, here it is. It really is in superb condition!"

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Vintages ARP SOFTWARE & ACCESORIES LIST

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"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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Modded ARP Avatar Guitar Synth

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"Vintage ARP Avatar modified for modular use, like a mini 2600. Overall it's in good shape, it was converted to a modular synth with the patchbay kit from Retroactiv Synthesizers. At that time it also received additional maintenance which included

Faders cleaned and lubricated

Power supply re-capped

All tantalum capacitors replaced

Currently it has an issue with VCO 1 not producing signal (hence the low price) the rest of the synth functions normally, I don't use it often and would rather sell it than get it repaired."

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Vintage ARP synth : Avatar (1977)

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"Sold as "fair", actually in good shape and fully working, but the sliders plastic caps are missing, the power switch is disconnected and power light is off, though the machine powers up, OSC 1 sometimes goes erratic for a few seconds, may need a recap ?

The guitar part was disconnected by the previous owner who used it as synth expander. Anyway, this machine asks for getting modular: arp-avatar-modular-patch-bay-kit"

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Vintage ARP Quadra Overhauled by Synthchaser

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Uploaded on Oct 3, 2019 Synth Chaser

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"This ARP Quadra has just been fully serviced & overhauled by Synthchaser, the west coast's leading ARP specialist - recapped, new key bushings, new touch sensor, sliders disassembled, cleaned and refurbished, clean, fully functional, calibrated, in tune and sounding great. This synth was the final masterpiece of ARP Instruments and added a powerful 2 oscillator lead synthesizer to the bass, poly strings, and poly synth already found in the ARP Omni 2. Add in the lush 14 stage voltage controlled analog phase shifter, a sequencer (more like arpeggiator), assignable aftertouch, 61 key keyboard, and package it all into the coolest looking synth design ever and you have an ARP Quadra!

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1977 ARP Avatar

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"Recently serviced and in full working order. Includes original guitar pickup and cable."

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Arp Avatar Vintage Guitar Synth SN 0374

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"Pro serviced converted to 220-240v and Retroaktiv patch expander fitted. Includes hex pickup with cable, foot pedal, manual and schematic, some patch cables. Sounds really like an Arp vintage synth and great, all working good."

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ARP Avatar 1977 Modularized + Extras

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"Modified with Modular Patch Panel by New England Analog."

ARP Avatar

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Pic of the inside below.

"This is a beautiful example of of a rare synthesizer! Originally designed to be controlled from your guitar (pick up is NOT included but the connector cable is) it can also easily be controlled from CV/Gate. It is essentially an Odyssey...just BIGGER! It is monophonic. The only thing that hasn't been tested is the pitch tracking ability with a guitar since we do not have the pick up

This has been serviced and is in good working order. Some of the sliders may need to be moved up and down a couple times to reduce some slight crackling. The "high/low" switch on the back for the output volume can cut out briefly if its bumped but once its set in place it is fine."

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