Korg

fi rst 1,000 made – came with a
KORG microKEY2-37 keyboard
(stored in the impressive custom
silver wheelie case with orange trim).
This sat neatly in front of the 2600
M, but sadly lacks the arpeggiation,
sequencing and LFO capabilities of
the FS version’s 3620 keyboard. Of
more concern was the raised noise
fl oor and noticeable digital mush
heard when the microKEY was
plugged in. Even without this
connected the overall background
noise was more noticeable than on
the Antonus 2600 clone.
Two fi lter versions are included
here, though the difference between
them is subtle. Of more noticeable
effect is the unit’s size. Although its
shrunken status does make it easier
to place in the studio, and also for
smaller patch cables, this does mean
that the shorter sliders make fi ne
adjustment harder. It also has to be
said that the black-on-dark-grey
colour scheme makes fi nding their
current position tricky unless they’re
built-in loudspeakers could have
been removed to make room for
some of these?
I compared the Korg ARP 2600
M to a range of hardware and
software equivalents. Next to the
Antonus it sounded a little more
refi ned, but this seemed to largely be
down to the latter’s ability to drive its
amp and mixer stages into distortion
more easily (which also altered the
way the envelopes responded in
some situations). One oddity was the
Korg’s VCO-1 square wave, which
well lit – some 2600 clones (like the
Antonus and Behringer) employ
illuminated sliders. However, if you
are willing to forgo the authentic
decor then more colourful
replacement fader caps might be in
order. The relatively ardent line on
authenticity might also have been
broken by providing one or two
dedicated LFOs (rather than having
to rope in one of the oscillators for
the task) – and maybe some
additional multiples and VCA stages
would have been nice. Perhaps the
ARP INSTRUMENTS AND THE 2600
ARP Instruments, named after Alan R Pearlman, fi rst gained attention in the early 1970s
with the ARP 2500 – a large modular synth system. Like most modulars of the time, sales
were limited. However, some of the modules were combined in a smaller pre-confi gured
package to form the basis of the ARP 2600. With its clear front-panel graphics and ability
to re-patch its standard signal routings, this synth was intended as much for education as
making music. Functions and patching were streamlined further in the shape of the
successful ARP Odyssey. Nailing the sound of a ‘real’ 2600 has always been tricky, mainly
as there were many versions employing a range of boards and with changes in components
(not always for the best).
One signifi cant change
was to the fi lter, which
was redesigned in 1976
after ARP spent many
years battling copyright
issues with Moog, and
which had a slightly
reduced bandwidth. In the
end, the most revered
versions are the ‘Blue and
Gray Meanie’, and these
were only manufactured
in quite small numbers.
Needless to say they’re
also the oldest and most
problematic for
maintenance (and price!).
THE ALTERNATIVES
Antonus 2600
£2,999
Based on the TTSH
DIY version of the
2600, this hand-
built synth claims to
be the next best
thing to an original
’70s grey-face.
antonus-synths.com
Moog Matriarch
£1,999
The Moog Matriarch
expands their smaller
semi-modular
Mother synth with
more oscillators,
fi lter, envelopes and
connectivity.
moogmusic.com
Arturia
MatrixBrute
£1,599
Arturia eschew patch
cables for a visual
modulation matrix
and full patch recall
– though you’ll still
fi nd plenty of sockets
on its rear.
arturia.com
…a synth that can rustle up
conventional analogue tones
but also provide the fl exibility
for further exploration
Reviews | Korg ARP 2600 M
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