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ARP 2600

Not available for use in Recording Studios

On exhibit

Artifact TypeSynthesizer

Manufacturer ARP Instruments, Inc. electronic instruments manufacturer | founded 1969

Manufacturer LocationUSA

Datec. 1972

Most famous for providing the “voice” for Star Wars’ beloved R2D2, the ARP 2600 is one of the most iconic analog synthesizers ever built. Only about 3,000 units were produced during the 2600’s nearly decade-long production period, but the instrument left its mark on the film and popular music of the day—some of its most ardent users include Stevie Wonder, The Who’s Pete Townshend, Depeche Mode and, more recently, The Chemical Brothers and Nine Inch Nails. It remains one of the most sought-after pieces of vintage gear for both studio professionals and discerning instrument collectors.

Operation/FunctionThis particular artifact is an analog, semi-modular synthesizer that contains three voltage-controlled oscillators, a 24 dB/octave low-pass filter with variable resonance that can also function as a low-distortion sine oscillator, two envelope generators including one capable of four-stage ADSR, a voltage-controlled amplifier with both linear and exponential control responses, a mixer section, an envelope follower, a ring modulator, an external CV/gate input, a random noise generator, a voltage processor with variable lag, two voltage processors with inverters, a low frequency oscillator, sample-and-hold with internal clock, a built-in spring reverb, amplifiers with stereo speakers and 8 ohm headphone jack, a microphone pre-amplifier with adjustable gain, and twin stereo outputs. It is monophonic across its 49-note/four-octave keyboard, which features variable tuning and portamento. The oscillators are capable of producing variable-width pulse, triangle, sine, square, and sawtooth waveforms. It employs analog subtractive synthesis.Cultural SignificanceThe ARP 2600 is, still today, one of the most iconic synthesizers and remains one of the most sought after pieces of vintage gear among studio professionals and collectors. Its use in popular music since the 1970s is paralleled in numbers only by instruments such as the Minimoog and Sequential Circuits Prophet 5. Within the 1970s synthesizer market, ARP maintained its place as the primary competitor with Moog. The ARP 2500, ARP’s first and only modular system, was made to compete directly with Moog’s first modular systems, while the 2600 and its duophonic counterpart, the Odyssey, were produced in response to the success of the Minimoog. The instrument can be heard on a number of recordings, in addition to its most famous usage as R2D2’s vocalizations in the Star Wars film franchise. Although ARP ceased operations in 1981, they are recognized as one of the most influential synthesizer manufacturers, along with fellow Americans Moog and Buchla. Both the modular synthesizers and hardwired synthesizers of the 1970s left an indelible mark on the progression of subsequent electronic instruments. With the ARP 2600 being uniquely situated to reflect both practices, it has been lauded for its flexibility in satisfying the needs of studio professionals as well as burgeoning synthesis enthusiasts.Technological SignificanceThe synthesizer is arguably one of, if not the most technologically significant contributions to the course of electronic music. Although earlier electronic instruments such as the Theremin and Ondes Martenot offered new and unique ways of articulating sound, their sonic template was, for the most part, quite limited, capable of producing only a few distinct timbres. The synthesizer, on the other hand, was viewed as an integrated electronic orchestra, as it were, allowing the user to sculpt a wide and varied array of tones and gestures. What’s more, it allowed the user to modify their sounds in real time, seemingly without the sorts of physical limitations imposed on acoustic instruments. Of course, each instrument did come with its own characteristic tonal qualities and control limitations, however the wealth of opportunity inherent in the ability to manipulate and define nearly every parameter of sound structure solidified the synthesizer’s place as one of the most powerful musical innovations of the twentieth century. The concept of modular design was initially quite desirable to professional and studio musicians in that it allowed one to more or less completely customize their instrument and modify its functions as desired. Although modular-type systems are still in production today ¬– the Buchla 200e, for instance, is based on the modular design of the Buchla 200 analog system – the advent of the first affordable eight-bit microprocessors in the mid 1970s and the rise of programmable polyphonic instruments in the late 1970s resulted in the relative obsolescence of the transistor-based systems of the early 1970s. Synthesizers increasingly began to adopt the smaller, more compact aesthetic exhibited in the performance-oriented instruments of the early 1970s, especially that of the revered Minimoog. The once popular modular approach gave way to more streamlined designs that, while still offering users the ability to control numerous aspects of the instrument’s tone and gesture, limited the way in which the instrument could be operated. Although the modular synthesizer was highly regarded for its flexibility, it was also criticized for being largely unintuitive and cumbersome in its patching schemes; the smaller, sophisticated digital-analog hybrids of the late 1970s, such as the Sequential Circuits Prophet 5, though still not relatively inexpensive, responded more readily to the technological demands of an increasingly burgeoning consumer market. The ARP 2600 was designed by ARP’s founder Alan R. Pearlman in conjunction with Dennis Colin in 1971. Although it was made to follow the earlier 2500 modular system, it was highly unique in that it offered both the flexibility of the earlier modular systems and the accessibility of the more compact hardwired systems that were emerging in the early 1970s. In designing the instrument, ARP selected a number of modules from the 2500 system and hardwired them together under a single front panel, following the standard VCO-VCF-VCA signal path of the majority of synthesizers of the time. This made the instrument relatively easier and more intuitive to use than its modular counterpart in that the user did not necessarily have to make decisions about routing signals correctly. That being said, the instrument also contained a series of jacks corresponding to each function; thus, if the user so desired, a patch cable could be inserted to break the hardwired (usually referred to as ‘normal’) connection and direct the signal elsewhere. Such a design was not common for the time, with most synthesizers falling succinctly into one category or the other. The instrument was also designed with portability in mind, with most models built into a durable suitcase-style enclosure, and were frequently used in live contexts. Despite their success throughout the 1970s and early 1980s, instruments such as the ARP 2600 and Minimoog were eclipsed in the late 1970s by the first digital-analog hybrid instruments, which offered polyphonic keyboards and programmability, allowing the user to store function parameters and recall them via switches on the instrument’s front panel; even in the late 1970s, the 2600 was only able to offer duophonic capabilities in its updated keyboard. The 2600 underwent four major model revisions, each altering some aspect of either the internal or cosmetic structure of the instrument. Although the instrument became more stable through subsequent revisions, many players believe that this came with a sacrifice of the tonal quality of the instrument. The earliest models employed Teledyne chips, which are characterized as having a solid sound, but poor reliability. ARP was forced to abandon these chips and begin using a more reliable type made by National Semiconductor, generally either the LM-301 or SL-1998 chips. These chips are typically recognized as having a hindered sound, with the LM-301 in fact considered inadequate for use by current audio standards. ARP instruments were quite technologically sophisticated on account of founder Alan R. Pearlman’s previous experience working with analog test equipment. While oscillator modules on the early Moog and Buchla modular systems were quite prone to frequency drift – a result of overheating – ARP oscillators were notably much more stable and resilient to temperature changes. In addition to Pearlman’s contributing a series of highly stable instruments, ARP is also known for its innovative approach to patching and interface design. Its engineers and designers pioneered the matrix switch system employed in the 2500 modular system, which comprises a series of coloured switches that can be moved vertically to create electrical connections with anything to which they align horizontally. This system eliminated the need for bulky patch cables, such as those used on systems by Moog and Buchla, but was susceptible to “cross talk” or signal bleed between independent paths. The 2600’s unique semi-modular design was also quite unusual for the time. Pearlman himself designed the latter instrument’s front panel, emphasizing the use of certain graphics that would help amateur users better navigate predetermined signal paths.Users/PerformersSince the instrument’s inception in 1971, there have been countless examples of its usage, both in various popular music genres, and in film soundtracks. Among the most notable users of the 2600 include Patrick Moraz of Yes, Depeche Mode, Stevie Wonder, Edgar Winter, Rick Wakeman, Pete Townshend of The Who, and Jean Michel Jarre. More recent users of the instrument include The Chemical Brothers and Nine Inch Nails. Most famously, this instrument’s random noise generator and sample and hold function was used at Skywalker Sound to produce the vocalizations of R2D2 in George Lucas’ Star Wars (1977 – 1983) series.

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