ARP Odyssey FS Kit Synthesizer (Build Pack)

General

We need to step back a few decades to when Korg took the old ARP and gave it a revamp in the form of the ARP Odyssey: a synth that would become a legend maker. And now, so you can build your very own legend from scratch, we're treated to the ARP Odyssey FS synthesizer build pack - and putting it all together is far easier than you might expect.

The ARP Odyssey FS Kit

The Odyssey has seen a fair few incarnations, all of which featured a separate filter, and all of which are present in this new model. Aesthetically, the old school charm has been retained alongside the monophonic and duophonic functions, the banks of sliders and the tweakable controls. Once built, two oscillators are at your disposal plus a noise generator, all of which is sent through the filters. And, besides low-pass filters, this synth supplies a high-pass filter, which is well worth mentioning, since it's this that can be applied to rein in the low-end and stop the sound from getting too messy.

Theory in Practice

This synth looks and acts exactly like the vintage Odyssey, but the presence of a USB port betrays its actual age. It features the same perks as the original; the keys are not velocity sensitive and do not have aftertouch, but this is ideal for the kind of music this device is designed to create. Famous artists like ABBA, UltraVOX, Tangerine Dream, Vangelis, and Elton John among others put the Odyssey on the map years ago. It's a synth that's designed for fast programming and offers fully-analogue sound. Its characteristically shrill, biting sound is adored by many. In short, if you can't afford a second-hand original, this is your chance to own an authentic, full-scale ARP Odyssey synth.