This one is especially neato keen to me. Because the first analog synth I ever touched was the ARP 2600. This bad boy was sitting like a piece of trash in a basement room in the University of New Mexico’s music department.
The new “electronic music” class had just started. It was being taken over from a community luminary – the owner of the now-gone Grandma’s Music – by my soon-to-be mentor, Manny Rettinger. So my introduction to all the fundamental concepts of synthesis, from VCAs to patch cables – came from this old monstrous ARP. Kinda like this one:
If You Can’t Afford That Bad Boy, Good News
So, when Air Music Tech asked me to check out their TimewARP 2600 synth plugin, I was down!
The plugin is only $99 ($29 for Black Friday 2024!!) and honestly, may even be a better thing to get you going with this kind of synthesis – because it’s enhanced. Here’s the rundown of some of the features and such:
- 3 VCOs – All capable of generating audio band and Low Frequency (LF) signals.
- 1 Low-Pass Resonant Filter – Supports variable-depth self-oscillation and audio band and LF control modulation.
- 1 Sample & Hold – Driven by either an internal, external, or MIDI Beat Clock. Can also be used as an LFO source.
- 1 Ring Modulator.
- 1 Noise Generator – Adjustable from white to red noise.
- 2 Envelope Generators – 1 ADSR, 1 AR.
- 1 Envelope Follower.
- 1 VCA – 2 audio inputs, 1 linear control input, 1 exponential control input. Also has initial gain control.
- 4 plug multiple modules.
- Stereo Reverb.
- Output Pan.
- Electronic Switch.
- Lag Processor – LF filtering from 1.2 to 1200Hz.
- 2 Inverter Modules – both with attenuable inputs.
- Preamp In – mono or stereo.
- Virtual ARP 3620 Keyboard.
- Variable-rate portamento, octave switch, pitch bend, LFO controls including delayed sine wave vibrato depth and speed.
- LFO Outputs – Including square, triangle, and sine waves.
- External LFO-In – Allows keyboard voltages to be modulated by any signal present on the TimewARP 2600.
- Interval Latch Switch – Will latch a two note interval for use as single key play.
- 2 Upper Voice Outputs.
- Multiple or Single Trigger Mode – Provides for single or multiple gates for slurred notes.
- Keyboard Repeat Mode – Provides auto repeat or repeat on key-press synchronized to keyboard LFO and MIDI Beat Clock.
- Square wave is syncable to MIDI Clock.
That enough for you???
PS: I pasted that straight from the press release – why waste time? 😊
TimewARP In Action
First of all it’s not always blue. There are are four skins (ha ha pun intended). I like the one that looks like the original (which is called Grey so…what?):
Here’s the deal – this mufucka is HARD to use. That was the ARP. Early synthesizers were not the plug and play things we have today. You had to understand routing and electronics and all kinds of shit that nobody has time for…
… unless you’re awesome. 😊 Yes it’s difficult, but that’s the fun – and the benefit. You want to really understand the roots of how to mess with a synth? ARP, baby. Get this plugin and dive in!
But the good news is this – TimewARP is also NOT hard. Because there’s about 1000 plugins, including boutique plugin banks by badass artists. So if you want to just get started playing sounds, pick a preset, tweak it (or not) and see what you get!
What you’ll find (you’ll have to take our word unless you have 12 thou) is that this kid sounds a damn sight like the old ARP. In fact I might wager its indistinguishable, except that an original ARP may be a bit grittier if it wasn’t super duper well taken care of.
TimewARP 2600 is kinda better though, because it’s got 8 voice polyphony and a lot of other enhancements that are easy to implement in a plugin now but were non-existent back then.
So, for my money, I’d actually rather play with TimewARP 2600 than an original ARP – even if the original is more tactile and visceral.
Ok fine I want both. One to dick with when I’m rich and indulgent, and one to do actual music work to get me rich and indulgent. You guess which.
This is the End of This Review
Ok so that’s what I have to say about TimewARP 2600. It’s super awesome, and I think you should go grab it right now. Get it directly from the Air Music site or from Reverb here if you want me to get a little money 😊
Bye!