ARP 2600 M Synthesizer (Standard Edition)

General

2020 opened optimistically, with a welcome introduction to the Korg ARP 2600 - definitely an ARP and every bit a Korg. Of course, it came at a hefty price, was monophonic, and very much sought-after. In fact, if you take a close look at the whole of synthesizer-land, there are a lot of synth recreations right now with a distinctly 2600-vibe to them. In any case, the question is, will the ARP 2600M be able to top the ARP 2600FS released all that time ago? Only time will tell. What we can say with certainty is that this synthesizer does everything that the FS can, but is a little more compact, and comes with a comfortably portable roll case.

The Many Features of the ARP 2600M

For anyone who actually hazarded a blink and missed it, the original ARP 2600M of last year is a semi-modular analogue synthesizer. So, if you were to compare it to a Eurorack, where a bunch of separate modules loaded in to build a system, here you basically get a pre-compiled rack of modules. These modules can be patched, linking them together, and every patch configuration will give you an entirely new architecture, and therefore an entirely new synth. Once patched-up and configured, you can use the small army of sliders and controls to bring the sound into shape, and in this way, you have a virtually unlimited sonic-horizon to play with, all enriched with the sweet character of analogue synthesis, and amounting to a sound-machine that (among some esteemed sound-designers) is even considered the best synth of all time.

Other Awesome Features

Add up the oscillators, filter, reverb, envelopes, and all the other mouth-watering bits and pieces alone, and you have a great synthesizer - but this is the old edition we're talking about. So what more does the 2021 edition have to offer? You get a MIDI in alongside USB MIDI support, and a further USB port for directly hooking up a USB/MIDI keyboard. Is the 2600M a synth for any and all of the people? Actually, yes it is - if you have the cash, it could even serve as a beautiful beginner's model (and will definitely last a lifetime). Here, you can comfortably learn about the building blocks of synthesis and gain a clear understanding of exactly how they work, the different ways in which the modules can be connected, and the effect of even subtly changing it up. This slightly smaller model is a little bit cheaper than the FS, but it is worth mentioning that the FS is also now helping to produce some of the biggest music, made by some of the biggest names in the industry, which should be enough to underline the fact that the 2600M is definitely worth your full attention and serious consideration.