Corry BanksIn the midst of the Arp Odyssey release and all of its fanfare, it’s tough to separate the gas from the reality. Is the KARP (Korg / Arp) Odyssey – sorry I have to do the KARP thing every time – all that it’s cracked up to be? I for one am not a fan of the keys on the new Odyssey but then again I’ve never played a vintage one either. However, you just cant front on the sound. Even beyond that the legend that is the Arp Odyssey and the thought of it being a real possibility to own a new Odyssey is enough to make me want to just deal with that slightly inflated price of $1000 and bring one home to the DOJO (the lab aka the studio).
So as per usual when a new piece is making it’s rounds I’ve spent a bit of time stalking it on YouTube just to get my fix. One of the better videos happens to be from Sonic State featuring none other than MR. GForce himself, Dave Spiers (GForce Software) . I couldn’t think of a better person with deeper knowledge of the Odyssey to share with us his comparison of the New vs. the Old Odyssey than Dave Spiers. Why? Because he only makes the best Odyssey soft synth available, Oddity 2. Which, incidentally, has single-handedly curved my appetite and cooled my urgency to run out and purchase the KARP Odyssey. The Oddity2 is indeed an ill synth. I will work my way around to a review on that soon.
At any rate, go ahead and check this video out if you haven’t already. Here is Dave Spiers with the one to one comparison of the KARP (Korg / Arp) Odyssey and an original (modded) vintage Arp Odyssey. If he says it comes pretty close… my money is on the Karp Odyssey!