The 2600 - does anybody know how to use it - for musical purposes?

[Winstontaneous]

To the OP...yes, Joe Zawinul, IMO the finest synthesist in jazz (along with Herbie Hancock).
On this tune he has the keyboard voltage inverted so the ARP's note layout is backward...Try that at home...

[pdxindy]

Personally I still think the 2600's main "practical extra power" over an Odyssey is that the few extra modules and all the patch points vastly expand the 2600 palette of bleeps, bloops and twitters. Some folks think bleeps, bloops and twitters are music so fair enough I suppose.

Patch points don't automatically or inevitably lead to bleeps and bloops.

I use the patch points all the time on my Moog Matriarch for musical leads and basses etc. Adding a bit of feedback, touch of ring mod, Filter FM, etc. Gives a lot of sonic range to basic sounds without turning them into bleeps.

[ChamomileShark]

My favourite ARP2600 video


But yes, lots of people used modular synths and semi-modular ones for "conventional music". Lots still do.

[JCJR]

So far as great jazz synthesists of that era, given thought I could probably enlarge the list further, but would at least add Chick Corea to Zawinul and Hancock.

I admire Weather Report and may be misremembering, but am purt familiar with their works. So far as I recall, though a fabulous group and Zawinul a wonderful player, he didn't use particularly "difficult to synthesize" melodic timbres. For instance that posted video of Black Market-- An adequately equivalent timbre could probably have been nailed using one of the cheapo single-oscillator Arps they were making in that time period. Arp Axxe or even one of the semi-programmable "preset performance" cheapies.

Maybe this Frankenstein video better shows off 2600 sound capabilities. Maybe this 1973 vid is the equivalent of "lip sync" video. Hard to say. Saw Edgar Winter pull it off live so even if it is "staged for TV" is purt accurate. If it actually is pantomime, it is damn good pantomime compared with most TV music pantomimes of the period.

If not pantomime, close-up shots of the synth seem to show very few if any patch points occupied. I don't say that patch points inevitably lead to bleeps and bloops. Just that patch points open up a wider palette of possible bleeps and bloops.

[Torchlight]

Jarre used the Arp 2600 for Oxygene and Equinoxe, as someone who used to work with him recalls in this video (in French).

[BertKoor]

JM Jarre is all about blippy sounds.

If you want it for "real" music it is really simple: send nothing but Keyboard CV to OSC Pitch. That's the simplest recipe to prevent your sounds from entering the blippy territories.

[Friendly Noise]

Why would one get a 2600, if not to make R2D2 sounds or the 'Primeval Forest' patch?

Of course you want to make R2D2 sounds with a 2600-like synth. Who wouldn’t?

But be creative: almost every VCO with audio range modulation can sound close to R2D2, like on the video below. Not filter used, not even trying to get R2D2 sounds. It just happened.

[egbert101]

It's a basic subtractive synthesizer, like any other analog. If you're not getting musical sounds, you're doing something wrong, or have the wrong hobby.

[Shabdahbriah]

If I do ever get one, I'd use it to just screw around making cool noise.

[pekbro]

The Korg ARP 2600 M seems a bit pricey as compared to the behri version, that's a bit disappointing.

[pekbro]

Regarding the modular thing, it can be difficult to get "musical" progressions and song structure with modular depending on your setup. Not all sequencers are geared for that. I only got my first dedicated midi-cv module like 2 days ago. After more than 2 years, this is the first time I can explicitly control notes and patterns easily, seriously, and my rig is well over 700 hp.

[justin3am]

I have other synths for making music, lol. I only use my 2600 for fart sounds.

[Shabdahbriah]

I have other synths for making music, lol. I only use my 2600 for fart sounds.

You made the TTSH kit, didn't you?

[justin3am]

Actually I ended up getting a Karp 2600 FS. I did build a 1601 sequencer clone to go with it, though.

[Shabdahbriah]

Actually I ended up getting a Karp 2600 FS. I did build a 1601 sequencer clone to go with it, though.

Ah, right. Cool for you! I knew you built something 2600 vibe-esque.