ARP2600 - Any Tutorials?

[ghostwhistler]

I'm trying to learn the Cherry Audio version. But I am utterly lost. I can't make sense of it at all. I've tried following the normalised routes but whenever I try something that I think should work, it doesn't. Their website doesn't really explain anything and I can't find much on Youtube. Please help, I'm keen to learn this instrument, but am utterly dumbfounded. (I did post in the cherry audio forum on here but no one responded). Thanks

[gentleclockdivider]

It seems that you're lost in every synth you try , up untill now that is the dx , ppg and arp 2600..
In a nutshell , arp 2600 is semimodular , the normalised connections are broken once they are repatched , signal flow is like most synths osc's -->mixer--->filter--->amp , with the advantage of re-routing stuff .
Maybe you should start with the basics of subtractive /fm synthesis , there are a plethora of books/video's available , most of us learned things the hard way by diving in , when information was scarce and the internet non-existent , dedicate yourself !

[chk071]

TBH... I agree. There is a manual. There is the original ARP 2600 manual available on the net. There are gazillions of tutorials and videos on the net. It's really just a matter of searching for them. Noone here will be able to explain you the synth in 5 sentences here.

A simple search for "ARP 2600 tutorial" on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_ ... 0+tutorial

There's even a whole playlist with tutorials: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMAHPwC ... WSheSQE_0t

Took me about 5 seconds now.

[mellotronaut]

https://www.groove3.com/tutorials/Artur ... -Explained

[ghostwhistler]

It seems that you're lost in every synth you try , up untill now that is the dx , ppg and arp 2600..
In a nutshell , arp 2600 is semimodular , the normalised connections are broken once they are repatched , signal flow is like most synths osc's -->mixer--->filter--->amp , with the advantage of re-routing stuff .
Maybe you should start with the basics of subtractive /fm synthesis , there are a plethora of books/video's available , most of us learned things the hard way by diving in , when information was scarce and the internet non-existent , dedicate yourself !

Oh dear, why don't you troll my threads to tell me how shit you think I am then, ffs. Or better yet, actually read the posts I make and draw proper conlcusions instead of takng 3 wildly different synths and drawing an insulting assinine assumption - as if we're all born experts in complex hardware emulations. You clown.

Subtractive synthesis (FM synthesis is irrlevant here, the 2600 is not the dx7 nor the ppg ffs) isn't the issue. The problem I have with the ca2600 isn't that, it's the way it's laid out and how it is not, IMO, intutive. I have no problem with subtractive synthesis and have no problem with the plethora of others syths I have acquired that I have not asked for help with (as if that's some kind of sin ffs). The ARP is modular and thereofre very complex, I can route an input into a socket and get no response (no sound) and not know why because it isn't readily apparent. However I can program my TAL LX or J8 without needing to cause you this degree of existential angst.

I'm not in the mood for people like you so if you can't be constructive, you can get blocked. I welcome either choice

[gentleclockdivider]

I have no problem with subtractive synthesis and have no problem with the plethora of others syths I have acquired that I have not asked for help with (as if that's some kind of sin ffs). The ARP is modular and thereofre very complex, I can route an input into a socket and get no response (no sound) and not know why because it isn't readily apparent. However I can program my TAL LX or J8 without needing to cause you this degree of existential angst.

Which clearly shows you lack the basics.
It's not about trolling , it's about you not being able to find out the basic things yourselves, the fundamental beginnings , but rather start a new thread and expect us to solve it for you.
true , that's what forums are about , but you recent posting indicat you're not even trying ..
It's not that you can patch any cable anywhere , well in fact you can but you won't always hear something .
There are ac signals ( audio ) and dc signals ( envelopes, lfo ) , if you patch an envelope to an output don't expect to hear something .

[ghostwhistler]

I have no problem with subtractive synthesis and have no problem with the plethora of others syths I have acquired that I have not asked for help with (as if that's some kind of sin ffs). The ARP is modular and thereofre very complex, I can route an input into a socket and get no response (no sound) and not know why because it isn't readily apparent. However I can program my TAL LX or J8 without needing to cause you this degree of existential angst.

Which clearly shows you lack the basics.
It's not about trolling , it's about you not being able to find out the basic things yourselves, the fundamental beginnings , but rather start a new thread and expect us to solve it for you.
true , that's what forums are about , but you recent posting indicat you're not even trying ..
It's not that you can patch any cable anywhere , well in fact you can but you won't always hear something .
There are ac signals ( audio ) and dc signals ( envelopes, lfo ) , if you patch an envelope to an output don't expect to hear something .

I don't lack the basics, and I warned you that I wasn't going to tolerate your attitude. I don't make any claims to exerptise. The problem is not the 'basics', but the interface and how to implement those tings on this particular synth. But you knew that, which is what makes your unpleasant arrogant tone so unnecessary.

Accusing me of 'expecting' anything is out of order. I made a polite reasonable request on a forum. If people respond positively they have my gratitude. if they don't then I don't need to hear from them any more than they need to have wasted their time posting unpleasantness. Help requests aren't an excuse to be a dick to others. You're blocked. Goodbye

[Dirk Diggler]

This seems like a logical place to help. Plenty of useful resources.
https://learningmodular.com/
And here's some more:
https://cdm.link/2020/11/ca2600-is-a-pe ... -25-bucks/

It's all about learning and experimenting, and it takes time and practice.

Think about modular and semi modular as if you are the preset maker and designer of the instrument you create.

So yes just randomly patching things can often lead to nothing happening. You really do need to understand signal flow of the building blocks and how they are connected.
Perhaps a virtual modular like VCV rack might help?
It might allow you to understand the different sections of the 2600 better.

I've made some great synths there and plenty of wiring that did nothing, and plenty that did very cool subtle things, it's tough at first, but learning anything worthwhile requires time investment.

Good luck,
Dirk

[dave dove]

the original ARP manual is probably the best place to start
i started with the odyssey one - way back then

[ghostwhistler]

Thanks for the replies. There are things that I'm trying that just don't make sense and I can't follow these clips and explanations. For example:

if i route an lfo shape into the audio signal of the VCF for the oscillator I currently have running, why doesn't it modulate the amplitude of that vco? Instead i hear nothing at all.

I'm completely confused by the signal path from the vcf tthrough the vca and into the mixer.

In fact I think there's a problem with the vst; when i remove a cable after trying something that didn't work, it should go back to the previous set up right before i changed things, right? Except sometimes it doesn't and I have to reset the patch because nothing works

[whyterabbyt]

if i route an lfo shape into the audio signal of the VCF for the oscillator I currently have running, why doesn't it modulate the amplitude of that vco?

Because, if that's your entire patch then

you're filtering the LFO as though it were an audio signal
and
VCFs dont necessarily affect amplitude, they affect timbre
and
there's no modulation being applied to anything
and
You havent got a VCO connected

[ghostwhistler]

if i route an lfo shape into the audio signal of the VCF for the oscillator I currently have running, why doesn't it modulate the amplitude of that vco?

Because, if that's your entire patch then

you're filtering the LFO as though it were an audio signal
and
VCFs dont necessarily affect amplitude, they affect timbre
and
there's no modulation being applied to anything
and
You havent got a VCO connected

Ok, let me see if I understand.

You aresaying that it's not working because I'm replacing the signal from the oscillator with the LFO signal?

I thought the VCO was normalised and all you had to do (assuming no further modifications) was turn up the fader in the VCF section. So the LFO cable has replaced that path?

[whyterabbyt]

if i route an lfo shape into the audio signal of the VCF for the oscillator I currently have running, why doesn't it modulate the amplitude of that vco?

Because, if that's your entire patch then

you're filtering the LFO as though it were an audio signal
and
VCFs dont necessarily affect amplitude, they affect timbre
and
there's no modulation being applied to anything
and
You havent got a VCO connected

Ok, let me see if I understand.

You aresaying that it's not working because I'm replacing the signal from the oscillator with the LFO signal?

well actually I was saying that it probably wasnt working for several reasons, and that there were quite a few things that werent 100% explicit enough to be sure as to which ones were most applicable. The filter has multiple inputs, and each input has a fader. You made no mention of which input was being used, or attenuation.

However you don't modulate something by connecting to its audio input. And if you wanted to modulate volume, you wouldnt normally modulate the filter.

I thought the VCO was normalised and all you had to do (assuming no further modifications) was turn up the fader in the VCF section. So the LFO cable has replaced that path?

Well, you didnt mention increasing the fader, and yes, if you connect an LFO to one of the connections normally normalised to a VCO, you're replacing that VCO signal into the VCF with the LFO as an audio signal.

[ghostwhistler]

This seems like a logical place to help. Plenty of useful resources.
https://learningmodular.com/
And here's some more:
https://cdm.link/2020/11/ca2600-is-a-pe ... -25-bucks/

It's all about learning and experimenting, and it takes time and practice.

Think about modular and semi modular as if you are the preset maker and designer of the instrument you create.

So yes just randomly patching things can often lead to nothing happening. You really do need to understand signal flow of the building blocks and how they are connected.
Perhaps a virtual modular like VCV rack might help?
It might allow you to understand the different sections of the 2600 better.

I've made some great synths there and plenty of wiring that did nothing, and plenty that did very cool subtle things, it's tough at first, but learning anything worthwhile requires time investment.

Good luck,
Dirk

Thank you, I agree. I just find learning difficult. But this is a great synth and a fabulous bargain at the price.

[justin3am]

I don't know if it's already but I really recommend going through this patch book: Arp 2600 Patch book. This is the first thing I did when I got my 2600.

The normalled connections are help to keep a patch from becoming too cluttered but it's also easy to forget that when a cable is connected to an input that the normalled patch is broken or that a normalled connection is causing a weird behavior that you didn't expect.

Start with all the faders down and no connections, then turn up the Initial Filter Frequency, the second channel on the filter's mixer (labeled 'VCO1 square'), the first channel on the VCA's mixer (labeled 'VCF') and the second channel on the output mixer (labeled 'VCA'). Now, if you trigger the envelopes, you should hear the square output of the first oscillator running through the filter. Move the 'Initial Filter Frequency' to hear the effect of the filter. Turn down the second channel of the Filter's mixer, turn up both Ring Mod faders and then turn up the first channel on the Filter's mixer (labeled 'Ring Mod'). Now if you adjust the pitch of VCOs 1 and 2, you will hear the ring modulation effect.

I assume that the CA2600 comes with patches, it may help to deconstruct those patches. But take it slow, just disconnect one patch cable or turn down one fader, then check how it affects the sound.