IndySteve Posted September 6, 2013 Share Posted September 6, 2013 I was reading something about the electronic pianos that helped bring down ARP Instruments. I looked all over the web for audio examples, and I didn't find any. Good Karma goes to anyone who posts a link to a video or audio demoing these instruments. If you just have some interesting tidbit to relate, you get Karma too. Come out with your hands up! I have a synthesizer, and I'm not afraid to use it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Threadslayer Posted September 6, 2013 Share Posted September 6, 2013 Are you thinking of these? http://www.vintagesynth.com/misc/chroma.php Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect. -Mark Twain Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
midinut Posted September 7, 2013 Share Posted September 7, 2013 No, he's right. There was an ARP Piano. IIRC it came in two versions. I distinctly remember it at the time. It seems like it only had 4, 8 or 16 presets with very little editing control. If my mind still serves me, when I tried one out I wasn't all that impressed with the sounds. But it has been quite awhile. Kronos 88 | MODX7 | Wavestate | Crave | KeyLab 61 | CPS SSv3 | MacBook Pro | MainStage | Komplete 13U | V Collection 9 Behringer Poly-D | ASM Hydrasynth Deluxe | Roli Seaboard Rise 49 | Spectrasonics Omnisphere 2, Trillian, & Keyscape | AAS Collection More VSTs than I'll ever figure out Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mate stubb Posted September 7, 2013 Share Posted September 7, 2013 I have heard and played them. Nothing that you would lust after today. Sort of sounded like a piano at the time. Moe --- "I keep wanting to like it's sound, but every demo seems to demonstrate that it has the earth-shaking punch and peerless sonics of the Roland Gaia. " - Tusker http://www.hotrodmotm.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Zeger Posted September 7, 2013 Share Posted September 7, 2013 http://www.synthmuseum.com/arp/arppiano01.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ksoper Posted September 7, 2013 Share Posted September 7, 2013 I was happier with my Rhodes. And I hated my Rhodes. 9 Moog things, 3 Roland things, 2 Hammond things and a computer with stuff on it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marino Posted September 7, 2013 Share Posted September 7, 2013 I have played one. It sounded blah, it was heavy as hell, the dynamic control was awful and it was unreliable. IIRC, it was a 16-voice, and there was a 4-voice (!) cheaper version. But some of its elements (keybed, pedals) were further developed for the Chroma. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Real MC Posted September 8, 2013 Share Posted September 8, 2013 There aren't any audio examples because ARP pianos had horrible hiss in the audio. While they are velocity sensitive, the timbre doesn't change. They were only marginally better than RMI electric pianos, and that's not saying much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveCoscia Posted September 8, 2013 Share Posted September 8, 2013 I bought the ARP 4-Voice piano when ARP lowered the price to blow them out - this was about 1980 or 1981. I think I paid $1,100 or $1,200. I needed a warm sounding piano for a stint with a Beatles clone band. Remember that this is relative to that time frame and that price point. I could have spent much more money - but for this gig and my budget, the ARP piano worked fine. Overall, the ARP 4-Voice sounded great on tunes like: You Never Give Me Your Money, Golden Slumbers, Get Back, etc. I detuned the oscillators for Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da - it was versatile. The hiss was bearable. Rather authentic piano sound for the time. It was heavy (thank goodness we had a road crew) and it traveled in a big Anvil case. Never broke down. When the Beatles act disbanded (about two years later), the ARP was too big for club date work. I bought the smaller and lighter KORG EPS-1 and it sounded much less like a real piano - and it cost more. Did what I needed to do based on prize, size and sound quality - made compromises. Steve Coscia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Threadslayer Posted September 9, 2013 Share Posted September 9, 2013 I was happier with my Rhodes. And I hated my Rhodes. Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect. -Mark Twain Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveMcM Posted September 9, 2013 Share Posted September 9, 2013 I owned the 16 voice for several years when they first came out. Never had a problem with it and it offered a different sound from a Rhodes or Wurlitzer which was a plus. Not up to todays standards for an electronic version of an acoustic piano, but at the time it was cool. It was a heavy beast though, that's for sure. Wm. David McMahan I Play, Therefore I Am Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IndySteve Posted September 10, 2013 Author Share Posted September 10, 2013 After searching on Youtube and consulting with the best and brightest here, I still haven't heard/seen any demos of a working Arp Instruments 4-voice or 16-voice piano. Could it be that the instrument is completely extinct? (at least in working condition) Come out with your hands up! I have a synthesizer, and I'm not afraid to use it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Real MC Posted September 10, 2013 Share Posted September 10, 2013 They did have a known failure in that the switch membrane would melt if you left it in hot storage. Wouldn't be many in working condition today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IndySteve Posted September 16, 2013 Author Share Posted September 16, 2013 If you have an ARP (or Rhodes Model 3363) Electronic Piano, 4-Voice or 16-Voice, please put a demo on Youtube. Yours might be the last of the breed. Come out with your hands up! I have a synthesizer, and I'm not afraid to use it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Synthoid Posted September 17, 2013 Share Posted September 17, 2013 Found a larger picture: http://www.synthfind.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/arp-16-voice.jpg When an eel hits your eye like a big pizza pie, that's a Moray. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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