Odyssey
by AIR Music Technology · Synth · ARP Odyssey emulation
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Odyssey is a circuit-modelled emulation of the 1970s ARP Odyssey, with two oscillators, ring mod, sample and hold, and high- and low-pass filters.
It runs mono, duophonic or with four voices, and costs $149.
Best for: Bass, Keys & Synths, Sound Design. Genres: Electronic & EDM, Rock & Indie, Pop.
Keywords: hardware emulation, arpeggiator, 70s, circuit-modelled, leads, classic, polyphonic, analog, drum machine, standalone app, live performance, pads, sound design, subtractive, vintage.
What it does
Odyssey is AIR Music Technology's circuit-modelled version of the classic ARP Odyssey duophonic synth, developed with WayOutWare (the team behind TimewARP 2600) and extended to four-voice polyphony. It first appeared for Akai's MPC and Force standalone systems and is now also a desktop plugin.
- Original architecture: dual oscillators, LFO, sample and hold, ring modulator, and high-pass and low-pass filters, modelled at the circuit level.
- Voice modes: mono, duophonic (as on the original) or four-voice polyphonic.
- Expression: velocity, channel pressure (aftertouch) and an expression pedal can all modulate the sound.
- Tape delay: a built-in reproduction of a 1970s movable-head tape delay.
- Presets: over 150, covering leads, ambient pads and drum and percussion sounds.
- Interface: scalable and touchscreen-friendly, plus a desktop standalone player for live use with MIDI controllers.
The current version is 1.2.0.8.
Source: AIR Music Technology product page
When to use it
Odyssey is for the specific ARP sound: sharp leads, ring-mod clangs, sample-and-hold bleeps and squelchy basses, with optional polyphony the original lacked. Compared with Diva, it covers one classic design in a simple panel rather than mixing several vintage architectures. Compared with CS-80 V, it is a leaner, more aggressive duophonic instrument rather than a lush polysynth. Unlike Vital or Pigments 7, it has no deep modulation matrix or wavetables, so its range stays close to the hardware. Its MPC and Force support also makes it useful if you move between Akai hardware and a DAW.
- Best for: biting leads, ring-mod and sample-and-hold effects, and duophonic lines.
- Genres: electronic, synth-pop, funk, jazz-fusion and progressive rock.
- Look elsewhere if: you want warm pads or deep modulation (Diva or Pigments 7), or Korg's own ARP ODYSSEi software.
Where to buy
- Best Service: $149
- AIR Music Technology: $149 (list price from KVR Audio; airmusictech.com shows prices only in its shop)
- PluginFox: $149
- AudioDeluxe: $149
- Plugin Boutique: $149
Tutorials and reviews
- AIR & WayOutWare Odyssey - Take a Journey Into Sound
- MPC/Force: Odyssey Synth - playing through EVERY preset ...
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