ARP 2600: Sample and Hold

[CubistKing1906]

this is the king of 8 bit machines.

[Sphereal]

R2D2 approves

[ToServeArmadillo]

I almost won one of these on eBay the other day for $75. The dealer looked up the value and raised the minimum price up several thousand dollars. I was two hours away from winning.

[illuminatijews]

@ToServeArmadillo

oh shit!!!! dude, i had some synths from like the 1970s, i forgot the name of it. But, i ended up selling it for 200 bucks.

[N1bbyZ]

Man if i would have all the stuff you have, i would probably never see the sun again. How in the hell can you afford all this ?!

[AutomaticGainsay]

@N1bbyZ 1.  by not owning it all at the same time 2. buy low, sell high : )

[MrWrof]

"Meanwhile, back at the lab..."

[TheZombieHolocaust]

if you own one of these how do you ever get ANYTHING done....this would seriously affect my ability to do much except hang out in the studio

[worlock93]

This isn't the droid I'm looking for....

[logIfin]

PLAY SUPER MARIO :)

[kaferere]

It sounds different if you flick the Rpt switch on the ADSR module to "key" each S/H step, almost like a sequencer but random. DO IT NEXT TIME OR I'LL REPORT YOU TO THE RETRO SYNTH POLICE! (Thanks for the great vid)

[gronker2]

Are ARP 2600s still on the market? I had not seen one of these since the late '70s.

[AutomaticGainsay]

@gronker2 There were a lot of them on eBay in the aughts, but I don't think that's the case anymore... they're too sought-after.

[hafstrat]

@gronker2 ARP went bust when it tried to make a geetar synth; the failed arp Avatar.

[hafstrat]

@gronker2 ARP went bust when it tried to make a geetar synth; the failed arp Avatar. The software versions are cool and close for the money though :-)

[ProbTron]

I think there are better sounds in that awesome machine. What you showed now is Atari Game sounds. :) Fun though. But there must be better sounds than that in there somewhere?

[AutomaticGainsay]

@ProbTron This isn't my only video on this device. If you're looking for "sounds" you might want to purchase one yourself and search for them. The point of this series is to demonstrate the functionality of the device.

[dorkydorkone]

MS-DOS on steroids!

[alexjamess]

now i know how to make the music from casinos

[mynmyself]

SHIT! A 2600!!!

[gix500]

that sound at 8:49 is cool sound, like a cop car from outer space

[gix500]

great music, that song will top the charts in 2387

[AutomaticGainsay]

@gix500 Thank you, and I hope you're right.  : )

[InspectahDeck718]

Sounds like the original NES game system on acid LOL

[raytheprinter]

Ear candy,,,silly grin,very good demo,thanks

[gregdatchney]

YES.

[pgqneto]

You are so good at synthesizers! Tell me, those amazing electronics sounds of old Taito pinball machines came from this? they are identical!

Paulino, São Paulo, Brazil.

[danakerman]

What an absolutely amazing and awesome piece of equipment. The musical possibilities are pretty much endless. Absolutely incredible.

[daebrayke]

8:10-Mike Tyson's Punch-Out

[ecallaw2k8]

at 2:42 it sounds like a GBC playing pokemon has gone horribly wrong, or should that be right...

what a mad synth, love it.

[QueryMeThis]

Yup. Badass. I want one.

[murdkipz]

DURR HURR HOW DO I MAKE IT SOUND LIKE EMINEM

[LimpBizkitFan4Lyf]

I downloaded this on a torrent, I see you can make bleeps and fartin sounds but how do you get da proper club sounds?

[mynmyself]

@LimpBizkitFan4Lyf sawtooth, litttle detune per osc. Play with cutoff. Some portamento/glide... is much easier and less challenging than creating nice S&H or cool and usable Sci-Fi efx... chords are not an option, but at it has several oscillators you could tune one as the main, osc2 as the 3rd and osc3 as the 5th and then u would get major chords with just one key.

[therealKINDLE]

Ok Gainsay.. I take what I said back. You are not a great example of todays Synthesist. You are totally Extraordinary! I'm only Just learning but know enough to understand any Analog Synth with all the patch edit controls. but this Video totally Lost me in Places! Amazing though. Really.

I bet it Must be so hard creating Music huh? I mean, with so much gear u must be lost as to which sound to use on which Synth! Do u eventually even get round to the riff or Melody?!!!

[AutomaticGainsay]

@therealKINDLE It can be daunting to have so few limitations, as I personally work best working through limitations. Ha ha, the melody is usually last for me, though. It's pretty easy for me to choose what synth will serve which function in a song, though. I don't actually own that many these days!

[DeJarreVu]

I've been using the VST versions of the ARP 2600 and Minimoog, untill I win the lottery they will have to do. You have an amazing set up. Have you used the VST versions, how do they compare if you have?

[overnationmusic]

make music not noise

[AutomaticGainsay]

@overnationmusic Music is noise.

[S0v3r3ign69]

@AutomaticGainsay noise define not regulated sounds, random signal, music is made by sounds, witch has frequency, wavelength, amplitude and velocity so.... you are stupid and better shut up. 

[AutomaticGainsay]

@S0v3r3ign69 Your comments are entertaining. Keep them coming! You do know, of course that everything the ARP 2600 does includes manipulation of frequency and amplitude, don't you? I'll gladly show you how the Sample and Hold circuit employs them, if you'd like. There is no definition of music that has any merit which includes words like "wavelength," or "velocity." I had better shut up? Ha ha ha This is fun. What instrument do you play, O Expert of Music?

[S0v3r3ign69]

@AutomaticGainsay man why don't you stick your ARP in the ass? For sure the crystal meth burned your brain up and you are mistaking sounds for noise but... stick your arp in the ass and everything will be ok.... trust me.. it will fit properly!

[QueryMeThis]

@AutomaticGainsay Dude...Mr. String of characters that I don't feel like copying doesn't have a leg to stand on...thanks for posting vids that showed me how to more fully understand my MS-20...and now that this video is loaded (I have a slow connection)...I'm gonna peep it. Very much appreciated AutomaticGainsay.

[MrSidMan]

@S0v3r3ign69 He's demonstrating a synthesizer . not making music

[S0v3r3ign69]

@MrSidMan i know, white boy, i know

[lowball420]

@S0v3r3ign69 I love how you call the guy demonstrating one of the most complicated synthesizers ever built stupid with 4th grade level spelling & grammar.

[LE749]

Who's the uneducated clown that thinks he's smart by replacing digital to analog.Next time u go to synth shop you'll notice that 90% of the new synths are "virtual analog",it means not real analog,they imitate but not 100%.You will also see the price difference between real analog and shit digital.Next time you see real analog don't even touch or look,keep on downloading imitation.Bozo

[DoubleNickels]

I own a Moog/Realistic Concertmate-MG1 which is 100% analog, but I also dabble in software and digital synths. I really just prefer real synth to digital. There's something about actual have the feel of moving switches/faders/wires as you effect the sound which gives off physical/tactile feedback as the sound changes, like with a violin or guitar or the reed of a wind instrument. You can't get that from a digital instrument no matter how hard you try.

[DoubleNickels]

I own a Moog/Realistic Concertmate-MG1 which is 100% analog, but I also dabble in software and digital synths. I really just prefer real synth to digital. There's something about actual have the feel of moving switches/faders/wires as you effect the sound which gives off physical/tactile feedback as the sound changes, like with a violin or guitar or the reed of a wind instrument. You can't get that from a digital instrument no matter how hard you try.

[bsodfc]

Did you just show me how to make sex with sounds? And is that O.K.?

[AutomaticGainsay]

@bsodfc Ha ha ha ha. Just don't tell YouTube, or I'll have to add some sort of age requirement, or something. ; )

[malvelaisp]

La más fabulosa tecnología al servicio de la creatividad musical...

[JJTTHHCC]

I love the synth, but I'm an absolute failure when it comes to knowing about them and what not. I was just wondering in what setting could you put these random assorted notes? Or (this may sound stupid) but could you just use the keyboard to make regular notes? Thanks.

[S0v3r3ign69]

useless

[AutomaticGainsay]

@S0v3r3ign69 Again, thank you for your cogent and thorough critique.

[S0v3r3ign69]

@AutomaticGainsay Don't get me wrong buddy. I really appreciate your work on this video, but I think this piece of hardware is useless in the digital world. That's all!

[AutomaticGainsay]

@S0v3r3ign69 Ah, I see. No, that's fair enough... this effect is very easily duplicated and expanded upon by many digital synths and software. The video itself, though, is to demonstrate how to operate this effect on this particular keyboard. Thank you for your explanation, though!

[phobosazazel81]

@S0v3r3ign69 u obvious do not know nothing for audio signals and synthesis.

[ferrisio]

@S0v3r3ign69 actually one of the finest synthesisers ever made, that can still do things that are near impossible to do in software, and is more inspirational than any plugin to boot.

[TimeEliminator]

Awesome for learning the Arturia version too.:D

[LOveERDos]

is fantastic how much now if you found?

[redepoch76]

This is the coolest thing I have ever seen.

[kofferfischii]

You can do this with soundschool analog as well.

[christianwelde]

good stuff!

[AutomaticGainsay]

Thanks! Unless you mean the ARP sounds, in which case, I agree!

[bsodfc]

Fuck me. Because I want one of these.

[Reptillo]

Now i know where the background sounds from Gary Numans "Me! I disconnect from you" are from

[smellyjonnie]

ah the sounds of games from the Atari 2600

[Axlzero451]

You're doing it wrong.

[smellyjonnie]

what the fuck are you talking about ....obviously your too young to remember the Atari 2600 (video game system) I was talking about some of the sounds from the Arp 2600 (two completely different things) ..but if you have never owned the sytem you would have no fucking clue of what I was talking about ......idiots

[VeloSpeed66]

1980's Arcade sounds !!! =D yay!

[doogiedog1234]

@Axlzero451 haha u smart us little fucker.

[Thizone]

I want one :)

[stewielad]

i really want one of these

[MalteSer001]

lol yesterday i sat down in front of my laptop till 3 am only to find out 30 seconds before an ebay bid that the twat had some bidding restrictions that even he didnt know about :/ of course i lost the effin chance to buy one :/

i dunno why but out of all the modules i see ...its always down to this or the m5 macbeth. ...

[active727]

this is by far the coolest thing i have ever seen or heard.

[AutomaticGainsay]

While your wit is just so charming, and your viewpoint so undoubtedly rooted in a deep understanding of the history and application of synthesizers... perhaps you could check out ANY OTHER ARP 2600 VIDEO of mine before opening your textual yap.

[EFKA526]

@Kuplungmaster1 yes you can make real music with this synth but this video shows the capabilities of the synthesis of the ARP, one of the most interesting synths ever. So if you do not know anything about synths shut the f*** up please and let us vintage gear friends enjoy these examples of analogue sound synthesis...

[Kuplungmaster1]

@EFKA526

you seem to be constipated from all that vintage noise producing fuse boxes :))

[EFKA526]

@Kuplungmaster1 nope, if you want to learn about these machines to make real music you also have to know how they are programmed and how to make these weird sounds. and of course "normal" sounds like fat basslines or cutting leads.

[finnpet]

ARP 2600 is more than synthesizer. It´s part of mythology of synthesizers. No lazy boys allowed. Simply tuning can make VR-synth user crazy.

[STEAKJOHNS0N]

this synthesizer sythesizes pain directly into your ears!

lol jk, i just dont like the random pitches

[chieftp]

wow.$3,500 (on ebay right now) to do a pitch sample 'n' hold that you can do on a $100 DX7? can anyone actually play one of these or at least get sounds out of it that don't remind one of scraping their fingernails on a chalkboard???

[EnglishBobTheDog]

mmm DX7 or 2600, let me think, which would I like?

Maybe thats why the 2600 is going for 35 times more than a DX7.

[0chromiumdumbbelle0]

Yes they can and NO you absolutely cannot do ANYTHING this expressive with a DX7........those are the lazy bastard's machines along with many other horrible models..........you had to have an imagination to master the old models.........BUT I will agree collectors have driven the prices far beyond what they're worth considering how fragile these things are.........sheesh

[Maximillion666]

Around 2:55 im having flashbacks of the Speak& Spell i used to play with as a kid :)

[teztas00]

boulder dash

[AutomaticGainsay]

Balderdash?

[Laura041974]

I think they mean an old computer game. I read about it in Retro Gamer. Interesting effect but not very musical. I should imagine you have to use it quite sparingly in a piece.

[Raunchola]

from 1:36 on!

[eggplant511]

what so of speakers/amp do you use, i would think you would have to have something that you can hear all the frequency's clear with.? maybe?

[Killtron2000]

Thank-you! I've owned a 2600 for five years now and you just taught me everything I didn't know about it in ten minutes! I salute you.

[AutomaticGainsay]

Well, thank you for watching, and I'm glad I could help!

[fiddlesworth540]

I'd laugh if the whole thing exploded at 4:04

[vjrei]

Dear look what I just got! and I only paid $4.000 for it!

I mean, is a noise generator, very sofisticated noise generator. You have all those options to make all sort of noises... and is expensive.

[curebdc]

so awesome! I have lots of synths but none have the versatility of this guy!

[pngwebmail]

must admit this sound like a tuna fish toasted sandwich with diced crispy pickles and a glass of ice water. maybe string patatoe sticks, maybe.

[dncviorel]

bleah, annoying

[EdCarvalho71]

Very cool!!! Too bad I cant afford it. Now that sound you produced which sounds like "computer processing" can be produced with a Korg Electribe using random waves and pitch speed. Very nice geek watch btw! Thanks for the video.

[David58117]

What are your favorite softsynths and why?

[UnchainTheNight1]

What good are they, and why do people have to keep bringing them up on videos about real synthesizers?

[pandavinczi]

big and expensive

[cripfripp]

cool. i'm coming over tomorrow to play all your awesome synths. i'll bring pie!

[cripfripp]

what is the song at the beginning? i want to listen to it a ton.

[AutomaticGainsay]

myspacedocomslashgodfreyscordi­almusic

[cripfripp]

want to be best friends?

[AutomaticGainsay]

Who says we're NOT?

[dancecosmic]

" crack " Voice

[nickrondle]

big

[paltieri11]

The Who!....love that Peter used it

[kleshtre]

its more fun to compute.. :-)

[nudist0885]

...or I could just not bother being obnoxious, and instead knock me over a few banks or a casino or somethin........

WHY?

because I have GOT TO GET me one o' these!!!!!!!(8^)

[nudist0885]

..."if you wanted to be obnoxious"....

YEAH!!! Can I do that?

Can I be obnoxious.

Ok, here goes.

1) Run the sample and hold out to the lag processor

2) Turn the depth of the lag processor as high as it will go (so that the portamento between one chord and the next is as long a sweep as is possible)

3) Turn the rate (or speed) as high it will go so that there are about 400 sets of pitches every second. AS IS the case at 4:03

[dinesor]

total gameboy sound =)

[YungHoodz]

Why must Sawtooths be associated with Video games?!?!?!

:(

[dinesor]

because the style sounds like a high quality game boy synth.

Or you could you evem say, a gameboy used a crappyssawtooth synth of course ;)

[Seany06]

You mean Square/ Rectangle/ Pulse teeth?

[God0Mighty]

This synth seems to make some pretty good sounds for video games, or sci fi sounds and so forth. Especially old school video games, like some of the sounds remind me of the sounds from Atari 2600, like Space Invaders or whatever. Also, wasn't it an ARP synth that was used for R2 D2's voice on Star Wars?

[Laura041974]

"Close encounters" used an Arp modular in the scene when they talk to the UFO. When they realised no one on set knew how to use it, the Arp engineer, Phil Dodds had to operate it in the film! So he delivered the synth and got a part!

[nickmorgan19457]

Patch cables are sexy.

[fexius23]

GOD this is beautiful!!!!! :DD

[oyazamij]

Weird! Sounds like nasty 8bit Arcadegames :)

Reminds me of a Softsynth that emulates a c64 (i forgot the name sry).

[metabog]

It's too bad it doesn't have two sample and hold modules, to modulate two different oscillators at different speeds.

[AutomaticGainsay]

Something that achieves something LIKE that effect might be possible with some patching. You'll have me thinking about it!

[tweakhead303]

Great Videos, Thanks ! Very useful for a new ARP 2600 owner like myself.

You should do a video about the Voltage Processors.

[Nick5379]

The sounds that thing makes makes me jizz in my pants 0_0

[Gregsynth]

I love this guys hand gestures! LOL

[odakueffect]

Another great intro music! I'd love to hear more...

[eggbertsmith]

I love it! What a great tool to re-create some of the least interesting sounds from the 70's. How on earth is this applicable towards anything other then a sound FX for a film set in the 1950's showing a "super futuristic computer" at work?  Or even better, the inside of an alien ship in a 1940's space film.

[AutomaticGainsay]

I think a lot of musicians who do electronic music are happy just to have it in their music. When I use it on its own in music, though, it's usually referential to what you're talking about. However, it does have a lot of applications used in subtle ways as a modulation source for timbre and filter.

[iantheone]

Well, if you run a Mic or guitar or other instrument into the system you could do a lot. Check out Neil Young's "Sample and Hold". Although he used a Moog Vocoder, but I'm sure this could be used in a similar way.

Of course this video is only demonstrating the effects on the tone. Trat playing it like an instrument and it would make a big difference.

[discotechwreck]

I have to agree with you to a certain extent but there are some applications

in the past I have used it to create atmosphere to a song but it has to be low in the mix

with some portamento/glide and outboard reverb or delay you can get some pretty unique sounds for an intro or ending to a production

if you have a sample and hold that goes into super fast frequency ranges you can create clangorous FM-like sounds which are certainly usable if a filter is added to the mix

[djzerobuck]

What differences are there between the ARP 2600 and the ARP Odyssey? I noticed that the Odyssey doesn't have the patch cables, does that reduce its functionality?

[AutomaticGainsay]

Yes, the Odyssey has a great deal less functionality... that's why there is such a difference in price!

[Mankemacho]

5:27 is the best :)

Thanks for all your useful videos.

[sadman666]

How is this useful =/ ..... obv its kool with the sounds but would never be used in a tune =/

[AutomaticGainsay]

It has been used in a LOT of tunes historically.

[spongekill]

thats exactly the sort of attitude that has produced so much boring and derivative music over the past twenty years :)

[TupolevTech]

thx1138's favorite tunes.

[Uberlaser]

Nice video and well explained - Thanks - The kiddy comments about Pacman and Mario made me laugh too!

[dezsanderson]

thanks

Dez Sanderson

[AdamTrid]

I love your hand motions and signs. They just make the video that much more awesome.

[AdamTrid]

IS THAT A CALCULATOR WATCH!!!? :-O

[shaunoftheundead]

1:39-1:41 reminds me of Donkey Kong

[plzplz12232]

Sounds like what they used on the classic games like pac man, and stuff on the snes and sega genesis

[sadman666]

no it doesnt

[AnttiLoponen]

Thanks for the videos. They've been both useful and entertaining. All I have is a free VST plugin for ARP 2600, but a lot of the stuff works on it as well.

[blackviolon9]

it's the same song on boulder dash game on cpc amstrad!

[mdl76]

sounds so cooool!!!! I do this on my DSI PEK!!!

[pianopower1]

Reminds me of Mario! ahaah

[Amishman35]

1:15 sounded like the GMFSK program for Ubuntu.

[XVEGA001]

I want on.

[ChebbsMastaFlex]

scared the shit out of me

[megachadthereal]

I'd do anything to get my hands on an ARP 2600, great video, as always.

[mothymothy]

LOL at last 10 seconds.

[Dementrius]

great video! you are a lord of synth!

[grauoliv]

Thanx for this great introduction to the s&h function. Made me grab some cables and play around with my Doepfer A-100. In the past I used s&h very seldom. I think from now on, this will change!

[tie32101]

Yeah Marc Does know his synths.

[axekat]

This is a great demostration and a very cool video

[AutomaticGainsay]

Thank you!

[sppjr]

Did you write the opening track to this video? I think it is an awesome song. What is the name of the song, and where can I download the mp3?

[brianacid]

my cats went crazy then they heard the high tones haha

i kinda like this video and i just got "KORG DS-10 Synthesizer"

it's a nintendo ds synthesizer.. okay it's nothing compared to a real synthesizer but it's good enough to get some cool sounds

ANYWAYS i think your movies are really cool and you are really skillfull

[AutomaticGainsay]

Thank you!

[RubikFox]

Excellent demostration. You really know your stuff.

[AutomaticGainsay]

Thank you!

[retrosound72]

R2D2 :)

Great vid Marc!

[AutomaticGainsay]

Ha ha, that's right! I should have talked more about R2 in these videos. : )  I think the 2600 was also responsible for some sound effects in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, too... anyway.

Thanks, Marko!

[Tubeuserthefirst]

Hi! My compliments.. Its great  and very understandable... watching your vid's thanks!!!

Hans

[AutomaticGainsay]

Thanks, Hans!

[CKnoxW]

Wow, this one took forever to get out. That sound at 7:40 is pretty sweet.

[nickeax]

Was this used at the beginning of Andy Warhol?

[AutomaticGainsay]

I don't know what you mean!