ARP ODYSSEY Guide

GLOSSARY
BASIC BUILDING BLOCKS Attenuator: on the Odyssey, a
Jr D slider that lets sjgnal through
. when it's up and cuts it off
Oscillator (VCO}: generates tone. when it's down.
Filter (VCF}: changes tone color. Audio range: the range of pitches
Amplifier (VCA}: controls volume. that your ear can hear.
Envelope Generator (ADSR and Harmonics: overtones. The more
AR): controls attack and decay. harmonics are present, the
ONIC
Frequency: pitch.
Timbre: tone color.
Amplitude: volume
Envelope: attack and decay shape.
ODYSSE'r .. E. MS
ADSR and AR:·
attack, decay, sustain release.
Y:={)
aFand rele&:
more brilliance the sound will
have.
Hertz(Hz): an electronic term
meaning "cycles per second."
The human ear can hear pitches
from 20 tG 20,000 cycles per
second, or 20Hertz to 20
kiloHertz. (20Hz - 20KHz) .
Highpass filter (HPF): changes
timbre by cut.ting off low
harmonics and passing high
ones.
Internal clock: adjustable low
frequency oscillator.
Lowpass filter (VCF} : changes
timbre by cutting off high
harmonics and passing low.
ones.
Mixer: combines signals.
Noise: a random signal that
sounds like a "hiss."
Odyssey: the ultimate musical
trip.
Phase: the relationship of one
waveform to another.
sine waves sine waves
in phase. out of phase.
---~ ---·
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Phase-synchronization: using
one oscillator to control the
phase of another oscillator of
different pitch.
Pitch bend: control of the
frequency of a note while
it's being played.
Portamento: a glissando, or
sliding between notes.
Resonance:"wow" control. In
electronic terms, a control that
amplifies a narrow band of ·
overtones.
Sample & hold: produces a series
of steps, which can control
pitch, volume, or brilliance.
Triggers itself automatically.
17 2
Sub-audio range (Low frequency):
pitches that are below what
your ear can hear as a tone.
Trigger: an electronic impulse
put out by a keyboard or low
frequency oscillator that starts
the envelope generator.
Voltage control: on a synthesizer, it
means substituting an electrical
signal for manual control of pitch,
brilliance, volume, and attack &
decay.
Waveform: tone. Different shapes
of waveforms have different
timbre :
Square: n._ru-u
sounds hollow, reedy.
Pulse: fL....n_fL_j
sounds thin, nasal.
Sawtooth: ~
sounds rich, full, brassy
Sine: ~
sounds smooth, round, pure.
Ring modulator: produces
a single complex output signal
which contains all the sums and
differences of the two inputs.
Learn to take
yourself on
the ultimate
musical trip!
...
"I
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dys
Electronic Music Synthesizer
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ARP ODYSSEY Specifications

General

Type	Analog Synthesizer
Oscillators	2 VCOs
Envelopes	2 ADSR
Waveforms	Sawtooth, Square, Pulse
Arpeggiator	No
Portamento	Yes
Sample and Hold	Yes
Release Year	1972
Polyphony	Monophonic
Filter	24dB/oct resonant low-pass
LFO	1 LFO
Keyboard	37 keys
Inputs/Outputs	Audio Out