In-depth Feature:
Arturia 2600V
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Sonic State Rating: |
Bang for the Buck
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90%
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At less than a tenth the price of a real one and a fraction of the weight, you can't go wrong.
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Ease of Use
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60%
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It takes some getting used to, especially the complex modulation possibilities.
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Stability
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90%
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Not one crash yet, even in Logic 7.
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Tweakability
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70%
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You could go on forever, although it is possible to lose your sound by accident.
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Sonic Sweetness
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80%
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Perhaps a little too clean.
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Overall:
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78%
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Good piece of kit
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Verdict
An original ARP 2600 would set you back around £2500, and that's if you could find one. The ARP 2600 V retails at £199 (€290/$310) and has the benefit of no outrageous maintenance costs. At this price can you live without one?
This product has enough character to warrant its purchase even if you already own the other Arturia products, and although similar in sound to the Gforce Oddity the addition of both an audio input and the ARP sequencer sets it apart from its competitors. Arturia can be relied upon for quality and the sound of their TAE instruments is of a high standard with products only being released when they are completely glitch free.
I'm a big fan of old synths and being able to buy them in this way is both cheaper and more convenient than the real thing. There is of course a certain quality to the hardware versions that cannot be copied, although this is usually a bit of hiss and crackle due to old age and poor upkeep, but it could be argued that the ARP 2600 V is not the most authentic replica. Perhaps it's a little too lush sounding, although without an original for comparison it is hard to say.
There is competition, Wayoutware, a new software company, have just released their first product, the TimewARP 2600. Designed using total module emulation, this is a very accurate reproduction of the ARP 2600. It does lack the sequencer and also the tracking generator, but at a retail of around £149 (€199/$249} it is certainly worth a look.
More info on the TimewARP can be found on our NAMM pages http://www.sonicstate.com/news/shownews.cfm?newsid=1970 Or the company website http://www.wayoutware.com/
The ARP 2600 V can be bought online from the company website http://www.Arturia.com/, updates and extra presets are currently free.
A demo version is available for download and there are some sound examples on the website although they don't really show how extremely versatile the ARP 2600 V can be.
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