Arturia ARP 2600V User manual

ARTURIA –ARP 2600 V –USER MANUAL 1
USER MANUAL

ARTURIA –ARP 2600 V –USER MANUAL 2
Direction
Frédéric Brun Kevin Molcard
Development
Stefano D'Angelo
Baptiste Aubry
Corentin Comte
Baptiste Le Goff
Pierre-Lin Laneyrie
Valentin Lepetit
Samuel Limier
Germain Marzin
Mathieu Nocenti
Pierre Pfister
Benjamin Renard
Design
Glen Darcey
Yannick Bonnefoy
Morgan Perrier,
Sebastien Rochard
Greg Vezon
Sound Design
Jean-Baptiste Arthus Jean-Michel Blanchet
Manual
Jason Valax
Special Thanks
Alejandro Cajica
Denis Efendic
Ruary Galbraith
Dennis Hurwitz
Clif Johnston
Koshdukai
Joop van der Linden
Sergio Martinez
Shaba Martinez,
Miguel Moreno
Daniel Saban
Carlos Tejeda,
Scot Todd-Coate
© ARTURIA S.A. –1999-2016 –All rights reserved.
11 Chemin de la Dhuy
38240 Meylan
FRANCE
http://www.arturia.com

ARTURIA –ARP 2600 V –USER MANUAL 3
Table of Contents
1INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................6
1.1 The birth of ARP Instruments and the ARP2600................................................................................. 6
1.2 Arturia’s secret ingredient: TAE®.......................................................................................................... 8
1.2.1 Aliasing-free oscillators ...........................................................................................................................8
1.2.2 A better reproduction of analog oscillator waveforms ......................................................................9
1.2.3 Direct Filter Circuit Modeling................................................................................................................10
2ACTIVATION AND FIRST START ...................................................................................12
2.1 Register and Activate.......................................................................................................................... 12
2.2Initial setup............................................................................................................................................. 12
2.2.1 Audio and MIDI settings: Windows ......................................................................................................12
2.2.2 Audio and MIDI settings: Mac OS X ....................................................................................................15
2.2.3 Using ARP 2600 V in plug-in mode.......................................................................................................15
3USER INTERFACE ..........................................................................................................17
3.1 The virtual keyboard ............................................................................................................................ 17
3.2 Toolbar.................................................................................................................................................... 17
3.2.1 Save Preset ............................................................................................................................................17
3.2.2 Save Preset As…....................................................................................................................................18
3.2.3 Import preset .........................................................................................................................................18
3.2.4 Export preset..........................................................................................................................................19
3.2.5 Resize window options..........................................................................................................................19
3.2.6 Audio settings ........................................................................................................................................20
3.2.7 Preset browser overview ......................................................................................................................20
3.2.8 MIDI Learn assignment .........................................................................................................................21
3.2.8.1 Assigning / unassigning controls ................................................................................................................... 22
3.2.8.2 Min / Max value sliders .................................................................................................................................. 23
3.2.8.3 Relative control option .................................................................................................................................. 23
3.2.8.4 Reserved MIDI CC numbers .......................................................................................................................... 24
3.2.9 MIDI controller configuration ...............................................................................................................24
3.2.10 The lower toolbar ..................................................................................................................................25
3.2.10.1 Current control value .................................................................................................................................... 25
3.2.10.2 Midi Channel Setting ..................................................................................................................................... 26
3.2.10.3 Panic button and CPU meter ....................................................................................................................... 26
3.2.10.4 Maximum Polyphony ..................................................................................................................................... 26
3.3 The Preset Browser................................................................................................................................ 27
3.3.1 Searching presets..................................................................................................................................27
3.3.2 Using tags as a filter ..............................................................................................................................28
3.3.3 The Preset Info section..........................................................................................................................29
3.3.4 Preset selection: other methods ..........................................................................................................30
3.3.4.1 Selecting a preset by its Type ....................................................................................................................... 31
3.3.5 Playlists....................................................................................................................................................31
3.3.5.1 Add a playlist ................................................................................................................................................. 31

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3.3.5.2 Add a preset .................................................................................................................................................. 32
3.3.5.3 Re-order the presets ...................................................................................................................................... 32
3.3.5.4 Remove a preset ........................................................................................................................................... 33
3.3.5.5 Delete a playlist.............................................................................................................................................. 33
3.4 Overview of the 3 sections of the ARP2600 V................................................................................. 34
3.5 Overview of the Synthesizer section .................................................................................................35
3.5.1 The Synthesizer.......................................................................................................................................35
3.5.2 The effects .............................................................................................................................................36
3.5.2.1 Chorus............................................................................................................................................................. 36
3.5.2.2 Delay............................................................................................................................................................... 37
3.5.1 “Tracking” generator............................................................................................................................37
3.1 Overview of the Sequencer / LFO / General settings section.....................................................38
3.1.1 The ARP sequencer...............................................................................................................................38
3.1.2 The LFO...................................................................................................................................................40
4THE MODULES ..............................................................................................................42
4.1 Sound programming cabinet ............................................................................................................42
4.1.1 Description.............................................................................................................................................42
4.1.2 The Oscillators (VCO)............................................................................................................................43
4.1.2.1 Oscillator 1...................................................................................................................................................... 44
4.1.2.2 Oscillator 2...................................................................................................................................................... 44
4.1.2.3 Oscillator 3...................................................................................................................................................... 45
4.1.3 The Filter (VCF).......................................................................................................................................47
4.1.3.1 The filter types:................................................................................................................................................ 49
4.1.4 The envelopes .......................................................................................................................................50
4.1.4.1 ADSR ............................................................................................................................................................... 51
4.1.4.2 AR.................................................................................................................................................................... 51
4.1.4.3 Trigger modes................................................................................................................................................. 51
4.1.5 Output amplifiers (Voltage Control Amplifier - VCA) ........................................................................52
4.1.6 Noise Generator....................................................................................................................................52
4.1.7 Voltage processor (Mixer / inverter / lag generator) ........................................................................53
4.1.8 Sample and Hold generator................................................................................................................54
4.1.9 The “electronic switch” module (Electronic switch)..........................................................................54
4.1.10 Envelope follower .................................................................................................................................55
4.1.11 Ring modulator......................................................................................................................................56
4.1.12 “Tracking” generator............................................................................................................................57
4.1.12.1 Main interface:............................................................................................................................................... 57
4.1.12.2 Edit interface.................................................................................................................................................. 58
4.1.13 Reverberation........................................................................................................................................58
4.1.14 Chorus and delay effects ....................................................................................................................59
4.1.15 Control voltages (CV control) .............................................................................................................60
4.2 Keyboard interface (Model 3620) .................................................................................................... 61
4.3 Low frequency oscillator (LFO) ..........................................................................................................61
4.4 The ARP sequencer ..............................................................................................................................62
5THE BASICS OF SUBTRACTIVE SYNTHESIS...................................................................66

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5.1 The three main elements .................................................................................................................... 66
5.1.1 The oscillator or VCO ............................................................................................................................66
5.1.2 The filter or VCF .....................................................................................................................................71
5.1.3 The amplifier or VCA.............................................................................................................................75
5.2 Complementary modules .................................................................................................................. 75
5.2.1 The keyboard ........................................................................................................................................75
5.2.2 The envelope generators.....................................................................................................................76
5.2.3 The low frequency oscillator ................................................................................................................78
5.2.4 The ring modulator................................................................................................................................79
5.2.5 Sample and hold ..................................................................................................................................80
6A FEW ELEMENTS OF SOUND DESIGN.......................................................................82
6.1 Simple patch without cabling ........................................................................................................... 82
6.2 Polyphonic patch with cabling .........................................................................................................86
6.3 Special effects patch with the help of the tracking generator .................................................. 90
6.4 Patch using the sequencer to create a melody ...........................................................................93
6.5 Patch using the sequencer to create a modulation sequence.................................................95
7END USER LICENSE AGREEMENT................................................................................98

ARTURIA –ARP 2600 V –USER MANUAL 6
1INTRODUCTION
Arturia would like to thank you for purchasing our synthesizer model: the ARP 2600
V. We are confident it will prove to be an extremely valuable addition to your music
production studio. If you’ve purchased our products before, you know we pride
ourselves in faithfully recreating the sound and feel of the original instruments, down
to the smallest detail. ARP 2600 V is no exception to this rule.
And if this is the first of our products you have owned, you are in for a treat! The
synthesizer upon which this model is based was the absolute pinnacle of analog
synthesizer technology at the time, light-years ahead of the competition.
1.1 The birth of ARP Instruments and the ARP2600
Alan R. Pearlman, whose initials would form the name of ARP Instruments, became
interested in instruments for electronic music as early as 1948, when he was a
student at the Worcester Polytechnic Institute. This was a means for him to associate
his two passions: electronic music and the piano.
It was by commercializing the amplifier models for the NASA Gemini and Apollo
programs that he would start his career. Around 1968 he started seriously imagining
the possibility of building electronic instruments –after hearing a recording of
“Switched-on Bach,” according to legend.
In 1969, Alan R. Pearlman, David Friend and Lewis G. Pollock created ARP
Instruments (originally called Tonus Inc.). The company, based in Newton Highlands
(Massachusetts, USA), conceived electronic products, but also and above all else
a large modular synthesizer, the ARP 2500. The machine used a matrix which
connected the different sections of the synthesizer, instead of the traditional cables
found in its competitor’s modular system. The ARP 2500 found success in American
universities.
The growth of ARP instruments was fast and in 1972 the ARP 2600, probably the most
legendary of the entire range, was unveiled. This semi-modular synthesizer,
conceived with an educational goal, was to become hugely successful after a
shaky start. The ARP 2600 was notably used by Stevie Wonder, Joe Zawinul
(Weather Report), Tony Banks (Genesis), Jean-Michel Jarre, Herbie Hancock... ARP
was the market leader in synthesizers during the 70’s with around 40% of the market
share.
In ten years, three versions of the ARP 2600 were commercialized: The first version
was called “Blue meanie” because of its steely blue finish. The “blue meanie” was
quickly replaced by a second version, with a grey background finish and white silk
screening (1972). This was to be more popular. In 1978 ARP decided to change the
graphic chart for all of its machines: a black background color with orange silk
screening was introduced. The ARP2600 benefited from its third and last version.

ARTURIA –ARP 2600 V –USER MANUAL 7
The great rival of ARP was the Bob Moog’s company. The competition between
the two manufacturers can easily be seen when we observe the machines: The
ARP, for example, has linear potentiometers, while its competitor has rotating pitch
bend and modulation wheels.
A well-known episode of this competition was the 24 dB/octave filter, the 4012,
used by the ARP. This was a replica of the famous filter made by its competitor. In
1973, this one threatened ARP with legal action and the firm decided to change
the circuits on its filter. The 4072 was born and took the place of the 4012. This
possessed a calibration error in the high frequencies –the maximum cut-off
frequency was less than 11 kHz instead of the 16 kHz promised in the press. Luckily
the repair for users was fast and not much of a burden. On the first ARP 2600’s, the
4012 filter was still used (this was the case for the “Blue meanie” and on the first
examples of the “grey and white”) while the models that followed offered the 4072.
The ARP synthesizers possess very stable oscillators, more reliable than the ones
equipping Bob Moog's synthesizers, what he admitted himself. On the other hand,
ARP for a long time dipped the electronic circuits for filtering in resin to avoid
industrial piracy... this made for major problems when trying to perform a repair.
In 1972, ARP launched the Odyssey, which would be in direct competition with the
Bob Moog’s monosynth released one year earlier. The same year, the Pro-Soloist, a
preset instrument, was also unveiled.
In 1976, ARP released a small 16 step sequencer in the form of 2 independent 8 step
sequences. This became famous and is still very sought after (it is emulated in the
ARP2600 V.) The same year they presented the Omni, which would become one
of ARPs biggest successes. The instrument allowed the combination of two
polyphonic violin sounds –a great innovation for the company –and 2
monophonic bass sounds.
In 1976, ARP released a small 16-step sequencer in the form of two independent 8-
step sequences. This became famous and is still very sought after (it is emulated in
the ARP2600 V.) The same year they presented the Omni, which would become
one of ARPs biggest successes. The instrument allowed the combination of two
polyphonic violin sounds –a great innovation for the company –and two
monophonic bass sounds.
But in 1981, ARP was finally bought out by CBS. The following year, CBS with part of
the ARP development team would produce the Chroma, a programmable
polyphonic synthesizer, and in 1984 the Chroma Polaris, a simplified and MIDI-
capable version of the Chroma.

ARTURIA –ARP 2600 V –USER MANUAL 8
1.2 Arturia’s secret ingredient: TAE®
TAE®(True Analog Emulation) is Arturia's outstanding technology dedicated to the
digital reproduction of the analog circuits used in vintage synthesizers.
TAE®’s software algorithms result in spot-on emulation of analog hardware. This is
why ARP 2600 V offers an unparalleled quality of sound, as do all of Arturia’s virtual
synthesizers.
TAE®combines three major advances in the domain of synthesis:
1.2.1 Aliasing-free oscillators
Standard digital synthesizers produce aliasing in high frequencies, especially when
using Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) or Frequency Modulation (FM).
TAE®enables the generation of oscillators which are completely free of aliasing in
all contexts (PWM, FM…), and at no extra CPU cost.
Linear frequency spectrum of a current well-known software synthesizer
Linear frequency spectrum of an oscillator modeled with TAE®
Aliasing

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1.2.2 A better reproduction of analog oscillator waveforms
The waveforms produced by the oscillators in analog synthesizers are affected by
the presence of a capacitor in the circuits. The discharge of a capacitor results in
a slight ‘bend’ in the original waveform (most notably for sawtooth, triangular and
square waveforms). TAE®reproduces the result of this capacitor discharge in
software.
Below is the analysis of a waveform from one of the five original instruments Arturia’s
software emulates, followed by one made by TAE®. They are both equally
deformed by the low-pass and high-pass filtering.
Temporal representation of the “sawtooth” waveform of a hardware synthesizer
Temporal representation of a “sawtooth” waveform reproduced by TAE®

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What’s more, the hardware analog oscillators were unstable. In fact, their
waveforms vary slightly from one period to another. If we add to this the fact that
the starting point for each period (in Trigger mode) can vary with the temperature
and other environmental conditions, we see why vintage synthesizers have such a
typical sound.
TAE®reproduces the instability of oscillators, resulting in a fatter and “bigger” sound.
1.2.3 Direct Filter Circuit Modeling
Due to advances in computer processing power, TAE® can now employ direct filter
modeling techniques to achieve unprecedented accuracy in the emulation of a
hardware synthesizer’s filter. By modeling the operation of the individual hardware
components of the filter circuit, the warm nuances synonymous with analog sounds
are recreated.
The following graph shows a single example of direct circuit modeling in action.
The peaks represent the generation of harmonics at multiples of the resonant
frequency when a particular filter is in self oscillation mode. These harmonics are
characteristic of hardware synthesizer filters and are due to the non-linear behavior
inherent to their analog circuitry. Anomalies such as these add to the richness and
warmth of the sound produced by the filter.
But you’ll notice there are two lines on the graph: Those are the superimposed
frequency domain plots for both one of Arturia's virtual instruments and the
hardware filter being emulated. They are practically indistinguishable, both on the
graph and to the human ear. The direct recreation of this analog circuitry causes
the same characteristics of the sound to be present, thus giving the user a truly
analog sound.

ARTURIA –ARP 2600 V –USER MANUAL 11
Comparison of harmonics generated by the filter circuits in self-oscillation
of TAE®and a hardware synthesizer
So here’s the bottom line: when you bring together a bunch of music lovers who
also have a deep understanding of the characteristics of electronic circuits, you
wind up with Arturia. And Arturia now offers you our most impressive software model
yet, the ARP 2600 V.
We take great satisfaction in knowing this great synthesizer will help you explore
previously unknown musical territory.

ARTURIA –ARP 2600 V –USER MANUAL 12
2ACTIVATION AND FIRST START
2.1 Register and Activate
ARP 2600 V works on computers equipped with Windows 7 or later and Mac
OS X 10.8 or later. You can use the stand-alone version or use ARP 2600 V as an
Audio Units, AAX, VST2 or VST3 instrument.
Once ARP 2600 V has been installed, the next step is to register the software.
The registration process will require you to enter the serial number and the
unlock code you received with the product.
In order to proceed, go to this web page and follow the instructions:
http://www.arturia.com/register
Note: If you don’t have an Arturia account yet, you will need to create one.
The process is quick, but it does require that you can access your email address
during the registration process.
Once you have acquired an Arturia account you will be able to register the
product.
2.2 Initial setup
2.2.1 Audio and MIDI settings: Windows
At the top left of the ARP 2600 V application is a pull-down menu. It contains
various setup options. Initially you will need to go to the menu and choose the
Audio Settings option to get sound and MIDI flowing in and out.

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ARP 2600 V main menu
You will then see the Audio MIDI settings window. This works in the same way
on both Windows and Mac OS X, although the names of the devices available
to you will depend on the hardware you are using.

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Audio and MIDI settings window
Starting from the top you have the following options:
Device lets you choose which audio driver you want to use to route
sound out of the instrument. This might be your computer’s own driver
like Windows Audio, or an ASIO driver. The name of your hardware
interface may appear in this field.
Output Channels lets you select which of the available outputs will be
used to route audio out. If you only have two outputs, only two will
appear as options. If you have more than two you can select a specific
pair of outputs.
The Buffer Size menu lets you select the size of the audio buffer your
computer uses to calculate sound. A smaller buffer means lower latency
between pressing a key and hearing the note. A larger buffer means a
lower CPU load as the computer has more time to think, but can result
in a small latency. Find the optimum buffer size for your system. A fast,
modern computer should easily be able to operate at 256 or 128 sample
buffer size without creating pops or clicks in the sound. If you are getting
clicks, try raising the buffer a little. The latency is displayed on the right
hand side of this menu.
The Sample Rate menu lets you set the sample rate at which audio is
sent out of the instrument. The options here will depend on the capability
of your audio interface hardware though even most computers’ own
hardware can operate at up to 48kHz which is perfectly fine. Higher
sample rates use more CPU power so unless you have a good reason to

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go up to 96kHz, then 44.1k or 48k is usually fine. The Show Control Panel
button will jump to the system control panel for whatever audio device
is selected.
Play Test Tone helps you to troubleshoot audio issues by confirming
whether sound can be heard through the correct device.
Your connected MIDI devices will appear in the MIDI Devices area. Click
the check box to accept MIDI from the device you want to use to trigger
the instrument. In standalone mode, ARP 2600 V listens for all MIDI
channels so there’s no need to specify a channel. You can specify more
than one MIDI device at once.
2.2.2 Audio and MIDI settings: Mac OS X
The process is very similar to initial setup for Windows and the menu is accessed
in the same way. The difference is that OS X uses CoreAudio to handle audio
routing and the audio device selection is made in the second dropdown
menu. Apart from that, the options work the same way as described in the
Windows section.
2.2.3 Using ARP 2600 V in plug-in mode
ARP 2600 V comes in VST, AU and AAX plug-in formats for use in all major DAW
software such as Cubase, Logic, Pro Tools and so on. You can load it as a plug-
in instrument and its interface and settings work the same way as in standalone
mode, with a couple of differences.

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You can automate numerous parameters using your DAW’s automation
system.
You can use more than one instance of ARP 2600 V in a DAW project. In
standalone mode you can only use one at once.
You can route ARP 2600 V’s audio outputs more creatively inside your
DAW using the DAW’s own audio routing system.

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3USER INTERFACE
In this chapter we will give an overview of the features available to you with
ARP 2600 V. As with every Arturia product, we have gone to great lengths to
make the use of this software instrument as simple and as much fun as possible,
while also striving to make sure you never run out of new things to do with it as
your knowledge expands. After reading this chapter you should be ready to
delve as deeply into the workings of ARP 2600 V as you would like.
3.1 The virtual keyboard
The virtual keyboard lets you play a sound without connecting an external MIDI
device; just click a key to hear the active Voice. Drag the cursor across the
keys to hear a glissando.
The ARP 2600 V virtual keyboard
3.2 Toolbar
The toolbar that runs along the top edge of the instrument both in standalone
and plug-in mode provides access to many useful features. Let’s look at them
in detail. The first seven of these options can be found by clicking on the ARP
2600 V section at the very top left hand corner of the instrument window.
3.2.1 Save Preset
The first option lets you save a preset. If you select this, you are presented with
a window where you can enter information about the preset. In addition to
naming it you can enter the author name, select a bank and type and select
some tags that describe the sound. This information can be read by the preset
browser and is useful for searching the preset banks later. You can also enter
freeform text comments in the Comments field, which is handy for providing a
more detailed description.

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The Save Preset window
3.2.2 Save Preset As…
This works in the same way as the Save command, but lets you save a copy of
the preset instead of saving over the original. It’s useful for creating variations
on patches but still keeping individual copies of each one.
3.2.3 Import preset
This command lets you import a preset file, which can be either a single preset
or an entire bank of presets. Both types are stored in the .arpx format.
After selecting this option, the default path to these files will appear in the
window, but you can navigate to whichever folder you are using.

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3.2.4 Export preset
You can export and share a single preset using this command. The default path
to these files will appear in the window, but you can create a folder at another
location if you like.
3.2.5 Resize window options
The ARP 2600 V window can be resized from 60% to 200% of its original size
without any visual artifacts. On a smaller screen such as a laptop you might
want to reduce the interface size so it doesn’t dominate the display. On a
larger screen or a second monitor you can increase the size to get a better
view of the controls. The controls work the same at any zoom level but the
smaller ones can be harder to see at the smaller magnification values.

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The Resize Window menu
3.2.6 Audio settings
Here you manage the way the instrument transmits sound and receives MIDI.
See section 2.2 of the manual for full details on this.
3.2.7 Preset browser overview
The Preset browser is invoked by clicking the toolbar button that has four
vertical lines. See section 3.3 of the manual for full details on this. The Filter,
name field and left / right arrows in the toolbar all assist with preset selection.