Korg Announce The ARP 2600 M Modular Synth

The Korg ARP 2600 is one of the most legendary synths ever built, having been used on countless records and soundtracks since the early 70s. When you think of the synthesiser sound, chances are, you’ll think of the sort of sound that you’d get out of the ARP 2600. Last year, Korg reissued the ARP 2600 in very limited numbers, however, they’ve just announced a new compact, and slightly more future-proofed version that will be a regular production model - the ARP 2600 M.

The Korg ARP 2600 M, most importantly, delivers all the sounds that you know and love from the original, thanks to the same analogue circuitry and components. It’s also laid out in the same way, albeit scaled down a little so that it’s more compact and a lot more manageable - it now doesn’t require an entire table for it to sit on! Like the original, the Korg ARP 2600 M has three oscillators as well as a voltage controlled low-pass filter (there are actually two switchable filters from different classic ARP eras), however they have made a few tweaks that don’t take anything away from the instrument, but instead, make it a little more usable for the modern musician.

Firstly the ARP 2600 M is controlled via a MIDI keyboard - simply plug your favourite into the USB slot on the side (it has both USB-A and USB-B), and away you go. Pitch bend, modulation and portamento can also be controlled via MIDI CC messages. They’ve reduced the control voltage to 5v too, so that it’s more compatible with external gear like Volca and Eurorack modules. Other new features include improved attack and release time ratios and smoother sliders, plus the outputs have been swapped from XLR to jack.

The ARP 2600 M is more compact than previous versions, coming in at around 60% of the original size - everything is still laid out in front you, easy to see, but it’s more manageable and easier to move around. Not only this, but it also comes with an exclusive case that protects the synth (with room for a MIDI keyboard too) and makes transporting it a doddle, especially with the casters and the anti-shock dampening technology.