Hey! If you want to show some gratitude and support an awesome cause, please check out the Alan R Pearlman Foundation: alanrpearlmanfoundation.org/donate/ Also go and smash the like and subscribe buttons on their channels th-cam.com/channels/QmTad5R-ZMbGzYeuEs_qTg.html alanrpearlmanfoundation.org/ instagram.com/arpchives/ facebook.com/alanrpearlmanarchives/ Thank you!
I donated $100. My company (Lam Research) matches my donations so it will add another $100. I hope that others will appreciate this as much as me and help out this wonderful cause. Truly fantastic.
Foundations are cool - checking the landing page, I don't see what this is all about in less than 30 seconds. Now, I'm not the sharpest knife in the drawer but the /donate/ landing page should have a one sentence spiel about what this is all about so that folks can give without having to dig in..
I pay £160 a year for the BBC license tax and get nothing worth watching and then I sign into TH-cam and find quality like this for free. Your documentaries are unbelievably well researched and produced. Thank you so much.
Alex, you are a legend dude. We are so lucky to have content like this just dropped in our laps - for free. I’m just in awe at the quality of this. Your channel is mind blowing. There’s nothing else even remotely close to it anywhere online. Thanks for everything you do for the synth community. 🙏🙏🙏🙏
I have never commented on a TH-cam video before, but I just have to say that this channel is of such quality I can't help myself and had to say so. The depth of research, attention to detail, production values, humour, cinematography and vast musical knowledge deployed, everything - it's just sublime. Thank you Alex for what you do - there are few like you!
True. These documentaries are on BBC level and should reach millions. And then there‘s beautiful music as the icing on the cake. You’re a fantastic composer, Alex!
Thank you for this video post. I was on the team at CBS that “received” the Chroma and the four voice piano. The Fullerton Fender plant failed to produce these, so CBS moved them to the Gulbransen Organ factory in Illinois. We were making Z80 microprocessor based organs, so the Arp equipment was a good fit for us. Our team mostly worked with Phil Dodds, and Leo Keightly. I left there in the spring of 1984 to work on scientific research equipment, but never forgot that Chroma! In looking at a hobby for retirement, I decided on electronic music. Thanks again!
Hi Bill. Thank you for the back story, that's very interesting. Did you know Mary Lock in that case? She helped out behind the scenes with photos and vital information. And were you around for the Chroma Polaris or had you left by the point?
I left while the Polaris was still in development. The R&D team was in Woburn, Ma, and we were in Illinois. In the days before email 🤣 we usually found out about new stuff by mail. Since the NAMM show was the official intro, they usually showed equipment made by R&D, and production came later. Before NAMM, info was hard to come by. I do not recall meeting Mary Lock.
@@billfinch4661 Thank you for the info! I might be able to borrow a Polaris at some point so that's interesting to know where it was developed. Can imagine it was a very different world with communications. Hearing David Frederick's accounts of sales and marketing was _very_ interesting as it was so different from what you'd do now with promo videos and social media posts etc. Although there are themes that are universal across different eras.
I still have a fondness for the Chroma, but a Minilogue XD makes more sense for me. Alan Pearlman was one of those guys of that generation that really had mad skills in electronics. Like Robert Moog, Richard Peterson ( who I worked for in high school), Harold Rhodes, Don Leslie, and my dad, Robert Finch, who ran the Gulbransen R&D group. Of course, these days we have Synth Chaser and others.
@@billfinch4661 Yes, keeping a Chroma going is a commitment unto itself. Seems to have a cult following. A brand new Minilogue would probably be better behaved and softer on the wallet. :)
I had the pleasure and honor of learning Synthesis from, and living in the house of JIM MICHMERHUIZEN, the man who wrote the manuals of the 2500 and 2600 in Boston, and doing frequent trips to the ARP factory in Newton Highlands, in the early 70s. Jim travelled promoting these synths world-wide, and I met him here in Caracas in 1970 when he came to demonstrate for our Instituto de Fonología Musical, of which I later was the Tech Director. Strange he is not mentioned here, but all kudos to my mentor. Great work, Alex ! So many memories....
Hi Jim. Thanks for the story, that's really interesting. Yes, Jim and others drifted under my nose whilst researching this massive topic. I had so much material to go through that it had to be cut into quite heavily. Jim has since appeared in the recent ARP 2500 synthposium with others who didn't appear here. This documentary could be made many times over with different accounts and stories. A wonderful story.
I'm just 3rd through this amazing story, locked down in the UK and now I know why "normal" television dies. Never seed something IMHO so interesting and absorbing. Great work.
Hi Alex. 7 months have passed and this piece still leaves me choked up and speechless. Congratulations, brother. This was worth every effort you put into it. It's phenomenal and touching. Thanks for this wonderful gift to the musical community.
I just donated $100 to the foundation. My company (Lam Research) matches my donations so it will add another $100. I hope that others will appreciate this as much as me and help out this wonderful cause. Truly fantastic.
39:05 Whoever that is, it’s an absolutely brilliant take on that genre. The quality of the music you create for these things is stunning. Everything about this video is stunning. This film should be on the BBC and PBS. I don’t think anybody on this planet is making better documentaries about anything.
I don’t think I have ever commented on a youtube video before, but feel compelled to now. What an outstanding body of work! Congrats to you and all involved. I especially liked the part about the String Synthesiser as I used to have one and foolishly sold it! Had I known how rare they were I would still be it’s caretaker today! I only paid £70 for it too! ( A music shop was closing and had that and a Jen synth for the same price. My parents thought I had bought furniture instead of a synth!) Anyway, I enjoyed that greatly. Thank you!
Thanks Ian. Yes, I guess String Synths went out of fashion and the classic polys came in. Who would have thought that sound would then come back around decades later? Oh how I wish I could be cruising the second hand ads in 1992.
@@AlexBallMusic I was and ended up with a Roland JX-8P with the PG-800 programmer for $500 CAD - both of which I still own. It hasn't quite appreciated like other models. I should have bought the Linndrum I was offered for $300. I bought lots of gear in the mid-1990s for rock bottom prices and still stupidly sold it all in the early 2000s when soft-synths started becoming a thing. I have a studio full of classic kit again, but I still shake my head at some of the stuff I sold off just as the used market was taking off with the dawn of eBay. I made money on everything, but I've had many longing nightmares ever since!
As an ARP owner and fan I thank you so much for making this beautiful film Alex. It’s a story that had to be told, and as a musician and film maker you were the right man for the job. Take care and thanks again.
I was waiting for the "Steely Dan Odyssey" story to come around, and it did. I can sleep happily now. All jokes aside, you've made yet another masterpiece documentary about a fabulous company for us synth nerds to enjoy. Well done mate. Well done. :)
I just purchased one of two Steely Dan Rhodes Chroma's. A keyboardist in the band (didn't ask which one) had two in his mothers attic for many years. A friend was asked by the Steely Dan member to help clean out her home after she passed. His reward was one of the Chroma's. It took over a year to a complete restore and do the many upgrades that make it more stable. I traded that fellow for an Andromeda, Neuman u87 mic, and 1k in cash. Is an amazing synth and I am so happy to finally have one.
You’ve surpassed us all, Alex...This is a flipping feature film! This belongs on television. I wish you all the best, my friend, your talent and dedication is immense...
Alex Ball That’s what I love about these, you get together several owners of synths, designers, editors, etc. To all collaborate on a brilliant project!
Some of the stuff mixed and mastered by yours truly :) What a treat to get your hands on as an audio-engineer - a great performance by Alex on a fantastic instrument. Just great.
1:32:00 Hearing him talk about Japan in the 80s sounds like how Berhinger is affecting the synth market today. I hope it doesn't hurt too many of my favourite smaller brands.
What a massive undertaking Alex. This is just amazing. That first jam at 11:45 gave me some serious goosebumps. Well done sir, you’re doing us all a service. This is Beyond Netflix and Broadcast-worthy. 👏
Some corrections: 1:25:20 - Should read Drew Schlesinger & David Torn. On that subject, check out the superb album that that track is from: drewschlesinger-davidtorn.bandcamp.com/album/summer-synthesis-1978 1:36:26 - The mylar membrane switches that failed were actually in the keyboard action, not the front panel. Each key had a roller mounted on it and the roller moved down and up the membrane switch when a key was depressed and released. 1:50:44 - The song title should read "Schismo".
Ce film est déja entré dans la legende des meilleurs jamais produit sur l'histoire d'une marque de synthés. Rien que la musique d'introduction est incroyable, elle me donne des frissons a chaque fois que je l'ecoute. Merci Alex pour ce documentaire.👋👋👋
I always liked ARP synthesizers but did not know much about them. That’s now changed thanks to this brilliant documentary. Getting to know the people behind the brand, their stories and these amazing sounds and tracks left me very satisfied. I can hardly imagine how much effort went into production of this, but it clearly paid off. You are the David Attenborough of vintage sythesizers. Thank you Alex!
I honestly think the Chroma is one of the greatest yet incredibly underrated polysynths of all time. I personally think its the best example of what ARP's R&D team was capable of; it sounds like no other polysynth other there imo. The sounds it can create are incredible even today, let alone for an analog synth released in 1982. And its such a shame that it's one of the only ARP products that hasn't been properly re-created in either software or hardware form. I hope one day we get an Arturia emulation or by chance Korg or Behringer makes a clone.
Edgar Winter's Frankenstein, Kraftwerk's Autobahn and Genesis's Selling England By The Pound were my first encounters with ARP instruments--what a fabulous legacy. Thank you for making this available to us.
Me clicking on this video: - Ah, the ARP-doc I've been looking forward too! Me seeing the runtime of the video: - **pauses video*... *writes comment*... *get's popcorn** This gonna be a treat! **looks for patreon link in description** **searches patreon for Alex Ball** **wonders where to throw my money?** **finds Alan R Perlman Foundation link**
I am watching this program for the 3rd time over several months. I was introduced to the ARP 2600 in the 70's in the Denver Natural History museum, where a sales rep demo'ed the synth to a room full of people who responded to a newspaper add for the free show. I have been in love with synth music ever since, and, though I have no instrumental training, own both hardware and software synths including the Cherry Audio s/w version of the 2600. Such fun! Thank you ARP.
Fantastic video - watching and listening to the ARP synths is just mesmerising. We owe Alex a huge debt of gratitude in making this brilliant video. Combination of listening to the products and the stories behind the machines is synth gold!!
Every time I get sad, thinking it'd the end of the doc... theres more! What an absolute joy to watch. Thank you, Alex. It makes me happy returning to your channel to see so many followers and commenters. And so much to watch!!
I was so looking forward to this. I remember trolling the music shops in the Sydney CBD during the 70's during my lunch hour and was thrilled each time a new synth arrived. I must have "played" every one of these synths. They were a bit of a mystery as they we not like the other brands. The amount of attention to detail and history revealed here staggers me. This must have taken years to complete. This should have been a documentary packaged and sold. It is too generous that we get to see it for free, I paid for the crowdfunded Tangerine Dream history dvd and its not a patch on the quality of this. Alex you are a marvel and a generous gift to the synth community. Thanks so much. Only a fanatical nerd would want to see all the variants of a model....so here we go!!! Fabulous - the best TV viewing on my isolation Easter long weekend.Thanks. I suppose Korg is next? Yamaha?
Thanks Samuel. Yes, it's often mind boggling to consider what sounds were possible in 1970 that wouldn't be commonly used until long after. Radical inventions really.
Found this comment just as it started, dear lord what a fantastic sounding synth, it makes me wonder if I broke it down into parts if I could get my Little Microfreak to get anywhere close to that...
I don't comment usually but I always appreciate the time and effort taken by TH-camrs. I have not watched this one yet but I caught your Roland History documentary quite by accident and marvelled at the the amount of effort you put into it. Professional, informative and everything other posters have said and more. Everyone is in dark times at the minute, not so much the situation itself but the endless doom and gloom portrayed on the television. So Thank God for TH-cam and your good self, Alex. Why is it when one can play with their synth collection 24/7 at the moment, I can't be even bothered to turn mine on? Watching your videos is just the tonic I, and all others, need. So a Big Thank You from me in advance. Thank You, Richard
Holy smoke is this well done or what!? Bravo! Great musical interludes, well paced and kept me interested, and never did I know that I desperately want an ARP 2500 before. I knew about the 2600, but the 2500 is just too cool. Thanks so much for your work.
Alan, it definitively did some contributions. Thank you to whole crew who made these creations for the world to experience. And thank you to Alex for this great documentary.
This content is fantastic. I’m a bedroom vinyl DJ who has recently incorporated Ableton into my work. I’ve been planning to add an extensive hardware setup to my kit and I found this. The knowledge that I have gained from watching these films has educated me far deeper than I first thought and has been invaluable in teaching me about the history and development of synths and hardware. It’s actually changed the direction of my music. Alex my man, you are one of the best posters on TH-cam and I watch a lot of it. Can’t thank you enough for the way you tell the story of electronic music. It really is top notch.
My dad had an ARP DGX - exact layout, coloring, and lighted button switches - but it was labeled as a Pro Soloist. There must have been a transition period or maybe he got a prototype. He also had an ARP OMNI 2 for strings which I rarely see mentioned. I glad you covered it. It was good to see one again - bringing back memories. Maybe they didn't make many. My grandfather owned a music store that sold mostly organs at that time (it was more full service for decades before that). He and my dad went to NAMM a lot when I was a kid so maybe that's where he got hooked up with the oddball Pro Soloist.
What an excellent documentary. I've been interested in ARP since the 1970s starting with Tony Banks (Cinema Show), Jean-Michel Jarre and later Vince Clarke. This was a fascinating insight into the people and the human story of ARP. An ARP Odyssey in the hands of Billy Currie (Ultravox) could almost melt the speakers of my old music centre - it was staggeringly powerful. I recommend Astrodyne by Ultravox from that period. Some great new ARP music in this documentary to check out also. Congratulations to everyone involved.
Me : "That wompus sounded a bit lame" Alex : Turns up the reverb and volume, plays again Me : Terrified I don't actually know what to say, this is so good. THANK YOU Alex for all your amazing work and your brilliant music and talent.
I started working for ARP Instruments right out of high school in 1975 on the production line. I later moved to the service department and stayed there until 1981. There was only a few of us left when CBS acquired the Chroma. also worked at Fender R&D in Woburn, MA helping to build the prototype Chroma run of 50. It was so great to see everyone and all the instruments again. It was a great honor to work with Phil Dodds and I understand he has passed away years ago. Alex, thanks so much for this video!
Hi John! Thanks for stopping by. That's fantastic! So you were there right until the end? I've spoken to Mary Lock who was too, I assume you know her? Were you involved with the Chroma Polaris too, or just the Chroma? Btw - If you haven't already spoken to Dina Pearlman at the ARP Foundation, I'm sure she'd love to speak as she's been tracking down ex-ARP people.
@@AlexBallMusic I do know Mary. Another technician and I were kept at the end to finish any customer units for repair. I did not get to work with the Polaris. We saw prototypes that the engineers were working on and I think the first build were done elsewhere (Fullerton?).
Thanks for the reply. Wow, so that really was the end! Funny to think that you probably worked on instruments I've played decades later. Did you meet Don Muro at the time? He purchased the ARP learning module keyboards on the final day. Polaris - yes that's the one. I've spoken to Paul DeRocco about the Polaris, but I wondered if anyone else was there. If you get a moment to fire Dina Pearlman an email, I'm sure she'd love to hear from you as any info from anyone who worked for her father is always golden. Dina [at] alanrpearlmanfoundation [dot] org
@@AlexBallMusic Was that the Modular Synthesizer Lab? Wow, I forgot about them. They were modules built in small project boxes for teaching. I don't remember a dedicated keyboard for them. I thought it was all sold to another company before the bankruptcy.
I just noticed the photo of the R&D staff at 1:38:05, I am the second person in from the right. I have never seen this photo and would love to find a clear copy.
Last year, I wanted to create 10 mins episodes of some "famous synths" that made the evolution of what we know. but I guess I can't do any better now =)...Fucking great job!! can't much but a biigggg thank you! I think there arent enough "documentaries" in youtube about synths! I mean it is the base of what everyone listen's to...Again you should be very proud of your work! Inventors like this deserves to be heard...next step the FM with John Chowning =)
I think I alone spent about 70 hours mixing the 3 songs and cleaning up the skype-dialog. It's not for the money, haha. Such a marvel to get to work with these old machines. The 2600 stands as one of best sounding synths I ever laid me EQ' on - not very much needed. And the 2500 was equally easy to get to "sit" in a mix. Fantastic instruments. And then of course performed by stellar musicians and great songs. A labour of love - I loved every minute of it //Jakob Ole
@@sonicpeakstudio541 very good comment. I have always found this as well, great acoustic takes and analog synth from the 70s sit in the mix by themselves, you can put more or less, it is only a matter of taste but still sounds great. No need to layer or double. Hardly any EQ, enhancing or god knows what else. Modern synths (digital or analog) are always harsh and fighting with everything else no matter what you do. You did an amazing job with the soundtrack. It is the first time that it really comes across on a TH-cam video. I was literally drooling over the gorgeousness of the sounds. What is that special quality that no modern equipment can ever emulate?
Alex, your documentaries are absolutely brilliant. As a retro synth enthusiast I can honestly say I am such a fan of seeing these stories and also hearing the well recorded clips of you cracking out some sounds on these old beasts. Also the use of the Sequential Circuits Pro One on a lot of your stuff, drove me to playing a friends for a bit and eventually getting myself a clone. Keep up this amazing content :)
Just had to pause and ask, is this ARP NAMM JAM available somewhere? I mean the original recordoring (if there ever was one). ...and Alex, you spark my interest for synthesizer like no one else, a thousand thanks! :)
There is indeed a recording of one of the NAMM Jams that appeared a few times in the video. I got it from David Frederick so will have to ask whether it lives anywhere (or will be available).
Oh... if you where to release a hard copy of this documentary, you could maybe include extras, including the Jam / Jams, etc. Just put on tonight a 2nd-hand LP I bought few months back, and noticed they used an ARP. -- Sugerloaf with Jerry Corbetta "Don't Call Us - We'll Call You" (released 1975). The Album's front cover actually has a drawing of an ARP kinda caricatured as a piano. Played by a Skeleton❕ WeLL KooL
The quality of this is just unreal. From the story and detail to the music and information. Both the Roland documentary and this have left me with such gratitude for it being able to watch and I could not praise you enough. Amazing channel, and just the best documentary one could ask for. Thank you so much for your work, too awesome!!!
A great documentary - I'm not a musician, but couldn't tear myself away. It's not often I have the patience to watch almost 2 hours of a TH-cam video, but this was mesmerizing. Good job!
Alex I can't believe that only a couple of weeks ago I stumbled across your channel when looking for some info on my RS-09, then got totally immersed in your other videos, then discovered that it was you making this doco which I'd heard about and filed in the back of my mind to check out when it got released... synchronicity of synthesisers! Thanks for all your amazing work, it is really fantastic. cheers, Kael
@@AlexBallMusic That was a fantastic watch Alex. I loved 'The Dutch Connection', and the Quadra, and the 2500, and the....! Sad that the company folded; but for the team to go on to great projects, and for Alan R Pearlman to go and work for Kurzweil, was a happy ending.
@@ReubenSound A story that's still very much alive, even though the company closed 39 years ago! Quite interested in the Kurzweil thing as ex-ARP staff were very present there as was Bob Moog.
Thank you so much, to everyone who took part in making this, it was delightful and informative. I always treasured my ARP synths, watching this makes them that much more special and cherished.
@@agheoane It was a Tonus Inc advert advertising three products they had and referring to their size: Series 2000 Modular Studio Synthesizer - MAXI Series 2600 Synthesizer - MIDI Series 4000 Encapsulated modules - MICRO
Wild seeing Dana Countryman here. I met him through a reply to an advert I had put out for synth repairs and modifications, particularly the Dx7 and Ensoniq models. I serviced his Dx7 and got a tour of his studio out in WA and got a CD from him. Crazy that I had never heard of him until then, and we became fast friends/fellow synth enthusiasts in the span of an afternoon. Really funny and cool guy. Overall a fantastic doc on ARP. It makes me want to break the Odyssey out again while I wait to ship my stuff across the states.
1:32:31 interesting! So basically Yamaha (and perhaps KORG and Roland) backwards-engineered and copied down to the circuitry everything they later became famous for. That sounds remarkably like what Behringer is doing right now while pissing off those very same Japanese companies. 🤨
That was specifically Yamaha, there isn't evidence that Korg or Roland did something that extreme, but I imagine most manufacturers had a very close eye on the competition. For example, the Roland System 700 main cab quite clearly takes influence from the Moog modulars and ARP 2600 but it doesn't infringe any patents and also adds lots of unique things that were Roland ideas. Yamaha, Korg, Roland etc all invented piles of original instruments and built their own legacies too (including after ARP were gone) so it wouldn't be accurate to view them as just copying and cloning. So whilst I agree there is a little hint of irony, taking issue with a company cloning your iconic back catalogue with the same names, layout, livery etc is very different.
Thank you Alex for this excellent documentary on ARP. I owned an Odyssey and Omni back in the late 70s early 80s that I played in bands. I was saving up to purchase a Quadra but ARP went out of business before I could get one. Sadly, I sold all my keyboards years ago as I went on to other things. Watching your video really brought back memories of those years.
Congrats on the release Alex! I've shared it to Reddit as well. Thanks again for putting this together, and for your dedication to the synth community and sharing these stories that would otherwise be lost to time. Keep up the amazing work!
Alex -- I watched the whole two hours a couple of nights ago. It's a thoroughly satisfying production, with a surprising amount of real information balancing the performance clips. I actually learned a few things that -- space-cadet that I was -- I never was aware of during my brief time with the company in 1970-71. Alan Pearlman was a giant. In the early 70's he actively supported my efforts creating the Boston School of Electronic Music.
Jim! You wrote the 2600 manual, right? A document that still gets a lot of praise to this day. I'm sorry you didn't get a mention btw, an oversight on my part. I'm really glad the film came across well to you as someone who was there.
Wait a minute! Here is a guy who delivers documentaries at a quality level on par with or even better than Nat Geo or Discovery Channel for free on YT? I mean, the Roland docu was awesome already and the Prophet docu was brilliant and now this? What’s next? Forget TV. I will watch Alex Ball channel from now on. I can’t wait for a docu on Moog and Korg! Mr Ball: Thank you so much for this outstanding piece of hard work. My compliments. Very very well done! :-)
wow alex..just blown away by your content..thanx to you and all of those participated in or helped make this possible...you.. alex ... loopop and syntaur and others really impress with the effort and devotion you show to electronic goodness...hope you are all well...cheers...Ty from s.oz
These guys are responsible for every modern synth design out there both directly and indirectly. Tiesto, Yamaha, Korg, Roland, etc... The guitar synth interface too. They deserve alot of credit and I'm here to say it! Smartest guys on the planet!
Thank you so much for making this, well done! I watched all of these great analog synth companies go out of business in the eighties and wondered why until very recently. This provides a great appreciation of one of the very best analog synth companies that ever was, or will be, what great sounds, so warm.
Alex, I can't tell you how much your 'history of' videos are appreciated. So many questions answered, so many amazing sound demos, such fantastic production values. From the heart of my bottom, THANK YOU.
Alex im so happy you made this video. Thank you mate. I grew up in South Africa and in 1976 was the first time i heard electronic music. Needless to say the rest is history.
Watched the whole thing Alex and this rivals any great music documentary I've ever seen. You simply set the benchmark for anyone else to follow. Fantastic work, not a second too long and I've gained a new knowledge and appreciation for ARP, and the people, I didn't have before. Totally worth my time. Thanks for doing this!
Thanks Espen. A privilege to get the opportunity and access to do this. Really glad people are enjoying it and learning about ARP. Thanks for watching it all. 🙂
1:11:30 That Axxe played by Lisa sounds absolutely out of this world. My one regret is I came to synths (mid 80's) just too late to connect with ARP gear. Back then, you used to see old Pro-Soloists etc clogging up the 2nd hand ads but they seemed a bit clunky and old hat. How foolish I was to miss out. Another absolutely brilliant film, thanks Alex!
Hey!
If you want to show some gratitude and support an awesome cause, please check out the Alan R Pearlman Foundation: alanrpearlmanfoundation.org/donate/
Also go and smash the like and subscribe buttons on their channels
th-cam.com/channels/QmTad5R-ZMbGzYeuEs_qTg.html
alanrpearlmanfoundation.org/
instagram.com/arpchives/
facebook.com/alanrpearlmanarchives/
Thank you!
Can't wait to watch the whole vid tonight. Love the soundtrack work, too Alex!
Thanks Chris. Hope you enjoy it!
I donated $100. My company (Lam Research) matches my donations so it will add another $100. I hope that others will appreciate this as much as me and help out this wonderful cause. Truly fantastic.
@@paultuffy You rock!
Foundations are cool - checking the landing page, I don't see what this is all about in less than 30 seconds. Now, I'm not the sharpest knife in the drawer but the /donate/ landing page should have a one sentence spiel about what this is all about so that folks can give without having to dig in..
Glad you are all enjoying this!
Thank you guys for making it possible.
Immensely, thanks for your work ;)
Enjoyed it very much 😊! Awesome to learn more details about the story behind the ARP legend!
Mesmerizing. :) 😍
Got a Korg ARP Odyssey does that count?
I pay £160 a year for the BBC license tax and get nothing worth watching and then I sign into TH-cam and find quality like this for free.
Your documentaries are unbelievably well researched and produced. Thank you so much.
Privatise the Beeb! Better yet, get rid of em
Exactly right ✅ 👏
You need someone like Gough Whitlam to abolish that license
Never pay a TV licence, it's a complete scam!
I alway’s thought that the synthesizer was a unique instrument!I still enjoy 😉 Wendy Carlos’music,and Rick Wakeman,too![from the late ⏰ 1970”s,now).
Alex, you are a legend dude. We are so lucky to have content like this just dropped in our laps - for free. I’m just in awe at the quality of this. Your channel is mind blowing. There’s nothing else even remotely close to it anywhere online. Thanks for everything you do for the synth community. 🙏🙏🙏🙏
Thank you Stephen, appreciate it. 🙂
Couldn't agree more.
May I recommend Synthmania ?
This isn't just a music documentary, it's documentary musical. Incredible work, please make more !!
Cheers!
I have never commented on a TH-cam video before, but I just have to say that this channel is of such quality I can't help myself and had to say so. The depth of research, attention to detail, production values, humour, cinematography and vast musical knowledge deployed, everything - it's just sublime. Thank you Alex for what you do - there are few like you!
Thank you Steve, I'm very glad the video was the cause of your first comment. :)
This channel is so underrated
Thanks!
True. These documentaries are on BBC level and should reach millions. And then there‘s beautiful music as the icing on the cake. You’re a fantastic composer, Alex!
@@RayyMusik Thank you!
@@RayyMusik SERIOUSLY! They really are.
Thank you for this video post. I was on the team at CBS that “received” the Chroma and the four voice piano. The Fullerton Fender plant failed to produce these, so CBS moved them to the Gulbransen Organ factory in Illinois. We were making Z80 microprocessor based organs, so the Arp equipment was a good fit for us. Our team mostly worked with Phil Dodds, and Leo Keightly. I left there in the spring of 1984 to work on scientific research equipment, but never forgot that Chroma! In looking at a hobby for retirement, I decided on electronic music. Thanks again!
Hi Bill. Thank you for the back story, that's very interesting.
Did you know Mary Lock in that case? She helped out behind the scenes with photos and vital information.
And were you around for the Chroma Polaris or had you left by the point?
I left while the Polaris was still in development. The R&D team was in Woburn, Ma, and we were in Illinois. In the days before email 🤣 we usually found out about new stuff by mail. Since the NAMM show was the official intro, they usually showed equipment made by R&D, and production came later. Before NAMM, info was hard to come by. I do not recall meeting Mary Lock.
@@billfinch4661 Thank you for the info! I might be able to borrow a Polaris at some point so that's interesting to know where it was developed.
Can imagine it was a very different world with communications. Hearing David Frederick's accounts of sales and marketing was _very_ interesting as it was so different from what you'd do now with promo videos and social media posts etc.
Although there are themes that are universal across different eras.
I still have a fondness for the Chroma, but a Minilogue XD makes more sense for me. Alan Pearlman was one of those guys of that generation that really had mad skills in electronics. Like Robert Moog, Richard Peterson ( who I worked for in high school), Harold Rhodes, Don Leslie, and my dad, Robert Finch, who ran the Gulbransen R&D group. Of course, these days we have Synth Chaser and others.
@@billfinch4661 Yes, keeping a Chroma going is a commitment unto itself. Seems to have a cult following.
A brand new Minilogue would probably be better behaved and softer on the wallet. :)
"You'd have to be a monotonous nerd to go through them all... So here we go..." 🤣
Impressive comic timing on the pause too.
God, I love Alex' brand of comedy ;D
I had the pleasure and honor of learning Synthesis from, and living in the house of JIM MICHMERHUIZEN, the man who wrote the manuals of the 2500 and 2600 in Boston, and doing frequent trips to the ARP factory in Newton Highlands, in the early 70s. Jim travelled promoting these synths world-wide, and I met him here in Caracas in 1970 when he came to demonstrate for our Instituto de Fonología Musical, of which I later was the Tech Director. Strange he is not mentioned here, but all kudos to my mentor. Great work, Alex ! So many memories....
Hi Jim. Thanks for the story, that's really interesting.
Yes, Jim and others drifted under my nose whilst researching this massive topic. I had so much material to go through that it had to be cut into quite heavily.
Jim has since appeared in the recent ARP 2500 synthposium with others who didn't appear here.
This documentary could be made many times over with different accounts and stories.
A wonderful story.
I'm just 3rd through this amazing story, locked down in the UK and now I know why "normal" television dies. Never seed something IMHO so interesting and absorbing. Great work.
I cannot find the words of how good is this documentary about ARP history, hats off to all the people who make a contribution to this gem. Cheers!
Alex was stellar to work with...making our dreams come true in telling the story.
Hi Alex. 7 months have passed and this piece still leaves me choked up and speechless. Congratulations, brother. This was worth every effort you put into it. It's phenomenal and touching. Thanks for this wonderful gift to the musical community.
Thank you!!
Best synth documentaries online without a doubt. Love the work you put into this!
Thank you!
Not only online!
I just donated $100 to the foundation. My company (Lam Research) matches my donations so it will add another $100. I hope that others will appreciate this as much as me and help out this wonderful cause. Truly fantastic.
Thank you SO much Paul - that's fantastic!!
Awesome and a heartfelt thank you!
39:05 Whoever that is, it’s an absolutely brilliant take on that genre. The quality of the music you create for these things is stunning. Everything about this video is stunning. This film should be on the BBC and PBS. I don’t think anybody on this planet is making better documentaries about anything.
That's Peter Venuto at Synth Palace. Very lovely and talented guy.
www.synthpalace.net/
It's a great song. Don't tell me that was made just for the documentary?!
Is there a way to watch that whole song??
@@annother3350 I too would like to find the whole track
I need the end credits track
Masterpiece.
Thank you Alex. Mr. Pearlman would love it I think. 🙌
Great you used my ARP Quadra tracks and vids for this wonderful documentary.
Thanks Marko - love your Quadra stuff. 🙏
I think he would have loved this, too! (Dina Pearlman)
@@AlanRPearlmanFoundation Yes. For sure. :))) In synths we trust. 🙌
@@retrosound72 Thanks for your help!
I love you for this! Your docs are so good I can't even imagine the time, effort and skill it takes. Just a beautiful film.
Thank you!
@@AlexBallMusic Is this available on Blu Ray?
I made something, they stole it. I made something else, they took claim of it when it became popular.
I said I quit, they are thieves.
@@Stopinvadingmyhardware Eh?
I don’t think I have ever commented on a youtube video before, but feel compelled to now. What an outstanding body of work! Congrats to you and all involved. I especially liked the part about the String Synthesiser as I used to have one and foolishly sold it! Had I known how rare they were I would still be it’s caretaker today! I only paid £70 for it too! ( A music shop was closing and had that and a Jen synth for the same price. My parents thought I had bought furniture instead of a synth!) Anyway, I enjoyed that greatly. Thank you!
Thanks Ian. Yes, I guess String Synths went out of fashion and the classic polys came in. Who would have thought that sound would then come back around decades later?
Oh how I wish I could be cruising the second hand ads in 1992.
@@AlexBallMusic I was and ended up with a Roland JX-8P with the PG-800 programmer for $500 CAD - both of which I still own. It hasn't quite appreciated like other models. I should have bought the Linndrum I was offered for $300.
I bought lots of gear in the mid-1990s for rock bottom prices and still stupidly sold it all in the early 2000s when soft-synths started becoming a thing. I have a studio full of classic kit again, but I still shake my head at some of the stuff I sold off just as the used market was taking off with the dawn of eBay. I made money on everything, but I've had many longing nightmares ever since!
As an ARP owner and fan I thank you so much for making this beautiful film Alex. It’s a story that had to be told, and as a musician and film maker you were the right man for the job. Take care and thanks again.
I was waiting for the "Steely Dan Odyssey" story to come around, and it did. I can sleep happily now.
All jokes aside, you've made yet another masterpiece documentary about a fabulous company for us synth nerds to enjoy. Well done mate. Well done. :)
Yes, Steely were pretty brutal about gear. They were extreme perfectionists so it fits. They also smashed up a Soloist which is another story.
I just purchased one of two Steely Dan Rhodes Chroma's. A keyboardist in the band (didn't ask which one) had two in his mothers attic for many years. A friend was asked by the Steely Dan member to help clean out her home after she passed. His reward was one of the Chroma's. It took over a year to a complete restore and do the many upgrades that make it more stable. I traded that fellow for an Andromeda, Neuman u87 mic, and 1k in cash. Is an amazing synth and I am so happy to finally have one.
Is a picture of it?
You’ve surpassed us all, Alex...This is a flipping feature film! This belongs on television. I wish you all the best, my friend, your talent and dedication is immense...
The editing on this one definitely surpasses all previous documentaries, good job!
Thanks. Got some help on the really good bits. The ropey bits are my work. :)
Alex Ball That’s what I love about these, you get together several owners of synths, designers, editors, etc. To all collaborate on a brilliant project!
@@homeirotheveryfatmanwhoisa8270 Thanks. Yes, thats the power of the internet working for good. When that happens it's magic.
Some of the stuff mixed and mastered by yours truly :) What a treat to get your hands on as an audio-engineer - a great performance by Alex on a fantastic instrument. Just great.
Sounds marvelous you legend. 👊
The piece of music on the 2500 @ 11:15. A thing of sheer beauty.
Thank you! It's a beautiful synth.
This is so fantastic to experience under lockdown. The best Easter egg in my memory.
1:32:00 Hearing him talk about Japan in the 80s sounds like how Berhinger is affecting the synth market today. I hope it doesn't hurt too many of my favourite smaller brands.
The thing is, Behringer is duplicating old synthesizers that are no longer on the cutting edge anyway, so good for them.
What a massive undertaking Alex. This is just amazing. That first jam at 11:45 gave me some serious goosebumps. Well done sir, you’re doing us all a service. This is Beyond Netflix and Broadcast-worthy. 👏
Some corrections:
1:25:20 - Should read Drew Schlesinger & David Torn.
On that subject, check out the superb album that that track is from:
drewschlesinger-davidtorn.bandcamp.com/album/summer-synthesis-1978
1:36:26 - The mylar membrane switches that failed were actually in the keyboard action, not the front panel. Each key had a roller mounted on it and the roller moved down and up the membrane switch when a key was depressed and released.
1:50:44 - The song title should read "Schismo".
Ce film est déja entré dans la legende des meilleurs jamais produit sur l'histoire d'une marque de synthés.
Rien que la musique d'introduction est incroyable, elle me donne des frissons a chaque fois que je l'ecoute.
Merci Alex pour ce documentaire.👋👋👋
Fantastic. My oldest friend was an employee at ARP for years. He is legendary and still works on his and my synths. He’ll love this vid. Thanks Alex.
Interesting - who was that?
Alex Ball He’s the guy in the last picture at the bottom of this web page: www.discretesynthesizers.com/arptronics/history.htm
@@genx1144 I told Phil and Linda about the video. Phil was a great friend of my dad's.
@@genx1144 Ah yes, Phil. A very talented chap I hear.
Alex Ball Actually, his name is Bill. I think the caption is under the photo.
I always liked ARP synthesizers but did not know much about them. That’s now changed thanks to this brilliant documentary. Getting to know the people behind the brand, their stories and these amazing sounds and tracks left me very satisfied. I can hardly imagine how much effort went into production of this, but it clearly paid off. You are the David Attenborough of vintage sythesizers. Thank you Alex!
I honestly think the Chroma is one of the greatest yet incredibly underrated polysynths of all time. I personally think its the best example of what ARP's R&D team was capable of; it sounds like no other polysynth other there imo. The sounds it can create are incredible even today, let alone for an analog synth released in 1982. And its such a shame that it's one of the only ARP products that hasn't been properly re-created in either software or hardware form. I hope one day we get an Arturia emulation or by chance Korg or Behringer makes a clone.
I'm going crazy for the day they take a clone out of the Quadra
Mr. Pearlman, you and your team changed the texture of Music. Wherever you are, thank you. Great documentary, Mr. Ball.
and here i was thinking there was nothing interesting to watch
Couple of synths in this. Think I counted at least three.
My feelings. I was bored browsing YT and boom, Magic!
Edgar Winter's Frankenstein, Kraftwerk's Autobahn and Genesis's Selling England By The Pound were my first encounters with ARP instruments--what a fabulous legacy. Thank you for making this available to us.
Me clicking on this video:
- Ah, the ARP-doc I've been looking forward too!
Me seeing the runtime of the video:
- **pauses video*... *writes comment*... *get's popcorn** This gonna be a treat! **looks for patreon link in description** **searches patreon for Alex Ball** **wonders where to throw my money?** **finds Alan R Perlman Foundation link**
It's a biggie! But hopefully answers many things people have always wondered.
Foundation - thank you so much, that's awesome.
I am watching this program for the 3rd time over several months. I was introduced to the ARP 2600 in the 70's in the Denver Natural History museum, where a sales rep demo'ed the synth to a room full of people who responded to a newspaper add for the free show. I have been in love with synth music ever since, and, though I have no instrumental training, own both hardware and software synths including the Cherry Audio s/w version of the 2600. Such fun! Thank you ARP.
Fantastic video - watching and listening to the ARP synths is just mesmerising. We owe Alex a huge debt of gratitude in making this brilliant video. Combination of listening to the products and the stories behind the machines is synth gold!!
Every time I get sad, thinking it'd the end of the doc... theres more! What an absolute joy to watch. Thank you, Alex. It makes me happy returning to your channel to see so many followers and commenters. And so much to watch!!
I was so looking forward to this. I remember trolling the music shops in the Sydney CBD during the 70's during my lunch hour and was thrilled each time a new synth arrived. I must have "played" every one of these synths. They were a bit of a mystery as they we not like the other brands. The amount of attention to detail and history revealed here staggers me. This must have taken years to complete. This should have been a documentary packaged and sold. It is too generous that we get to see it for free, I paid for the crowdfunded Tangerine Dream history dvd and its not a patch on the quality of this. Alex you are a marvel and a generous gift to the synth community. Thanks so much. Only a fanatical nerd would want to see all the variants of a model....so here we go!!! Fabulous - the best TV viewing on my isolation Easter long weekend.Thanks. I suppose Korg is next? Yamaha?
Only a few minutes into this but I don't want to forget to say THANK YOU for producing wonderful documentaries like these.
Absolutely perfect, and will stand as a definitive history. Thank you for all of your great work, Alex!
Thank YOU Marc.
Incredible how this 2500 demo at 11:14 sounds tight and modern!!! I love it so much! Outstanding work for all the documentary! Thank you!
Thanks Samuel. Yes, it's often mind boggling to consider what sounds were possible in 1970 that wouldn't be commonly used until long after. Radical inventions really.
Found this comment just as it started, dear lord what a fantastic sounding synth, it makes me wonder if I broke it down into parts if I could get my Little Microfreak to get anywhere close to that...
There is so much I love about this already, but David Friend's similar posture, 40 or 50 years apart, at 13:29 is just a glorious little moment.
Yes, when I was editing in some images that happened totally by chance and it made me smile ear to ear. 🙂
I don't comment usually but I always appreciate the time and effort taken by TH-camrs. I have not watched this one yet but I caught your Roland History documentary quite by accident and marvelled at the the amount of effort you put into it. Professional, informative and everything other posters have said and more. Everyone is in dark times at the minute, not so much the situation itself but the endless doom and gloom portrayed on the television. So Thank God for TH-cam and your good self, Alex. Why is it when one can play with their synth collection 24/7 at the moment, I can't be even bothered to turn mine on?
Watching your videos is just the tonic I, and all others, need. So a Big Thank You from me in advance. Thank You, Richard
Holy smoke is this well done or what!? Bravo! Great musical interludes, well paced and kept me interested, and never did I know that I desperately want an ARP 2500 before. I knew about the 2600, but the 2500 is just too cool. Thanks so much for your work.
Yet another synth documentary from Alex that I would watch multiple times over. Love these.
Thanks!
Thank you so much for the time you put into your videos! They are fantastic!!
Thank you! Got a lot of help, proper team effort. :)
Alan, it definitively did some contributions. Thank you to whole crew who made these creations for the world to experience. And thank you to Alex for this great documentary.
This has come at the right time.
The lockdown helped us finish it, we thought people might enjoy something positive to watch. :)
This content is fantastic. I’m a bedroom vinyl DJ who has recently incorporated Ableton into my work. I’ve been planning to add an extensive hardware setup to my kit and I found this. The knowledge that I have gained from watching these films has educated me far deeper than I first thought and has been invaluable in teaching me about the history and development of synths and hardware. It’s actually changed the direction of my music.
Alex my man, you are one of the best posters on TH-cam and I watch a lot of it. Can’t thank you enough for the way you tell the story of electronic music. It really is top notch.
Never knew that 2500 existed. What a lovely looking synth.
Very few were made, and even fewer in existence today.
My dad had an ARP DGX - exact layout, coloring, and lighted button switches - but it was labeled as a Pro Soloist. There must have been a transition period or maybe he got a prototype. He also had an ARP OMNI 2 for strings which I rarely see mentioned. I glad you covered it. It was good to see one again - bringing back memories. Maybe they didn't make many.
My grandfather owned a music store that sold mostly organs at that time (it was more full service for decades before that). He and my dad went to NAMM a lot when I was a kid so maybe that's where he got hooked up with the oddball Pro Soloist.
This is an amazing documentary, A+!
Thank you!
I just can't get over how great your synth documentaries are. Thank you for making this. It's just incredibly, incredibly interesting and enjoyable.
Thanks Jake. 🙂
Wow, that 2 hours when by fast :) Great video. Gratefully.
Thank you for watching!
What an excellent documentary. I've been interested in ARP since the 1970s starting with Tony Banks (Cinema Show), Jean-Michel Jarre and later Vince Clarke. This was a fascinating insight into the people and the human story of ARP. An ARP Odyssey in the hands of Billy Currie (Ultravox) could almost melt the speakers of my old music centre - it was staggeringly powerful. I recommend Astrodyne by Ultravox from that period. Some great new ARP music in this documentary to check out also. Congratulations to everyone involved.
Me : "That wompus sounded a bit lame"
Alex : Turns up the reverb and volume, plays again
Me : Terrified
I don't actually know what to say, this is so good.
THANK YOU Alex for all your amazing work and your brilliant music and talent.
Just remember, if the kids come back in the house then the Whampus won't come for you.
The Wampus is half-man, half-frog, kind of like the Loveland Frog.
I started working for ARP Instruments right out of high school in 1975 on the production line. I later moved to the service department and stayed there until 1981. There was only a few of us left when CBS acquired the Chroma. also worked at Fender R&D in Woburn, MA helping to build the prototype Chroma run of 50. It was so great to see everyone and all the instruments again. It was a great honor to work with Phil Dodds and I understand he has passed away years ago. Alex, thanks so much for this video!
Hi John!
Thanks for stopping by. That's fantastic!
So you were there right until the end? I've spoken to Mary Lock who was too, I assume you know her?
Were you involved with the Chroma Polaris too, or just the Chroma?
Btw - If you haven't already spoken to Dina Pearlman at the ARP Foundation, I'm sure she'd love to speak as she's been tracking down ex-ARP people.
@@AlexBallMusic I do know Mary. Another technician and I were kept at the end to finish any customer units for repair. I did not get to work with the Polaris. We saw prototypes that the engineers were working on and I think the first build were done elsewhere (Fullerton?).
Thanks for the reply. Wow, so that really was the end! Funny to think that you probably worked on instruments I've played decades later.
Did you meet Don Muro at the time? He purchased the ARP learning module keyboards on the final day.
Polaris - yes that's the one. I've spoken to Paul DeRocco about the Polaris, but I wondered if anyone else was there.
If you get a moment to fire Dina Pearlman an email, I'm sure she'd love to hear from you as any info from anyone who worked for her father is always golden.
Dina [at] alanrpearlmanfoundation [dot] org
@@AlexBallMusic Was that the Modular Synthesizer Lab? Wow, I forgot about them. They were modules built in small project boxes for teaching. I don't remember a dedicated keyboard for them. I thought it was all sold to another company before the bankruptcy.
I just noticed the photo of the R&D staff at 1:38:05, I am the second person in from the right. I have never seen this photo and would love to find a clear copy.
Last year, I wanted to create 10 mins episodes of some "famous synths" that made the evolution of what we know. but I guess I can't do any better now =)...Fucking great job!! can't much but a biigggg thank you! I think there arent enough "documentaries" in youtube about synths! I mean it is the base of what everyone listen's to...Again you should be very proud of your work! Inventors like this deserves to be heard...next step the FM with John Chowning =)
Thanks for tuning in. No plans to cover FM at the moment, maybe that could be one you cover in a 10 minute episode? Would be very interesting.
@@AlexBallMusic yes ! =) if you need anything about the dx7 i have it at home =)
Amazing. Thank you for making this. Enjoyed with my 7yo daughter :)
*Morpheus turns around*: “At Last!”
These will be definitive synth docs for decades. Plus the demos are always super musical. Bravo
Soooo incredible. You should get awards for the best synth documentation’s. Thousand thanks for the third great story after Sequential and Roland.
This documentary is such an achievement that it deserves its own documentary. Beautiful work, Alex and company.
Thanks Geoff, appreciate it.
You never fail to deliver Mr. Ball! How many hours did you put into this?! 😱😱🔥🤩🤩
1,000,000,000,000,000,000 hours. Totally worth it.
A LOT of people helped pull this off so a team effort.
I think I alone spent about 70 hours mixing the 3 songs and cleaning up the skype-dialog. It's not for the money, haha. Such a marvel to get to work with these old machines. The 2600 stands as one of best sounding synths I ever laid me EQ' on - not very much needed. And the 2500 was equally easy to get to "sit" in a mix. Fantastic instruments. And then of course performed by stellar musicians and great songs. A labour of love - I loved every minute of it //Jakob Ole
@@sonicpeakstudio541 please send a message to dina@alanrpearlmanfoundation.org. Would love to chat and THANK YOU!
@@sonicpeakstudio541 very good comment. I have always found this as well, great acoustic takes and analog synth from the 70s sit in the mix by themselves, you can put more or less, it is only a matter of taste but still sounds great. No need to layer or double. Hardly any EQ, enhancing or god knows what else. Modern synths (digital or analog) are always harsh and fighting with everything else no matter what you do. You did an amazing job with the soundtrack. It is the first time that it really comes across on a TH-cam video. I was literally drooling over the gorgeousness of the sounds. What is that special quality that no modern equipment can ever emulate?
Alex, your documentaries are absolutely brilliant. As a retro synth enthusiast I can honestly say I am such a fan of seeing these stories and also hearing the well recorded clips of you cracking out some sounds on these old beasts. Also the use of the Sequential Circuits Pro One on a lot of your stuff, drove me to playing a friends for a bit and eventually getting myself a clone. Keep up this amazing content :)
Just had to pause and ask, is this ARP NAMM JAM available somewhere? I mean the original recordoring (if there ever was one). ...and Alex, you spark my interest for synthesizer like no one else, a thousand thanks! :)
There is indeed a recording of one of the NAMM Jams that appeared a few times in the video. I got it from David Frederick so will have to ask whether it lives anywhere (or will be available).
@@AlexBallMusic That would be SO awsome!
Oh... if you where to release a hard copy of this documentary, you could maybe include extras, including the Jam / Jams, etc.
Just put on tonight a 2nd-hand LP I bought few months back, and noticed they used an ARP. --
Sugerloaf with Jerry Corbetta "Don't Call Us - We'll Call You" (released 1975).
The Album's front cover actually has a drawing of an ARP kinda caricatured as a piano. Played by a Skeleton❕
WeLL KooL
The quality of this is just unreal. From the story and detail to the music and information. Both the Roland documentary and this have left me with such gratitude for it being able to watch and I could not praise you enough. Amazing channel, and just the best documentary one could ask for. Thank you so much for your work, too awesome!!!
"there were at least 9 iterations of the 2600 over a 10 year period and you'd have to be a monotonous nerd to go through them all. so... here we go. "
Always go full nerd.
the tune at 11:14 - system 2002 demo is just mind blowing !
Thank you! It was one hell of an experience recording with that!
What a Easter Gift. Thank you for this Video.
Thanks for watching!
Alex "Crazy" Ball :) this docu is legendary :)
Thank you!
A great documentary - I'm not a musician, but couldn't tear myself away. It's not often I have the patience to watch almost 2 hours of a TH-cam video, but this was mesmerizing. Good job!
Thank you! The longest thing I've ever done so I'm glad people are watching it.
Thanks. What a gift!
Thanks for watching!
Alex I can't believe that only a couple of weeks ago I stumbled across your channel when looking for some info on my RS-09, then got totally immersed in your other videos, then discovered that it was you making this doco which I'd heard about and filed in the back of my mind to check out when it got released... synchronicity of synthesisers! Thanks for all your amazing work, it is really fantastic. cheers, Kael
Sausage and chicken pasta: check ✔️
Can of pop: check ✔️
ARP documentary: check ✔️
Let's go!
Whoop!
Woohoo!
@@AlexBallMusic That was a fantastic watch Alex. I loved 'The Dutch Connection', and the Quadra, and the 2500, and the....!
Sad that the company folded; but for the team to go on to great projects, and for Alan R Pearlman to go and work for Kurzweil, was a happy ending.
@@ReubenSound A story that's still very much alive, even though the company closed 39 years ago!
Quite interested in the Kurzweil thing as ex-ARP staff were very present there as was Bob Moog.
just watched all of it after a night of drinking, my geek levels must be at an all time high … ha ha
Thank you so much, to everyone who took part in making this, it was delightful and informative.
I always treasured my ARP synths, watching this makes them that much more special and cherished.
I noticed how they used the word "MIDI" in the 2600 ads 13 years before MIDI even existed
Yes! It's funny isn't it.
@@AlexBallMusic do you know what "midi" it was they were referring too?
midi like mid sized, like a midi hi fi ?
@@agheoane It was a Tonus Inc advert advertising three products they had and referring to their size:
Series 2000 Modular Studio Synthesizer - MAXI
Series 2600 Synthesizer - MIDI
Series 4000 Encapsulated modules - MICRO
agheoane “to”
Wild seeing Dana Countryman here. I met him through a reply to an advert I had put out for synth repairs and modifications, particularly the Dx7 and Ensoniq models. I serviced his Dx7 and got a tour of his studio out in WA and got a CD from him. Crazy that I had never heard of him until then, and we became fast friends/fellow synth enthusiasts in the span of an afternoon. Really funny and cool guy. Overall a fantastic doc on ARP. It makes me want to break the Odyssey out again while I wait to ship my stuff across the states.
I love Tony Banks, and i love the so overlooked Pro Soloist goddamnnnnnnnnnnnnn
WTF. Alex this is so too good for TH-cam! Netflix or the like should commission a full series and pay you handsomely!
1:32:31 interesting! So basically Yamaha (and perhaps KORG and Roland) backwards-engineered and copied down to the circuitry everything they later became famous for. That sounds remarkably like what Behringer is doing right now while pissing off those very same Japanese companies. 🤨
That was specifically Yamaha, there isn't evidence that Korg or Roland did something that extreme, but I imagine most manufacturers had a very close eye on the competition. For example, the Roland System 700 main cab quite clearly takes influence from the Moog modulars and ARP 2600 but it doesn't infringe any patents and also adds lots of unique things that were Roland ideas.
Yamaha, Korg, Roland etc all invented piles of original instruments and built their own legacies too (including after ARP were gone) so it wouldn't be accurate to view them as just copying and cloning.
So whilst I agree there is a little hint of irony, taking issue with a company cloning your iconic back catalogue with the same names, layout, livery etc is very different.
Behringer 🤮 no comparison to Yamaha, Roland, or Korg.
Your channel is TV documentary level quality. Thanks so much for sharing this!
I was not expecting Arp to have a longer history than Roland wtf
Because this time I was lucky to get access to the original people for in depth interviews.
...but there's already a ton of stuff out there about Roland and not enough about ARP.
Alex your documentary skills are at the very top. You are very gifted. Every time I watch this, it keeps getting better. Thank you so much !
This is a masterpeice. There may be better videos on TH-cam, but I've not seen them. I cannot imagine how many thousands of hours went into this.
Thank you Alex for this excellent documentary on ARP. I owned an Odyssey and Omni back in the late 70s early 80s that I played in bands. I was saving up to purchase a Quadra but ARP went out of business before I could get one. Sadly, I sold all my keyboards years ago as I went on to other things. Watching your video really brought back memories of those years.
11:14 System 2002 Demo
Awesome! Is there more of this track?
Congrats on the release Alex! I've shared it to Reddit as well. Thanks again for putting this together, and for your dedication to the synth community and sharing these stories that would otherwise be lost to time. Keep up the amazing work!
Thank you! And thank you for that priceless Chroma material!
Alex -- I watched the whole two hours a couple of nights ago. It's a thoroughly satisfying production, with a surprising amount of real information balancing the performance clips. I actually learned a few things that -- space-cadet that I was -- I never was aware of during my brief time with the company in 1970-71. Alan Pearlman was a giant. In the early 70's he actively supported my efforts creating the Boston School of Electronic Music.
Jim! You wrote the 2600 manual, right? A document that still gets a lot of praise to this day.
I'm sorry you didn't get a mention btw, an oversight on my part.
I'm really glad the film came across well to you as someone who was there.
Wait a minute! Here is a guy who delivers documentaries at a quality level on par with or even better than Nat Geo or Discovery Channel for free on YT? I mean, the Roland docu was awesome already and the Prophet docu was brilliant and now this? What’s next? Forget TV. I will watch Alex Ball channel from now on. I can’t wait for a docu on Moog and Korg!
Mr Ball: Thank you so much for this outstanding piece of hard work. My compliments. Very very well done!
:-)
Thanks very much. Maybe they'll start Nat Synth-o-graphic at some point. ;)
wow alex..just blown away by your content..thanx to you and all of those participated in or helped make this possible...you.. alex ... loopop and syntaur and others really impress with the effort and devotion you show to electronic goodness...hope you are all well...cheers...Ty from s.oz
These guys are responsible for every modern synth design out there both directly and indirectly. Tiesto, Yamaha, Korg, Roland, etc... The guitar synth interface too. They deserve alot of credit and I'm here to say it! Smartest guys on the planet!
Thank you so much for making this, well done! I watched all of these great analog synth companies go out of business in the eighties and wondered why until very recently. This provides a great appreciation of one of the very best analog synth companies that ever was, or will be, what great sounds, so warm.
Production value of this is just outstanding!
Thank you so much fot this, this is just amazing piece of documentary.
Alex, I can't tell you how much your 'history of' videos are appreciated. So many questions answered, so many amazing sound demos, such fantastic production values. From the heart of my bottom, THANK YOU.
Alex im so happy you made this video. Thank you mate. I grew up in South Africa and in 1976 was the first time i heard electronic music. Needless to say the rest is history.
Watched the whole thing Alex and this rivals any great music documentary I've ever seen. You simply set the benchmark for anyone else to follow. Fantastic work, not a second too long and I've gained a new knowledge and appreciation for ARP, and the people, I didn't have before. Totally worth my time. Thanks for doing this!
Thanks Espen. A privilege to get the opportunity and access to do this. Really glad people are enjoying it and learning about ARP.
Thanks for watching it all. 🙂
1:11:30 That Axxe played by Lisa sounds absolutely out of this world. My one regret is I came to synths (mid 80's) just too late to connect with ARP gear. Back then, you used to see old Pro-Soloists etc clogging up the 2nd hand ads but they seemed a bit clunky and old hat. How foolish I was to miss out. Another absolutely brilliant film, thanks Alex!