street priceIn 1975 ARP decided to add to the list of their products a portable and (which is important) inexpensive instrument that can satisfy the demands of professional musicians at the same time. The result of the research was Axxe – a monophonic Odyssey. The product became so successful that it was produced for six years, which was a very big period for synth making, usually the synthesizer was produced 2-3 years after which it became obsolete.
The heart of the instrument is a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) generating a sawtooth and a pulse waveform that could be produced simultaneously. This feature allows you to get a "double VCO feel". There are wide possibilities for modulation of the generator: by LFO (sine, meander), by the sample&hold (S/H), by the envelope generator. The pulse waveform can be PW modulated (PWM) by an LFO signal or an envelope generator.
In the mixer section, you set the levels and mix the signals of the built-in noise source, external audio source and two waveforms generated by the VCO.
The second most important element for synthesizing sound is a voltage controlled filter (VCF). Here the brand used ARP4075 module - very stable in operation, but not the most "bright" filter. It has a four-stage structure with a cutoff slope of 24 dB per octave. For VCF, resonance, cutoff and modulation depth are provided.
The voltage controlled amplifier (VCA) has control of sensitivity envelope generator influence level.
Axxe has only one envelope generator provided. It sports attack, release, sustain time adjustment.
The modulatable low frequency oscillator produces both a sine and a square wave. Among the adjustment controls only frequency setting is provided.
The original ARP Axxe was enclosed into a metal housing with wooden sides, later the housing was replaced with an full-metal one with brighter colors. And the pitch bend was replaced with button pads.
The synthesizer can be heard in the works of 808 State, Jude Allen, Adrian Chase, Rick Davis, Baby Ford, Pascal Gabriel and Herbie Hancock.
Country of origin / production: USA
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| Usage area | |
|---|---|
| Synthesizer | |
| Usage Design/ Form Factor | |
| With Keys | |
| Archetype | |
| Analogue (A) | |
| Polyphony | |
| Monophonic | |
| Tone Generator / Sound Synthesis | |
| Synthesis Method | Analog Subtractive |
| Oscillator Type | VCO (Voltage Controlled Oscillator) |
| Oscillators per voice | 1 |
| Waveform/ Spectral form (main generator) | Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) |
| Waveform/ Spectral form (main generator) | Saw |
| Filter | |
| Voltage Controlled Filter (VCF) | |
| Low-pass Filter (LPF) | |
| 4-pole | |
| 24dB | |
| Resonance | |
| Envelope Generator (EG) | |
| Filter | ADSR |
| Amp | ADSR |
| ADSR | |
| Keys | |
| Type | Synth Action |
| Size | 3 |
| Number of Keys | 37 |
| Built-in controllers | |
| Pitch Bend Wheel | |
| External controllers | |
| CV/ Gate IN | |
| Audio out | |
| Mono | |
| Analogue: 1/4" (6.35mm) | 2 |
| Audio in | |
| Analog 1/4" | 1 |
| Power | |
| Voltage | 220V |
| Voltage | 110V |
| Voltage | 50-60Hz |
| Power Supply | Built-in, internal |
| Weight | 6.4 kg |
| Case/ body | |
| Metal&wood | |
| Color | |
| Black | |
| Production start | 1975 |
| Production end | 1981 |
| Production ended | |
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