Tell me about the ARP Quadra's capabilities for live playing-arpeggiator potential!

I have seen some nice demos of the ARP quadra playing some arps along with string parts. I must say I am gassing for one of these now. The complex sounding phaser section alone seems to be enough to warrant buying one if for the right price. Can anyone tell me more about the arpeggiator feature on the Quadra? Does it have two separate arpeggiators for the string and synth sections or just one and can you get two separate arp patterns happening at once? It seems that you can, but I could be mistaken. Finally is it easy to quicklyl change arp patterns on the fly with the twist of a knob or some other front panel control? Thanks!

anyone?

Despite what one web site says, I doubt very much that the Quadra has an arpeggiator. That synth was a poor product that re-used existing circuit boards from an Omni II, Odyssey, and Little Brother all under control of a crude microprocessor, and the panel settings are not even saved in memory. The string section is a crude TOS system (basically re-use of Omni II circuit boards) and cannot be interfaced by sequencer, arpeggiator, nothing. The "polysynth" section is also the crude TOS system with very limited variablity in sound, not to mention a master VCF and VCA. The only worthy asset is the phaser.

It was way outclassed by the Prophet-5 and Oberheim polysynths.

Where did you get all that information?

I used to have an Omni II and it sounded nothing like the Quadra. I'm not saying anything about the circuit boards, but the sound was very different. What is the source for your information?

And the Quadra DOES have a dual lead arpeggiator. My memory isn't that bad.

I think the Quadra is one of the coolest, unique underated synths available. I say unique because it isn't even in the Oberheim/Pro-5 class. It sounds like nothing else on this earth. The closest probably multiple Solinas? Other than a Solina, what strings sounded so cool? Running them through the phaser section made it very unique.

When you run each section of the Quadra separate it didn't sound like much. But the magic is mixing them together and adding the phaser, in my opinion the best phaser I have ever heard on a synth.

My memory can be rather frayed around the edges, but recall the Quadra having a single arpeggiator. I recall it being very basic - you play a chord on the keyboard and the Quadra arpeggiates it up and down. Perhaps it can also just go up and/or down. There are no options to vary the note values or play different patterns or anything like that.

The Quadra's arp can be heard in this recording:

"Need to be Free" (approx 1979)

Quadra bass is also in there. The synth leads are ARP Odyssey MK III.

Here's a rather in-depth article about the Quadra, written by someone who has one:

http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/May02/articles/retrozone0502.asp

And you've heard the Quadra in action if you'e a fan of early '80s Genesis. Tony Banks used it on Duke, Abacab, and Genesis.

Don't believe what you read in some forum threads too, the Quadra has an Arpeggiator - up-down - up & down, 3 settings that controlled the lead synth voice only. The quadra sounds great, trust your ears not the opinions of the self proclaimed synth experts who obviously never used one of these beasts.

Yes, and so did John Carpenter & Alan Howarth (on the soundtracks Escape from New York and Haloween II), New Order (Movement, Power, corruption and lies and Thieves like us), Joe Zawinul/Weather Report (8:30, Night passage, weather report etc) and Hendrik Schaper/Passport (1980 onwards).

I played a Quadra in a band for several years when they first came out. I also had an ARP Omni II and an Odyssey.

Some may choose to believe otherwise, but IMHO it is really just a somewhat grandiose string machine. At the time, it was really unique because it was like four keyboards in one, which could all be layered, and had separate outs for each one. It was very expensive - I paid $5000 for one in 1978, which is probably about $15,000 in today's money.

When used individually, however, each of the four synth engines is rather limited. The lead synth is not comparable to an Odyssey, nor is the poly synth on par with anything but the more basic polysynths ever made. But the ability to stack polyphonic keyboard sounds in a pre-MIDI world was very cool in 1978.

There were a couple of reliability issues with my Quadra - the biggest concerned the contact wires in the keyboard mechanism. When a key is depressed, a thin wire is moved from touching one metal bar to another metal bar, causing the note to sound. These things always seemed to break, causing notes to go out completely. We got replacement contact wires from ARP, which my keyboard tech became very proficient at replacing (it is an easy solder job). But the replacement contact wires would also break, so as I recall he ultimately ended up using pieces of guitar strings, which were more reliable.

The other issue involved the membrane buttons. If the front panel got too warm, either under stage lights or at an outdoor gig, the surface would expand and cause contact issues with the membrane buttons, causing them to go on or off randomly.

Despite your farfetched conspiracy theory I *have* played one of these, Mr Knee-Jerk-Quick-To-Judge. I was gigging in clubs when these things were introduced. Where were YOU in 1979 when these came out?

So excuse the cobwebs in my memory regarding a machine I haven't touched since the late 1970s. In case you haven't noticed, I left out the element of absolutism when I stated "I DOUBT".

keybdwizrd: are you really sure that you bought the Quadra back in 1978?

The reason I'm asking is that I know for certain it wasn't commercially released until the spring of '79.

Joe Zawinul used a Quadra for the first time on WR's live album "8:30" (rec. in Oct/Nox '78) but that was a pre-production unit.

Well, it was a long time ago, and I don't remember exactly, but I believe it was 1978. I actually bought it - get this - sight unseen - before it was released. My band was in the process of buying about $50K worth of gear from a big music store in LA, and one day there happened to be a guy who worked for ARP in the store. Due to the scope of the purchase we were in there after hours. I had two other ARPs at the time, and this ARP fellow gave us (our manager and me) a big pitch about their new instrument that was soon to be released - it was the Quadra. So we decided to get one and put it on the tab at the store.

A month or so later I recall that the music store delivered the Quadra to our rehearsal studio (those were the days, I'll tell ya). I never saw anyone else who had one, nor saw another one, so I can't speak to when they were released. But I imagine that mine (which is long since gone) was one of the first ever made. I think this all took place in the fall of '78, but those were hazy times.

I've posted this pic before, but people always like these vintage synth pics, so I'll post it again.

Hello,

Fuzzy, if when you refer to capabilities for live playing, you mean for gigging, you may want to think again.

Gigging a 30 year old polysynth (that's never been overhauled) is problematic

under the best of circumstances. But gigging said instrument that had ongoing issues, even when it was new may be asking for trouble. At this point in time, its just safer using vintage pieces like these mostly in a controlled environment. It would also probably be best to only mess with one of these if you know of a tech who works on old ARPs.

That said, ARP referred to its arpeggiator on the instrument as a "sequencer".

I tend to shy away from the tendency to overly reduce the instrument to a sandwich

between an Oddy and a Omni II, in that the Quadra is a sort of hodgepodge of elements

that are carried over from several previous ARP products, and some not used before.

For ex:

The lead synth was duo, like the Oddy, but most like the Solus, in architecture.

Further, the envelope generator on the lead is combination preset/multistage and seems to be a forerunner to one that later appeared on the Chroma Polaris.

The interval latch function is carried over from the 2600.

The bass synth on the Quadra is closer to the Omni I's bass section than the II (the difference being, the Omni I's bass section could be filtered (albeit thru the synth section)).

The Omni II had (2) preset amplitude envelopes and a fixed filter setting. Its more of a preset bass section (but sounds more natural), and the Omni I is more classic synth bass.

From a design standpoint, seems ad hoc and lacks cohesion, but applicationally, the sound works well.

Few Weather Report clips:

Call and response w/drummer Omar Hakim. Arpeggiator used around 4:15.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlKxy0h1-3Y

Medley pt1 - Nice Chroma patch @ 3:29

Medley 2 - Opens w/track "Badia", another track from "8:30".

Quadra was also used by Norman Beavers of r&b funk band, "Lakeside", one of the premier funk bands from late seventies/early eighties.

Lakeside - Your Wish Is My Command

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UERThpht1BI

Lakeside - Fantastic Voyage

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GP_mPAdQyQ&feature=related

Lakeside - Your Love Is on the One

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eesbiFePwLc&feature=related

Enjoy!,

Lawrence

Thanks for all the info on the ARP Quadra...controversial little machine on this forum! Nonetheless based on the you tube clips I love the sound-the phaser and arpeggiator really is the kicker for me no mattar how crude or prone to mechanical mayhem! LWG thanks for the practical advice and the you tube Lakeside stuff-excellent funk band! Also those weather report calling and response clips with Omar Hakim and the keyboardist are pretty cool. Thanks.

Well, it was a long time ago, and I don't remember exactly, but I believe it was 1978. I actually bought it - get this - sight unseen - before it was released. My band was in the process of buying about $50K worth of gear from a big music store in LA, and one day there happened to be a guy who worked for ARP in the store. Due to the scope of the purchase we were in there after hours. I had two other ARPs at the time, and this ARP fellow gave us (our manager and me) a big pitch about their new instrument that was soon to be released - it was the Quadra. So we decided to get one and put it on the tab at the store. A month or so later I recall that the music store delivered the Quadra to our rehearsal studio (those were the days, I'll tell ya). I never saw anyone else who had one, nor saw another one, so I can't speak to when they were released. But I imagine that mine (which is long since gone) was one of the first ever made. I think this all took place in the fall of '78, but those were hazy times.

Well, if you got the Quadra that early on then it must have been one of the pre-production (or test-production?) units.

It looks like he's playing that part on the Prophet T8 though. I read that Joe aquired one in early 1984.

Micke

That's MR. ZAWINUL SIR to you!

conspiracy theory? where was I in 1979 when these came out don't understand what your getting at I was just

trying to suggest to the guy to trust his own ears. You mentioned all the technical shortcomings about the Quadra and what a poor product it was

, but you didn't mention the fact that you ever played one Your inclination to doubt what a web site said about the Quadra having an arpeggiator led to my" knee-jerk" reaction that you never used one and your opinion was based on spec alone.The arpeggiator is one of the coolest things about the Quadra.

Keep in mind that this was one if not the last of Arps major synths. Oberheims and Pro-5's took over the market and Moog of course held its own ground.

The Oberheims, Prophet, and Moogs were more stable, and had a much wider sound pallet. But...none of those can come close to that beautiful phaser string combo sound found in only the Arp Quadra. So it boils down to what you want to achieve.

And whatever you do...don't take it on the road.