I grew up in a time when Synthesizers were the norm for Prog Rock bands.
I was drawn to the large beasts like that used by Keith Emerson and even the smaller ones like everyone else used. Edgar Winter had a hit, “Frankenstein” where he played various instrument including an ARP 2600. I played one of these at Arnold & Morgan and I have been wanting one ever since (I believe the price tag on the 2600 was around $4000, and that was back in the 70’s.
A few years later I had an opportunity to play an ARP 2500, the big brother to the 2600.
This was a very interesting modular synth, and I’ve been wanting one of these ever since. They had one once at Arnold & Morgan, never got it to make a sound, but was so cool looking. If I remember it was $35,000? Again, in the 70’s.
My personal synth journey is not as long as my guitar journey. Synths were expensive. My first synth was an Electrocomp EML-500
You might say it looks like an ARP Odyssey, and you would be right. And it has many of the same characteristics like a Sample & Hold circuit and some jacks for external control. But it was far less expensive than the Odyssey. I learned a lot with this thing about analog synthesis. I eventually sold it to my keyboard player, using the proceeds to buy my first Stratocaster. But, I still loved those old analog synths.
During the 80’s the digital world overtook the analog world. Those big ARP synths were still one or two notes at a time. Digital synths could play full keyboards or at least a hand full of notes at once. Pop music just didn’t really have space for a 1 note wonder.
Today there is a resurgence in analog with the Eurorack synth modules. Many companies make them and they can be very pricey. But one company, Behringer, is makiing them less expensive.
I have two eurorack synths, both Behringer. The one on the right is a copy of the ARP 2600 with some additional modules below it, the other is a copy of the 2500 modules! So, now I have both a “2600” and a “2500”.
Since it all eurorack, they play well together making 1 giant analog synthesizer making music 1 note at a time (2 notes if you try hard enough).
It’s exciting to me to see so much interest in the analog world again. I mean, look at one of those synths, with knobs, switches, cables running everywhere.. it’s controlled madness and if you are careful (and skillful) you can make it do some really amazing things.