ARP Pro Soloist presets recreated on an ARP 2600 clone

[@MrHermanRinger]

wow, amazing job there again Matt. I've been enjoying the old ProsoloVST on my Mac via the 32 bit Win version of Reaper with Crossover. But it would be so cool if anyone could somehow re-write it in 64 bit...

[@mattthomasoverdrive4514]

Someone needs to make modern plugins of these simple instruments.

[@MrHermanRinger]

and once again, it was Cherry Audio. They just released a most excellent Prosoloist plugin! You should do a video review@@mattthomasoverdrive4514

[@classicarcadeamusementpark4242]

A lot of the magic of the Pro Soloist was in the aftertouch effects. The 2600 lacks that feature, but the Pro Soloist VST (no longer available) included it. I was so pleased with the VST, it replaced my vintage 1973 Pro Soloist. I think the VST sounds closer for some of these sounds, but the lack of effects is probably part of the reason. I'd have at least run reverb on the Behringer 2600. I have considered getting a Behringer 2600 just for the fun of all the sliders and because they are affordable, but I really need preset memory for most of what I do (live performance). I have a lot of fun using Arturia's 2600 VST too.

[@mattthomasoverdrive4514]

Someone should definitely make 64-bit plugin versions of the Pro Soloist and RMI Electra Piano. It should be easy to do.

[@classicarcadeamusementpark4242]

@@mattthomasoverdrive4514 That would be best. However, they will work on a 64 bit Windows OS with a 32 bit VST host. Also, they don't require much power at all and will run fine on a netbook or older laptop. Compared to storing or gigging with a product like say the Behringer 2600 to try to get Pro Soloist sounds, taking a 2nd laptop isn't any harder if someone is already running 64 bit VST's on another computer. It's also not any harder than keeping an antique keyboard around to make the sounds. I run both a 64 bit VST host and a 32 bit one on the same computer. I don't mind switching back & fourth as needed. But I do hope a 64 bit Pro Soloist VST comes out.

[@sailingwhisper149]

@@mattthomasoverdrive4514 Rejoice, the Cherry Audio Pro Soloist plugin is excellent!

[@joaquinvelazquez913]

These are spot on!!! The fuzz guitar is just a tiny bit off. But as you said its a helluva complex sound, and i dont know why. I tried to make it my Korg Minilogue and the Arturia 2600 and in both i got somewhat close but when you hear the real arp i was no way close. Yours is much more believable. Kinda similar to the steel guitar preset (in fact ive seen some in the cage cover videos where the keyboardist actually uses the steel guitar instead of the fuzz hehe)

[@mattthomasoverdrive4514]

Yeah, the fuzz guitar preset has a band pass filter moving throughout to simulate the harmonics of feedback - rapid at first and then slowly stepping away for about 10 stages. No way to do that on a 2600 but one could actually add that filter in software, that's a worthy cause! I made my sound so the attack is accurate at least for rapid passages. It's hard to do In The Cage on that patch because there's so little release in the envelope. Steel Guitar has a long decay and it smoothes your playing a bit.

[@odmusicman]

@@mattthomasoverdrive4514 Hey, sounds really cool. On the In The Cage bit, I seem to recall when you play that cross over riff starting with the high Bb your hand jumps between the sections hence the issue with no release. If you change fingering crossing using the thumb it smooths it out. If you watch in the cage on 3 sides, that's how Tony fingers it and how I originally learned the finger. Great and faithful job as always mate.

[@mattthomasoverdrive4514]

I always chicken out on that fingering, mainly because more often than not, when my band plays that part they tend to push it at a lightning fast tempo. My version isn’t great but I don’t trip as often that way. I think it’s time I revisit it!

[@odmusicman]

@@mattthomasoverdrive4514 I know what you mean by the band. A few years ago we did Hoedown from ELP and they did the live tempo from Welcome Back My Friends which is near impossible. I was sore after that. Also, I recall a story where on Seconds Out they played Cinema Show too fast for Tony and he had to replay some of it in post. Not sure if that's true though.

[@patrickjessup8172]

@@mattthomasoverdrive4514 I'm able to get the Fuzz Guitar 1 sound by modulating the pulse width. Starting at a full square, I shorten the PW using an ADSR, 25% attack, 50% decay, 15% release no sustain. A little bit of cutoff, little bit of resonance with the filter completely static. Just a little pitch modulation for movement. I made the sound on my Arturia Minibrute and it sounds pretty spot on. I think this is probably how they actually did it in the pro soloist since it only has one oscillator and 2 ADSR generators.

[@SjoerdDekker]

Tru my phone the violin sounds like the Casio VL Tone violin preset .... excellent renditions 👍

[@neilloughran4437]

I once read that the ARP Prosoloist sounds were originally created on either the ARP2500 or ARP2600.. as I own a ProSoloist and ARP2600 I've never been able to really dial those sounds in.. but hearing your demo I can hear that the 2600 is pretty close... the classic for me was the flute sound... and like others have said the touch sensitive effects actually chang the whole character of the sound... now we have the Cherry Audio emulation I guess it's not that important but really think you did an ace job here...

[@mousasha-]

I just got a behringer 2600 in and thought it'd be fun to do these sounds on it and am extremely happy to see that it is only playing genesis in this lol. What else could you play on a pro soloist? Great job!!

[@samanipreston]

Awesome!! Love the ARP. When can we expect the next Genesis cover?

[@mattthomasoverdrive4514]

At some point my Hammond will be repaired. Right now it’s kind of a fire hazard!

[@joaquinvelazquez913]

@@mattthomasoverdrive4514 oh my! What happened to it?

[@mattthomasoverdrive4514]

It’s a 1961-1962 era B3, and the power line is bare in places internally - pretty common for that age when the plastic housing disintegrates. My tech said it should be safe as long as I don’t move it. Making those videos is an undertaking and I need to get up and walk away in between takes. I’m afraid to leave it running, so I’m waiting on an open spot in my tech’s schedule.

[@HaroldMaude]

Song Whistle? This one was the most famous

[@mattthomasoverdrive4514]

Of the top of my head I can’t recall what that one is! I’ll have to revisit it.

[@HaroldMaude]

Cool ;) @@mattthomasoverdrive4514

[@HeadfirstHumanity]

These sound great!

[@truefilm6991]

Very, very close! Great ear, great skill! I was just wondering: the fuzz guitar (not sure if 1 or 2 or both variations) seems to have a pulse width modulation, controlled by the envelope. I'm pretty sure this already occurred to you. Is it possible to do that on the 2600?

[@mattthomasoverdrive4514]

I could probably do a whole video on that sound and still not get it right on the 2600. See my earlier comment about the filtering and audible stepping on the original preset. PWM didn’t quite sound right when I tried it, but the 2600 has many possibilities. I was trying to do this without any patch cables so people would be encouraged to try on their own. Let’s try it again in a later video!

[@truefilm6991]

@@mattthomasoverdrive4514 Have you been able to find out how exactly it was done on the ProSoloist?

[@mattthomasoverdrive4514]

From what I could tell it is a series of filters, involving bandpass. Hence the Mute Trumpet and all the double reed variations. Maybe a multi mode Oberheim filter would work. Anyone with the Arturia packages could probably use the Matrix 12 filter as an insert on the 2600 channel. The resonance of the Pro Soloist filters (not the “brilliance” LPF but the various filters which shape the presets in ROM) was difficult to match completely. So much so that I scrapped my idea of A/B-ing them because everyone would have disliked the results. That filtering system is probably why the Pro Soloist cuts so well in a mix, and why Banks used a Leslie to tame the frequencies a bit.

[@truefilm6991]

@@mattthomasoverdrive4514 Yes I can hear the multiple filters and resonances. I didn't know Tony also sent the ProSoloist through a Leslie. That must have been up until 1976 I guess. Anyway, the tone is definitely beautiful. Seen your Roland SH-2000 video. It is very similar in sound and would have been a perfect alternative, except for the different key layout: F-F instead of C-C. Besides that: Tony made the right choice: he could use his left hand on the organ and still get pitch bend, controlled vibrato and relatively fast patch changes on the solo synth. Try that with a Minimoog.

[@jamesbalestrino2670]

When I try using the Arturia software, and follow your settings all I get is square soounds. Not sure if the routing is different, but something is off. Are you able to recreate them using the software? A video on that would be golden.

[@chrisrios802]

can you recreate the song whistle preset?

[@Deweak]

So sad it doesn’t have a patch memory ! I would have bought one for my Genesis tribute band, too !

[@mattthomasoverdrive4514]

It’s still worth getting! I use it in my band for 1978-1982 tours.