ARP Axxe

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AXXE by ARP Instruments, Inc.
Synthesis type: Analog Subtractive
Polyphony: Monophonic
Timbrality: Monotimbral
Oscillators: 1
LFO: 1
Keyboard: 37-key
Left hand control: PPC pads
Velocity sensitive: none
Aftertouch: none
External control: CV/Gate
Memory: none
Produced: 1975 - 1981

The ARP Axxe is a monophonic analog synthesizer created by ARP during the 1970s. As a cheaper, scaled-down version of the Odyssey, the Axxe was simplified to the point of becoming, arguably, the most standard analog synthesizer. It has a single VCO (producing two different waveforms) that is passed through a basic low-pass filter and VCA. Modulation is also rather inflexible but can be applied to nearly every section of the synthesizer. Noteworthy is the addition of sample-and-hold and the ability to pass external audio through the filter (in the tradition of the Minimoog). Three versions of the Axxe were manufactured, the last two containing orange silkscreening and a slightly modified case. The difference in these later two versions was primarily the mounting of the keyboard. The earliest units of the original version lacked ARP's innovative "Proportional Pitch Control" pads, but featured a copyright infringing version of a Moog filter that was later discontinued, though no actual lawsuit ever took place.