[sdiy] [AH] Custom ARP Avatar

Sun Mar 23 21:51:38 CET 2025

Hi fellow dutchman :-)

I am certainly interested in a pickup, please keep me posted. (Off-list in Dutch is OK.) I’m currently also waiting for more information on one that might be available in the US, but it has some issues.

I have found several different adapter PCB’s and also complete kits for the sliders. Is there any in particular you recommend?

Ben

> On 23 Mar 2025, at 20:32, Maarten via Synth-diy <synth-diy at synth-diy.org> wrote:
> 
> Hello Ben,
> 
> For a client of mine I restored an Arp Avatar which had an original pickup. The pickup had issues(the common wire was no longer connected to ground) and currently someone is 3d printing a housing and winding 6 new coils for the pickup. If this all works out I can let you know. For the sliders I recommend replacing them with an adapter print and a modern slider. The pcb's are online available The original CTS sliders often have issues with the carbon tracks. I always end up with a couple of them that I can not restore. I have some spare parts but it is far from ideal and it is a lot of work. There are drop in replacement sliders available but I do not like the feel of these. With some extra silicone grease they feel better but still not very good. They are also very hard to solder.
> 
> Maarten
> 
> Op 23-3-2025 om 16:49 schreef Ben Stuyts via Synth-diy:
>> Hi Rob,
>> 
>> I’d love to try it with the hex pickup, as you say for the hex fuzz. Unfortunately the pickup is missing from my Avatar. It still has the D and E boards inside, but one of them has the power cable disconnected. So there’s probably something broken there. I have a search on ebay and other sites for the pickup, just in case. Does anybody know of any other hex pickups that would work?
>> 
>> The regular synth part works fine, although it needs lots of TLC for the sliders. I am not looking forward to that… And you’re right, with the cheap and available Barp modules everything changes.
>> 
>> Ben
>> 
>>> On 23 Mar 2025, at 07:17, Rob Secret <rob at secret-secret.com> <mailto:rob at secret-secret.com> wrote:
>>> 
>>> The Avatar was my second synth. I only had it and the Xpander. No keyboards! I did auto players and controlled the avatar with an electric mandolin (I didn’t have a guitar). With this set up I think I was the first to do a midi mandolin. :P 
>>> 
>>> The Avatars are very interesting synths to be sure, even though they are basically just an Odyssey. 
>>> 
>>> To me the coolest thing about the Avatar was its Hex Fuzz. Nothing sounds like that, well maybe the Rolands did, but that sound is really cool. You can play more than just 5ths with a very warm tone.
>>> 
>>> Synth wise I no longer have the Avatar thanks to a very aggressive evil landlord, but like you Ben I’m going down the bARP rabbit hole. I have some of the 2500 modules, with a bunch more on order (waiting for them to make it through the backorder experience). I also got two of the bARP 2600’s (Brown and Blue). But in addition to this I picked up the Korg 2600m and Korg Odyssey desktop module. The thought process being that the desktop could replace the Avatar. It sort of does, but of course without the Hex fuzz.
>>> 
>>> Back when I had the Avatar I seriously considered doing mods like these. Today though I don’t know if I would. Now that there are bARP modules, and Odyssey clones I don’t think I would do it. But every time I see a modded one, even with poor mods, I get excited by the possibilities! It does look like a lot of fun!
>>> 
>>> -Rob-
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>>> On Mar 22, 2025, at 2:39 PM, Ben Stuyts <ben at stuyts.nl> <mailto:ben at stuyts.nl> wrote:
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>>> On 22 Mar 2025, at 20:39, Michael E Caloroso <mec.forumreader at gmail.com> <mailto:mec.forumreader at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>> 
>>>>> > I have a stock (working) Avatar here. Can you tell me more about the mods you are doing?
>>>>> 
>>>>> Preliminary plans here http://www.analoguediehard.com/studio/keyboards/arp_avatar/index.html
>>>> 
>>>> Ooh, that’s a nice writeup. Thanks for that!
>>>> 
>>>> Some years ago I wanted to do lots of mods too but never got around to it. I recently acquired a bunch of Barp 2500 modules. These are quite nice reproductions (although Eurorack is not my fav. format, too small). Together with the Barp 2600 already here, it’s a bit of a mini 2500. This renewed my interest in modding the Avatar, but probably less extensive. It definitely needs additional patch points, so that is probably going to be my main focus.
>>>> 
>>>> Ben
>>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> ________________________________________________________
>> This is the Synth-diy mailing list
>> Submit email to: Synth-diy at synth-diy.org <mailto:Synth-diy at synth-diy.org>
>> View archive at: https://synth-diy.org/pipermail/synth-diy/
>> Check your settings at: https://synth-diy.org/mailman/listinfo/synth-diy
>> Selling or trading? Use marketplace at synth-diy.org <mailto:marketplace at synth-diy.org>
> ________________________________________________________
> This is the Synth-diy mailing list
> Submit email to: Synth-diy at synth-diy.org
> View archive at: https://synth-diy.org/pipermail/synth-diy/
> Check your settings at: https://synth-diy.org/mailman/listinfo/synth-diy
> Selling or trading? Use marketplace at synth-diy.org

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://synth-diy.org/pipermail/synth-diy/attachments/20250323/d0794b91/attachment.htm>