ARP Odyssey Alternatives: The Best Hardware and Software Emulations
The ARP Odyssey has inspired generations of musicians and remains one of the most sought-after vintage synths to this day. If you don’t happen to be one of the lucky few who can call an original their own, don’t despair! With these ARP Odyssey alternatives, anyone can get their hands on the legendary duophonic classic.
Best ARP Odyssey Alternatives
History of the ARP Odyssey
The ARP Odyssey was released in 1972 as a direct competitor to the mighty Minimoog. As the era of massive modular systems came to an end, working musicians desired more compact, more practical, and—perhaps most importantly—more affordable synthesizers, and ARP certainly wasn’t going to miss out on this trend. Although similar in size to the Minimoog, the Odyssey is a completely different beast—and it is this unique character that is the main reason for its enduring popularity to this day. Over the course of its production run, the Odyssey went through several versions and color schemes, the best-known variant being the third generation with its striking orange lettering.
With just two oscillators, the ARP falls one short of the Minimoog, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t capable of producing equally powerful sounds (pulse-width modulation being a major factor). In addition, the two VCOs can be played in duophonic mode, enabling (limited) two-part polyphony—today we’d call this “paraphonic.” This gave the Odyssey a real edge in the early 1970s, as even the Minimoog couldn’t do this. Another huge part of the synth’s personality is the combination of a viciously resonant low-pass filter and a high-pass filter. Other highlights include a ring modulator, a versatile sample-and-hold section with a source mixer, and the AR and ADSR envelopes, which can be triggered by the LFO.
ARP Odyssey Alternatives: Behringer Odyssey
Behringer’s Odyssey is an affordable analog replica of the legendary ARP, enhanced with several new features. For instance, Behringer’s version includes all three filter variants of the original, as well as an overdrive switch. Aside from that, the synth is closely based on the circuitry of the original.
To make the Odyssey play better with today’s setups, Behringer has added a bunch of modern amenities, including MIDI, USB-MIDI, and CV/gate in/out. In addition, the Behringer Odyssey features a built-in sequencer with 32 steps and 64 patterns. An arpeggiator is also included, as well as a digital effects section by Klark Teknik.
The Behringer Odyssey is available from Thomann*.
ARP Odyssey Alternatives: KORG Collection
In 2015, KORG made headlines when the manufacturer teamed up with the Odyssey’s designer David Friend to release an analog and slightly scaled-down hardware reissue, which was later supplemented by a desktop module, the full-size Odyssey FS, and even a DIY version. Unfortunately, KORG’s hardware reissues are getting increasingly hard to come by.
Luckily, KORG also offers a virtual ARP Odyssey as an individual plugin or as part of the KORG Collection bundle. The software synth emulates the analog classic at the component level, taking into account the various filter variants. In addition, KORG has added a polyphonic mode, an arpeggiator, and effects.
The KORG ARP Odyssey plugin is available at Plugin Boutique*.
GForce Software Oddity 3: The OG Virtual Odyssey
Hard to believe, but true: GForce Oddity first came out over 20 years ago! Long before anyone even thought about an analog reissue, the software synth already had everyone stunned by its extremely authentic sound. To this day, many consider Oddity the most successful attempt to capture the unique and quirky character of the original in software.
The plugin has since come a long way and reached version 3 in late 2022. The latest version adds a Vintage control to emulate slight analog imperfections, along with several new effects, such as Distortion and Matrix Reverb. Also new are programmable macros for controlling multiple parameters simultaneously.
GForce Oddity 3 is available from Thomann*.
Cherry Audio ODC 2800: 3 Odysseys in One
When it comes to software emulations of vintage analog synths, Cherry Audio is never far away. In 2025, the developer released its version of a virtual Odyssey—and it’s truly impressive. ODC 2800 emulates all three versions of the original, from the lovingly recreated user interfaces to the various filters.
Of course, Cherry Audio also took the opportunity to add a bunch of features not available on the original, 16-voice polyphony being just the beginning. ODC 2800 also offers an additional oscillator and LFO, significantly expanded routing and modulation options, and support for velocity and polyphonic aftertouch. Moreover, the software synth includes a comprehensive arpeggiator with swing and random functions, as well as an effects section featuring distortion, EQ, phaser, flanger, chorus, delay, and reverb.
Cherry Audio ODC 2800 is available from Thomann*.
ARP Odyssey Alternatives: AIR Music Technology Odyssey
Another virtual emulation of the ARP Odyssey comes from WayOutWare and AIR Music Technology. Originally developed for the AKAI MPC and Force platforms, the plugin is now also available for desktop computers. Here, too, the analog circuitry has been precisely emulated to authentically reproduce the synth’s unique character.
The AIR Odyssey can be played in monophonic, duophonic, or four-voice polyphonic modes. In addition to velocity and aftertouch, the software supports an expression pedal as an additional modulation source. 150 presets are included. The user interface is scalable and supports touchscreens.
AIR Music Technology Odyssey is available from Thomann*.
KORG ARP ODYSSEi: An Odyssey for your iPad or iPhone
Speaking of touchscreens: Korg’s software emulation of the ARP Odyssey is also available for iOS! This means you don’t need to make do without an Odyssey while jamming on your morning commute. The app also pairs well with the Korg Gadget app. The sound engine is identical to the desktop app from the Korg Collection. The standard version of ODYSSEi includes the Odyssey Rev3; the two earlier versions are available as in-app purchases.
ODYSSEi runs on iOS 9.3 or later and supports Inter-App Audio and Audiobus 2. The app costs $14.99 in the App Store.
More about ARP and the Odyssey
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