ok, i’m not looking at getting a synth right now (cause i’m going to receive my LP soon) but at some point i’d like to get a vintage moog.
what i’d like to know is which of them will be the easiest to fix electronically, as in which one has the most simple design and would be easy for someone to learn how it works and attain the skills to fix it?
The Prodigy is about as simple as you can get; Although at the prices they sometimes sell for, it might not be the cheapest synth to “practice” on.
I’m by no means an expert (or even close), but I’ve learned alot about synths by primarily working on Arps. They’re maybe easier to figure out simple repairs on because, on the Odyssey for instance, all the boards are discrete. They have seperate boards for the Oscillators, Filter, etc. This makes it alot easier to diagnose where a problem is coming from. Also, theres alot of info on the web about potential failing components on Odysseys and other Arps. These are among the best synths ever made and can be quite affordable (especially in non-working condition).
Twise now, without any previous training, I’ve been able to “restore” non-working Odysseys to working condition just by replacing a bunch of capacitors, a couple chips, cleaning out the sliders, and refurbishing the keyboard assembly. The process of these repairs I found in numerous places just through internet research. The actual cost of replacing components is virtually nothing.
I’m sure I’m not doing a restoration on the level of a professional, but I was extremely careful at all times and it was an economic way for me to get some great synths (ones I wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford) playing again for my own use. I was able to learn alot more about the synth(and synths in general) in the process.
Thanks!
that’s just the sort of thing i wanted to know.
hmm, maybe i should try to get a broken Odyssey then? that would be awesome, but would a prodigy be even more simple, just more $$ ?
yeah it’s an area i want to venture into one day and slowly build up the skills to fix my synths should the need arise, my jup4 could use some work but i can do little more than talk soothingly to it.
i hate the idea of being helpless to fix my synths in a future time when nobody uses analogs anymore and only crazy old hermits will fix them for a life times wages.
The Prodigy is definitely functionaly simpler than an Odyssey, but it is more modern in design and I think it’s true to say that it relies more on chip technology versus discrete components on an Odyssey. This probably makes it more reliable, but maybe not as “simple” to service from the perspective of a novice, like myself.
Also, I think it has just one PCB board with everything located here. I found that on the Odyssey, I could check voltage levels with a multimeter and quickly determine which board was the trouble-maker. I think this would be harder on a synth with just one PCB.
It’s probably true that either of these synths are very simple in design and pose little problem for a seasoned tech. But, for someone just starting, I would recommend an Arp. Maybe just because I’ve personnaly had good luck with servicing them.
If you want to go even simpler, you could try to find a non-working Axxe (single oscillator version of the Odyssey).
One other thing though, to me, the Odyssey is a much more complete synth in about the same size package asa Prodigy. So, when you do get it working, you have a startlingly useful synth. Prodigys have a pretty good sound, but they’re very, very limited as far as modulation and routing is concerned.
From time to time, I’ve also considered buying a Prodigy because it’s really the only affordable Moog with decent envelopes and 2 oscillators. I have some Mooger Foogers and I kind of like the idea of using them in an integrated Moog system with a Prodigy (has the same look as the Moogers, etc.). But in the end, I always decide against it after playing one and realizing it’s rather brutal limitations.
The Odyssey is the opposite, it is one of the most complete synths ever designed. It’s a little like having a mini self contained modular.
So, after fixing one of my Odysseys, I went further and patched it out for external modular facilities. I put patch points on all the oscillator wave forms, LFO, Sample and Hold, filter, VCA, envelopes, etc. With a schematic, I was able to find points in the circuit for extracting these signals. It wasn’t at all that difficult, especially after having worked on the circuits in repairing them already.
This patchability project was also an economic choice I came to. I wanted the functions of a modular using a synth I already owned and without the considerable expense of building a full modular system. This kind of exercise could be done on a Prodigy as well, and there is some documentation in this pursuit on the web already.