ARP 2700 (1971)

A preset synth from the early days of the form, with pressure-sensitive keys that most players never got to hear.

Overview

The ARP 2700 plays by pressure, one pressure-sensitive key at a time. It dates to 1971. It's the forgotten sibling that fell between the modular 2500 and the 2600, and it reappeared as a preset-laden oddity that is part performance machine, part engineering prototype. The 2700 Soloist predates the Pro Soloist, but it doesn't feel like a prototype. It was ARP's first real attempt at a synth for the stage instead of the lab. There are no patch cords and no matrix. There are 16 presets, a row of sliders you can barely touch without breaking, and a keyboard that responds to how hard you press it. The aftertouch is the whole point of the machine.

Unlike the Pro Soloist that followed, the 2700 runs on the same DNA as the 2600. It has the same 4027 oscillator module and the same 4012 filter, which sounds suspiciously like a Moog ladder (and yes, that caused legal trouble later). Here it's locked down and pre-wired. You can't patch it like a modular, and ARP already did the work for you. It has six assignable aftertouch effects, including vibrato, repeat and portamento, all triggered by how you play. Press harder and a flute quivers under your finger. A brass stab slides into the next note because aftertouch does the glide. Most preset synths from this era aren't this expressive. It has only 16 presets, fewer than the Pro Soloist, but it includes voices like "Piccolo" and "Vibes" that never made it into later models. Both are thin and glassy, and they cut through a mix like a scalpel. The rest, including strings, brass, organ and bass, are serviceable and sometimes brilliant. All of them are colored by that ARP filter warmth, even when it isn't singing at full resonance.

It also feels like it was built in a hurry. The sliders are on a separate board mounted just behind the panel, and the shafts are notoriously fragile. "Slider posts are broken off" is a common complaint, and it's the default condition on most surviving units. One owner on Matrixsynth admitted to using a pencil to tweak them. The panel is utilitarian, with no wood and no suitcase. It's a slab of metal and a keyboard that looks borrowed from an early 2600. The touch sensitivity uses conductive rubber pads that degrade over time. If it's not working on a unit you're eyeing, don't assume it's hopeless, since there are modern fixes, but it has probably been dead for decades. When it does work and the filter opens on a slow swell, you hear the blueprint for what ARP would refine in the Pro Soloist.

Specifications

Manufacturer	ARP Instruments, Inc.
Production Years	1971
Original Price	Not listed in research
Polyphony	Monophonic
Oscillators	1 x 4027 Voltage Controlled Oscillator module
Filter Type	4012 Voltage Controlled Filter (24 dB/octave low-pass)
Keyboard	49-key keyboard with aftertouch
Aftertouch Effects	6 assignable effects (including vibrato, repeat, portamento)
Presets	16 preset sounds
Modulation	Aftertouch-controlled modulation routing
Outputs	1 x 1/4" output
Power	Internal power supply
Weight	Not listed in research
Dimensions	Not listed in research
MIDI	No
CV/Gate	No CV or Gate inputs/outputs
Internal Architecture	Preset-based, non-modular with fixed signal path
Unique Features	Aftertouch-sensitive keyboard, assignable performance effects, shared 4027 VCO and 4012 VCF with ARP 2600

Key Features

Aftertouch as Performance Engine

Most synths of 1971 treated expression as an option, something added with pedals or external controllers. The 2700 makes it the core interface. Every note can be shaped in real time just by pressing harder. Assign repeat to aftertouch and you get a stuttering trill that kicks in only when you dig in. Assign portamento and the synth glides between notes only under pressure, which suits legato phrasing. This isn't MIDI aftertouch with smooth curves and quantized response. It's raw, binary and immediate. You either press hard enough to trigger it or you don't, and there's no in-between. That sounds limiting, but it forces a physicality into your playing that few preset synths demand.

Shared DNA with the 2600

The 2700 uses the same 4027 oscillator and 4012 filter as the ARP 2600. The 4012 filter, in particular, gives the 2700 a warmth that the later Pro Soloist, with its updated filter design, sometimes lacks. It's the same circuit that caused ARP legal headaches for sounding too much like Moog's ladder. Locked into preset voices, it adds a subtle thickness to even the most brittle presets like "Piccolo." The oscillator is stable, precise, and tracks well. You can't patch it, but the internal routing still reflects ARP's modular thinking. The signal path is fixed, but the filter and VCA respond dynamically, and the aftertouch system routes modulation in ways that feel almost semi-modular in intent, if not in execution.

Preset Design and Missing Voices

The 2700 ships with 16 presets, fewer than the Pro Soloist's 32. Two of them, "Piccolo" and "Vibes," never appeared in later models. They're likely achieved through specific filter and envelope settings baked into the hardware. "Piccolo" is piercing and nasal, with a fast attack and a bright filter peak that cuts through any mix. "Vibes" has a metallic resonance, almost like a detuned bell, with a slow decay that lingers longer than most ARP presets. The rest, "Strings," "Brass," "Organ" and "Bass," are functional and sometimes generic, and all are colored by that ARP filter character. There is no user programmability. You can't save your own sounds, and you can't tweak the envelopes or filter cutoff beyond what's preset. The sliders on the front are for adjusting internal calibration, and they're not meant to be touched during performance. This isn't a synth for sound designers.

Historical Context

The ARP 2700 arrived in 1971, the same year as the 2600, but it filled a different slot in ARP's lineup. The 2600 was marketed as an educational, semi-modular synth for schools and studios. The 2700 was aimed at the working musician who needed a synth that could go on stage and deliver consistent, expressive sounds without a patch cord in sight. It was ARP's third synthesizer, following the 2500 and 2600, and it represented a pivot toward performance. Preset synths were still a novelty then. The Minimoog had just launched, with a fixed signal path but no presets, just knobs you tweaked by hand. The 2700 offered instant recall with an aftertouch system that was revolutionary for a preset synth. Most competitors, like the Yamaha SY-1 or the EML 200, offered preset selection but little real-time control. The 2700 let players shape their sound without taking their hands off the keys.

It also came at a time when ARP was trying to out-engineer Moog. The 2500 had already shown ARP's technical chops with its matrix switching, and the 2600 was gaining traction for its stability and usability. The 2700 took that reliability, shrank it into a performance format, and added a feature no one else had. It didn't catch on. Maybe it was too early. Maybe the fragile sliders and touch pads scared people off. Or maybe it was overshadowed by the 2600 and the Minimoog. Whatever the reason, it was quickly succeeded by the Pro Soloist, which refined the concept with more presets, better build quality, and broader marketing. The 2700 faded into obscurity, rarely seen, rarely serviced, and almost never discussed.

Collectibility & Value

The ARP 2700 is rare. These don't show up on every synth forum or in every vintage shop. They surface on eBay no more than once every few years, and they're usually in "as-is" condition with non-functional touch sensors or broken sliders. A unit serviced by Synthchaser in 2023 sold with no public price. Given the labor involved (recapping, slider replacement, VCO replacement), it likely commanded a four-figure sum. Unserviced units in poor condition might go for $1,500 to $2,500, but that's a project, and not a beginner one. The touch sensitivity system is notoriously difficult to repair, and the sliders require delicate board work. Even the power switch has been known to fail, and replacement parts are scarce.

If you're considering buying one, check four things. First, the aftertouch. If it doesn't work, assume a significant repair bill. Second, the sliders. If they're broken or have been "hacked" with added screws or brackets, the front panel may be damaged. Third, all 16 presets should sound consistent. One listing mentioned "cracked PCB traces" causing preset failures, so erratic behavior across presets is a red flag. Finally, check whether the 4027 VCO is original. If it's been replaced (as in the Synthchaser unit), that's not necessarily bad, since modern clones are stable, but the unit is not 100% original circuitry.

As an investment, this isn't a synth that's appreciating like a Minimoog or a 2600. It's too rare, too niche, and too problematic. It's not a daily driver. It suits a collector who cares about ARP's evolution and wants the missing link between the 2600 and the Pro Soloist.