One of ARP's final synthesizers from 1980, the Solus was designed as a rugged, portable performer—built right into its own protective flight case with a hardwired power cord and panel-mounted jacks for gig-ready reliability.
At its core, this monophonic analog beast packs two VCOs with sawtooth, pulse (complete with PWM), and noise options, plus oscillator sync for thick, aggressive tones that cut through any mix. A classic 4-pole low-pass filter delivers that signature ARP bite, with cutoff, resonance, and modulation from the LFO, ADSR envelope, or keyboard tracking; a single ADSR shapes both filter and VCA. Standout extras include a digital ring modulator for metallic screeches and bell-like hits, an FM slider to ring-mod external audio through VCO1, sample-and-hold, and CV/Gate I/O for modular integration—all controlled via straightforward sliders on its compact black-and-orange panel over a 37-key synth-action keyboard (about 25x16x6 inches, 22 lbs).
Players love its beefy basses and searing leads that echo the Odyssey but in a more portable form, often calling it an underrated gem for raw analog power. Some note the stiff keys and single envelope limit complexity, but that's part of its no-frills charm for focused leads and effects.
