Overview
The ARP Quadra, released in 1978, represented the company's most ambitious integration effort, combining multiple synthesizer types in a single programmable instrument. This four-section synthesizer offered bass, string, polyphonic synthesizer, and lead synthesizer sections, each independently configurable and playable. The Quadra targeted professional keyboardists seeking comprehensive sounds without multiple instruments.
Each section offered distinct capabilities: the bass provided deep monophonic tones; the string section delivered ensemble textures; the polyphonic synthesizer offered full programmability; the lead section provided solo sounds with portamento. A sophisticated programmer stored 16 programs, with extensive control over each section's parameters.
ARP manufactured the Quadra until the company's 1981 bankruptcy. The instrument's complexity contributed to reliability challenges, but its concept influenced subsequent workstation synthesizers. Notable users included Genesis, Journey, and various progressive rock keyboardists. The Quadra represents ARP's final attempt at comprehensive keyboard integration before the company's demise.