Analogue Solutions TC-5000 – An Homage To The ARP 2500
Tom Carpenter's Newest Synth Recognises One of the Greats
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Analogue Solutions TC-5000 · Source: Analogue Solutions
Tom Carpenter and the TC-5000 · Source: Rob Puricelli
TC-5000 Module Block 1 · Source: Rob Puricelli
TC-5000 Module Block 2 · Source: Rob Puricelli
TC-5000 Module Block 3 · Source: Rob Puricelli
TC-5000 Module Block Matrices · Source: Rob Puricelli
Analogue Solutions TC-5000 · Source: Analogue Solutions
Tom Carpenter & Ty Unwin · Source: Rob Puricelli
Unveiled at SynthFest U.K. and surprising everyone, Analogue Solutions took the synth world by surprise with the TC-5000. I got the lowdown from Tom Carpenter himself.
If you’ve ever been to SynthFest U.K., the highly regarded annual event put on by Sound On Sound magazine, you will know that as soon as you enter the main hall, it is traditional that you are greeted by something special from Analogue Solutions. You can imagine the gasps of previous years when attendees saw Colossus and Maximus for the first time.
This year, I fully expected the Maximus 4V, the four-voice version of the original eight-voice behemoth. As I glanced over from my own stand pre-show, I couldn’t see anything, so I took a short walk over and was greeted by this…
Is That… No, It Can’t Be, Can It?
At first glance, I thought Tom was having a fallow year and had just brought a vintage ARP 2500 as a showpiece. But the longer I lingered, the realisation that this was something new and previously unheard of washed over me. I moved in for a closer inspection, muttering expletives at its creator, along the lines of, “My goodness, sir, what on earth have you done?”.
Tom, in his own quiet, self-deprecating way, chuckled and replied with, “I’m not sure. It probably won’t sell!” to which I snorted loudly and assured him he would be selling quite a few. You see, Tom told me the same when he created Colossus. He repeated that claim when Maximus debuted. Given that he has sold a significant amount of each, Tom is either trying not to curse his luck or is incredibly clueless about his reputation and sales pipeline. I’m sure it is the former.
No sooner had I shared a picture online than I had Dina Pearlman-Ifil on the phone, Alan R. Pearlman’s amazing daughter, founder of the Alan R Pearlman Foundation and a dear friend of mine. She too was in shock and awe of Tom’s creation and I had to give her the full lowdown. She was amazed and honoured that such an homage existed, and I repeated her words to Tom who was blown away.
The Analogue Solutions TC-5000
So, what is the TC-5000? Well, first up, I can tell you that it may well have been called the CARP-2500, a reference to its inspiration and also the first four letters of its creator’s surname. That name was soon cast aside as Tom drew parallels with the bottom-feeding fish, but more importantly, he wanted to distance himself from the ARP 2500 out of respect for its creator.
Analogue Solutions TC-5000 · Source: Rob Puricelli 
TC-5000 Module Block 1 · Source: Rob Puricelli 
TC-5000 Module Block 2 · Source: Rob Puricelli 
TC-5000 Module Block 3 · Source: Rob Puricelli 
TC-5000 Module Block Matrices · Source: Rob Puricelli 
Analogue Solutions TC-5000 · Source: Analogue Solutions 
Tom Carpenter and the TC-5000 · Source: Rob Puricelli
This Is Not a Clone!
You see, whilst the TC-5000 looks like an ARP 2500, this is not a clone. I repeat, it is NOT a clone. None of the circuits in the modules are in any way copies of Alan’s work. They are all of Tom’s own design. But what Tom recognised was the unarguable beauty of Alan’s user interface and workflow concepts and it is THAT which Tom wanted to capture and pay respect to.
Where the ARP 2500 used a brilliant set of sliders to route signals, Tom has used pin matrices and this is a brilliant adaptation of the UI. As Tom told me, “Making sounds with synths is not just about the kinds of filters you use, or the number of oscillators you have, it’s about how you, as a human being, interact with all of the controls, how that interface drives your creative process. That’s what I really wanted to achieve with this design”.
I can categorically tell you that Tom has more than achieved that. Yet again, Tom has created another beautiful and brilliant synthesizer that, whilst residing at the very peak of affordability, absolutely has to exist in our world if only to inspire us and make us realise what can be achieved.
More Information
Tom is taking deposits now of £5000 GBP, with the full early-bird price being £22,000 GBP exc. tax & shipping. Every unit will be hand-built to order, and shipping costs will be determined on a case-by-case basis. Tom expects to start shipping units towards the end of 2024. The module designs and layouts may change between this pre-production unit and the final models delivered to customers.
Tom also told me that he has plans for wing cabinets too! All hail this quiet but brilliant genius.
Check out our image gallery for close-ups of the modules…
- Analogue Solutions TC-5000 Website
- More from Analogue Solutions
- The Alan R Pearlman Foundation
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