Kevin Parker of Tame Impala just announced a musical instrument called Orchid. This is a great looking chord machine with some modern bells and whistles. For the uninitiated, a chord machine is a device or plugin that allows users to simplify the process of playing chords.
To that end, Orchid allows players to create full melodic chords by pressing a note on a small octave keyboard. They can be controlled using a few buttons on the left side. Holding down one of these keys while playing a key changes the chord in all kinds of ways, such as changing something from major to minor.
There are several voices to choose from, and some mimic chords played multiple octaves on a stringed instrument. Built-in FX and arpeggiator allow you to create even more unique compositions. Orchid is battery powered and has dual built-in speakers for portable gaming sessions. The creators call it an “idea machine,” and yes, it tracks. Most of the chord machines I’ve been fooled by have been It is connected to a computer or instrument via MIDI and it works independently.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the attractive design that’s also whipped up by co-creator Ignacio Germade. This thing has retro-futuristic vibes to spare. It looks so beautiful and I want to look at it with love.
The Orchid is the first device released by Telepathic Instruments, a company founded by Parker, Germade, and others. Only 1,000 of these little beauties will be available for purchase in December. The initial release is described as a beta test of sorts, and the company says that “these owners will have a chance to shape and refine the design before a wider release.” It costs $550. that’s it a lot of money for a chord car but it’s still independent and especially easy on the eyes.
