New on Kickstarter: Artiphon Orba, a Handheld Electronic Instrument that Redefines Portability

Create songs in the palm of your hand with Orba by Artiphon, maker of the Instrument 1

This morning Artiphon unveiled Orba, a palm-sized electronic musical instrument that combines a synthesizer, looper, and MIDI controller. In just the first few hours, the Kickstarter campaign exceeded its goal, and it just keeps growing. Orba resembles a cross between half a black orange and a gaming controller. Its feather-touch sensitivity translates gestures from your fingers and hands directly into music.

Easily switch between multiple modes (Drum, Bass, Chord, and Lead) and use Orba’s integrated looper to create songs in seconds. Eight touchpads with multicolor LEDs detect a variety of gestures like tapping, sliding, and vibrato, and motion sensors let players wave, tilt, and shake for more effects. You can use Orba as a standalone synth with a built-in speaker and connect it wirelessly to mobile devices and computers via Bluetooth MIDI.

The Orba companion app lets you customize their instrument with new sounds, tunings, and patterns. Users can share the music they create straight to social media and export to other music-making apps. Orba works with iOS, Mac, Windows, and Android, and it’s compatible with all major recording software including GarageBand, Ableton Live, Logic Pro X, Pro Tools, and FL Studio.

The Kickstarter campaign wraps up on January 13, 2020, and Artiphon expects to deliver the Orba in April.