Nashville, TN's Artiphon has released Orba 3, their third version of their portable handheld synth. Offering instant sampling as well as 300 built-in sounds, the Orba 3 has an omnidirectional microphone, allowing users to sample their voice, sound effects, or any other audio directly onto the instrument with no additional cables or devices required.
The idea of the Orba 3 is to use its built-in sounds as well as sampling your own sounds to create beats and songs. Musicians and non-musicians alike can have fun and be proficient and enjoy making beats and sampling/building songs on the Orba 3. You can easily sample everyday sounds to make rhythmic hooks and add chords and melody to create. Orba 3 is a little larger than the size of a hockey puck and can fit easily in your pocket so you can record sounds wherever you are and build beats and songs on the fly.
Orba 3 has four primary modes—Drum, Bass, Chord, and Lead—that integrate with the sampling feature. In Drum mode, each of the eight pads can hold a unique sample, while in Chord mode, samples are automatically tuned to fit musical chords. The sound engine automatically crops and tunes the audio. Users press the red “sample” button, make a sound, and Orba distributes it among the eight pads and pitch changes it.
The looper helps you build songs. Tap the menu button to record each part, and a click track sounds. The built-in quantizer tightens timing so your loops lock in. Your movement shapes each part's sound. What does this mean? The Orba 3 has an accelerometer, gyroscope, and embedded haptic feedback. Designed to be physically interactive, it translates your gestures into music. Tap, tilt, shake the Orba 3 and each move modifies the sound. Move around the surface to control volume or add effects by tilting. For drums, shake a shaker or bump the side for a tambourine.
The Artiphon Connect app is available free. It allows for Bluetooth MIDI control of all their devices and for Orba 3, allows for part volume mixing, the addition of reverb effects and expanded sound libraries including sounds inspired by genres like Trap, R&B, Electro-pop, Lo-fi, as well as electric guitars and upright pianos, vocals, and more. With the built-in battery, you can use it anywhere.
The Orba 3 is an innovative and enjoyable unique product. There is a learning curve, but you can be making beats and creating with it right away. It connects via USB-C or Bluetooth to your digital audio workstation for MIDI control within production software. $159
