Orba (instrument)

Add links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Orba
ManufacturerArtiphon
Technical specifications
Timbralityfour parts
Synthesis typedigital synthesis
Velocity expressionyes
Input/output
Keyboardeight touchpads
External controlMIDI

Orba is an electronic musical instrument developed by the American music technology company Artiphon. It is a small synthesiser released in 2020 via a successful Kickstarter campaign. Orba has been used as a tool for musical education in various capacities.

Release[edit]

Following the success of their previous instrument, the Instrument 1, Artiphon once again used Kickstarter to launch Orba. From 25 November 2019 to 12 January 2020,[1] Orba was the subject of a Kickstarter appeal. Pledges started at $79 with an overall goal of $50,000.[2] The goal was surpassed, reaching almost $1.5 million.[3] The instrument was later released in April 2020 for $99.[4][5][6]

Design[edit]

The Orba's design has drawn comparisons to various fruit: The Verge likened it to a grapefruit,[6] while Engadget stated that it "looks like some piece of alien black citrus fruit".[7] Artiphon has stated that this is meant to be the case as the instrument was inspired by "grapefruits and bowls of miso soup”[4] as well as easy to pick up objects like a tennis ball.[8]

The instrument is made of plastic and glass fibers.[7] Orba uses eight touchpads (with LEDs)[9] to control the device's sounds, with a central button being used for menu options.[6] The touchpads and additional sensors allow gesture control over vibrato, slide and other sound parameters. The touchpads are quantised to either a major or minor scale covering one octave at a time.[10][11] Four tracks (a nine part drum machine[3] as well as bass, chord and lead tracks) are then used to construct a song using the instrument's looper.[5] Orba contains a speaker and is powered by batteries.[3]

While Orba can be used standalone,[9] it can also be used with other hardware. In terms of external connection, the Orba has an app to facilitate changes of preset sounds and music sharing.[2] The instrument can also be used as an MPE-capable MIDI controller.[5][3] In 2022, Artiphone launched the free Orbasynth, a program allowing control over the Orba's internal sound engine. The editor features two waveshape-morphing oscillators, three ADSR envelopes, noise, ring modulator and a waveguide.[12][13]

Legacy[edit]

Orba has been used as a music education tool by multiple charities and childcare facilities, including the Notes for Notes non-profit, the Boyle Heights Arts Conservatory, the Anaheim Elementary School District[14] and Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital.[15]

At the 2022 NAMM Show, Artiphon announced a sequel to the Orba: the Orba 2.[16] The Orba 2 expanded on the original, adding sampling and quanitsation functions. It also expanded on the loop length, increasing the limit to 128 bars.[17][18]

See also[edit]

  • Chompi - also a crowdfunded musical instrument designed to be used for education

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Create a Song in the Palm of Your Hand With Orba by Artiphon". www.businesswire.com. 2019-11-25. Retrieved 2023-02-22.
  2. ^ a b "Artiphon puts music creation in the palm of your hand". New Atlas. 2019-11-25. Retrieved 2023-02-21.
  3. ^ a b c d "Sonic LAB: Artiphon Orba Review". Sonicstate. Retrieved 2023-02-22.
  4. ^ a b Ha, Anthony (2019-11-25). "Artiphon launches a Kickstarter campaign for its new musical device Orba". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2023-02-21.
  5. ^ a b c Ireland, David (17 February 2021). "Meet the Orba, a unique gadget that takes music making on the go to a whole new level!". Magnetic Mag.
  6. ^ a b c Deahl, Dani (2019-11-27). "Orba is an all-in-one instrument and MIDI controller that fits in the palm of your hand". The Verge. Retrieved 2023-02-22.
  7. ^ a b "Orba is a tiny, fun and surprisingly expressive instrument". Engadget. Retrieved 2023-02-22.
  8. ^ "The Sociologist and Space Engineers Behind Orba, Artiphon's New Instrument for Everyone". Core77. Retrieved 2023-02-22.
  9. ^ a b updated, Simon Arblasterlast (2019-11-25). "Meet Orba, a $99 synthesizer, looper and MIDI controller that fits in the palm of your hand". MusicRadar. Retrieved 2023-02-22.
  10. ^ Wilson, Craig. "The Orba is a music-making hemisphere that I just can't put down". Input. Retrieved 2023-02-22.
  11. ^ "Artiphon Orba review". Engadget. Retrieved 2023-02-22.
  12. ^ "Orba, the musical grapefruit, now lets you design your own synth sounds". Engadget. Retrieved 2023-02-22.
  13. ^ Duxson, Eli (2022-04-12). "Artiphon Orbasynth: A preset creator that allows access to the internal sound engine of the Orba". Mixdown Magazine. Retrieved 2023-02-22.
  14. ^ "Palm-sized instrument makes creating music easy for Anaheim elementary students". ABC7 Los Angeles. 2022-02-05. Retrieved 2023-02-22.
  15. ^ "Artiphon's Orba Unlocks Educational and Therapeutic Benefits of Music Making". eLearningInside News. 2021-11-23. Retrieved 2023-02-21.
  16. ^ "NAMM 2022 VIDEO: Artiphon announces Orba 2, an upgrade on its dinky synth/looper/controller". MusicRadar. 5 June 2022.
  17. ^ "Orba 2 adds a sampler and more to an excellent musical fidget toy". Engadget. 31 May 2022.
  18. ^ Ashworth, Boone (20 November 2022). "Review: Artiphon Orba 2". Wired.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Orba_(instrument)&oldid=1200586774"