At long last, a portable, intuitive song ideation machine is here

With its ’70s-inspired absorbing aesthetic–a burnt yellow casing and minimalist display–The Orchid is as liberating as it is inspiration-inducing. Most likely taking cues from the classic Omnichord, the enticing instrument is exactly the tool one needs for fleshing out ideas and arrangements. Well-known for his musical work under Tame Impala and producing for celebrated artists such as Lady Gaga, Dua Lipa, and Travis Scott, Kevin Parker and his co-founded audio hardware company Telepathic Instruments’ first-ever product empowers seasoned professionals, music lovers, and complete novices alike to explore melodic compositions on the go.

The Orchid allows melomaniacs to select a root note via a built-in one-octave keyboard, a chord mode via eight buttons (such as Maj, Min, Dim, and Min7), and, finally, dial in the chord voicing via an innovative voicing dial. Sounds–from jazz and guitar chords to synth and retro-futurism–are generated by a 16-voice polyphonic synth engine, with a dedicated, separate engine for sub-bass and can be further shaped by the on-board ambiance and modulation FX. 

The Orchid includes five stylistic Performance modes: Strum, Slop, Arpeggiator, Pattern, and Harp. The wide range of chord voices can be re-pitched and re-positioned along a full keyboard scale, while reverb, chorus, and delay can be used to add additional sonic textures. The level of intensity with which one presses the velocity keys affects how quiet or loud the sounds they want to produce end up being. 

The Orchid’s chord logic system allows musicians to mix and match a myriad of chords–they don’t have to manually play each chord, but simply hold and switch the pitch. The built-in voicing system facilitates both arrangement and voicing of the chords. All notes can be played together or spread out across the piano keys. 

With its built-in speakers for portable use, tangle-free wiring, tiny round button controls, mini keyboard, and wheel knobs, the battery-powered instrument can be charged using USB-C. Through this port, musicians can send chords in MIDI form straight to the digital audio workstation (DAW) without any changes, or even to a traditional 5-pin MIDI. 

The Orchid’s Performance modes can mimic the effect of guitar strums, loosen the timing or pitch of the sounds, break the chord into individual notes so they can be played in repetition, create a pattern of sounds, or replicate the effects of a harp. Multiple notes can be produced at the same time as well to create layered compositions. For additional effects, songs can sound like old-school analog, vintage electric pianos or get infused by ambient effects. Throwback sounds include vintage reed piano emulation based on a famous ’60s electric piano and virtual analog and FM synth engines with four oscillators, four LFOs, four envelope generators, and various types of filters.

Kevin Parker, alongside Telepathic Instruments’ co-creators Ignacio Germade, Chris Adams, Charl Laubscher, and Tom Cosm, first began shaping the idea of The Orchid over a decade ago. As the retro-styled multifaceted instrument’s name is symbolic of refinement, thoughtfulness, and charm, The Orchid frees musicians from traditional muscle memory, chord maths, and technical constraints thus enabling them to craft a boundless audio canvas.