Kevin Parker from Tame Impala just announced a musical instrument called Orchid. It's a slick looking chord machine with some modern conveniences. For the uninitiated, a chord machine is a device or add-on that allows users to simplify the process of playing chords.
To that end, Orchid allows players to initiate entire melodic chords by pressing a note on the small one-octave keyboard. They can be manipulated using a few buttons on the left. Holding one of these buttons while playing a key changes the chord in many ways, such as transforming something from major to minor.
There are several sounds to choose from and some emulate the playing of chords on a string instrument in various octaves. Internal effects and arpeggiator allow for even more unique compositions. Orchid is battery-powered and features two built-in speakers for portable gaming sessions. The creators call it an “idea machine” and, yes, that makes sense. Most chord machines I've played with were connected to a computer or instrument via MIDI and it works independently.
I would be remiss if I didn't also mention the attractive design, dreamed up by co-creator Ignacio Germade. This thing has retro-futuristic vibes to spare. It looks very pretty and I want to look at it with love.
Orchid is the first device released by Telepathic Instruments, a company founded by Parker, Germade and others. There will only be 1,000 of these little beauties available for purchase in December. The initial launch is described as a beta test of sorts, and the company says that “these owners will have the opportunity to shape and refine” the design before a broader launch. It costs $550. That is a lot of money for a chord machine but, again, it is free-standing and is particularly pleasing to the eye.
