Artiphon Orba 2 Palmtop Synthesizer/Looper

General

The Artiphon Orba 2 picks up where its popular predecessor left off, featuring the same tried-and-true, hands-on design fleshed out with several extras, including the option to playback samples and longer songs. This uniquely-shaped, pocket-sized synthesizer/looper is extremely responsive to motion and has been equipped with a synth engine for synthetic sounds, but it also comes with a companion app that offers a sample engine so you can create samples on the fly or load in your own pre-made samples. Also, where the original Orba limited song-creation to eight measures, the Orba 2 lifts that number way up to 128 bars, and it also supports quantization.

How Does The Orba 2 Work?

As gimmicky as it looks, the Artiphon Orba 2 is not to be underestimated in terms of potential. The eight-way playing surface is super-sensitive and can be tapped, pressed, tilted, shaken and more, resulting in different sounds. It also supports nine gestures and, since gestures are never performed in exactly the same way, the end result will be slightly different every time, whether you wave, beckon or clap. Made to be taken out into the big wide world, the Orba 2 is a satisfyingly potent little tool for creative musicians and sound-designers that are always looking for a fresh source of inspiration - even when they're chilling at the beach or strolling through the park.