Artiphon Orbasynth: A preset creator that allows access to the internal sound engine of the Orba
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13.04.2022

Artiphon Orbasynth: A preset creator that allows access to the internal sound engine of the Orba

Words by Mixdown Staff

“Your favourite musical grapefruit just got a lot more customisable”

Artiphon has unveiled Orbasynth, a preset creator that allows Orba players to have access to the internal sound engine that creates the sonic palette of the Orba.

What you need to know:

  • Artiphon has unveiled Orbasynth, a preset creator that allows Orba players to have access to the internal sound engine that creates the sonic palette of the Orba.
  • “With the Orbasynth app, you can now connect your Orba and quickly see how expansive your instrument becomes,” Artiphon said.
  • Orbasynth is free – for now – and available for download.

Read all the latest product news here.

A common request of the Orba is the desire to create presets, but with the Orba being a gesture-based, MIDI polyphonic expression (MPE) synth and controller with multiple playing modes and complex routing, presets had to be carefully designed and curated by just a handful of sound engineers. 

But now, Artiphon can finally offer this fun, interactive feature for Orba players to explore.

“With the Orbasynth app, you can now connect your Orba and quickly see how expansive your instrument becomes,” Artiphon said. “Tweak sounds or completely reinvent instruments to your liking.” 

Orba has nine simultaneous playing gestures, more than any other MPE controller on the market, while with Orbasynth you’ll be able to map velocity, press, radiate, tilt, and move to control multiple synth parameters at once. 

Because Orba is an MPE controller and Orbasynth is an MPE synth, every pad you tap can independently control several MIDI CCs for any of Orba’s three melodic modes: bass, chord, and lead. 

Orbasynth also boasts morphing oscillators that mix saw, triangle, and novel harmonic-rich waveforms, with variable-width pulse waveforms that change dynamically with dedicated envelopes, and three ADSR dynamic envelopes that allow the synth tones to be sculpted by the player’s continuous playing on Orba’s capacitive-sensitive playing surface.

A waveguide also allows for physical modelling, creating unique instruments that have an acoustic-like familiarity.

“Once you’ve crafted a sound you love, you can easily save it to the Orba App, send it to your own Orba, or share it with a friend, Artiphon said. “It’s a fun new way to add your fingerprint to the music you create with Orba.”

Orbasynth is free – for now – and available here. Reach out to Koala Audio for local enquiries regarding the Orba.