After two drops that sold out in minutes, Telepathic Instruments is finally launching the synth globally on October 10.
Telepathic Instruments, co-founded by Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker, announces the official worldwide launch of Orchid Drop 3. The breakthrough songwriting instrument has already quietly shaped tracks from Kid Cudi, Don Toliver, Janelle Monáe, Diplo, Fred Again, Ryan Tedder, Logic and Gracie Abrams.
Catch up on all the latest news here.
Orchid is a synth, but it’s also what Parker calls an “ideas machine,” designed to help musicians get out of their heads and into the music. Originally conceived over a decade ago as Parker’s personal songwriting tool, it’s evolved through input from its first 4,000 users, collectively known as The Garden. With Kevin Parker’s notoriety in songwriting and producing, as well as pretty dedicated fans, the Orchid is sure to spark a whole heap of creative ideas across the globe.
What’s new in Drop 3
This third release brings a host of new features based on community feedback, now with exclusive pre-programmed beats by Kevin Parker, new filter controls and quantisation to loops that are locked and shaped precisely. Users can now save modified sounds directly on Orchid, with loop save and recall functions capturing spontaneous ideas for instant playback. There’s also ten new sounds designed by Parker, alongside new drum effects for the beat engine.
Pistil plugin expands the ecosystem
Telepathic has extended beyond hardware with Pistil, a plugin version of the original synth engine Parker used to design Orchid’s 60 onboard sounds. Two-way sync with Orchid means you can create sounds in the plugin, take them on the go and pop your ideas directly into your DAW via MIDI. The complete sound editor runs on Orchid’s three custom synth engines: polyphonic subtractive, FM and vintage EP.
Pistil comes bundled with Orchid or as a standalone plugin.
Matt Berry and Jemaine Clement join the action
To celebrate the launch, Telepathic has produced an instructional video starring comedians Matt Berry and Jemaine Clement. Shot at Pony Studios in London, “How to Orchid” channels the eccentricity of 1990s synth DVDs – equal parts tutorial and comedy sketch. There’s no better way to learn, really.
Orchid Drop 3 launches October 10 at 10am local time across Australasia (AEST) via Telepathic Instruments. Garden members on Patreon get early access.
