“An inspiring ideas machine that trades technical theory for intuitive workflow”: Telepathic Instruments Orchid ORC-1 review
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What is it?
The announcement of Telepathic Instruments Orchid heralded a flurry of chat that one might associate with a boutique fashion or limited-run IPA drop. This was in no small part due to the involvement of Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker.
According to TI, the Orchid is a “chord-generating digital synthesizer built on a revolutionary chord logic algorithm and industry-leading, voice-leading technology.”
While the concept of a chord-focused synth isn’t entirely new – having its roots in the Omnichord and auto-accompaniment capabilities of ’80s era ‘home-keyboards’ – the Orchid attempts to drag that accessibility into the modern production era.
At its core, it is a 16-voice polyphonic synthesizer and keyboard that promises to translate musical intuition into immediate sonic results, with the intention of bypassing the learning curve of traditional music theory, subverting a user’s hard-wired ‘chord memory’, or just as fun a bit of kit for finding new ideas. The idea being that rather than hunting for a major 9th on a standard keyboard, you simply hold a root note and tap a button, and all in a portable, battery-powered ‘ideas machine’ format.
In the flesh, apart from the small OLED screen, it looks like a child’s toy from the ’70s. In use, it perhaps feels like one as well, but more on that shortly.
Performance
The primary draw of the Orchid is its workflow, which, despite some initial cynicism on our part, is fun and genuinely transformative, offering an engaging way to escape a creative rut.
The standout feature is undoubtedly the Voicing Dial. This allows you to cycle through inversions and octave spreads with a simple flick of the wrist, creating harmonic shifts and variations that would usually require greater keyboard and chord proficiency to achieve. If actually deciding on a chord type is too much for you, then it’s easy to select a specific major or minor key and allow the Orchid to choose chords for you by mapping different, but appropriate ones, to each key of the keyboard.
It’s easy to be sniffy about some of this, especially if you are of the more judgmental ‘muso’ persuasion, but we really enjoyed this mode, and there’s nothing stopping you from tweaking chord types as you go.
You can also use the unit as a song-drafting tool to sketch out sophisticated harmonic progressions, and then split the chord, bass, and ‘performance’ data onto separate MIDI channels to trigger different hardware (or software) instruments. The aforementioned performance elements reflect the Orchid’s ability to turn block chords into something more engaging by allowing it to play them in different ways, with variations that take in ‘strumming’, arpeggiation, harp glissandi and 11 different trigger patterns.
The synth engine features 16-note polyphony and uses Virtual Analogue, FM, and Reed Piano models. The sounds themselves are good, with a solid array of presets, but editing is limited to overall filtering and effects. However, given that this is not intended as a standalone in-depth synth system, the lack of options here allows you to focus on other things and not be distracted by an endless menu of synth-engine parameters.
However, if you do wish to delve further, TI has released Pistil, a synth plugin featuring the Orchid synth engine, with full access to all its under-the-hood parameters – and it allows you to save patches to the hardware. Currently, Mac-only and in Beta, but a promising development, nonetheless.
It’s good to see that there have been some significant firmware updates over the course of Orchid’s development, which expand its features and flexibility. This includes the provision of additional time signatures and more expansive beat and looping options. The loop recorder included here is simple and effective but is only really intended as a notepad for generating one-off ideas. You won’t be creating complex multi-section music pieces here, and there’s no way to access or save anything other than what is in the loop recorder at that moment. Again, the focus clearly is on working in the moment.
Despite its boutique branding, it is disappointing to report that the physical chassis feels surprisingly lightweight and plastic, lacking the structural integrity of some other pro gear. The keyboard feels cheap and lightweight, and the encoders feel a little flimsy.
It is also worth pointing out that we have experienced some occasional glitches in use, and there have been some reported hardware issues on early units – though Telepathic Instruments itself does seem responsive in terms of support on this front.
Verdict
The Telepathic Instruments Orchid is a fun and fascinating, if occasionally charmingly flawed, attempt to rethink the interface between the composer/producer and the synth or computer. It prioritises fun and workflow over ‘menu diving’, making it the ideal choice for those who want to explore harmony without returning to music school. But it can also act as an ideas generator, or simply a way to find more interesting chord progressions for tracks you might already have started. Even just adjusting the Chord Voicing knob to create different inversions can be very helpful when considering different approaches to enhancing a track.
Compared with something like the Roland Aira J-6, the Orchid is much more interesting from a harmonic perspective and ultimately more useful across a wider range of genres.
Those looking for a controller that includes chord generation functionality could consider the Arturia KeyStep range, but although these excel in other areas, they don’t offer the charm, enjoyment, or inspiration we found in the Orchid, even with its premium price.
Let’s face it, the Orchid is not cheap, and to some, it looks like a toy. That being said, we really like ours. We bought it at full price, and don’t yet regret it. It has proven to be both fun and useful.
Hands-on demos
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Specifications
|
Price |
£549 (early access) |
|
Synth Engines |
16-voice polyphony; Virtual Analogue, FM, and Vintage Reed Piano. |
|
Chord Logic |
8 dedicated buttons for chord types (Maj, Min, Sus, Dim) and extensions (7th, 9th, etc.). |
|
Voicing Dials |
Encoder for instant chord inversions. |
|
Bass |
Independent monophonic bass synth with “Follow” and “Solo” modes. |
|
Keyboard |
12 velocity-sensitive keys used for playing/root note selection. |
|
Connectivity |
USB-C (MIDI/Power), 5-pin DIN MIDI Out, and 3.5mm stereo output. |
|
Performance |
Strum, Harp, Arpeggiator, Rhythmic Pattern and other modes. |
|
Looper |
Phrase looper. |
|
Other |
Integrated stereo speakers and high-contrast OLED display |
|
Power |
Internal rechargeable battery. Chargeable or powered via USB-C. |
|
Dimensions |
305 x 190 x 50mm |
|
Weight |
1.8kg |
|
Contact |
Telepathic Instruments |
