Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker has unveiled a brand-new instrument he invented called Orchid.
Parker began creating concepts for this device over a decade ago and recently developed it with by Telepathic Instruments. Orchid is an “advanced chord-generating hardware synthesizer” that was designed for new musicians, longtime songwriters and everyone in-between.
Orchid’s primary feature is its matrix of eight chord-type selecting and chord-modifying keys, with a single-octave keyboard where users can choose a root note and trigger the chord. Additionally, it has a 16-voice polyphonic synth engine with onboard ambience, modulation FX, a separate bass synth engine exclusively for bottom end, dual stereo built-in speakers, a sensitive keyboard and a rechargeable battery.
If all of that goes over your head, check out this trailer instead. (Or maybe the less you know, the better.)
For now, Orchid is available for $549 starting on December 18. Parker announced plans to make it cheaper in the future, but that’s a project for a different time. For now, maybe he can invent a new Tame Impala album?
