Artiphon Orba 3: The Pocket-Sized Sampler and Looper Gets a Microphone
Artiphon Orba 3 is the next generation of the innovative gesture-controlled pocket instrument and looper. Now equipped with a built-in microphone, Orba 3 makes it easy to turn everything around you into music. It’s what Orba always wanted to be!
Artiphon Orba 3 Gets a Built-In Microphone
Like the first two generations of Orba, the new Artiphone Orba 3 is a pocket-sized, gesture-controlled looper and MPE controller. However, the new version boasts an important new feature that makes it a whole lot more versatile: Thanks to a built-in mic, you can now instantly sample everything around you and turn it into music.
Orba 3 offers four tracks: drums, bass, lead, and chords. It comes with over 300 sounds, and you can load more via USB or Bluetooth and the Artiphon Connect app.
The built-in omnidirectional MEMS microphone allows you to instantly sample any sound and integrate it into your looping performance. Previously, the app was the only way to import your own samples into Orba. I think the mic is a fabulous new feature that Orba should’ve had all along!
Depending on the selected track, samples are automatically processed and edited for performance. In drum mode, you can sample eight individual sounds to build a kit. Bass samples are automatically transposed to a lower register, while lead samples are tuned higher for playing melodies. In chord mode, Orba 3 turns your samples into three- or four-part chords.
The built-in looper lets you jam with your samples and the included sounds to build four-part tracks. A quantize function ensures precise timing.
With nine responsive gestures like Tilt, Shake, Bump, and Tap, Orba 3 provides expressive control over your performance. The surface of the device is velocity- and pressure-sensitive and you can modify sounds even after striking a note by moving your finger across the surface (Radiate).
But Orba 3 isn’t just a standalone instrument and looper. You can also use it as an MPE controller to control compatible software and hardware synths via intuitive gestures. Orba 3 outputs MIDI via USB-C and Bluetooth. Another improvement over the predecessors is that the USB-C port now outputs audio, too.
Price and Availability
Artiphon Orba 3 is expected to ship in November 2024 for $159.99.
More information about Orba 3
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