ORBA 2 tiny hand held MPE instrument

[SLiC]

https://artiphon.com/pages/orba



I know the original ORBA has been out a while, but the ORBA 2 is about to hit the shops (end of this month, I am seeing about £135 at BAX etc)

Anyone use the original, it seems like a lot of fun now you can put your own samples in and maybe a useful percussion controller etc for the studio?

[CausticPuppy]

I have the first version. It’s fun for about 10 minutes. I’ve tried it as a MIDI MPE controller too (controlling Pigments) and it’s awkward.

[Tj Shredder]

Yes, I got one as well, because it seems I am a controller collecting freak.
Its a toy, not more. If you want mobile fun, a shaker sounds better… But its a nice toy nonetheless, though not necessarily worth the cash they have to ask for…
I am astonished that they even release a version 2

[foosnark]

The original Orba felt kind of like an unfinished product, but that didn't matter because it also felt very toylike, not really a useful controller. Something to amuse yourself with for a few minutes and move on, it's not even that inspiring. Mine's been sitting around in a drawer unused.

If you want mobile fun, a shaker sounds better…

Hmm, I have a couple of Meinl Spark shakers, I should dig them out... they really are more fun than the Orba

[runagate]

For what it's work it seems that Orba was finally updated to allow chromatic notes. If I can find my Orba 2 I'll test this out; without that feature it's useless to me, imagine owning a piano with just white keys... ridiculous.

I simply gave away my Orba 1. Useful mostly inasmuch as it's wireless and can send MIDI CCs regardless of whether you use it's 8 note pads for anything. Kinda weird they have gotten away with these deceptive products which allow such a limited subset of notes/scales

[zerocrossing]

The original Orba felt kind of like an unfinished product, but that didn't matter because it also felt very toylike, not really a useful controller. Something to amuse yourself with for a few minutes and move on, it's not even that inspiring. Mine's been sitting around in a drawer unused.

If you want mobile fun, a shaker sounds better…

Hmm, I have a couple of Meinl Spark shakers, I should dig them out... they really are more fun than the Orba

As I’ve gotten older, I find I have less and less patience for “toys,” so to speak. By that I mean, a novel device that has limited functionality. They could be cool, but they’re often just not built in a way that feels like a true instrument. A long time ago, I bought a Starrlabs controller, and I was shocked at how toyish it felt, especially for the money. If I’d never heard of it and someone handed it to me and asked me to estimate the price, I’d probably say $150, tops, yet I’d paid $2,000 for it. It went right back, though he fought me on it, insinuating that they made me some bespoke device, when I just ordered something that was shown to be in stock. I was also amazed that there weren’t Windows drivers.

If you really want something that’s MPE and good, buy a Rise, Continuum, Linnstrument or Osmose. They are not cheap, but good instruments are never cheap b

[foosnark]

Hmm, I have a couple of Meinl Spark shakers, I should dig them out... they really are more fun than the Orba

Heh, I used those shakers on my last release. I haven't touched the Orba in a long time other than to move it aside when I was looking for something else in that drawer.