Kickstart A New Portable Instrument

US Chorda is a smart synth, looper, and MIDI controller 18/07/23

Artiphon has started a Kickstarter campaign for Chorda which they describe as a smart synth, looper, and MIDI controller that adapts to the way you play. This is what they have to say about it...

What if you could play any sound in the world, everywhere you go? You could make beats over breakfast, strum your favorite song on the subway, or compose a symphony in the park.

What if making music became an essential part of your everyday life--a little lunch break distraction, a playful karaoke with a friend, or a relaxing way to unwind at the end of the day? With Chorda, now you can create any music you can imagine, with an instrument that adapts to the rhythms of your life.

Chorda is an incredibly versatile instrument. In fact, it's like having many instruments in one! You can play Chorda flat like a keyboard or drum machine, or pick it up and strum like a guitar or ukulele.
Chorda lets you play music intuitively, whether you've never picked up an instrument or if you've played your whole life. With feather-sensitive "capacitive touch" sensors, it picks up even the slightest (or the wildest!) movements so you can express yourself instantly and explore your favorite music in new ways.

Chorda's 12 pads are always in tune, and respond to the intensity of your finger movements in multiple dimensions. You can tap, press, radiate, and use vibrato just as easily as using the trackpad on your computer.

And Chorda has a bridge that lets you add even more expression. With the bridge, you can strum any sound instantly, with automatic chords that are always matched to the music you're playing. If you can swipe a phone screen, now you can strum a guitar--or a piano, or a drum kit, or a tuba, or even your own voice!

Chorda has everything you need to play and record a song; no other studio gear required.

Four Playing Modes: Chorda has four main ways to play: Drum, Bass, Chord, and Lead. Each of these has unique capabilities, with hundreds of sounds to choose from. You can switch between these with the tap of a button and load Songs as collections of presets that sound great together.

Loop and Layer: Chorda's built-in looper lets you record multiple parts easily so that you can build beats and songs in seconds. Start with a quick Drum beat, add a groovy Bass, and jam along on Lead for as long as you'd like. Each loop can be up to 5 minutes long, so you can even make full songs to share with the world.

And a bag of chips: With a speaker, built-in sounds, and a rechargeable battery, you'll find creativity in places you never thought possible.

Features:

    12 capacitive-sensing pads respond to even the lightest velocities and enable per-note expression in multiple dimensions

    Bridge with six triggers for individual note articulation using familiar gestures like strumming, tapping, and pressing

    Onboard synthesizer and sample engine, and built-in speaker offer an immediate, standalone playing experience

    Accelerometer and gyroscope capture a range of multi-dimensional movements

    Use the built-in looper to easily layer Drum, Bass, Chord, and Lead parts

    Connect to the cross-platform Artiphon app for more sounds, songs, and settings

    Connect via MIDI over Bluetooth or USB-C, and use MIDI Polyphonic Expression (MPE) to play your synths and music software in dynamic new ways

    Use the 1/8" (3.5mm) output to listen on headphones, speakers, and amps

    Multicolor LEDs respond to the way you play

    Embedded haptic engine offers vibration feedback

    USB rechargeable battery with 4+ hours of battery life