Orba 2 Review: Did they fix the drawbacks?

So.... it would be recognized by your DAW? I mean, that's the only way it would be useful at all. To clarify. It can be used as a controller, so you aren't married to its internal factory sounds? It's a cool little gadget. I'm considering it.

Thanks!

It has a lot of bugs still

Thanks a lot, Gabe, for this video. First time I watch your channel, and now I'm your suscriber. I was about to buy this stuff and you really help me to think it twice and change my mind. I hope the manufacturer watch this video and follow your advice to improve the issues you did mention, like the option to save and transfer the samples. Thanks, buddy..!!

Honestly my favorite groovebox will always be my iPhone - it’s such a shame that there isn’t much if a small portable midi interface for it - the light pad is probably the best I’ve found and yet it had terrible software support that made it useless half the time - and then again, it’s been discontinued…

To me, the biggest issue here is that for a portable device of this size, it is still never gonna fit in my pants’ pockets and if I’m bringing a dedicated bag I doubt that an Artiphon would ever cut it as “the controller I’m bringing with me”.

Too bad honestly, since for example now that Drambo has qwerty keyboard mapping, it has become a better grovebox than stuff that I paid hundreds of dollars for - just wish I could fit a decent QWERTY on my pants pockets hahaha but that has been even harder to find than a proper midi controller that is actually “this small”.

Good Video. Thanks. I think I'm going to get it. Especially with the song saving feature added.

Longtime analogue musician, just recently got into using loops with my guitars and vocals.

What is a more capable alternative to the Orba2 within the same price range? I would want to be able to merge my live guitar loops with the synth/drum/samples and save as a single mp3 or audio file or w/e.

Thanks!

Does this have built-in speakers?

Trash. Yeah this is a tech scam. I should have read Google reviews and the orba app has a one star. I warned ya buy a synth keyword at least it will work

On PC at least, song mode can now export multichannel MIDI, or stereo audio.
For £150 were you expecting an MPC?
It's an MPE controller as well - !
For playing wit ideas away from your DAW< I'm really liking mine. Also the CIRCLE makes me think about music differently.
The fact you can load your own samples in to it (not sure about multi voice drums yet?), all be it via PC USB (as Bluetooth doesn't have the bandwidth) , is VERY liberating ;_0
YES it is a cross between a toy and an instrument, but for £150 IMHO that is kinda the point ;-)

I am unable to turn it off. How do I do that? The on/off is not doing it.

Great video explaining this thing! Very interesting device.

I wish I could connect this devices to my boss v-8 pedal for the loops

Does it replace standard midi controllers like keyboards, drum machines, etc.? I play a lot of piano and would like to compose music on FL studio. I have an acai and have issues with it's keyboard capabilities. Or is the orba just mainly for fun?

Worst thing I've ever bought, ever, cool on iPhone maybe but has major drawbacks on android its actually awful just sent mine back 😂

That shake to "undo" function is freaking cool.

Hay Guys What apps do you know for orba + android?

frictionless

Fool me once. I was a sponsor of the development of the first Orba 1. Lots of focus groups and promises. When fulfillment time comes it was available from a major music retailer 20% less then the kickstart group paid for being in on the ground floor. And we all waited another 45 days for our shipments. While waiting I found one for sale and saw firsthand it was an unfinished product. This cannot be, but when mine finally came it was so. For months they promised missing feature and ones removed because they didn’t work, were coming. It’s so cute you want to love it but oh the disappointment, and it starts to become an ‘ it’s not you, but me’ relationship. Then silence, they ghosted the community. The only communication was an email saying buy Orba 2.0. No Upgrade path, no firmware fix, no discounts, just buy another one. Hell no, you would get more bang for your buck buying a kindergarten triangle or maraca. The company did the same thing with their other “Instrument one” and a shorted ‘fixed’ version is now a Chorda. They can release all the two minute influencers videos in the world but those starting out who really want to love creative music shouldn’t swallow it. Those who do it’s bitter.

They don't work you can't produce anything with. Notice you can't delete what they take from you.

Thanks for figuring this out

Wow, I'm definitely gon' be buying this for on the go music production!

Good review. Im curious if you have any suggestions for unique and innovative devices that are similar? I always loved the kaossilator. I’m a fan of on the go music production.

Just bought one of these and have no clue what to expect, but I can’t really resist such a versatile little synth that I can take anywhere. I’ve been a musician for about 20 years but don’t have a lot of time to play my guitar, bass, etc anymore so I’m hoping this will give me a little fun and creativity on the go. Thanks for the review!

Very tempting device.. is there another portable alternative that has less flaws?

Is there an internal speaker or do you have to plug it in?

My problem is that I bought an Orba 1, but could never swap out my sounds cos it only updates firmware and connects to MacBooks and I don’t have one and they didn’t specify that in the literature before I bought it, so the Orba has been mostly useless ever since I bought it 3 years ago.

So now that there’s an Orba 2, I’m not likely to buy it cos the first one was crap for me.

I’d love to be able to trade my O1 in for an O2 and maybe even pay the difference but I’m not buying it outright cos the first one was indeed “janky” and was NOT worth the money I spent on it.

It’d be nice if Artiphon took THAT into account (customers who bought the first version and were immensely disappointed).

Its like a music etcha sketch 😂

Great , now do the artiphon chorda

Thanx for in depth review. You cover all the bases

I’ve been considering getting this for my kids so they can get into playing around with making music quickly and easily. It’s hard to know with an 8 and 10 year old though if they’ll be really into it or if they’ll play with it for 5 minutes and then never play it again. Looks as though I’d have to help them use some parts of this which is fine. That part though about the whole unit crashing might’ve turned me away. Especially since we don’t really know how often it does that.

how can you spin it - if the small jack is inserted ?

A lot of the sounds you "didn't like" sound very "80s synth wave" -- which is experiencing a resurgence and that fake 80s synth instrument sound is in demand RN...so maybe Gabe's take on those isn't a "universal truth"...

There are probably a thousand apps that do the exact same thing or more if you have an iPhone or iPad. This device seems like a sop to the fact that Android cannot provide real time audio touch instruments.

Does it have non electronic sounds like kalimbas, hand pans and tongue drums?

can i use it as a midi controller?

Gabe you are a geezer! I first came across your channel when looking for circuit OG tutorials.. I'm still here. Appreciate you man

how about an update video to showcase added features and saving?

I've got one of these and the first thing I would say is good on them for actually trying something new and unique. It's good fun to play with however, there are some massive drawbacks for me such as:
1. The recording - I just get lost all the time. I don't know where the start is or what I'm doing, constantly switching to the wrong/next instrument when I press the middle button + record pad

2. Auditioning - I find this very tedious, after one instrument is recorded, jamming along with another but not recording isn't as easy as it needs to be which leads me to
3. Looping - I'm usually good at this, maschine, push2 etc but this thing has got me feeling and more importantly, sounding stupid. Given there is no way you're ever going to be able to switch to another instrument, immediately come up with a part and start playing it on the first cycle the default should be to loop but not record until you press it again. The quantising is also not going to be strong enough for most, you've really really got to be close to those 16th notes for it to work.

Like I said, great to see something truly different though and it wasn't expensive so I think it's ok

You just made this So much more fun for me Thank You!!

Looks more fun than my other phone based setup: Roland Zenbeats app + Korg Nano Keys combo. The examples of bad sounds happen to all sound like a Yamaha PSS-680 FM synth I owed (full generally bad sounds!) Thanks for the video, it helped in deciding about the sampler.

Have you used your device lately? The "Orba 2" app was "replaced" by the "Artiphon Connect" app which was a reskin/update of the older "Orba 2". I've had a ton of problems with it where it crashes all the times, it saves the songs with meta errors, and it can accidentally save over your old songs without warning. (Yeah, ⚠back up your old artisong files before you save anything in the current version of AC!!⚠). A lot of any Chorda owners are trying to pressure Artiphon into fixing the bugs. Any chance you could do a follow-up review?

I have the Orba 1 and I'm surprised they can't update the firmware to enable quantization. It shouldn't be that hard.

Is this useful for accompanying an acoustic guitar around a campfire?

Imagine your artiphon orba 2 synthesizer 🪁 playing through the line 6 Pod express effects pedal ☄️ line 6 catalist app 💰 Bluetooth connectivity 🪄 there's a video at musicians friend 🪄 thanks 🌈

Nice review🙌🙌🙌

UPDATE: Song saving has been added!