Over the years, we’ve kept a close eye on Artiphon. I was intrigued by the Orba, the music startup’s latest smart instrument, back in late 2020. It’s not a sophisticated musical instrument by any means, but as a portable sample/MIDI interface, it’s a fun way to pass the time during a global pandemic. Orbacam, an app that took advantage of Orba’s hardware interface to accomplish some creative video editing, was added to the company’s toolkit in October.
Mike Butera, the company’s founder, and CEO, said at the time, “We believe that music is always a multisensory experience, and we built Orbacam as an auditory, visual, and tactile experience that anyone can play immediately.” “We’ve seen the power of synchronizing music with social stuff, but almost all of it is just putting another person’s song into your video.” People can now make musical videos that are completely unique to them.”
The business released the 2.0 version of the app this morning, which includes a number of new features, the most notable of which is the addition of on-screen playback. It’s a little change, but it provides an in-app equivalent to Orba’s physical gadget, lowering the $99 barrier to entry for those interested in testing out the service. The on-screen layout is based on Orba’s eight-key circular layout.
“We want music creating to be as immediate and accessible as other forms of media,” Butera says of the new release. We don’t think twice about taking images or movies throughout the day, and Orbacam now allows you to make music in seconds, no matter where you are. To create something expressive and beautiful, all you need is your phone and a few minutes.”
On an iOS smartphone, users may compose fast musical scores for social media in real-time using the on-screen interface. A number of new video effects are also available, including the Glitch filter, which is inspired by VHS tapes from the 1980s. Artiphon will undoubtedly be hoping that the new interface will serve as a portal to its gear. It’s also a lot of fun if you have $99 burning a hole in your pocket.
