Kiviak Instruments has officially launched its first instrument – WoFi, a compact, connected sampling synthesizer.
WoFi is designed to offer musicians an intuitive platform to capture sounds and transform them into playable instruments.
Originally introduced via a successful Kickstarter campaign, WoFi is now generally available for musicians worldwide.
WoFi Intro Video:
Features:
- Seamless Sampling: Record directly with WoFi’s built-in microphone, line input, or import sounds from internal memory, USB, or mywo.fi.
- Creative Sound Design: WoFi’s Texturer engine adds depth and character to any sound, transforming samples into evolving textures through granular self-mixing.
- Comprehensive Connectivity: WoFi integrates smoothly into any setup, featuring line in/out, MIDI, CV/Gate, and USB connections, making it compatible with a wide array of gear.
- Texturer – WoFi’s Texturer effect engine lets users create evolving textures, by blending trailing sound fragments into original samples.
- Portable – WoFi’s compact design features an aluminum and wood body. A built-in rechargeable battery provides up to four hours of cordless playtime.
Pricing and Availability:
WoFi is available now for $799 USD.
Is it “wo” fi, as in, “Whoa?”
Did someone at Ali Express name this?
The name sounds like it came from an IKEA catalogue.
OK, the name isn’t that bad. It’s fine, even.
Looks like a fun and attractive piece of gear. I went to the website with the simple question: “Is that keyboard velocity sensitive?” Searched “velocity” —- not found. I’m guessing if it was, they would brag about it.
If they leaned into the idea of an elevated Casio SK-1, that would be kinda cool, but I don’t know if that’s what they were after.
It needs to be red and have bigger keys! 😛 Actually, it seems very thoughtfully designed. Its up to you to decide if you can slot it onto your rig enough to justify $800. I can’t critique it past a certain point. I’ve been using full-sized synths and a DAW for too long.
I look forward to user comments, after its been around for a while. It could act as a whopper of a module, but its definitely a portable scratch-pad with added beef.
This looks really fun. I’d love to give it a try, but it will have to wait until my next trip to a city that has a good synth store.
The instruments that I like best are ones that have a really clear purpose, and controls and capabilities tailored to that focus. This looks like it fits that bill.
I’ve got a couple of instruments that could do what this does, but they’re complicated as ****. Octatrack, anyone? I never feel like I’ve never really mastered those instruments, because they make doing simple things harder than I want them to be. I’d rather buy something that makes things fun.
For $800, I’ll take 49/61 full-size keys or at least a module. Nice to see that more and more samplers are making a comeback, though.