The Tangible Instruments Arpeggio portable arpeggiator, sequencer, and synth is now available to pre-order, with shipping planned for January 2025.
The Arpeggio has had a long journey to availability. It was originally announced in 2015, when the developer raised $94,713 via a successful Kickstarter campaign. After many delays, it shipped to project backers in November.
The compact instrument has three main functions:
- Arpeggiator – Up, up-down, down, down-up, sequence (as played), reverse styles. Or activate the Arpeggiator Overlay to create your own arp styles and rhythms.
- Sequencer – Sequences are created and saved on the fly. You can create a sequence and then save it to a bank while it’s playing. Sequences are monophonic and can be up to 128 notes long. Individual steps in a sequence can be of different note lengths, and gate lengths. Like an arpeggiator, the sequence length expands as notes are added. You can link melodic sequences together, add rest notes, and delete notes all in real time. Attach the advanced sequencing overlay and scrub through your sequence to delete or insert notes, add slides, and adjust swing.
- Synthesizer – A monophonic virtual analog synthesizer. Turn the voice knob to cycle through 24 different synth patches and adjust shape, attack, and portamento. Synth features include: dual oscillators, dual ADSR Envelopes, dual LFOs, six oscillator waveforms, low-pass filter & detune. Dive deeper using the synthesizer overlay and completely customize all synth parameters, create and save your own sounds.
Here’s the intro video playlist:
Features:
- Internal 2-oscillator virtual analog monophonic synth with 24 synth patches
- Create and save melodies seamlessly during play
- Classic up, up-down, down, down-up, as played, & reverse arpeggiator modes
- Chain together up to 512 user created melodies
- Copy, paste, & delete melodies
- SD card to save melodies & synth patches
- Adjust note lengths and add rests into your melodies
- Control external hardware and software synths
- 1/4″ instrument & 1/8″ headphone audio outputs
- MIDI in/out over DIN, USB, & Bluetooth
- 1/8″ 0-5v volt-per-octave control voltage & gate outputs
- 1/8″ sync jack switchable between output & input at either 2 or 24 ppq
- High quality internal speaker
- USB or battery powered
Pricing and Availability:
The Tangible Instruments Arpeggio is available now for $379 USD.
It’s nice to see a kickstarted project come to life – this is a fun idea that I’d be into just not at that price point unfortunately. It seems like there are some cool new things I’m calling “the next generation of kordbot” devices – basically full featured and specific midi efx plug in hardware – that is exciting and great to see being designed.
Love the design and portability and it looks fun to play as well, but I was left wondering why a monophonic VA with a couple of oscillators and some nice arpeggiator and sequencing features is priced that high. I read it again and saw the project was initiated almost 10 years ago. In 2015 or 2016, this probably would have been a huge hit. I know it’s tough for boutiques to bring concepts to market., but it’s just… a lot has changed. Still if it comes down in price I would be happy to grab one.