Get creative anywhere with the black Artiphon Orba 2, a handheld device equipped with smart-device technology that allows you to use multidimensional gestures, thanks to the onboard accelerometer and gyroscope. Several new enhancements have been made to the Orba 2, including a redesigned sound engine that supports samples and a new Orba app for capturing and importing your own sounds. The full-featured sequencer has been expanded to 128 bars with quantization. You'll enjoy the improved ceramic-like playing surface and the expanded 2GB factory sound library.

Listen while you create with the onboard speaker or via the 3.5mm headphone output. The onboard synthesizer and integrated looper work with the touch and motion sensors to record the most subtle micromovements. Orba 2 can be used wirelessly or wired in the studio or onstage with MIDI over Bluetooth or the class-compliant USB-C connector, which works with iOS, Android, Mac, and Windows platforms.

8 Capacitive-Sensing Pads    MIDI Polyphonic Expression (MPE)    Multidimensional Gestures    Accelerometer and Gyroscope    Onboard Synth and Built-In Speaker    Looper Layers Drum, Bass, Chord and Lead    Cross-Platform Orba App + 3.5mm HP Jack    MIDI over Bluetooth or USB-C    USB Rechargeable Battery    Includes USB Cable

• New sound engine that supports sample playback
• New Orba app that allows for capturing or importing samples
• Dozens of new drum, bass, chord, and lead sounds
• Automatic, per-part quantization with Orba Groove option
• 128 bar songs (3 to 5 minute creations)
• Remix Stem songs
• Improved ceramic-like playing surface
• Larger and more legible text on playing surface
• 2GB of factory sample memory
• 2GB of user sample memory
• Higher quality 24-bit converter and speaker amp
• Higher quality headphone out

• Onboard sample engine and synthesizer and built-in speaker, offering an immediate playing experience
• Eight capacitive-sensing pads respond to the lightest velocities
• Accelerometer and gyroscope capture a range of multidimensional gestures
• Use the built-in looper to layer Drum, Bass, Chord, and Lead parts
• Connect to the cross-platform Orba app for more sounds, songs, and settings
• Play with Stems remixing musical patterns
• Connect via MIDI over Bluetooth or USB-C, and use MIDI Polyphonic Expression (MPE) to play your sounds in dynamic new ways
• Use the 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

• Orba 2 features a brand-new sound engine that includes sampled audio recordings. This means you can now play instruments like electric guitars and upright pianos, as well as more adventurous sounds like vocals, found sounds, and custom artist songs. Imagine conducting an orchestra in the park with no strings attached and no screens required.

• Orba 2 players can capture or import their own sounds to create completely unique instruments. With the press of a button in the Orba App, everything around you can be turned into an Orba preset. A bicycle bell, a bird singing, or your roommate's amazing voice can all be played, looped, and shared as a musical melody. Sample recording requires a cabled USB connection.

• Orba 2 allows you to record loops right on the device itself. Using Drum, Bass, Chord, and Lead, you'll be able to layer sounds to create songs that are uniquely yours. Orba 2 also has a quantize feature that snaps your musical phrases to the beat so that every moment fits perfectly into the groove. And since Orba 2 has far more memory than its predecessor, you'll be able to make longer songs: up to 128 bars.

Orba 2’s touch and motion sensors combine to capture even the most subtle micromovements. Its improved ceramic-like playing surface simultaneously reacts to the nine simple gestures: Tap, Press, Radiate, Tilt, Shake, Spin, Vibrato, Move, and Bump. Each gesture can control the onboard synth engine or your MIDI music software of choice. With unprecedented expressive potential, you’ll never play the same note twice.

• Tap: Tap your finger on a pad. Orba is velocity-sensitive, so the harder you Tap, the louder the sound.
• Vibrato: Tap and move your finger from side-to-side on a pad. Vibrato produces a change in pitch. the range of pitch can be adjusted with the Pitch Bend Scaling setting in the Orba App.
• Press: Tap and hold your finger on a pad with varying degrees of intensity. As opposed to velocity which detects pressure, Press is activated by making your finger take up more (and less) surface area. Think about it like this: the more you spread out your finger, the more Press is activated. Pressing with sustained pressure will modulate effects on Orba’s synth.
• Radiate: Press and move your finger within a pad, in and out from the center to the edge of Orba. Radiate effects Brightness. When using it with Orba’s internal synthesizer, it may affect volume, envelopes, and other effects.
• Tilt: Tilt Orba to the side to play effects. Tilt is Orba’s version of the mod wheel on a traditional keyboard controller. As mod wheel is a very common MIDI effect, you’ll find Tilt works automatically with most software synths and apps.
• Spin: Rotate Orba like a knob
• Move: Move Orba in space to modulate sounds and effects
• Shake: In Drum mode, hold pad 8 and shake Orba. Shaker works best using soft movements in a side-to-side motion.
• Bump: Tap Orba on its side. Try to Bump in drum mode: you’ll get a clap sound.

• Experience a new way to play music with Stem Songs. A Stems is the isolated audio part that makes a song complete. For example, different drum, vocal, or chord parts and progressions. With the touch of one pad, Orba players can now discover patterns and watch what was once a single note in Lead mode, transform into full vocal arrangements from artists like Kimbra, Dom McLennon, Annie Shred, and more.
• Drum patterns help you lay the foundation of your loop and inspire you to continue layering. By isolating these parts, you can play and combine these stems to make unique remixes of these songs.

• Use Orba to control your MIDI-based software and hardware instruments (via USB-C or wirelessly via Bluetooth MIDI). Orba works with GarageBand, Ableton Live, Logic Pro, Pro Tools, Cubase, FL Studio, as well as any MIDI-compatible mobile app. In addition, Orba is fully compliant with the new standard for MIDI Polyphonic Expression (MPE), making it capable of multiple independent note expressions.

Related Questions and Answers

Q: 1. What's the size/diameter of the top metal piece? My speedlight bracket opening is too small to fit on top of this

A: This has a standard 5/8 diameter stud. In many cases your speedlight bracket might have an adapter in it that can be removed.

Q: 2. What's the round trip latency with 64 samples @ 44.1kHz ?

A: This is the only latency specification we could find: Latency: Zero-Latency Direct Monitoring 2.5 ms at 32/96 kHz (Dependent on Buffer Size)

Q: 3. What are the impedance/power specs for the headphone out?

A: MOTU has not published those spec's.

Q: 4. Can this handle a low gain sensitive mic like EV RE20..without cloud lifter ?

A: While it does have enough gain for a mic of this nature, some users have reported noise when turning up the gain, so you may want to consider a fethead or cloud lifter anyway, for the headroom.

Q: 5. Is this a half-rack size?

A: This interface is 8.25 inches wide, which is just a bit more than half-rack size.

Q: 6. Does this record in true 32 bit float?

A: This has a depth of 24 bit, and does not have a 32 bit float.

Q: 7. Are the 1/4" and TRS monitor outputs on back mic level and could you run a mixed signal to a second computer?

A: Both sets of 1/4"/TRS outputs on the MOTU M4 Desktop 4x4 USB Type-C Audio/MIDI Interface are specified as Line level. Either set of outputs would be suitable for sending a mix to another device.

Q: 8. Do the 1/4" TRS outputs and the RCA outputs operate simultaneously?

A: Yes, the 1/4" TRS and RCA outputs on the MOTU M2 USB-C Audio/MIDI Interface can be used simultaneously to connect two sets of speakers or to route the signal to the line level input on another device.

Q: 9. Can Motu M2 be used on Ubuntu and other Linux operating systems?

A: Compatibility OS Compatibility macOS iOS Windows

Q: 10. Is studio one 4or5 and or an upgrade?

A: This audio interfae comes with a Presonus Studo One Artist software download, which can be upgraded to the latest version of Pro. PreSonus Studio One 5PreSonus Studio One 5 Professional - Artist Upgrade - Complete Music Production Software (Activation Card), BH #PRS15ARTUPGC Professional - Artist Upgrade - Complete Music Production Software (Activation Card) would be one such apgrade currently available. BH #PRS15ARTUPGC