Orchid is a delightfully retro and approachable hipster synth

July 19, 2026 Terrence O’Brien

The Telepathic Instruments Orchid in all its tan and black glory on a desk next to the Sleevenote media player, with Rawkus Records Soundbombing II queued up on it, and a harmonica on the other side, because the Orchid is a tribute to electric chord organs of the past, which are basically just giant harmonicas hooked up to a fan.
A modern tribute to electric chord organs which were basically giant harmonicas connected to a fan. | Photo: Terrence O’Brien / The Verge

In 2017, I bought an old Magnus chord organ off Craigslist for $10. It's one of my favorite music gear purchases. Electric chord organs let you play full chords with just a press of a button, making them perfect for aspiring singer-songwriters or fooling around at home. But chord organs largely fell out of favor in the '80s, as digital keyboards like those from Casio grew in popularity.

The Telepathic Instruments Orchid attempts to recapture some of that simple parlor instrument magic. Just like those vintage electric chord organs, the Orchid allows you to play rich chord progressions without having to master a ton of theory or complex fing …

Read the full story at The Verge.

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