The Artiphon Orba is one of the friendliest instruments ever made: a palm-sized dome with eight touch pads that you tap, tilt and shake to make music anywhere. It is also getting hard to buy new. Here is what each Orba (1, 2 and 3) does, where things stand in October 2026, and the best Artiphon Orba alternatives, sorted by what you loved about it.
The short answer
The Orba 3 ($159.99 list) is the current model, but when we checked, Guitar Center showed the Orba 2 and Orba 3 sold out and Musician's Friend listed the Orba 3 as discontinued. If you loved the gestures, try GLIDE (ours, $114.99, tilt to change the sound). For one-finger chords, the Artiphon Chorda ($249.99) or HiChord ($320). For loops and beats, a Pocket Operator PO-33 ($99) or EP-133 K.O. II ($329). For free, GarageBand on an iPhone or iPad.
Prices checked in October 2026 at US stores.
- What is the Artiphon Orba?
- Artiphon Orba vs Orba 2 vs Orba 3
- Can you still buy an Orba?
- The Artiphon Orba app
- Orba alternatives compared
- What the Orba does that the others don't
- Which one should you get?
- Artiphon Orba FAQ
What is the Artiphon Orba?
The Orba is a handheld synth, looper and MIDI controller from Artiphon, a company in Nashville. It fits in one palm, and you play it with your fingertips and your whole hand:
- Eight touch pads around the dome, locked to a scale so they always sound in key.
- Gestures: Guitar Center's listing names nine, including tap, spin, tilt, shake and slide. Move a finger across a pad to change the volume, tilt it to add effects, shake it for a shaker.
- Four parts: Drum, Bass, Chord and Lead. A built-in looper stacks them into a song.
- A speaker and a headphone jack, a rechargeable battery (about 5 hours), and MIDI over USB-C or Bluetooth, so it can also play sounds on a computer.
That mix is why people love it: no screen, nothing to learn, and it feels more like a toy you fidget with than an instrument you practice.
Artiphon Orba vs Orba 2 vs Orba 3
There have been three Orbas. Yes, the Orba 3 is real: Artiphon announced it in October 2024.
| Orba (1) | Orba 2 | Orba 3 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Released | 2020, after a Kickstarter | October 2022 | October 2024 |
| Price at launch | $99 | $150 | $159.99 |
| What it added | The original: 8 pads, gestures, looper | New sound engine, your own samples via the app, longer songs | A built-in mic, so you sample straight onto it; 300+ sounds |
| Speaker and headphones | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| MIDI | Yes | USB-C and Bluetooth | USB-C and Bluetooth |
The Orba 3's mic is its big trick. Sing a note or record any sound, and in Chord mode it tunes your sound into a three or four-part harmony. In Drum mode each pad can hold its own sample.
Can you still buy an Orba?
New, it is getting tricky. Here is what we found in October 2026:
- Artiphon's own website no longer has a store. It shows Instrument 1, Orba and Chorda, and its buy buttons send you to Guitar Center (Orba) and Sweetwater (Chorda).
- Guitar Center lists the Orba 3 at $159.99 and the Orba 2 at $119.99, both marked sold out.
- Musician's Friend lists the Orba 3 at $159.99 as unavailable and discontinued.
- Used Orbas turn up in Guitar Center's used section and on Reverb, often for less than new.
We found no official word from Artiphon about ending the Orba, so it may come back. If you find one new at a fair price and it is what you want, it is still a lovely thing to own.
Buying used? Ask whether it is an Orba 1, 2 or 3. They look alike, use different apps, and only the Orba 3 has the built-in mic.
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The Artiphon Orba app
You don't need an app to play an Orba: it works on its own. The app is for extras like loading new sounds, mixing parts and saving songs. The first Orba had its own app, "Orba by Artiphon". The Orba 2, Orba 3 and Chorda use Artiphon Connect, which Guitar Center's Orba 3 listing describes as free. Artiphon's downloads page lists it for Mac and Windows, with Android marked "coming soon". Transferring samples needs a USB cable.
Orba alternatives compared
Nothing else is quite an Orba. So start with what you loved about it, and go from there:
| Instrument | Price | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Orba 3 | $159.99 (sold out) |
Motion control: Tilt, shake, slide and more Chords: Yes Speaker: Yes Drums: Yes Looper: Yes MIDI: Yes |
| GLIDE (ours) | $114.99 |
Motion control: Tilt Chords: Bottom row Speaker: Yes Drums: No Looper: 1 button MIDI: No |
| Otamatone | About $43 |
Motion control: Squeeze, shake Chords: No Speaker: Yes Drums: No Looper: No MIDI: No |
| Artiphon Chorda | $249.99 (sold out) |
Motion control: Motion sensors Chords: Yes, strum bar Speaker: Yes Drums: Yes Looper: Yes MIDI: Yes |
| HiChord | $320 |
Motion control: Joystick Chords: Yes, 7 buttons Speaker: Yes Drums: Yes Looper: 6 tracks MIDI: Yes |
| Pocket Operator PO-33 | $99 |
Motion control: No Chords: No Speaker: Yes Drums: Yes Looper: Sequencer MIDI: No |
| EP-133 K.O. II | $329 |
Motion control: No Chords: No Speaker: Yes Drums: Yes Looper: Sequencer MIDI: Yes |
| Stylophone S-1 | About $25 |
Motion control: No Chords: No Speaker: Yes Drums: No Looper: No MIDI: No |
| GarageBand (iPhone, iPad) | Free |
Motion control: No Chords: Chord strips Speaker: Your device Drums: Yes Looper: Live Loops MIDI: Yes |
If you loved the gestures
GLIDE
Pocket synth you tiltFull disclosure: we make this one. GLIDE is the closest thing here to the Orba's "move it to play it" feel. Tilt is on out of the box: lean it forward or back to morph into the last sound you played, lean left or right to add vibrato, and freeze it wherever you like so you can set it down and play with both hands. It has four rows of keys: the bottom row plays chords and the three above play melody. Scale lock is on from the first press, so there are no wrong notes, and notes slide into each other like a string. Its mic can listen to a song and retune GLIDE to that song's key and tempo, so you can play along without lessons. A one-button looper catches ideas, and Randomize invents a brand-new sound when you want one. It has a speaker and a headphone jack, runs 7 to 12 hours per charge, and ships built and tested with a microSD sound library. Updates are free once it's yours. It has no MIDI and no drums, so it will not replace an Orba as a controller or a beat box. $114.99.
Otamatone
Squeeze to playThe music-note-shaped toy from Japan. Slide a finger up its stem for pitch and squeeze its face to open the mouth for a "wah", or shake the neck for vibrato. One note at a time, silly and fun, and it really is a squeeze instrument. About $43 for the regular size at Sweetwater. It plays no chords and has no looper.
Stylophone S-1
The classic pocket buzzAbout $25. Touch a stylus to a metal keyboard for one buzzy note at a time. No gestures, but it shares the Orba's "pick it up and play" spirit. Our Stylophone alternatives guide covers where people go next.
If you loved the chords
Artiphon Chorda
Orba's bigger siblingArtiphon's newer instrument mixes the Orba with its Instrument 1: twelve touch pads, a six-trigger strum bar for one-finger chords, motion sensors, a speaker, a looper for drums, bass, chords and lead, and MPE MIDI. It launched on Kickstarter in 2023 at $199. Guitar Center lists it at $249.99, sold out when we checked. If you liked the Orba's ideas and want more room for your hands, this is the natural next step, if you can find one.
HiChord
Pocket chord machineSeven buttons play the seven chords of your key, and a joystick changes their color. It also has drums, a six-track looper, a mic and MIDI. $320 on its maker's store, and in stock when we checked. More in our HiChord alternatives guide.
If you loved the loops and beats
Teenage Engineering Pocket Operator PO-33 K.O!
Pocket samplerA calculator-sized sampler with a mic and a speaker for $99. Record a sound, chop it, and build a beat. The closest match to the Orba 3's sampling, at a lower price, though there are no gestures.
Teenage Engineering EP-133 K.O. II
Beat machineTwelve pads, a mic, a speaker, a sequencer and MIDI, running on four AAA batteries or USB-C. $329. A desk instrument more than a pocket one, and a serious step up for beats.
If you want something free
GarageBand on iPhone or iPad
Free appFree from Apple, with drums, Live Loops and Chord Strips you tap or swipe to strum. A good way to keep making music while you hunt for hardware. The trade-off is glass instead of something in your hand.
What the Orba does that the others don't
Being fair to Artiphon: no single alternative here does everything an Orba does.
- Gestures on touch pads. Sliding, tilting, shaking and spinning all on one small dome is unusual. GLIDE has tilt; the Otamatone has squeeze and shake. Neither has the Orba's full set.
- MIDI controller in your palm. The Orba can play sounds in music software on a computer, with MPE support on the Orba 2. GLIDE, the Otamatone, the Stylophone and the PO-33 cannot.
- Drums, bass, chords and lead in one looper. Only the Chorda, HiChord and EP-133 come close.
- Price. At $159.99, the Orba 3 packed all of that in for less than the Chorda, HiChord or EP-133.
Which one should you get?
Hunt for an Orba if
- You want MIDI and gestures in one tiny device.
- You want drums, bass, chords and lead in a looper.
- You are happy to buy used, or to wait for stock.
Get an alternative if
- You want a tilt-to-play synth with chords and melody and no wrong notes: GLIDE.
- You want a silly squeeze toy for under $50: Otamatone.
- You want chord buttons and MIDI: HiChord.
- You care most about beats: PO-33 or EP-133.
- You want to spend nothing: GarageBand.
Honest take: if MIDI and a full beat looper are why you loved the Orba, a used Orba 2 or 3 is still the best answer. If what you loved was holding something small that sounds good the moment you touch it, there are other ways to get that feeling. Our list of instruments with no wrong notes has more, and you can try GLIDE in your browser at the bottom of this page.
Artiphon Orba FAQ
Is the Artiphon Orba discontinued?
We found no announcement from Artiphon. When we checked in October 2026, Musician's Friend listed the Orba 3 as discontinued and unavailable, Guitar Center showed the Orba 2 and Orba 3 as sold out, and Artiphon's own website no longer had a store, only links to Guitar Center and Sweetwater.
Is there an Artiphon Orba 3?
Yes. Artiphon released the Orba 3 in October 2024 at $159.99. It added a built-in microphone for sampling and more than 300 built-in sounds.
What is the difference between Orba 2 and Orba 3?
The Orba 2 came out in October 2022 at $150, with a new sound engine and samples loaded through the app. The Orba 3 came out in October 2024 at $159.99 and put a microphone in the instrument, so you can sample your voice or any sound straight onto it. Both have eight touch pads, a speaker, a looper and MIDI.
What is a good alternative to the Artiphon Orba?
It depends on what you loved. For a pocket synth you tilt, with chords and melody and no wrong notes, GLIDE is $114.99, though it has no MIDI or drums. For one-finger chords, the Artiphon Chorda lists at $249.99 and the HiChord is $320. For beats, the Pocket Operator PO-33 is $99. GarageBand on an iPhone or iPad is free.
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