HiChord Portable Chord Synthesizer - Aluminium Edition

The HiChord Portable Chord Synthesizer is a pocket sized, chord based instrument designed to make songwriting and music making as immediate as possible. Built around a unique one button chord interface inspired by the Nashville Number System, it allows you to play full chords without needing to know traditional keyboard shapes, making it an easy way to sketch ideas wherever you happen to be.

Inside is a powerful digital synth engine with more than 30 instruments, covering everything from saw waves, pads and strings to piano, flute, brass and FM electric piano. Four different sound engines combine analogue style waveforms, FM synthesis, sample playback and hybrid sounds, while automatic voice leading, 28 chord types and 10 scales keep everything musical. There is also a selection of built in effects including delay, reverb, tremolo and glide.

HiChord is far more than a simple chord instrument. Its built in microphone can be used as a sampler, allowing you to record anything from a guitar riff to a voice or found sound and play it back harmonically across the chord buttons. The microphone also powers a live vocoder, letting you sing or speak through harmonised chords and layer the results into the onboard looper.

Thirteen play modes open things up even further, with options for strumming, melodies, drones, arpeggios, rhythmic repeats and step sequencing. A built in drum machine adds seven kits and 56 beat patterns, while everything can sync with the looper for quickly building complete ideas.

Despite the amount of technology inside, HiChord is genuinely portable. The CNC machined aluminium chassis is smaller than most phones and includes a rechargeable battery, built in speaker and OLED screen. Stereo audio I/O, headphones, USB audio and USB C MIDI make it just as useful in the studio, where it can connect directly to a DAW or control external synthesizers without the need for an additional interface.

Features

• One button chords Unique chord based interface inspired by the Nashville Number System

• 30+ instruments Synths, strings, piano, brass, pads, FM sounds and more

• Built in effects Delay, reverb, tremolo, glide and additional sound shaping options

• Sampler and vocoder Record sounds through the built in microphone or create live harmonised vocal effects

• Drum machine Seven drum kits and 56 beat patterns with automatic looper sync

• 13 play modes Including Play, Strum, Lead, Drone, Arpeggio, Repeat, Sequencer and Drums

• Portable design Rechargeable battery, built in speaker, OLED screen and pocket sized aluminium chassis

• Studio ready Stereo audio, headphone output, USB audio and USB C MIDI connectivity

• Advanced sound engine Six voice polyphony, 12 oscillators, two operator FM synthesis and sample playback

• Firmware updates New sounds and features can be added through firmware updates

Specs

Sound engines: Analogue waveform, FM synthesis, sample playback and hybrid layers
Polyphony: 6 voice
Oscillators: 12
Chord types: 28
Scales: 10
Drum kits: 7
Beat patterns: 56
Audio: Stereo 96kHz / 24 bit audio I/O
Sample memory: 64MB SDRAM, up to 10 minute audio buffers
Connectivity: 3.5mm headphones, auxiliary output, USB audio and USB C MIDI
Controls: Chord buttons, joystick and OLED display
Power: Rechargeable battery via USB C
Construction: CNC machined aluminium
Finish: Black