General

The Orba is perhaps the most intuitive electronic music making tool in existence. You definitely don't have to be a musician to play this half-spherical instrument - in fact, it has more in common with your smart phone, trackpad, or gaming controller than it does a guitar. Played by striking the segmented surface, you can trigger sounds like synth-notes - but that's the most basic way to put it, since however you play the Orba, it responds in kind. So you can lightly tap it, glide a finger across it, tip, rotate, and even shake it and it will answer appropriately. It also has a loop function so you can programme drums in minutes, while the built-in speaker means you can both take and play the Orba anywhere. You can even connect it up via Bluetooth or USB and control your DAW via MIDI with it. The idea behind this gadget is so breathtakingly simple and yet the effect is so good, it can even serve seasoned musicians and producers with a world of fresh ideas.