Oct 09, 2025

Telepathic Instruments Orchid ORC-300

A compact synthesizer from Tame Impala

Craig Wilson

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OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERACourtesy Telepathic Instruments

Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker took making music one step further and made a new instrument. Parker’s brainchild, the Orchid ORC-300, is a compact synthesizer with a single octave of keys that can fit in a backpack and lets players create complex chords with minimal musical expertise or technical dexterity. Why chords specifically? “Every song’s got to have chords,” Parker says, “They're the part that slows me down when I'm writing.” Although there are plenty of tools to make songs sound polished, Parker says “there aren’t many things to help with the actual genesis of the song.” The first 4,000 Orchids—released in two drops—sold out in hours.

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