Stuck for ideas or having trouble creating the chord sound you’re looking for? A new Kickstarter campaign may hold the instrument for you.

Kordbot aims to make it easier than ever to get out all of your creative ideas combining a chord generator, arpeggiator and a step sequencer. Created by Isla Instruments, Kordbot lets users easily play 1000s of chords out 32 chord types on any polyphonic MIDI capable device with a multitude of extra features to help you create unique sounds.

Kordbot features a ‘Song Builder’ mode that auto-selects seven chords that harmonically fit, from a massive selection of potential sequences, into a diatonic progression for quickly getting down ideas. There is also a pressure sensitive ‘strum’ feature which you can use to physically strum notes in a chord.

Here are all of the Kordbot’s impressive features:

Chord Generation 

  • KordBot contains 32 built-in chord shapes along with inversions.
  • Users can also input their own chord shapes.
  • Song Builder Mode where KordBot will automatically pre-select all harmonically related chords in a given key and present them to the user for quick access.
  • A ChordSpread rotary control expands the amount of notes used in the chord
  • Humanisation functions to vary note velocity and starts of notes.
  • Chord Strum mode – Use Ribbon controller to strum notes of a chord.

Arpeggio

  •  Access to the same functions as chord mode.
  • Standard arpeggio patterns up/down/updown and many different patterns including the ability to enter user patterns.
  • Variable note length
  • Swing functions
  • Sync to an external MIDI clock
  • Strum / Repeat / Latch modes

Step Sequencer (currently under development)

  •  32 steps
  • Up to 4 sequencer channels
  • Each step can play a single note, rest, chord or MIDI cc value

Midi Mode

  •  Use as a normal MIDI controller, 32 chord modifier buttons become note on/off buttons (can be used for launching clips in ableton etc)
  •  All controls, including the pressure and location sensitive ribbon controller, can be assigned to MIDI CC.
  • Memory pads can be used as drum pads.

User Interface

  • Two Octave illuminated keyboard (chord fingerings are presented to user)
  • 32 ‘Chord Modifiers’ illuminated (8 reconfigurable for user defined chord types)
  • Four rotary controllers with push buttons for settings change
  •  Six Chord Memory pads
  • Illuminated 128 x 64 OLED Display
  • 4″ force and location sensing ribbon controller, assignable to MIDI cc or used for the ‘strum’ feature.

Connectivity

  • Standard MIDI 5 pin DIN IN/OUT
  • USB host MIDI interface / power
  • SYNC in/out for classic hardware
  • Sustain pedal input
  • Bluetooth MIDI
  • DC input jack (for MIDI only use)
  • Rechargeable Lithium Polymer battery (if stretch funding goal reached)

Dimensions

Width: 14” / Depth: 4.5” / Height: 2.5” Weight: 600gms (approx)

 

Kordbot is great for beginners who want to make music with their MIDI instrument but may not have much musical knowledge but is also great for veterans to efficiently play out their ideas faster than ever. Kordbot works with MIDI, USB and even wirelessly using Bluetooth and is compatible with iOS and Android devices.

Check out the Kickstarter where you can help fund the Kordbot and get your own here: www.kickstarter.com/projects/islainstruments/kordbot-midi-chord-generator-arpeggiator-step-sequ?ref=nav_search