00:00 So we're here on the Playtronica booth. This is Sasha. Hello, Sasha.
00:03 Hi, hello.
00:05 You've got Orbiter here, which is, well, it just looks like a really cool Connect4/turntable/magnetic thing,
00:15 and it does lots of cool stuff. So, well, please talk us through it.
00:19 All right. So, originally, the idea was to make a sequencer from colors,
00:26 and that was, this device was the first prototype.
00:30 It's basically RGB sensor that gets information from color and turns it into MIDI.
00:36 But later on, we had this idea to make a turntable, and here it is.
00:42 We have four tracks, which can be assigned to different elements, different instruments, hardware or software.
00:50 We can also use applications, online web scenes.
00:54 But most of all, it works with colors, and for us, it's a very important instrument, so to say, medium,
01:01 because with color, we can create melodies and rhythms without even thinking about the notation and stuff like that.
01:10 So this idea, as you see, it resonates also. We made a podcast episode.
01:17 It's called "Seeing Sound", where we talk with different people about this idea of synesthesia and combining sound and music.
01:27 So, let's try it.
01:29 Yeah, go for it. Show us how it all works.
01:42 So now we're in ambient mood. So, these two tracks, they go to this rhythm composer from the 80s.
01:54 You have the sound, and this is the ambient bells, and this is as well high-frequency toy piano coming from Ableton.
02:04 But let's play.
02:06 [Music]
02:22 So, that's a bell track, right?
02:25 [Music]
02:35 Right. And now we go with some rhythm.
02:37 [Music]
02:46 And adding some pad sounds.
02:48 [Music]
02:59 This should be in one tone, so if colors are matching, that means they're the same notes,
03:06 which means I can do chords and combinations.
03:09 [Music]
03:18 Let's do some chords.
03:20 [Music]
03:30 And some melody.
03:32 [Music]
03:34 Melody's here.
03:36 [Music]
03:46 So, this is a prototype, and here we have...
03:50 [Music]
03:52 The look how the product will be in half a year, hopefully.
03:58 So, this is the final prototype.
04:01 It's slightly smaller, a little bit heavier, has a much more nicer surface to spin, good magnets,
04:09 and a PCB, which would be changeable, so you can work with colors, with graphics,
04:15 with a standalone synthesizer, so there are quite many options.
04:22 And I noticed on this one you've got more of a grid pattern to the...
04:26 Yeah, exactly.
04:27 To the platter, as it were.
04:29 I suppose that's to help people with... if they want to be a bit more driven into 4/4 and all this sort of business.
04:37 It's not even to be driven to 4/4, it's just to have pleasure while taking first steps,
04:44 because working without grid is very good for professional user,
04:48 but if you're first to the music, you're kind of feeling this balance, not rhythmical part, so yeah.
04:58 More of a guide, just to get on the right track.
05:00 Yeah, so then you just quantize it, but quantize it physically, by moving your fingers on the blade,
05:07 and putting everything accurate.
05:10 We used to say, "What looks good, that sounds good."
05:14 Nice, I like that.
05:16 Well, Sascha, thank you so much.
05:17 Yeah, thank you.
05:18 I understand it's coming up for a Kickstarter campaign soon?
05:21 Yeah, exactly.
05:22 In the next month, in October, we'll announce the date on the Orbitaplaytronica.com.
05:28 We'll look out for that.
05:30 Thank you so much for the demo, and I hope you have a great show.
05:33 So cheers.
05:33 Thank you.
05:35 [no audio]
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