Sort of an update! Looks like they’re going all in on standalone. Or teasing it at least.
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Looks and sounds nice. I am interested. But I think it would be a struggle to use or learn those chord modes if you don’t know much music theory. An LED screen would help if it showed the modes you are currently in.
A good goal for product developers is “no screen needed”. With musical products especially, it’s primarily about what you hear, not what you see. Some things cross the line, and then having a screen is better.
I don’t see a real priority so far for a screen for this product. Mentioned in the video is including information on the tops of the keys for chords with notes outside the scale – for chromatic mediant motion and that sort of thing. Easy enough to see these other notes on an external screen or in documentation, for studying with your eyes when desired. Otherwise you use your ears, and learn the sound, the tensions, resolutions, and motion.
Aside : I just posted a video for a developer who set a “no screen rule”. The Wiggler is a product that has some similarity with Nopia with an arpeggiator mode and what i think is a custom scale option.
Another Aside : An aspect of Nopia that is available in other products is the single key press chord change and selection. For instance the Korg Keystage has 32 “chord sets” that can also be customized. I have a link to detailed documentation of those chord sets in this post. My opinion, the Keystage, might have been better, with fewer chord sets, if it had a “chord complexity knob” like on the Nopia. By the way no screen for these single key press chords on the Keystage either. The Keystage has other offsetting advantages though.
Another thought : An advanced feature that could show up in a final Nopia product, and something i would favor is a streamlined approach involved with key change within your music. There are several ways key change is approached musically, and this is often left on the periphery of these “chordal instruments”. It might be a nice improvement.
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I can see this Modal Harmony(or Disharmony) as a great entry into Jazz compostions.
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6 Million views on Youtube!!
Seems to be hitting the right note.
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Are YouTube views the key to success though?
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It defines everything all at once.
Im not sure. Its 6 million on the first but drops dramatically the next 2 updates. So seems weird.
A screen does add to the cost, with just a small but significant amount added to the failure rate. But i don’t think that given the design that Nopia needs a screen, as has been discussed here. Who needs letters and abstract symbols when playing by ear, plus you’d already know the chord anyway if that matters to you.
What’s this ??? What’s it say ? 2025 it is then !!
You’d certainly recognize it, and the Nopia green color, and those keys, but you also see some changes in this little picture.
They are in the final stages of development and have this to say about the Nopia synth :
A few days ago, we finally played a fully standalone unit, taking the internal synth engines and effects for a spin. It was truly…something special. We can’t wait to share it with you.
So later this year !
Looking forward to hearing all the detail on the updates.
Congratulations to the Nopia team. Great to see you’re sticking with it, and facing down all the challenges.
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Needs white leds. Blue and Green clash.