This is HiChord (PROTOTYPE) :)

HiChord is a pocketable, high-powered, chord synthesizer that enables anyone to write songs wherever and whenever they want.
This video is of our 3d Printed HiChord Prototype. The version customers will receive will be injection moulded and produced in California with high-quality materials.
PRE-ORDER HERE:
www.kickstarter.com/projects/...
I have been working on designing and building HiChord. It is finally available for Pre-Order on Kickstarter :)

[@matteoallkja7806]

this looks amazing but no way I'm paying 250$

[@Zer0Passenger]

okay stingy

[@bazzatron9482]

72% of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck with less than 2k in savings. This kind of musical toy is just beyond the reach of the many. Maybe reconsider "stingy".

[@TheRaghav12345678910]

Came here to say this lol

[@TheRaghav12345678910]

@@Zer0Passenger are you sure you can say the N word white boy?

[@bobbyrutz9402]

I love it. But not at $340. Lots of backers though, I hope it does well!

[@HiChord]

thanks so much! Thats $340 Canadian btw! $250 USD

[@stevencooper3202]

My nation's currency might as well be monopoly money. The exchange rate doubles the cost. Cool device. Pocket drone extravaganza

[@birdgincrit]

I thought "Hm, I think this will probably cost something like 35-45 US dollars." But I also thought "but it's probably ridiculously expensive". And I was right.

[@usagiwerd6664]

340 cad not much for a music product cope bro

[@asdszf]

@@usagiwerd6664 "why so poor bro? cope, here take this 100 bill to wipe your tears with"

[@daaveed.onthebeat]

Definitely got my attention! So happy to hear midi out is an option.

[@appuser]

Yeah when he said that I was instantly sold.

[@OfficiallyMaidenless]

I understand how much work goes into making a product like this, but being priced at that point is going to make this a forgotten footnote really quickly. This is really cool as a proof of concept though, and I really hope you get a lot of feedback. I think I could see a second implementation with more robust features being worth that pricepoint, but it's not something people are going to buy for the sound, and the portability doesn't seem like a huge advantage if it's only the chords you're bringing around. I'm not a music theory major either so if I was to mess around with programming interesting chord sequences I probably already have the ability to do that without an extra device. It also seems limited in that it doesn't seem to have the ability to do sus9 chords which are some insanely rich, beautiful sounding chords that I apparently use quite a bit in my music. Coming back to the sound as well, it seems to just be a basic synth combined with a chord playing feature that comes standard with a lot of DAW options out there. The only genuine difference is this gives you the ability to play pre-made chords while you're out and about and I really just don't see a large market there. I hope that if this doesn't make the sales you hope for that you continue what you're doing though, you have a really interesting concept here. I could see this idea working well in a portable drum machine with a Mini SD card slot for you to load your own samples onto. I could also see this working for an arpeggiator, especially a bass one. For me personally though, if this were a drum machine where I could load my own sounds and have a tactile sequencer you'd have my wallet

[@DeeDeeCHAUNCEY]

Should be like $49 max

[@OfficiallyMaidenless]

@@DeeDeeCHAUNCEY I don't think that would solve the issue tbh. It seems like the pricepoint is largely because of how much each unit would cost to produce, not so much what it's actually worth. Even at $49 the idea at its core doesn't really answer a need, or at least not in a really meaningful way. You can get apps on your phone that are either free, or less than $50 that will do what this product does and more, but they run into the same issue. "If I'm putting all this effort into my sketches, I probably don't need such a fancy pen"

[@notreally-sf3df]

This is one of the worst comments i've ever seen on youtube. They've 7x'd their goal, don't be so fucking condescending. You don't get it, you can't afford it; move along.

[@OfficiallyMaidenless]

@@notreally-sf3df Shut up lmfao if someone doesn't want feedback on their content it's easy to turn comments off. I'm giving MY opinion on this based on similar products I've seen get kickstarted into obscurity. At no point am I being condescending, there's plenty of "wow omg" comments if all you wanna see is positive feedback. I get it, you don't like my opinion; be less fragile.

[@OfficiallyMaidenless]

@@notreally-sf3df Actually, scratch that last comment. This doesn't have a confirmed recording feature bruh, this seems like a very underbaked idea that had potential to deliver a lot more at that pricepoint.

[@WeeGeeX]

Needs that teenage engineering finish

[@drewmordecai4047]

It already has teenage engineering price edit: not complaining, the creator has full right to set any price he wants. And seems like people purchasing it even for this buck

[@HiChord]

Totally agreed! This is just the janky 3d printed prototype. The commercial/kickstarter units are much more detailed and aligned :).The funds from the kickstarter went right into the fine detail and material selection

[@PrimitiveInTheExtreme]

Wow, very interesting shape and design and great sounds!

[@vinceburrito]

This looks so fun to play!

[@synchro505]

Cool chord and music generating device. Looks like fun. Impressive array of effects also. 🎹✌

[@loop5415]

This looks awesome

[@cjlister8508]

Sounds fantastic. Ill be buying one of these for sure.

[@HiChord]

[@davidemicciche9334]

Sounds great

[@richdecibels]

this is awesome!

[@fuller5620]

I missed the 8 am drop but I will be anticipating full release!!!

[@phi1thegolden]

This looks and sounds tight! Well done 👏

[@HiChord]

:D thank you! I appreciate you!

[@MarkFonts]

loving the nichrome use!

[@StephenMcLeod]

Cool wee thing!

[@Swenglish]

Nifty! Unfortunately out of my budget for this sort of thing, but I'm impressed.

[@AMPProf]

Naww .. Micro computer Ja : And a court reporter keyboard

[@AMPProf]

Computer - install old midi chorder softwear

[@embolysm]

gettin this the second it comes out :P

[@Pillowcase]

Looks great. Fills a niche for sure.

[@nicgamer2643]

Very cool idea, i think you may also implement some features for live jams and for working with other instruments :)

[@cloudseer]

Interesting idea! I might buy a cheaper version with only the midi controller Features. Good luck with the kickstarter!

[@HiChord]

Thank you!! :)

[@DAVEDigitalandVinylExpert]

Looks pretty nifty

[@ApCommunityRock]

what the !! that so fck nice man !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@spamspasm8183]

People complaining about the price have no idea how much expensive it is to produce small batches of electronic products. This is also a niche product that will appeal/make sense to a very small market. The profit margins will be much smaller than you think. Is it worth it at $250 USD? Idk I am not the target market. Is that number due to small-medium batch production? Highly likely as pricing it lower just might not make sense financially to the product maker. Don’t like it? don’t buy it and move on. It’s as simple as that.

[@tdubasdfg]

Okay, i want one. I'm looking for the ability to record/ playback loops on the device. Maybe even sequence loops into full songs that could be exported? There should also be a mode for lead/melody that you can play over top of your chords or vice versa. Even if it only had 2-4tracks for recording this thing would be SUPER powerful!

[@HiChord]

Hey! Great ideas! You can select how many voices per chord, so you can choose just 1 and it goes into lead mode :) Have been working on a recorder/looper/sequencer section that should be ready for ship day! If not it will be a downloadable update. I appreciate you!!!

[@tdubasdfg]

@@HiChord appreciate the response! I definitely wanna get one of these things. Super cool!

[@tdubasdfg]

​@HiChord does it support MIDI out as well?

[@calebhartsfield5451]

Semi-serious question: can you play Giant Steps with it?

[@shanemau516]

Why i dont like using these "correct chords only" is you no longer come across happy accidents, you dont learn anything.

[@puddle3042]

yea completely agree and especially for something over 200 dollars, youd really want to be able to mess around and change more functions, I hate the idea of just making cheap music equipment expensive cause its new, just completely destroys the market for cool new devices like this.

[@Bleeeaaoop]

This is basically a modified mechanical keyboard from Amazon for like 20 bucks at least that's what it looks like you took the knob off and replaced it with a joystick and flipped it around...

[@SirEmj4y]

Right... Except a mechanical keyboard would not be capable of audio synthesis...

[@Bleeeaaoop]

@@SirEmj4y the one I'm talking about you can program to do whatever you want and using a dog you can absolutely do any kind of synthesis with it anything so yeah

[@SirEmj4y]

@@Bleeeaaoop Correct, you COULD do that, but then if ur using a VST, you'd be running a scam publicly, advertising a product as something it isn't.

[@fcf8269]

Looks interesting, but then I saw the price: 250 USD... Did I read right? What is this device doing that a Roland J6 does not do, for 199 and a Juno synth as bonus?

[@HiChord]

Hey! lots of differences between this and the J6. HiChord is smaller and has a built-in speaker. J6 will not fit in your pocket. HiChord's chord interface uses the nasvhille number system/ diatonic system which is a lot more intuitive for songwriters and producers. The main price difference is due to the size of the companies and manufacturing location. I am a solo-developer, 1-person, 1-year-old company, based in Toronto and manufacturing in California. Roland is a massive 40-year old, nearly 3000 employee corporation that manufactures overseas and generates billions of dollars per year. The fact that they are only $50 difference is impressive in my (*very-biased) opinion haha. They make great products too, I love a JUNO! Choose whatever works best for you! :) Cheers, Andrew

[@williammatthewspiano9064]

Any way could it loop a chord progression? Would also be sick to sync it with pocket operators for drums

[@grompling]

the form factor an UI seem amazing but I hope there is a way to get MIDI output from the device. Having an onboard sound engine is an amazing feature for using the device for experimentation and coming up with ideas when out and about but I don't see it as a usable home studio piece if the sound selection is limited to what can be loaded onto a small device

[@HiChord]

Hey!! There is midi out over USB-C :) But also, the built-in synth engine in deceivingly deep. It has 10 Oscillators, 5 waveform types that you can mix and match, LFO, ADSR, and lots of effects!

[@chikapunk4340]

Reminds me of the Nopia Keyboard

[@RecMirage]

Does it have midi in? Seems like it only has midi out…would be very useful for live sets if it has a midi in.

[@georgeoffenberger1262]

How do you save? Is there an app iOS ? Bluetooth capable?

[@Drago_Production]

Does it connect to PC or phone??

[@MarkFonts]

id highly recommend a link to the kickstarter here!

[@lucasvgg284]

Hey how would you recommend recording a beat on the gadget?:)

[@DeeDeeCHAUNCEY]

It can’t do that

[@EVILJAMARR]

I'm quite interested

[@sese6344]

For this price I could have a lumi key, expanded my possibilities and Knowledge about music at the same time. Overpriced toy for the money. But looks fun

[@HiChord]

Hey! I appreciate your thoughts here. Lumi key is a midi controller, you would need a laptop to use it with. This is a standalone synth you can bring in your pocket (that can also be used as a midi controller). Different use cases. HiChord has 1 button chords that show you how to play them on piano, so is a great learning tool. This video is just the 3d printed prototype. The funds from the kickstarter are being used to bring the commercial HiChord up to the build quality of something like the Lumi. :D

[@demian04_rta]

hi chord :)

[@vitalepitts]

I think there should be a model that just runs soundfonts if you can get the price under 100 usd. I think this would be a great tool for children interested in songwriting. midi out I think is still necessary, maybe even just midi out would be worth pursuing.

[@HiChord]

Hey! It has midi out :) definitely hoping to get it into some classrooms eventually! that would be the coolest:)

[@vitalepitts]

@@HiChord I see that I think that's more important than the integrated synthesizer for anyone interested.

[@homerdus9668]

Very nice, too expensive sorry, thanks respecting midi, sadly missing ble midi (maybe talk with cme WIDI guys)

[@MeyYou123]

Hi cord!

[@HiChord]

HIIII

[@acidwoody1799]

This is supporting midi? If so its must buy :)

[@HiChord]

Hey! yup it has built-in synth engine, but also MIDI out :)

[@user-xj8yl2dh4p]

Nice but that's expensive . Especially with stuff like scaler 2 mapped to a controller

[@domyon]

need it rnrn

[@AM2PMReviews]

I should put one on a guitar

[@HiChord]

You definitely should! I did it in one of my insta videos and it worked great!

[@rhaulgoel]

This is $340, but if you buy it in Korea, tax and shipping costs are added, making it $400. In Korea, a 10% tax is added when the product price is more than $200(usa)😢😢😢

[@bloubear2557]

hello chord

[@max_destro]

Seems pretty cool. No links?

[@HiChord]

www.kickstarter.com/projects/hichord/hichord-pocket-chord-synthesizer :)

[@AfterODDs]

ByeChord

[@dubiiitch]

Price. Serously? Understand why the end is near like Phoebe says.

[@danbunge9787]

MIDI INPUT, PLEASE!

[@welshdynasty6640]

This is a super cool idea. Would love to see someone like @DavidHilowitzMusic do a video on it.

[@thehaigu321]

hellochord

[@NEXTLOOKING]

Is Drake's favorite chord on here

[@TheDailyMemesShow]

Me wants 😊

[@AMPProf]

BRAKE IT OUT AS a plan kit.. I can get a micro computer and an old chrding keyboard

[@michaelglenn4014]

interesting

[@coucoudavou]

Very cool concept ! Is it supporting chords inversion ?

[@HiChord]

Yup! it has all inversion options for each chord :)

[@Ribkee]

Why are all the new synths cool but over 150 and under 6inches?

[@fuzzycat5080]

i would help u bring this to ios

[@Automatischroom]

An roland j6

[@MrBrax]

$250 oof

[@AmateurSynthusiast]

Yeah that’s what I’m thinking, cool they added a lot of stuff but too much

[@MrBrax]

@@AmateurSynthusiast not teenage engineering levels but I'd pay maybe $20 for a product like this

[@d3tuned378]

​@@MrBrax 20 bucks is too low, that doesn't cover parts much less development. 100 is more reasonable

[@MrBrax]

@@d3tuned378 maybe pushing it. I wouldn't pay more than maybe 50. Cheap parts.

[@d3tuned378]

@@MrBrax then you aren't very knowledgeable or respectful of the time it takes to develop a tool like this. If you're only looking at parts costs, that's your first mistake.

[@wilduras3858]

Can you minor 9 ?

[@HiChord]

yep! :)

[@d3tuned378]

I really wanted to like it, but the price is just at the wrong level. Id take one without a sound engine just for midi and with 3.5 out for a hundred.

[@sofiane_zd]

idk, how much that cost in euros...

[@hsmoscout]

$250 and you can't even press left for a sus2 chord?

[@HiChord]

haha yes you can :)

[@joefather6084]

Goth chompi?

[@HiChord]

🧛

[@deedd4401]

dude ... .... ... a link

[@HiChord]

haha yesssir, youtube made me wait for verification to put the link up,. Here it is: www.kickstarter.com/projects/hichord/hichord-pocket-chord-synthesizer

[@AMPProf]

YOU GOT A DIY PLANO GRAM .. Need Diy magazine. Blue prints and junk like that Timtraveler not no puter

[@d3tuned378]

Speak English please

[@hellf.o]

Midi?

[@JonMurray]

Couldn’t make it through a minute and a half?

[@HiChord]

Yup! midi out over usb-c :)

[@hellf.o]

@@HiChord 😍😍

[@hellf.o]

​@@JonMurrayYou're right😢

[@d3tuned378]

​@@HiChordthat's not midi out No 3.5 Jack? Really?

[@rhaulgoel]

please discount 😢

[@G8tr1522]

i understand why people want products like this, and I'm glad people find 'chord-players' useful, but so much can be gained, so much richness in learning theory...I'm afraid that products like these will discourage newcomers from learning the basics. It reminds me of a coloring book. Yes, it's art, you made it, and if course you should be proud of it. And it can bring enjoyment and fulfillment to others, because it is still art after all. But it is still just the drawing on the fridge....actually, just realized that this analogy works in another way. You can make art with a coloring book, but what has more personality? Your kid coloring in a dog? Or your kid trying to draw the dog themself? Of course, the kid perhaps may one day become a master artist who makes thought provoking coloring book collages, but which drawing will they be more proud of? Learning the basics gives you more tools to express yourself and make good art. Not trying to make anyone feel bad, again, you should be proud of what you make. But give it some thought! Also, cool project. Best of luck with it. At the end of the day, it's a good thing to take a break from cultural paradigms we have enforced for so long in music.

[@vitalepitts]

I actually very much disagree with you, I think this will be a good stepping stone to understanding theory for some people. This seems like a great way to map the logic of chord relations and extensions with feedback of the chord names as well as intuiting the understanding of these relations being the same across different keys. It also seems limiting enough to inspire want for a more dynamic instrument if this is truly how someone begins their journey of songwriting/musicianship.

[@G8tr1522]

@@vitalepitts i had a whole 3 paragraphs before i caught a flaw in my reasoning. I am a self taught intermediate jazz pianist, who makes dnb mostly, so i hang with a lot of different crowds. I have lots of colleagues that do EDM, DJ sets, etc. When they go to compose, they always seem to follow these 'rules': - ionian modes only. (they all learn without being explicitly taught, to use different modes) - no accidentals/never out of key (only exception being a V7 usually, but they don't know what that means). - some will actually teach themselves how to play all 12 ionians on a keyboard. This is why i am retracting my last argument. Basically, they are very willing to learn more. I think you're right that these tools CAN help people learn theory, but they will likely be used as a crutch. The issue is our education. Most people get stuck after learning all ionion scales and modes in all 12 keys. Kinda like how in the US, we learn a bunch of algebra, and we never learn why it was important. In music class, we are taught to "learn all your scales, and learn every key!" and are raised like robots in concert band seats, and are never taught to break these rules. We miss out on the beauty of playing out of key, we miss out on the beauty of calculus that explains how the world works WAY more than algebra. Students are missing out on critical education. This means that while tools like this CAN help students learn more, i see the trend of them getting stuck at the roadblock i described, then just giving up and using these tools as a crutch to generate new ideas. All is well and good, and i think it's good to use tools as shortcuts. But i see a trend among EDM producers to play 'white keys only' as i described earlier. We need to improve our education so that tools like this don't cripple our self expression.

[@d3tuned378]

I hate everything about music theory especially the piano layout. Once I switched to isomorphic I realized I didn't want or need theory. I'll discover what's necessary in my own time. Now that the layout is sane, I don't need theory. Just muscle memory and practice. Theory may be part of it but never consciously or intentionally. I prefer it that way

[@gracelandtoo6240]

@@d3tuned378 You hate learning it, but you can't hate the theory behind what makes every song you love sound great. That's like saying you hate gravity bc you want to fly - without gravity, there wouldn't even be an atmosphere to fly in, let alone any planets.

[@notreally-sf3df]

@@G8tr1522 See, have you ever considered that there are a lot of people who think that people like you are crippling yourself severely? I think you're, because of your very non-sensical reasoning that no one asked for; just don't understand creativity.

[@damelos4039]

Are they serious....with THAT screen? C'mon....

[@AMPProf]

WHICH TOY or Game was it.. And how long befor DUHH USE a court reporter came in

[@d3tuned378]

You can't even speak

[@worldofmuu]

Xfer cthulhu does a billion things more for hundreds less. Or you could buy this and annoy people in public through your lil speakers, I guess

[@d3tuned378]

That's vSt, not physical

[@d3tuned378]

Or you could just hook it up to a speaker like a normal person and not act like you forgot that's an option

[@koncreteto2758]

Another 20 dollar arduino in a fancy case for 259 bux, when will people learn not to buy overpriced toys

[@erikottema2620]

Yeah just make one yourself, that's way cooler im every way!

[@caffeinex3]

It's electro-smith though, why are we making shit up just to discredit a product lol?

[@chicadoge]

It’s a bit more advanced than that lol. Also arduinos are kinda shit and making sound. The value is the time and effort went in to designing and developing software and hardware for the product. They likely priced it the way they did because so many other companies have

[@noobertime]

Everytime a new product drops I see this same comment. Stop it, have you ever designed a product? Do you know what manufacturing costs? I'm not saying that the HiChord is a good product, I see no use for it personally. However, it is not just an Arduino... Even if it were, a product is more than the value of it's components. Code, design and marketing are all extremely time consuming and difficult to do well. If you don't think the product is worth the price, that's fine say that. Saying it is just an Arduino is wrong and insulting to the engineers and designers that actually build this stuff.

[@erikottema2620]

@@chicadoge That's why you use an ESP32 with an external DAC. Making your own is cheaper, is educational and gives you so much more flexibility. There are plenty of open source projects to use.

[@JamesSkow]

$250 LOL

[@doomblu_]

Eh way overpriced for really no reason. For a bit more you could just buy Ableton and have it do the same thing after a 10 min KZbin tutorial or even a micro freak and have a real instrument and vst version of an actual synth with way more versatility. There are apps that can do this honestly lol Waste of plastic and money on a toy that has a decent idea for a fidget toy or at best a demo thingy I guess, but is more suited for non musicians and children. Can't see anything past the novelty of "OOoOOOO it plays chords for youuu" Always welcomed to be proven wrong too but for my money, this is a big big BIG pass

[@shanemau516]

Cheap plastic case. Buttons are all crooked. Come on. Yall gotta do a better job.

[@HiChord]

Heyyo! I feel you, this video is just our 3d printed prototype. We have used the funds from the Kickstarter campaign to create custom tooling for injection molding, that will make the kickstarter and commercial units perfectly aligned using high-quality materials. As a one-dude startup without investment, this was our only path to the market! :)

[@gracelandtoo6240]

This is even dumber than Chompi, I can't believe the non-musically inclined would pay what you're asking for what is a basic ass feature in any DAW.

[@notreally-sf3df]

Ah, the idiot again, hello! I own a chompi, i'm buying this thing, i own 10 daws and i'm more competent than you are. Chill out, write some good songs. Money comes with that and then you can stop being so damn insufferable.

[@bonaventura_AKA_ben]

Few days ago I saw the Zeptocore. Looked cool, saw the price $149 ordered one and got it yesterday. I told the creator “Thanks for not gouging us” I.e. the price was reasonable Unfortunately you are gouging people. 250/360 is ridiculous. Pity because it looked intriguing

[@HiChord]

Hey! I love the Zeptocore! It is a great price. They are just different uses. If I did not include casing, a screen and a rechargeable battery then I would be able to price it similarly, but then it would no longer be a HiChord! Good to have options in the market!

[@elliotts5574]

​@@HiChordare you willing to share what chip it's using? if this is a esp 32 with separate analog audio that will really shape my opinion as opposed to a teensy or something.

[@HiChord]

@@elliotts5574 Hey! its an electrosmith DaisySeed

[@dickydoes]

Looks dreadful, sounds dreadful and is expensive. No thank you.