The Suzuki Omnichord was already having a moment, and it’s now been confirmed that this quirky electronic instrument is coming back.
“We have been receiving requests to resurrect the Omnichord for a long time,” says Suzuki. “And this year, 2023, to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the founding of Suzuki Musical Instruments Manufacturing, we will reproduce the Omnichord! It is scheduled to be released around the fall of 2023.”
Sadly, that’s all we know at this stage - we’re still waiting on specs and a potential price.
Between 1981 and 1999 there were multiple iterations of the Omnichord, so Suzuki has plenty of inspiration to draw on. Whether its reboot will be a faithful emulation of a specific model, a ‘greatest hits’ package that includes the best bits of various models or a completely new design remains to be seen.
The Omnichord was thrust back into the spotlight last month when Gorillaz’ Damon Albarn revealed that the beat for Clint Eastwood, one of the band’s biggest hits, is powered by one the machine’s its auto-accompaniment presets (Rock 1, in case you’re interested).
Now a new generation of musicians will get the chance to experience the Omnichord, which is played using a combination of chord buttons and a touch-sensitive strum plate that you can either tap or slide across. It was originally designed for musical novices and people who struggled with traditional instruments, but has become a cult favourite.
Suzuki says that it will periodically add more information to its Omnichord page in due course.
