When Suzuki revived the Omnichord in 2024, they didn't just dust off a cult classic from the 1980s—they rebuilt it from the ground up with real analog circuitry while adding modern conveniences like MIDI output and expanded harmonic options. The result is an instrument that feels both nostalgic and genuinely fresh, perfect for anyone who wants to make music without years of training.
The OM-108 centers around its signature strumplate, a touch-sensitive harp-like interface that spans four octaves and lets you play arpeggios or individual notes by running your finger across it. Pair that with 38 soft-touch chord buttons offering 108 different chord types (including sus4 and add9), and you've got a surprisingly expressive control scheme. The 19-key keyboard handles melodies across three selectable octaves, while 10 rhythm patterns cover everything from rock and funk to bossanova and waltz. You get 10 main synthesizer timbres—two of which faithfully recreate the classic OM-84 sound using analog circuits, while the rest blend analog and PCM samples for modern textures. A new layer mode lets you stack two sounds simultaneously, and the drum pads can be triggered either from the chord buttons or the strumplate itself.
The instrument is genuinely portable: it weighs just 1.2 kilograms, runs on eight AA batteries for roughly eight hours, and includes an onboard 10-centimeter speaker. Connections include MIDI out (which transmits chord, strumplate, and drum data across multiple channels for controlling external gear), a 3.5mm stereo headphone output, and a 6.3mm mono line out. The OM-108 has resonated with both experimental musicians and newcomers, appreciated for its intuitive yet unconventional interface that encourages creative play rather than technical precision. Some users note the learning curve around MIDI implementation is steeper than the core instrument itself, but that's really only relevant if you're planning to sequence external synths.
