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After years of teasing, the viral Nopia synth is ‘basically finished’
The Nopia synthesiser, which went viral among music-gear enthusiasts when it was first teased in 2023, is now reported to be "basically finished" and nearing release. Its creators, Martin Grieco and Rocío Gal, showed the device to the MusicRadar team for a detailed first look and confirmed it will launch in "a couple of months" — expected by the end of the year — for around £550.
Billed as a "harmony machine", the Nopia takes an unusual approach by blending several modules — keys, bass, arp and pad — into a single performance, somewhat like a drumless groovebox. Its controls include a one-octave keyboard called the Chord Builder, a 12-button Tonal Selector and an Extensions Dial that set the key and voicing of chords, allowing complex harmonies to be played with just a finger or two. Other features include a strum plate for plucking individual notes, a slider for chord pitch bends, virtual analogue and sample-based synth engines, effects such as delay, reverb, tape emulation and beat repeat, and extensive connectivity including per-module MIDI output.
Explained simply
The Nopia is a synthesiser — an electronic device for creating and performing music — that has attracted considerable enthusiasm since its creators first showed it off in 2023. Music producers and gear enthusiasts regard it as an innovative approach to an instrument that is already well-established, but which they see as offering something genuinely new.
The device combines several musical capabilities — including keyboard controls and built-in sounds for bass and harmony — into a single compact instrument meant for live performance. Its main focus is simplifying the process of building complex musical harmonies, allowing musicians to create rich-sounding chords with relatively simple finger movements and dial adjustments.
The creators, Martin Grieco and Rocío Gal, have been quietly developing the Nopia since first introducing it in 2023, offering only occasional glimpses of the device to the music community. This has kept interest and anticipation high amongst enthusiasts following the project.
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