NAMM 2024: Suzuki’s postponed Omnichord OM-108 will be at NAMM
Slowly but surely, the new Omnichord is coming, says Suzuki – and you’ll be able to see it at NAMM Show 2024 next week.
Image: Suzuki
A new iteration of Suzuki’s much-loved Omnichord instrument is set to be on display at NAMM Show 2024, the brand’s confirmed.
The Omnichord OM-108 was originally set to launch in the summer/fall of 2023 to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the founding of Suzuki Musical Instruments Manufacturing. This was sadly postponed, Suzuki confirmed in a statement in December, citing improvements and specification refinements “in order to provide our customers with the best performance experience possible with the new Omnichord”.
While we’re still yet to see a new version of this much-adored synth, the new Omnichord will be on display for attendees of the LA-based music tech trade show, taking place from 25 to 28 January 2024, the statement also confirmed.
The Suzuki Omnichord, introduced in 1981, is a unique electronic musical instrument blending elements of an autoharp, synthesizer, and rhythm machine. Its revolutionary design features a touch-sensitive surface, allowing players to strum chords with ease.
Initially embraced by folk musicians, the Omnichord gained popularity across various genres due to its versatility and portability throughout the 1980s and 1990s, most notably featuring in The Bee Gees 1987 hit You Win Again and David Bowie’s 1993 track, A Small Plot of Land.
In 2023, Gorillaz frontman Damon Albarn showed off how he used the Omnichord for the band’s 2001 track, Clint Eastwood. In an Apple Music interview with Zane Lowe in his London studio, he gives away the fact it was a simple, unchanged Omnichord preset used in the track. Watch the clip below:
MusicTech’s excited to see the new Suzuki Omnichord OM-108 in action at NAMM next week. It’s not the only exciting piece of tech we want to see, however. Korg is so far stealing the show, recently confirming the launch of its KR-11 compact rhythm machine, the Opsix MKII and – of course – its long-awaited microKorg 2. Yamaha’s SEQTRACK and Audient’s ORIA audio interface are also tickling our fancy.
A release date for the Omnichord is set to be revealed by Suzuki at NAMM in LA next week.
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