Telepathic Instruments’ Transparent Clear Orchid: Arctic Is a Synth You’ll Want to Use (And Display)
Limited to just 3,000 units, Kevin Parker’s latest hardware drop puts serious chord-building engineering on full, transparent display.
Summary
- The fully transparent limited-edition unit is capped at a strict 3,000 units worldwide
- Internal hardware is driven by three distinct synthesis engines designed by developer Stefan Stenzel
- The drop includes the full rollout of the brand’s companion Pistil VST plugin for Mac and Windows
Telepathic Instruments, the music tech company co-founded by Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker, has officially unveiled Clear Orchid: Arctic, offering a striking, fully transparent update to the brand’s proprietary hardware platform. Capped at exactly 3,000 units globally , the new variant places the instrument’s complex internal architecture on full display while maintaining its innovative chord-based workflow.
At its core, the device is built around a proprietary chord logic system. A tactile matrix separates chord type, voicing, and root note , while a patent-pending voicing system repositions these chords across the equivalent of a full piano keyboard, expanding harmonic possibilities far beyond the physical interface. The transparent shell houses built-in stereo speakers, a rechargeable battery, and direct MIDI output for seamless DAW integration. The sonic heavy lifting is handled by three distinct synthesis engines — virtual analogue subtractive, FM, and a vintage reed piano emulation complete with mechanical noise modeling, all crafted by renowned developer Stefan Stenzel.
To humanize the mechanical output, the unit integrates specialized performance modes including Strum, Slop, Arpeggiator, Pattern, and Harp. Launching alongside the physical hardware is the full release of Pistil, a companion VST plugin compatible with Mac and Windows. Pistil ports the hardware’s custom trio of synth engines directly into your computer , introducing 10 new sounds, a rebuilt delay engine, and shift-click fine parameter control. The software allows users to tweak existing sound packs or design entirely new sonics from first principles.
Watch the TeleVision short film below. The Clear Orchid: Arctic instrument and the full Pistil plugin drop on May 11 exclusively via the brand’s official webstore.
