An incredible 43 years on from its original release, there’s still nothing quite like an Omnichord.
Released as part of the brand’s 70th birthday celebrations, the Suzuki Omnichord OM-108 is a reboot of a cult classic originally sold in 1981. A truly unique electronic instrument with a weird but intuitive approach, the Omnichord combines rhythm and synth circuits to create something quite compelling. After release, the Omnichord famously became a cult classic, used by the likes of David Bowie, Brian Eno and Gorillaz – Damon Albarn revealed in an interview with Apple Music that ‘Clint Eastwood’ is based entirely around the ‘Rock 1’ preset from the 1995 Omnichord OM-300.
If you’re not familiar with the appeal of the Omnichord, join us as we explain what makes these wacky instruments iconic. If you’re already a fan, read on to find out what’s new in the 2024 version and whether it lives up to the legendary Omnichord name.
The OM-108 follows the same basic formula as the original models from the 80s and 90s: there are three separate sections, each with its own sound circuit. The concept is based on the autoharp, a type of zither dating back to the 1880s, which allowed players to play a chord by pressing down buttons which muted sets of strings corresponding the chosen chord. In the Omnichord’s reimagining of this concept, a series of buttons select a chord, which can be played back (along with corresponding bass part) either on its own or with a strummed/plucked arpeggio/melody part. A touch-sensitive plate to the right allows you controls these melodic parts, which automatically play in key with the selected chord. The whole thing runs along to a built-in preset rhythm section featuring basic but fun beats in broad-strokes genres like rock, disco, swing and bossanova.
You certainly don’t need any autoharp experience to play an Omnichord – in fact, you don’t really need any musical experience whatsoever, seeing as the concept and layout makes it impossible to play out of tune. It takes seconds to get it up and running, powered by either a DC power supply or eight AA batteries (neither included). You can play through headphones or an external speaker if you like, but the built-in speaker is perfectly good for getting started.
With the Omnichord switched on, getting started is simple, all focussing around that unusual bank of chord buttons which dominate the main section of the unit. Major chords are arranged in a sequence of perfect fifths from left to right along the top row: D♭, A♭, E♭, B♭, F, and so on. The layout here makes it easy to shift left or right one step in order to create musically pleasing chord changes. Corresponding minor chords run along the second row, with dominant 7th chords on the third row. Combinations of two or three chord buttons pressed simultaneously allow access to a total of 108 chords, including augmented, diminished, suspended 4th and add 9th variants.
The preset nature of the 108’s synth and drum circuits make it easy to understand. Although there’s more depth than there might initially appear, there’s no real programming involved. Rhythms are presets only, while the chord/bass part also works on pre-defined patterns (switching from auto to manual mode in the Real Time Control section allows you to play simpler chord accompaniments). The sounds from the strumplate synth section are the main place where you have a bit more control. These are based on 10 presets, each with a main voice and a sub sound which can be blended together or used independently. The two ‘Omni’ presets’ ‘Mellow Pulse’ and ‘Tremolo Pulse’ voices are particularly distinctive, based on the sounds of 1984’s Omnichord OM-84 model. Suzuki have recreated the analogue circuits of the 84 here, giving a nice retro tone. All the other voices are digital, but there’s a fun range to choose from, including a lovely twangy harp, silky synth strings and a lush 80s-style FM piano.
The only aspect of each voice which you can control is the Sustain setting (actually more like release time in true synth jargon), which allows you to define how long notes from the strumplate ring out after you release your finger (a small Instant Off touch pad next to the strumplate immediately cuts off any sustained notes from both strumplate and chord accompaniment). Overall, it’s a very simple setup, but one which punches way above its weight in terms of character and vibes.
The OM-108, like any Omnichord, is an instant ideas machine as well as a unique performance instrument. One producer told me that the Omnichord was his secret weapon whenever a band was struggling for ideas, and it’s not hard to see why. There’s surprising versatility to the OM-108; it’s very immediate to pick up and jam with it straight out of the box, but you can use it in a lot of different ways once you explore its simple but effective options. The most common approach is probably to use Sync Start mode, which engages the rhythm section whenever you select a chord and stops when you release it – engage the hold setting if you want the rhythm to play continuously – then strum or pick notes over the top. As the manual quite cutely puts it, “this is the most gorgeous play style of this unit”.
Alternatively, you can play chords without a rhythm, or dial up and down the volume of sections independently – this is particularly effective if you leave the rhythm and strumplate voices turned up, but mute the chord section, so that it still selects chords for the strumplate but gives you a more sparse arrangement. Setting the rhythm to Start allows it to run continuously even when a chord isn’t being played, which means that you can play chord stabs without the beat stopping, ‘Clint Eastwood’-style.
In Keyboard Mode, the bank of chord buttons change their behaviour, allowing for a completely different playing style. The eight drum sounds are assigned to buttons on the top row, while individual notes run along a mini piano-style keyboard (an overlay helps you visualise this more easily; the buttons themselves are actually laid out in two slightly different tones of beige to highlight the keyboard, but they’re so similar in colour that it’s much easier to see with the overlay in place).
The 108’s MIDI specification is surprisingly effective, with one caveat. Up to five separate channels of MIDI data are sent, corresponding to the main voice, chord, bass, sub voice and drum parts. This allows you to send separate sections to different synths, for example, or different parts of a multitimbral synth, which could be an effective way to perform with a more varied range of sounds than those on board. The downside is that it’s MIDI out only, with no ability to sync the instrument to an external clock signal. You can sync other instruments or computer software to the Omnichord, but the option to sync to another device would have been a bonus.
The OM-108 is undeniably expensive for a relatively simple instrument from a major manufacturer like Suzuki, but its price compares favourably to vintage units of unknown provenance, and the upgrades to the original format really do make it a well-rounded instrument. The Omnichord has always been a bit of an oddball, but it’s so much fun that it crosses over from wacky, gimmicky territory squarely into the realm of a uniquely inspiring instrument. There’s honestly nothing quite like it. As Suzuki celebrate their 70th anniversary and the Omnichord series ticks off its 43rd year, this is an instrument with truly enduring appeal.
Greg Scarth
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