An Orchid alternative for your DAW
The Orchid made chords feel like an instrument again: a chord type in one hand, a root in the other. still.synth plays the same way, inside your DAW, from the controller you already own.
Compared in November 2026. Prices and features change — check each maker’s site for the latest.
still.synth uses the same eight chord shapes as the Orchid — Dim, Maj, Min, Sus, 6, m7, M7 and 9 — over root pads that always stay in key, with a bassline that follows. It adds a drum engine and a 32-layer looper, and it’s a $39 plugin you can download today, instead of a $649 piece of hardware.
Side by side
| Orchid | still.synth | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Hardware chord synth by Telepathic Instruments (Orchid ORC-1) | Software instrument: VST3, AU and Standalone |
| Playing a chord | Chord button with the left hand, key with the right; extension buttons for 6, m7, M7 and 9 | Shape pad plus root key — Dim, Maj, Min, Sus, 6, m7, M7, 9 — from the MIDI keyboard and pad controller you already own |
| Staying in key | Key mode picks chords that fit the key | Root pads are scale degrees, so every chord is in key |
| Bass | 12 bass sounds, automatic under the chords or played | A bassline under every chord, 12 presets, its own register |
| Drums | A basic beat inside the looper | Drum engine: 8 kits, 10 patterns, fills that land on the downbeat |
| Looper | Up to 16 bars, 10 stored loops | 32 bar-quantized layers, undo the last one |
| Into your track | MIDI out on three channels (perform, bass, chords); no external clock sync | Follows your DAW’s tempo; drag the take out as WAV or MIDI, one track per layer |
| Price | About $649 for the hardware | $39 during beta ($59 after), instant download, three machines per license |
Why producers pick still.synth
Right where you write
Orchid-style chord playing inside your DAW, locked to its tempo — no cables, no clock sync, no recording the hardware back in.
A full band, not just chords
A bassline under every chord and a drum engine with 8 kits and 10 patterns, all in the same tempo.
Yours today, for $39
Download it now and play tonight, on up to three computers — a fraction of the Orchid’s price of about $649.
Questions
Is there an Orchid VST or plugin?
No. The Orchid is a hardware synth and isn’t sold as a plugin. If you searched for an Orchid VST because you want that way of playing inside your DAW, that’s what still.synth is for. It’s a separate instrument, not the Orchid: hold a chord shape, press a root, and you get the chord in key with a bassline under it, plus drums and a looper, as a VST3/AU plugin and Standalone app for Mac and Windows.
How much does the Orchid cost?
About $649 for the hardware when we checked in November 2026. still.synth is $39.
Can I play still.synth like an Orchid from a normal MIDI keyboard?
Yes. It’s the same two-hand idea: hold a chord shape and press a root. Put the eight shapes on your controller’s pads with Learn Pad, or use keys 1 to 8 on your computer keyboard. Roots come from your MIDI keyboard, or from D F G H J K L ; while the plugin window has focus. A root with no shape plays the note with its octave.
Which DAWs does it work in?
Any host that loads VST3, or AU on a Mac: Logic Pro, Ableton Live, REAPER, FL Studio, Cubase, Bitwig and others. There are setup guides for Logic Pro, Ableton Live, REAPER and FL Studio.
Play it before you buy it
The home page has a live version of the chord pads — tap a shape and a root and listen.
Other comparisons
Set it up in your DAW
Orchid is a trademark of its owner; still.synth isn’t affiliated with it.