Nopia, the chord-based semi-modular synth designed by Martin Grieco and Rocío Gal, goes up on Kickstarter on 15 September at 9 a.m. ET. A super early bird tier starts at $650 before tax and shipping.
The instrument first surfaced in 2023 as a prototype entered in a design competition. That video drew 2.6 million views in eight days, and the two designers have spent the three years since turning it into a production unit. Grieco told MusicRadar in July that it was "basically finished".
Chord controls and sound engine
Three controls drive the harmony. A one-octave Chord Builder keyboard sets the chord, a twelve-button Tonal Selector picks the degree, and an Extensions dial adds extensions on top. The layout treats chords as scale degrees rather than as individual notes.
The onboard engine combines samples with virtual analogue synthesis and is split into four modules — Keys, Bass, Arp and Pad — feeding a master effects chain of filter, delay, reverb, saturation, tape emulation and beat repeat, plus a looper. Multitouch capacitive sensors handle strumming and chromatic or microtonal pitch bend, and an OLED screen shows the chord currently held.
- Four TRS MIDI outputs, one each for Keys, Bass, Arp and Pad
- MIDI input, MIDI sync output, clock in and out
- Sustain pedal input
- Quarter-inch master output and eighth-inch aux output
- USB-C for power and MIDI
- Wood enclosure, 41.5 by 23 by 3.5 cm
Price and availability
The Kickstarter opens on 15 September 2026 at 9 a.m. ET, with super early bird pledges from $650 before tax and shipping. No ship date has been announced.
Via Synthtopia, with more at nopia.io.