CHOMPI Sampling Keyboard Kickstarter Launches, Immediately Blows Past Goal

The creators of CHOMPI, a new sampling keyboard that’s designed to make musique concrète style audio manipulation fast and fun, have launched their Kickstarter project to fund production of the device – and it’s already blown past their project goal.

The goal for the project was to raise $30,000, and backers have already committed over $850,000.

CHOMPI is designed to make it easy to sample sounds and play them back, using a built-in keyboard. The interface provides big, dedicated controls for sampling, pitch, sample editing and effects.

CHOMPI also features a looper, so you can record phrases and play over them, and even overdub layers.

Pricing and Availability:

The developers is be making CHOMPI available via a Kickstarter project, priced at $499 USD for backers (normally $599).

Note: Crowdfunded projects can involve risk. See the project site for details.

30 thoughts on “CHOMPI Sampling Keyboard Kickstarter Launches, Immediately Blows Past Goal

  1. Calling an instrument a ‘toy’ is just a low-effort way for small-minded people to criticize new gear.

    Look back at the things that people called ‘toys’ when they were introduced:

    Yamaha Reface keyboards – people dismissed them a toys. Now everybody recognizes them as excellent portable instruments.

    Korg Volcas – people dismissed them a toys. Now everybody realizes that Volcas jumpstarted the affordable synth revolution.

    iOS apps – people dismissed them a toys. Now people complain that iOS apps are cheaper than the desktop versions.

    Teenage Engineering OP-1 – people dismissed them as expensive toys. 10 years later, they’re a best seller and the naysayers have to fall back to criticizing buyers as ‘fanbois’ or fools.

    Roland Boutique synths – people dismissed them as toys. Now people see them as the modern version of rack modules.

    Behringer synths – people dismissed them as toys. Now they’re some of the most popular synths sold.

    tldr; version:

    When someone calls a new piece of music gear a ‘toy’, it means they are too lazy, or lack the imagination, to think through how new tools can be used.

    1. Thank you. I guess I was supposed to act like they meant “toy” it in a nice way like this isn’t synthtopia and people still aren’t calling the OP-1 a toy. But when you call them out, nope, they meant toy in a…not criticizing way, but in a “It might be fun at some point but I call all my stuff toys” kinda way. If you’re going to play that game, play it better.

    2. Yet this is simply a toy, a simple toy that costs 5 or 6 Volca’s and I’ll rather play with those.
      But if that joke is worth 5/600,- I’ll laugh with you.

  2. now thats’s a toy with legs. go for it. i want to see someone wailing on one of these like that one guys did the Micron.

    1. Toys are synonymous with fun. Strange to think someone is against toys. Some wives say their husbands have a garage full of toys aka lawnmowers, shovels and weed wackers. Either you actually don’t enjoy toys or you enjoy the anonymity of the internet too much. I got mee’s a black one, cant wait for fun.

      1. Oddly, primarily men seem to feel a need to promote their aversion against what they call “toys” in the music studio. As if avoiding fun somehow proves their professionalism and toughness.

        1. Yes, I had loads of fun with my SK-1, but I think I paid about $49 for it. What I really find amusing is how people here become over sensitive to remarks about some products highlighted here seeming to be “toys”, when anything can be a “toy” for the person who appreciates it as one. I think remarks about “toys”, that some find offensive for some reason, possibly revolve around the price of the “toy”. In the case of this particular device, I can see its function as a toy, but I also see its function for its intended purpose. While I might mostly appreciate it as a toy, $500 is a bit outside of my “toy” budget.

          1. The ol’ sensitivity card. Calling a musical product that clearly has some musical benefit just comes off as pretentious, some…most of the time. If calling it out is sensitive, then calling out the seisitivity is also being sensitive so checkmate and welcome to the club, we’re happy to have new members:) It looks fun and interesting and thats the only prerequisite I have for most musical products I consider buying or buy. I leave the labels to the labelers unless “fun” is a label.

            1. It’s absolutely incredible how simple English sentences can be reinterpreted. What I could be accused of, I guess, is “calling out” people who are using the term “toy” in a derogatory manner. The people I am implying are overly sensitive are those who get “miffed, hurt, riled, defensive” (choose your own descriptor) when somebody refers to a musical instrument as a “toy”. There is nothing that says that a musical instrument can’t be a “toy”. When I think about it, I would classify almost all of the synths I own “toys”. If fact, when a synth ceases to be a “toy”, I get rid of it. When I say “almost”…. right now, the Arturia Minifreak I recently purchased has ceased being a “toy” for me, so I’m selling it.

  3. This is the second time that I’ve watched this video, and the Chompi looks as much fun to use the second time as it did the first.

  4. Looks fun, seems to be fun to play with… Still 599$ (even as for boutique brand)? You can get brand new full-fledged sampler for less.

  5. its definitely a toy, not necessarily a bad thing

    im wondering why the price is so high for what it seems to do, maybe im missing something in the details

    1. What is a “toy”? Is a Minimog Model D a toy? I have heard solemn avant-garde music played on toy pianos. And I have listened to people aimlessly playing around with sophisticated, expensive instruments. Maybe the user decides whether or not something is a toy, not the thing itself.

      1. Is a Minimog (sic) Model D a toy? For me, my first, second and third ones all were “toys”. Now I have replaced them with a Behringer Model D, and for me, that too remains a “toy”.

  6. I bet if this had wood sides and didn’t have the cartoon logo people would see it more of a tool and not a toy. I suppose fun colors, fun design…fun makes it seem like a toy. I think they did a great job with this.

    1. agreed. nothing wrong with “toy”; toys are fun; fun is the best; so, why would you not want a toy? folks take what humans say waaaaay too seriously.

  7. its too bad so many people are so offended by the word “toy” but then again most people are so incredibly shallow there is no point even talking to them to begin with

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