I’m disappointed in how Artiphon handled the end of life for the Instrument‑1. When a company stops supporting a product, the least they can do is leave firmware, documentation, and downloads available — or release them to the community. Instead, Artiphon removed nearly everything from the internet, leaving customers with hardware they can’t fully maintain.
Impossible to trust!
By David P.
⚠ DO NOT BUY FROM ARTIPHON - A WARNING TO ALL MUSICIANS
I am writing this review in a state of pure frustration and anger, hoping to save even one person from the absolute scam that is Artiphon and their so-called "products."
Let me be perfectly clear: **Artiphon is not a real company. It is a ghost ship that takes your money and abandons you in the digital void.**
I was an early supporter, one of the many suckers who bought into the hype and purchased an Orba v1. It was an exciting concept, and for a brief moment, it worked. But that moment is long, long gone.
Here is the reality of dealing with Artiphon that they will never show you in their slick Kickstarter campaigns:
**1. TOTAL AND COMPLETE CUSTOMER ABANDONMENT:**
The moment your payment clears, you are dead to them. My Orba, a device that relies on software, is now a useless, brightly-colored paperweight. Why? Because every single piece of support infrastructure has VANISHED. The official forums? **Gone.** The dedicated app download pages? **Wiped from the internet.** The support ticket system? **A ghost town.** It is impossible to get help, download necessary firmware, or find any official resources. They have systematically erased all evidence of their past products, leaving paying customers like me stranded.
**2. THEIR WEBSITE IS A LITERAL EMPTY SHELL:**
Go to Artiphon.com right now. I dare you. You'll find a barren, empty website with a few flashy graphics and no substance. It's a Potemkin village for a tech company—a hollow facade designed to look like a functioning business while hiding the fact that there is nothing behind the curtain. No support, no community, no legacy product information. NOTHING.
**3. THIS IS A PREDATORY BUSINESS MODEL:**
Artiphon's strategy is now blatantly obvious:
* Step 1: Invent a flashy, "innovative" MIDI device.
* Step 2: Market it heavily on crowdfunding platforms and social media.
* Step 3: Collect thousands of orders and payments.
* Step 4: Release the product with minimal long-term planning.
* Step 5: When the next shiny idea comes along, COMPLETELY ABANDON the previous product and its user base.
* Step 6: Repeat.
They are not building a brand; they are running a series of cash grabs. They have zero respect for the musicians who trusted them with their hard-earned money.
**FINAL VERDICT:**
**DO NOT, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, GIVE ARTIPHON A SINGLE DOLLAR OF YOUR MONEY.**
Buying a product from them is not a purchase; it's a temporary rental with an inevitable, unsupported expiration date. You are funding a company that views you as a disposable revenue stream, not a valued customer.
My Orba v1 is a permanent reminder of their betrayal and a testament to their shameless business practices. Learn from my expensive mistake. **STEER CLEAR OF ARTIPHON.** There are plenty of other music tech companies that actually stand by their products and support their customers. This company is a disgrace to the industry.
By Heyvoon
Love the Chorda, hate the support
Love the Chorda as an instrument, but Artiphon as a company is practically unreachable when it comes to customer support. I've submitted tickets concerning my Chorda's headphone output (only outputs on left channel) and have yet to hear anything back, and it's been nearly 2 months. C'mon guys, you gotta do better.
By Neil
Updated firmware on my ORBA 2 about a…
Updated firmware on my ORBA 2 about a year ago. I left it for a long time, now there's nothing i can do to get it working. it's a brick. Artiphon sent me an email that basically said "we're short staffed. don't expect a response any time soon" when i emailed support.
Bluetooth still not fixed on android app. once they have your money it seems all their focus is on new products, and they don't care about supporting existing customers. i suspect cash flow issues.
(Tried troubleshooting on two different computers win10 and win11 with most recent and rolled back apps. also unresponsive on android (galaxy s20+). device not recognized as connected on any platform. shame.)
By Nik H.
No stars
No stars. This company is a scam and I wish I would’ve seen this page before I bought from them. I ordered an Orba3 in 2024 as a Christmas gift. I made it before the holiday cut off time and my order was expected on December 23rd. I ordered the Orba 3 and a case. They shipped the case but not the Orba. I emailed them. They said ups might have stole it. I told them it was unlikely given I opened the door minutes after they left it there and I live in a gated neighborhood where we do not have package thieves. They took weeks to respond. They they kept breadcrumming me. I asked for the item to be shipped or for a refund. They said they’d ship it. Weeks again without communication. They finally respond saying it is gonna take another week to ship. I tell them okay but if more than that give me refund. Of course they have stopped responding again. There is no way to ask for a refund or track one on the site. You can only email them. I feel stupid for falling for this scam. Big EFF YOU Artiphon. You are a BIG SCAM.
By Alexis
Do Not Buy Anything From This Company!!
I ordered an orbit 3 over a month ago. Every time I send them an email they give me an automated response. My package did not and will not be arriving. This company is a scam day. They will take your money but you will never receive your product. Do not buy from this company. I am not the only one they have done this to. This is what they do. This is not a real company. It is a scam!
By Brian M.
Response from Artiphon· Feb 4, 2025
Hi Brian, we see you were able to get in touch with us on Facebook to look into your order's shipment. We see it's on its way to you now. Please keep an eye out on Facebook for any further updates from our team.
Never received — refused to refund
Ordered the ORBA 3 on Dec 21. They said it was backordered and would be 3wks or more. I received a notification about it's status which required you login to an app called SHOP. That app is absolute crap and I could not make it work. I contacted Artiphon and they only interact via email. They will not call. Never got help on finding the package. After the 3 weeks were up, still no package. Emailed them again and they said he're a link showing the package was delivered. That link was to USPS site. I never got that tracking #, never had indication it was delivered and left on a porch.
Apparently it was either stolen, never delivered or the delivery took it. No pic of it sitting on porch like you get from Amazon or UPS. I'm out $160.00 and it's tough luck per Artiphon.
STAY AWAY from ARTIPHON. It's a company known for stealing money.
By Eric in St.Louis M.
Response from Artiphon· Jan 28, 2025
Hi Eric, your order has since been marked as delivered. We apologize for the delay in receiving your order. We hope you enjoy your Orba 3!
services must suck at Artiphon my orba 3 didn't come it's been a month n I got no updates on anything yet
my orba 3 didn't come I'm convinced ts company isn't legit like bffr I don't got time for ts bs, yall suck gimme my money it's been like a month I honestly knew it was to good to be true like reading the rest of the reviews make me not wanna even touch ts thing def not worth it all
By hello K.
Response from Artiphon· Jan 21, 2025
Hey there, we're sorry for the delay in receiving your order. Orba 3's are back in stock, and we have caught up on shipping orders. Please check your inbox for tracking information!