Suzuki Music Omnichord OM-108 Synthesizer

Suzuki Music Omnichord OM-108 — Instant Chord Accompaniment Without the Learning Curve

The Suzuki Music Omnichord OM-108 marks the return of an instrument that vanished from production after the OM-300 in 1996. Debuting more than four decades after the original, this model keeps the tactile playing style that made the series legendary: press a chord button, brush the strumplate, and an arpeggio flows beneath your finger. For songwriters, ambient producers, or those starting out, the OM-108 offers immediate musical results without the need for piano skills or reading notation.

What Makes the OM-108 Unique in the Omnichord Family

A real analogue circuit brings back the iconic Omni 1 and Omni 2 voices, deliberately modelled after the classic OM-84 of 1984. While the other voices use PCM, these two remain the heart of the signature sound. Drum pad mode now appears on both chord buttons and strumplate, and it's the only Omnichord to ship with a Hip Hop (trap) rhythm alongside Rock, Slow Rock, Country, Swing, Disco, Funk, Bossa Nova, and Waltz. Players can even switch the rhythm voicing back to the OM-84 drum kit through a special power-on operation.

Tones, Chords, and Playing Surface

At the core of the experience is the strumplate, fitted with a wide-type sensor for sensitive response across four octaves—even to the lightest touch. All controls, from chord selection to rhythm, are intuitively laid out on the front panel, encouraging spontaneous playing instead of deep menu navigation.

• Strumplate Voices: Omni 1, Omni 2, Harp, Celeste, Acoustic Piano, Guitar, FM Piano, Organ, Vibes, Banjo — Omni 1/2 are analogue, the rest PCM
• Chord selection is made easy with 38 soft-touch buttons, supporting all 108 chord types including sus4 and add9.
• Strumplate Range: Four octaves

Performance Controls and Real-Time Expression

Live performance is enhanced by Real Time Control, allowing users to alter chord behaviour, add bass, or trigger a drum prelude mid-song. A set of rotary knobs gives instant access to master volume, chord volume, main/sub voice, sustain, rhythm volume, and tempo—no need to interrupt the performance flow.

• Layer Function: Main Voice and Sub Voice are blendable via independent knobs
• Melody can be played on a 20-key keyboard with octave shift—monophonic for Omni 1, polyphonic for other voices.
• Rhythm Patterns: Rock 1, Rock 2, Slow Rock, Country, Swing, Disco, Hip Hop, Funk, Bossa Nova, Waltz

Connectivity, Power, and Portability

From studio to stage or a spontaneous street session, the OM-108 offers a 10 cm built-in speaker, MIDI OUT, mono line out, stereo mini headphone output, and a switchable speaker monitor. Power it with the included AC adapter or 8 AA batteries for up to 8 hours of play on the go.

• Outputs: MIDI OUT, Jack 6.3 mm, Headphone Jack 3.5 mm
• MIDI Interface: Yes
• Speaker Built-in: Yes (10 cm round, 4.3 W output)
• The device weighs 1.2 kg and measures 45.7 x 25.0 x 5.18 cm, making it easy to transport between sessions.
• Battery Powered: Yes (8 AA alkaline or Ni-MH)
• Arpeggiator: Yes
• Package Content: Manual

The Omnichord Legacy: From 1981 to OM-108

Suzuki introduced the first Omnichord in 1981 as a portable accompaniment instrument with chord buttons and a harp-style strumplate. Later models—OM-36 and OM-84 in 1984, OM-100 and OM-200M in 1989, OM-150 and OM-250M in 1993, and OM-300 in 1996—refined the approach, with the OM-84 becoming the tone reference. After the OM-300, production stopped, but its unique electronic sound and tactile design found a cult following worldwide, appearing in albums and music videos. Four decades later, Suzuki answered demand with the OM-108, blending vintage analogue tone with new features like MIDI, drum pad mode, and a broader chord library.