The Omnichord is an electronic musical instrument introduced in 1981 by the Suzuki Musical Instrument Corporation. It typically features a touch plate known as "Sonic Strings", preset rhythms, auto-bass line functionality, and buttons for major, minor, and 7th chords. The most basic method of playing the instrument is to press the chord buttons and swipe the Sonic Strings with a finger in imitation of strumming a stringed instrument. The Sonic Strings may also be touched in one place to create a single note. Originally designed as an electronic Autoharp, the Omnichord has become popular, due to its unique, chiming, harplike timbre and its value as a kitsch object. History Suzuki introduced the Omnichord along with the Tronichord, renamed the Portachord on some units, in 1981. The latter never reached full production, but both instrument share many technical and functional similarities. Omnichords feature preset rhythm patterns with tempo and volume control, as well as an auto-bass line feature, which the player can combine to use as a musical accompaniment. The Omnichord's most unique feature is the Sonic Strings strumplate, that allows the player to 'strum' arpeggios like a guitar. Several later models of the Omnichord added MIDI compatibility, a greater selection of sounds for the Sonic Strings, vibrato, and chord memory, called Chord Computer. The OM27 was the first Omnichord model, released in 1981. It was capable of playing 27 chords, and early models required a rubber plectrum to play, though later models featured an updated strum plate. The OM27 was a commercial failure, so Suzuki released the OM36 and OM84 in 1984, also called the System One and System Two, respectively. The naming convention was originally meant to convey the number of chord types the model can produce, with OM36 prototypes only being able to play 36 chords, however the OM36 and OM84 production models can both play 84 chord types. The OM84 was the first model to feature an onboard Chord Computer, a feature that allowed the user to record a sequence of chords which could be played back as accompaniment. In 1989, Suzuki release the OM100 and OM200M, which replaced the OM36 and OM84, adding updated sounds, an angled strumplate for more comfortable playing, and an optional strap for standing performances. The OM200M additionally introduced a MIDI output port, allowing the user to control other MIDI-equipped devices using the Omnichord. The OM150 and OM250M offered refreshed sounds, and