We never anticipated the post on our site of the Orion Galaxy would spread across the net like a California wildfire. We didn't send it out as a press release (apart from the playful SE User's Group blast and faux movie poster) and contacted no one to review or post it.  Technically, it's not a "new" product, but what a beauty!  To those who have given it such kind praise and infused informed word-slinging, thank you.  It is sextacularly cool, to tap some heat...

In an attempt to put an end to speculation on Orion origins and perhaps enlighten a few, on to the O.G. backstory:

 

We didn't hear from him for a while, but when he showed us the initial concept, we were floored by the design, which proved quite durable, and differs little from the fully realized "Orion Galaxy."  My brother Marc and I worked together closely (read agonized) over the next 8 months perfecting every last aspect of the front panel design (and Antoine's desires): retro typography, the careful but rhythmic consideration of the text abbreviations, the size, placement and shape of the black elements (Marc drained far too many midnight hours of their blood in Macromedia Freehand), and hand-tooled positioning of the expressive blue-eyed L.E.D.s; files going back and forth between the two camps.

Then came Antoine's Space Case: the Eero Saarinen-esque glass-topped piece of absolute cool. Aside from providing some advice on the L.E.D lighting of the glass, this defining aspect; this "re-skinning" (like that) is organic unadulterated Antoine de Castellane, a.k.a. Antoine Argentieres.  Man, dude was not faking...

The Orion's logo bears one of Antoine's pseudonyms, "NEAT ADOLESCENT ALIEN"  which he's using for his new upcoming project. The synthesizer stationed inside the Orion is the Omega 8; the brilliant CODE version (SE demo), designed in partnership with our great friend Tony Grau and beast designer Eric Olsen at Nova Musik.  As you've likely read, a 2001 inspired sound bank rounds out the sound design corners.

After all the tweaking and perfecting we managed to turn Antoine's art into reality––hand wiring the 50 added leds  was a real treat. The way these leds interact with incoming midi signal is a visual feast. 

The simplicity of the black on white, reminiscent of Yamaha's legendary GX-1, and later E Series Electone organs my twin brother used to command in our parent's downtown San Francisco Yamaha Music Store predates the i-everything, yet the "i-synth" moniker compliment, found on one comments page, is flattering nonetheless.  Thanks!  Now if only we could call upon those monstrous EX-42 rotating speakers that used to shake the windows and C7 strings in the store!

9 thousand (as in HAL) our way can bring the Strauss, the "Space Odyssey chic" (like that too) Orion Galaxy illumination your way ($8995.00 to be exact).

We're launch ready when you are.  Vaporware be dam@#$.

It was a joy to bring the Orion Galaxy / Omega 8 CODE fusion to completion... kudos to all.

[Editorial commentary from MSR:

From the couldn't resist category: The blithely misinformed and far too familiar (St. Regis brothers indeed!)––you don't know us like
that yo––writer at http://futuremusic.com/blog/?p=3096 remarks about reliability (and "Apple Store" drivel: see above) are laughable.
We have always provided a full year parts and labor warranty.  That would be impossible to maintain if his "some would say" assertions
were accurate.  3 fully pimped CODE 8 ODs have been on the road with THE SMASHING PUMPKINS since May '07 and we have yet to
hear a word from them!  Timbaland, HELLO?  We all know SE-1/SE-1Xs and ATC-1/ATC-Xs are rock solid and ubiquitous in Hiphop and
R&B orbits.  Plenty of SE product 'round the globe (in all genres) performing dependably year after year: that's the straight scoop Mac.

The portion of the SE shop in El Segundo dedicated to repair is negligible.

My 16yr old you Brooke Shields look-a-like daughter––iPod installed––is rolling her eyes lovely brown eyes at you.

Best to keep the straw men away from the wind...  MSR]

p.s.  Tim Caswell is not a merely a "boutique amp designer", but rather Studio Electronics' co-founder and head hardware and software designer; responsible for the entire S.E. product line.


Best,
MSR, GSR, ADC

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ANALOGIA INC.
530 West Palm Ave. El Segundo, California 90245
Phone: 310.640.3546
Fax: 310.640.3516
email: modmax@...
Web: http://www.studioelectronics.com