Yes. We will ship to any country. Manuals and screen content are only in English at this time but we look forward to needing to create versions in multiple languages. International Pipes shipments will originate in California and may be subject to Customs examination in the destination country. Your packages may be subject to the customs fees and import duties of the country to which you have your order shipped. These charges are always the recipient's responsibility. For information on Customs regulations in your country please contact your local postal service or customs agent commonly found in your local phone book or via an online search.

Pipes is designed to be used by musicians of any skill level, Beginners will find it easy to pull up presets and start playing. More experienced users will enjoy digging deep into instrument design and customizations.

No. In order to keep the price point low and deliver the reliability we promised, we have always planned on Pipes using an external power supply.

No! Pipes' power supply handles 100-240V and we will include the proper connector for your territory at no extra charge!

You can. There's a lot you can do from the touchscreen interface and rotary encoder. But, to experience Pipes' full potential while playing or performing, you will most likely want to connect your USB or MIDI controller of choice.

Keyboards, synthesizers, drum triggers, drum pads/electronic kits, wind controllers, stringed instrument controllers. If it's a MIDI controller with a USB MIDI or 5-pin MIDI connection, then go for it. We strongly encourage powering your USB device (or using a powered USB hub) if you are using a large USB MIDI controller.

No. You will need headphones (1/4" stereo) or an external amplifier and speakers...or any way you prefer hearing stereo sound.

Please view our warranty in detail: https://synesthesiacorp.com/warranty

Not soon at all. We spent years developing Pipes to make sure that our hardware can do everything we have planned for years to come. Unlike smartphones which users tend to update every one or two years, we believe an instrument should last a lifetime and we've made every effort to deliver that. Eventually, technology will change enough that we would likely release another hardware version, but we believe that is several years away at a minimum.

No! Never. All owners of Pipes will have free access to all firmware and software updates released by Pipes for life.However, Pipes Content is not always free. While we may release some free content, new custom sample libraries or apps (whether made by us or third parties) will be made available for sale in our community section. Much like the way the app store on a smartphone works.

Yes, additional instruments and sample sets will be made available for download directly into your Pipes device. You can also add in your own library if they are in any of the popular sample file formats (WAV, AIF, EXS, NKI, SFZ AND GIG)

The only difference between the 32GB Pipes and the 128GB Pipes is the amount of onboard storage for your files. In order to enjoy our super fast audio engine, the files must be located in Pipes' internal storage. Of course you can connect external drives and move files back and forth, you just can't play back from external devices. So if your sample files are huge (like complex instrument sample libraries that can take up gigabytes of space) or if you just have an extensive library you want to keep onboard then you might opt for the 128GB model.

Pipes can power basic/simple MIDI controllers and USB sticks. We strongly encourage powering your USB device (or using a powered USB hub) if you are using a large USB MIDI controller.

We've created special conditioner Tweakers that when loaded, map your device's controllers to functions within Pipes. We will launch with many of the most popular devices and continue to add more. It's a fast easy process and you can continue to customize from there. Pipes also offers MIDI-Learn capability.

Yes! This means you have the most evolved version of MIDI control available allowing you to use devices made to take advantage of MPE, for example, Roli's Seaboard which allows you to do things like bend just one note in a chord. That would not be possible via standard MIDI.

When we sample a real instrument like our Black Beauty snare, we understand that a live drummer would never hit a snare in the exact same place with the exact same velocity and feel. So, for each velocity level of our MDA instrument files we layer in several different samples which trigger in succession. This helps deliver an authentic performance and eliminates the "machine gun effect" common in many sample playback situations. To visualize this, check out a quick demo featuring our Mandala Drum in a shootout with a real Black Beauty and a competitor's drum pad: https://youtu.be/dSa1fNyxJbw

Pipes has (3) built-in USB ports.Adding one or more powered USB hubs will allow you to connect to as many USB MIDI controllers as you'd like, up to 128. Plug into the same Pipes device with your friends, and each grab a Pipe!

One 5-pin MIDI device using the onboard MIDI-In port, or as many as you like using 5-pin MIDI mergers or USB to MIDI interfaces. Plug into the same Pipes device with your friends, and each grab a Pipe!

Both! There are 2 computers in Pipes. The audio engine is a proprietary device which is a closed system. The computer that powers the interface, handles MIDI input, and supports customization is a Raspberry Pi running Linux.

No. The Pipes GUI (graphical user interface) can be pulled up on any computer or device on the same WiFi network as Pipes. This means you can control and program Pipes without being near it. Also, both Bluetooth and USB input devices like keyboards or a mouse can be connected.

Pipes is not designed for user upgrades and you would void the warranty if you did.

Yes! And that's always recommended. Via WiFi or an external USB stick or drive, you can back up all your presets, sample libraries and any custom Tweakers and Effects

WAV, AIF, MDA, EXS, NKI, SFZ, GIG are all supported and converted into Pipes native MDA file format within the Pipes unit.

Yes, if they ship with Pipes (or via a later update) or if they are open source and not rights managed. If you purchased a sample library from someone other than Pipes, then there is an extremely high probablity that your terms of use prohibit sharing with others. Please make sure you are certain that there are no rights issues before sharing anything.

Pipes is what we call the device and the sample playback function/app and any other functions/apps that run within the Pipes Achitecture. Eventually we plan to create additional apps, and there's also the potential for 3rd party apps.

We plan on offering a standalone Pipes emulator plug-in so you can program and use Pipes' functionality in popular DAWs, then if you choose, connect your Pipes unit and dump all your sounds and settings to take on the road! At first, this will ONLY be available to people who own a Pipes device.

Pipes custom Tweakers are written in Pure Data. You can modify existing ones or build your own if you choose. Behind-the-scenes UI functionality including MIDI routing is also handled by Pure Data and users are welcome to modify at will! However, we will not guide your mods. While creating these mods, should you hit a wall or brick your device, you can always just reinstall the factory firmware. Also, we will be releasing the full audio engine OSC command list so you can trigger the audio engine and control its effects any way you'd like from the Pi using Pure Data, Python, etc. No Pipes factory UI required.

We will be launching an online community as part of our website which will allow Pipes people to share sample libraries, custom presets, custom Tweakers and effects and more. Eventually we plan to allow third parties to create custom Pipes content including apps and upgrade the community to a marketplace where users can buy and sell custom apps and content.

Yes. All Pipes owners have access for life.

Yes, but it would be so much more fun if you owned your own Pipes!

We're designing the community to be a third-party marketplace where users can buy and sell content. That means users will set the prices when that option is available.

Pipes will ship with a power supply in addition to the Pipes device. If you are outside of the United States or Canada, you will receive the correct power supply for your territory. When we send the shipping survey you will confirm your desired power supply.