🤔Which Playtronica do I have?
Five Playtronica devices exist. This page helps you tell them apart and explains what each one does.
Playtronica makes five devices. They all turn something physical into MIDI, but each one senses something different. If you are holding a circuit board and you are not sure which device it is, start here.
⚠️ All five devices share the same safety rule. Handle only the contacts shown in the device's own guide. Touching solder joints, exposed chips, or the underside of the PCB can damage the device permanently, even when the device is unplugged.
TouchMe — touch instrument
👐 TouchMe — complete guide · deep dive
- What it senses: skin conductivity between two gold pads. Touch both pads with bare skin and notes play.
- What it looks like: a small, flat PCB with rounded gold pads on the edges. About the size of a credit card.
- In the box: TouchMe and a USB cable.
- Best for: workshops, parties, demos, and anyone who wants the fastest first sound. Two people holding the device is the most common shared moment in the line-up.
Playtron — clip-anything instrument
🍉 Playtron — complete guide · deep dive
- What it senses: conductivity through 16 alligator clips. Clip the wires to fruit, water, foil, or skin — touch the object to play.
- What it looks like: a longer PCB with 16 metal pins along the edge for alligator clips, plus a gold ground pin in the corner.
- In the box: Playtron, a USB cable, and alligator-clip cables.
- Best for: musicians, makers, and installation artists. Up to 16 objects map to 16 notes.
Biotron — plant instrument
🌿 Biotron — your plant as a MIDI instrument · Biotron Advanced
- What it senses: bio-electrical signals from a living plant, plus an ambient light sensor on Channel 2. The plant plays itself; light changes shape the result.
- What it looks like: a black PCB with two cable connectors for leaf-pad probes and a small light sensor on top.
- In the box: Biotron and two leaf-pad probes on cables. (A USB cable is not included.)
- Best for: sound artists, therapists, and anyone who likes that plants are quietly alive. Generative music without any input from you.
Orbita — rotating MIDI sequencer
🌀 Orbita — rotating MIDI sequencer · deep dive
- What it senses: nothing. Orbita is self-playing. A motor rotates a pattern around a ring of "steps" and emits MIDI notes as it goes.
- What it looks like: round, with a central rotary encoder and side buttons. Visibly mechanical.
- In the box: Orbita, a USB cable, and coloured magnets.
- Best for: DAW-heavy producers, live performers, and installation artists who want a hands-free pattern generator.
⚠️ Orbita does not make sound on its own. It sends MIDI to a synth or DAW. You need a sound source connected.
Scales — weight-to-MIDI instrument
⚖️ Scales — the weight-to-MIDI instrument
- What it senses: weight on a load cell. Heavier objects play higher pitches. The maximum load is 3 kg.
- What it looks like: a flat plate with three buttons and five LEDs along the side. The plate is the instrument.
- In the box: Scales. (A USB cable is not included.)
- Best for: anyone curious about gestural music, children, installation work, and sound designers. Five modes turn the same gesture into a chord, an arpeggio, a tempo, or a tuning pad.
Side-by-side comparison
| Device | What it senses | Plays itself? | Needs grounding? |
|---|---|---|---|
| TouchMe | Skin conductivity | No | No |
| Playtron | Conductivity of any clipped object | No | Yes (gold ground pin) |
| Biotron | Plant bio-signals and light | Yes (the plant does it) | No |
| Orbita | Nothing — it is a sequencer | Yes | No |
| Scales | Weight on a load cell | No | No |
Still not sure?
Email support@playtronica.com with the subject Which device do I have? and a photo of what you have. We reply within 1 business day with the right setup link.
Ask the community
🤝 Other Playtronica users have probably hit this before. The Playtronica Friends Facebook group has 4,400 members and is the fastest source of creative and technical help. Search the group's history first (use the magnifying glass at the top — try
playtron mobile no sound,all leds lit,touchme biotron no sound,koala sampler midi, or whatever fits your problem). If your question is not already answered, post a new one with a[Device]prefix in the title. See the community page for what to ask there and what to email instead.
Still stuck
Email support@playtronica.com. We aim for 24 hours, but a reply may take up to 3 business days.