phase8 goodies
Korg’s phase8 instrument had a prominent role at this year’s Superbooth, with units now in players’ hands. The phase8 showcased some special reveals and previews:
- Bass resonators were added to extend the low-frequency response of the instrument.
- A phase8 app created by Iarla Scaife (Berlin) and Keisuke Nohara (Tokyo), available for browsers with MIDI support, offers a visual editor for patterns, MIDI option configuration, preset management, and more. It runs on an iPad but will be accessible via other platforms.
- 3D-printed “acoustic effects” — colloquially referred to as “acoustic DSP” — were created by Hadrien Costrejean, an intern from Paris. These physical effects are planned for public release, along with the accompanying Web app.
The acoustic effects are impressive and open up new timbral possibilities. I look forward to diving deeper into this in a future article. The physical effects will be released publicly alongside the Web app.
Bex Burch collaborated on a special album with Korg, featuring a customized phase8 played by herself and her collaborators. A live performance was showcased at brunch after the show.
The weekend following the main event saw Korg hosting a session for children at their “minibooth,” where they created a DIY edition of the phase8.
NTS-4 mixer
The NTS family introduced a new addition — a cleverly designed compact mixer. This looks like something I would use, offering multi-effects onboard and quick stereo mixing capabilities. It also features USB-C connectivity, making it ideal for both desktop and live set environments.
Designed for easy assembly as a no-solder, no-specialized-tools kit, more details on this will be provided once we can get hands-on with the device.
Sinevibes meets Korg
Sinevibes has been bringing the possibilities of Korg’s development kit to life. For the microKORG2, up to 128 plug-ins can be installed at once, with four running simultaneously.
Artemiy demonstrated new updates for Sinevibes’ line, including Droplet v2 for prologue, minilogue xd, NTS-1, NTS-1 mkII, NTS-3, and microKORG2. The update to Droplet v2 sounds lush.
I plan to test on the NTS-3 (the Kaoss Pad), which has the performance controls I need for live sets.
And more
More images by Artemiy, including me playing phase8 and his effects, as well as a collaboration with Atmos Tokyo (retailer) and Supreme on a translucent handytraxx record player. Custom speakers designed by Amsterdam-based KIKUNO were also showcased.
I want to extend my gratitude to Rachel Aiello for setting up the live sets, Tatsuya Takahashi and Samantha Melnyk for their work on phase8, and other colleagues who have contributed across the present and past team. They’ve all been instrumental in making this instrument a reality.
Enjoy your lemonade and experience the full range of offerings!
Key Takeaways
- Korg showcased phase8 with new features like bass resonators, an iPad app for pattern creation, and 3D-printed acoustic effects.
- The NTS-4 mixer is a compact yet powerful device designed for easy assembly as a no-solder kit, suitable for both desktop use and live performances.
- Sinevibes continues to expand its lineup of plug-ins for Korg devices, with updates like Droplet v2 for various instruments including the microKORG2.
Originally published at cdm.link. Curated by AI Maestro.
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