Korg Nu:Tekt

O
ver the past
decade, Korg have
proven themselves
to be the masters
of the mini synth.
First came the
Monotron, in
2010, and this was followed in
2013 by the Volca range, which
continues to grow in size.
The Nu:Tekt NTS-1 is more
Monotron than Volca – certainly in
appearance – but it’s also very much
its own instrument. For a start, you
have to build it yourself, and its
single monophonic digital oscillator
is capable of loading custom
oscillators that have been developed
for Korg’s Prologue and Minilogue XD
synths. This feature alone should be
enough to pique your interest.
Other features include a
multimode fi lter, envelope generator,
three LFOs, three stereo effect
processors and an arpeggiator, and
there’s the obligatory built-in speaker
(plus a headphone socket for audio
output). Note input is via a ribbon
keyboard, but MIDI In means that
you can hook up a keyboard
controller, and there’s also an audio
in so that you can process external
sounds with the effects, which can
also be customised by loading
third-party offerings. Sync In/Out
sockets complete the connectivity.
Given its tiny size, it might
surprise you to learn the NTS-1 can’t
run on batteries; power is supplied
over USB. This can be drawn from a
power bank, though, so the synth’s
portability isn’t compromised.
Getting going
If the idea of having to build the
NTS-1 fi lls with you with terror, allow
us to set your mind at rest. There’s
no soldering involved – it’s basically
just a case of screwing the thing
together (you even get a mini
screwdriver in the box). You might
feel a touch of apprehension as you
snap the bits of the chassis apart
(they come supplied as one board),
but it’s nothing to have nightmares
about. You should be done in well
under an hour.
Once you’re up and running, the
NTS-1’s many joys will quickly start
to reveal themselves to users.
Despite having just three knobs, the
synth feels pretty tweakable, and it’s
surprisingly fl exible. With sawtooth,
triangle, square and VPM oscillator
options, you can cover a fair amount
oscillators and effects (the
companion librarian software should
be available by the time you read
this), the NTS-1 feels like a bit of a
steal. With mini synths such as this,
there’s always a danger that the
novelty will wear off and the
instrument will end up in the back of
a cupboard before too long, but the
Nu:Tekt has enough about it to retain
a permanent place in your studio.
of sonic ground here, and there are
low-, band- and high-pass fi lter
types. Notably, the envelope
generator has a loop option, which
enables some nice glitching action,
and with juicy modulation, delay and
reverb effects, the scope for sound
design is considerable. The
arpeggiator doesn’t disappoint,
either, offering various scale types
and running modes.
A mini cinch?
Because of its size, the NTS-1 does
have some limitations. The ribbon
keyboard is fi ne for triggering the
arpeggiator (which can be latched,
by the way), but not so great for
actually playing anything (you’ll be
making use of that MIDI Input), and
many features have to be accessed
by holding down a button and
turning a knob, so you’ll need the
manual to hand for a while at least.
When you consider the price,
though, and the ease with which it
can be customised with new
THE PROS & CONS
+
A ‘DIY’ synth that’s
easy to build
Surprisingly fl exible
and expandable with
custom oscillators
and effects
Excellent effects
that can be used
to process
external sounds
-
Not the sturdiest of
synths, and the
ribbon keyboard isn’t
great to play
You’ll need to
consult the manual
to learn how to use
certain features
FM VERDICT
9.1
Easy to build and fun to
program, the NTS-1’s
fl exibility and expandability
make it a mini synth to be
reckoned with
proven themselves
to be the masters
of the mini synth.
First came the
Monotron, in
2010, and this was followed in
2013 by the Volca range, which
The Nu:Tekt NTS-1 is more
Monotron than Volca – certainly in
appearance – but it’s also very much
its own instrument. For a start, you
have to build it yourself, and its
single monophonic digital oscillator
is capable of loading custom
oscillators that have been developed
oscillators that have been developed
for Korg’s Prologue and Minilogue XD
synths. This feature alone should be
enough to pique your interest.
multimode fi lter, envelope generator,
three LFOs, three stereo effect
processors and an arpeggiator, and
decade, Korg have
proven themselves
proven themselves
to be the masters
of the mini synth.
First came the
Despite having just three
knobs, the synth feels
pretty tweakable, and it’s
surprisingly fl exible
Korg Nu:Tekt NTS-1 | Reviews
101
FMU351.rev_korg.indd 101 29/10/2019 14:06