Korg nanoKontrol Series 2
Korg’s original nanoSeries kickstarted the
super-compact MIDI controller concept in
late 2008, and competitors Akai responded with
their slimline LPD8 and LPK25 units. Korg now
return ire with the nanoSeries 2, which
comprises three units. All are USB-powered
class-compliant MIDI devices, meaning that you
just plug them in and of you go – no need for
drivers or external power supplies. A sleeker and
more rounded-out design makes the devices
easier on the eye and in-keeping with the current
trend for softer aesthetics.
Key to improvement
The big disappointment of the original
nanoSeries was the nanoKey keyboard, which
was let down severely by poor-feeling keys and
a suboptimal layout. The 25 laptop keyboard-
style keys are still here, complete with their
uniform size/spacing, but their feel has been
considerably improved. As before, the action is
really light, and it takes a little getting used to if
you’re accustomed to playing on a traditional
keyboard. One big problem with the original
nanoKey was that the velocity response varied
Korg
The second generation of these diminutive MIDI controllers
arrives, but is it evolution or revolution this time around?
wildly if you didn’t hit each key dead-centre, but
there’s none of that with the new version, and
it’s a lot more playable for it. The keys don’t
‘stick’ against the edge of the casing, either.
Overall, it feels way better.
The controls are much the same as before,
but note that the old nanoKey’s CC Mode –
which let you use keys to send CCs – has been
ditched. There are backlit buttons for octave
switching, with the colour indicating the current
octave. The unit features a sustain button (this is
new), while the modulation and pitchbend up/
down buttons work in momentary fashion, eg,
ramping the pitch up while you hold the button
down. The mod and sustain keys on the original
model were lush to the lowest key of the
keyboard, leading to accidental triggering if you
weren’t careful, but a few millimetres of plastic
casing now separate them, which helps.
“Fans of the irst series
might be annoyed that
certain features have
been ditched to make
way for new ones”
Korg
nanoKey nanoPad nanoKontrol
86 / / July 2011
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