The Nu:Tekt NTS-1 MKII turns up as a kit. You build it yourself using the assembly instructions and USB cable Korg puts in the box, and what comes out the other end is a pocket digital synth ready to play, tweak and patch into whatever else you own.
Assembly comes first
This MKII version is a build-it-yourself project rather than a finished instrument, so set aside some bench time with the printed steps before expecting music out of it. Power then arrives over the supplied cable. No separate adaptor needed.
What generates the sound
A single oscillator feeds a multimode filter, with one envelope generator shaping the level. Three LFOs handle the wobble. That is a lot of movement for a box this size, and it means sweeps, tremors and slowly drifting textures come out of very few controls.
Effects built in
The modulation bank runs from chorus, ensemble, phaser and flanger through to soft and hard clipping, sine fold and fuzz, with reverb and delay waiting after it. A plain tone can end up politely thickened or thoroughly wrecked, all without leaving the unit. Choose carefully, because the harsher settings do not suit every track.
Playing and connecting
Notes come from a multitouch keyboard printed across the panel, not from moving keys. Output goes through one 3.5 mm mini jack, shared between headphones and line level. Current draw over USB stays at 500 mA or less.
Desk space and travel
Footprint is 129 x 78 x 39 mm, roughly a paperback. Weight is 122 g. Drop it in a bag next to a laptop and the synth travels with you, which is really the point of building something this small.
See it in action
Specifications
| Keyboard | Multitouch keyboard |
|---|---|
| Sound generator system | 1 oscillator, 1 multimode filter, 1 EG, 3 LFO |
| Effects | MOD (chorus, ensemble, phaser, flanger, soft clip, hard clip, sine fold, fuzz), reverb, delay |
| Input / output jacks | Headphone / audio out jack (3.5 mm stereo mini phone jack) |
| Power supply | USB bus powered |
| Current consumption | 500 mA or less |
| Dimensions (W x D x H) | 129 x 78 x 39 mm / 5.08 x 3.07 x 1.54 inches |
| Weight | 122 g / 4.30 oz |
| Included items | USB cable, assembly instructions |
Specifications from Korg. Appearance and specifications are subject to change without notice.
