Korg just officially unveiled the Phase8 synthesizer, after years of tinkering by a team led by legendary engineer Tatsuya Takahashi. This is a highly experimental synthesizer, but it’s not a concept unit. It’ll be available for purchase in April.
The Phase8 uses a new form of "acoustic synthesis" that combines acoustic sound generation with electronic control. Takahashi says the synthesizer is "beyond analog vs. digital" and "beyond electronics" altogether. It features chromatically tuned steel resonators, which creates an acoustic sound similar to that of a kalimba. These signals can be manipulated via onboard effects and sequenced like a traditional synthesizer. Here’s a video of the synth in action.
Players can mess with the resonators just like they would a guitar string or a piano key. Korg recommends that users physically touch, pluck, strum and tap the resonators to create new textures and tones. The company even suggests that people actually put objects on top of each resonator for additional experimentation. There’s a slider that boots or dampens the acoustic response.
As for the electronics, the Phase8 boasts dedicated envelopes and velocity control for each resonator and there’s a polymetric step sequencer. The sequences can be stored and recalled via eight memory slots. All controls can be automated across a sequence. There are a handful of modulation effects, including tremolo and pitch-shift.
It features modern connectivity options, including MIDI in/out via 3.5mm, USB MIDI, a standard ¼-inch audio out and a headphone jack, among other options. Preorders are open right now, but hold on to your jaw. This thing costs $1,150.