Published
Thu, May 16, 2024, 11:20
- Acoustic Synthesis_Phase8 is being shown at this week's Superbooth show in Germany.
Korg Berlin has a new concept in the works.
After showing its "Phase 5" at last year's Superbooth trade event in Berlin, Korg will this year demonstrate an updated prototype, the Acoustic Synthesis_Phase8.
Phase8 is part melodic synthesizer, part drum machine. It features eight independent electromechanical voices plus a sequencer with polyrhythmic shifting, wave-shaping possibilities and an envelope generator.
Acoustic Synthesis is Korg Berlin's take on an old technology used to create sound in electric pianos. It employs physically vibrating metal forks to produce tones. The forks are tuned and manipulated using magnetic coils, and then modulated using a bank of controls.
"Our efforts merge the physical world with electronics to make instruments that act and feel alive," said Korg Berlin. "Think the strings of a guitar, keys of a xylophone or the air in a flute, embedded into electronic synthesis."
Five prototypes have been built and will be shown this weekend at Superbooth, an annual trade show for electronic instrument manufacturers. Korg Berlin says it hopes to have a commercial product based on the technology within the next 12 months.
The Berlin team was set up a few years ago as a research and development offshoot of the Japanese company. It's run by Korg's former chief engineer, Tatsuya Takahashi, and aims to explore new approaches to sound design and synthesis.