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At the 2025 NAMM Show, Rhodes Music announced the MIDI MK8, a powerful MIDI system for its MK8 electromechanical piano.

The fully integrated, touchless solution expands the capabilities of the iconic instrument, letting you use it to control MIDI instruments, and even to add expression with polyphonic aftertouch.

“After two years of painstaking research and development, we’re proud to present a first-in-class MIDI system that seamlessly integrates with the Rhodes MK8 piano,” said Dan Goldman, Product Manager at Rhodes. “We’ve gone to great lengths to ensure we deliver a fully optimized, noise-free solution that enhances the Rhodes experience while preserving the piano’s signature touch and feel.”

At the core of the MIDI MK8 is Rhodes’ proprietary MIDI sensing technology, which ensures zero interference with the feel of the MK8’s Steinway-designed Kluge keybed. This system transforms the MK8 into a MIDI controller, without changing the instrument’s touch and playability.

This means that you can use the MIDI MK8 to control other hardware synths and virtual instruments, whether layering the Rhodes sound with a synth pad or using the MK8’s onboard effect knobs to adjust settings of a hardware synth.

The MIDI MK8 also features polyphonic aftertouch, which lets you shape dynamics, modulation, and other parameters independently for each note.

“This is our own system, developed in-house in collaboration with industry experts and fully integrated with our piano,” Goldman added. “Just like the MK8’s effects, it’s optimized for the Rhodes by Rhodes, preserving the signature experience while offering unmatched versatility for musicians. With the inclusion of advanced features like high-resolution polyphonic aftertouch, the MIDI MK8 represents a major leap forward in MIDI technology.”

Here’s a live performance demo, featuring Dan Goldman on the MK8 & Errol Rollins on drums:

Features:

• Proprietary MIDI Sensing Technology: Ensures zero interference with the Steinway-designed Kluge keybed, preserving the touch and feel of the MK8.
• High-Resolution Polyphonic Aftertouch: Allows independent control over each note’s dynamics and modulation for nuanced, expressive performances.
• Channel Aftertouch Support: Offers global pressure modulation for all notes being played.
• Dynamic Key Monitoring: Continuous, high-resolution tracking of key positions ensures precise control and expression.
• Onboard Effects Control: Enables MIDI implementation of over 30 MK8 parameters, including preamp and effects settings, for integration with DAWs and MIDI hardware.
• Damper Pedal Integration: Features an optical damper pedal sensor with multiple sustain modes for enhanced playability.
• USB MIDI In/Out: For integration with modern hardware and software setups.
• DIN MIDI Out: Provides compatibility with traditional MIDI devices.
• Noise-Free Design: Fully isolated electronics eliminate noise, ground loops, and interference when connecting to multiple devices in studio or live settings.
• Firmware Expandability: Capabilities are extendable through firmware updates, ensuring adaptability to future advancements.

Note: While the MK8, as an electromechanical piano, cannot generate sound from incoming MIDI data, it can receive MIDI information to control its onboard parameters. For instance, you can program automation data in a DAW — such as adjusting effects like chorus or delay — and send it to the MK8, allowing its effects to shift dynamically in real time during a performance.

The MIDI MK8 is available now as a factory-installed option for the Rhodes MK8 piano, with an introductory pricing of $1,295 / £995 / €1,195 through April 1st, 2025. The regular price is $1,695  / £1,295  / €1,495 . An update option for existing MK8 owners is expected to be available later this year.

At the 2025 NAMM Show, held Jan 21–25 in Anaheim, CA, Korg has introduced the handytraxx line of portable turntables.

The Handy Trax, originally created by Vestax, redefined portable turntables by giving users the freedom to play and scratch records anywhere. Beloved by DJs and vinyl enthusiasts alike, it helped spark the rise of “portablism”.

Now, Korg has introduced an updated take, with the handytraxx. Developed in collaboration with Toshihide Nakama, former President of Vestax and co-creator of the Handy Trax, the handytraxx play retains the essence of the original while introducing several new features. These include digital effects, a built-in looper, and high-quality controls that make it possible to physically “play” with records on the go.

Korg introduced four versions of the handytraxx. Here’s the official intro to the base model, the handytraxx play:

The handtraxx play features a portable design, three built-in effects, looping, scratching support and more.

The handytraxx tube has a similar design, but with a focus on listening to records, instead of performing with them.

Here’s what they have to say about it:

“Each component has been meticulously crafted to prioritise sound quality, including an aluminium die-cast platter* for precise and stable rotation, a balanced tone arm featuring an MM cartridge, and a phono amp powered by Korg’s innovative Nutube next-generation vacuum tube.

Unlike the average turntable, the handytraxx tube maximises sound quality with the warmth of a triode vacuum tube and incorporates unique features, while remaining remarkably compact.”

Next up is the handytraxx 1bit, which is designed for playing records and archiving them as digital audio files.

Here’s what they have to say about it:

“The handytraxx 1bit is the flagship model in the handytraxx series, offering state-of-the-art recording capabilities. Capture the essence of your vinyl in stunning 5.6 MHz, 1-bit (DSD) format, delivering 5.6 million samples per second for unparalleled sound quality.

Whether you’re digitizing a priceless vinyl library or enjoying casual playback, the handytraxx 1bit is the perfect solution for every vinyl enthusiast.”

Finally, Korg introduced the handytraxx tube J, created in collaboration with JICO, a manufacturer of high-quality analog audio styli and cartridges.

Here’s what they have to say about it:

“The cartridge and styli are the heart of any turntable, and even modest systems can achieve significantly improved sound with high-quality components. To meet the challenge of delivering exceptional sound quality in a portable, all-in-one player, the handytraxx tube J incorporates the precision-engineered Clipper cartridge, ensuring a listening experience that is rich, detailed, and true to the original recording.”

The Korg handytraxx turntables are available now to pre-order, with the following pricing:

• Korg handytraxx play – $399.99
• Korg handytraxx tube – $799.99
• Korg handytraxx 1bit – $999.99
• Korg handytraxx tube J – $1,199.99

At the 2025 NAMM Show, large format synth maker Synthesizers.com has a booth, where they are showcasing a large Studio System modular synthesizer.

This is the first time that Synthesizers.com has had a presence at NAMM. The company’s founder, Roger Arrick, started in 1999, with the goal of reviving Moog format modulars, and one of his strategies for keeping his modules relatively affordable was to sell direct and avoid advertising.

Caleb Duke & Mike Graham of Synthesizers.com

Arrick retired from the company a few years ago, and since then, the company has been trying new approaches to raising awareness of their systems. This has included expanding their Youtube presence, partnering to distribute their synths in some brick and mortar synth shops and, now, presenting at NAMM for the first time.

Their booth is featuring a customized Studio-110 rig, above, with one of their modular CV/Gate/MIDI control keyboards.

The company offers pre-configured 22-, 44-, 66-, 88-, and 110-space systems in Walnut cabinets, but many owners build completely custom system, using modules from a wide range of manufacturers.

In addition to the traditional Walnut Studio Systems, they offer rack-mount options, traditional Moog-style portable cabinets and modern compact cabinets.

While the Synthesizers.com system looks like a Moog modular, the modules are original designs, with the main exception being their 960 sequencer system, which is a full-size clone of the classic Moog step sequencer.

When Arrick started the company, he methodically reviewed what was good and bad about classic Moog systems, and he tried to update Moog’s standard, keeping the large-format usability and feel of Moog’s systems, but modernizing everything else. This included updating the power system, using 10V peak-to-peak signals to reduce noise levels, standardizing panel sizes to ensure complete modularity, minimizing module depth to allow modules to be mounted in shallow cases, and standardizing gate/trigger signals, so that all signals are passed using the same cables and jacks.

The ‘dotcom’ update of the Moog format has become a standard that’s now supported by dozens of manufacturers, second only to the Eurorack format.

Here’s a video from the show floor, via Sonic State:

Synthesizers.com systems are available now, starting around $2,000 for a compact modular rig and topping out around $21,500 for a 110-space monster synth like the one that they’re showcasing at NAMM. Individual modules are also available.