Korg Nautilus AT brings aftertouch to the high-end workstation keyboard
Korg Nautilus released in 2020, does a good job of packing the power of the Korg Kronos keyboard into a streamlined package. Now we have an enhanced version of the Nautilus workstation line-up to consider – Nautilus AT – which offers players a new avenue of expression via the inclusion of aftertouch.
Nautilus AT comes in 61- and 88-note configurations (unlike in the standard Nautilus range, there’s no 73-note model) and offers a tuned sound library that adds aftertouch-controlled effects to existing programs. Korg says that, in combination with the ‘initial’ touch and Dynamics knob, the aftertouch support unlocks the full potential of Nautilus’s nine sound engines and other production and performance features.
The 88-note Nautilus AT has a weighted RH3 keyboard that promises a piano-like feel, while the 61-note model plumps for a synth action keyboard that’s said to be light and responsive. Existing Nautilus owners are being offered the option of having their keyboard upgraded to include the aftertouch support.
The Nautilus 61AT costs $2,199.99/£2,075 and the Nautilus 88AT costs $2,899.99/£2,750 and are expected to be available in Sept 2023. Upgrades for the 61- and 88-note models cost £429 and £599 respectively. There’s no upgrade for the 73-note Nautilus.
Sinevibes has released four new effect plugins for Korg Prologue, Minilogue XD and NTS-1 synths: Hollow, Isomer, Luminance and Vibrant.
Hollow is billed as a ‘space reverb’. It features a feedback delay network comprising up to 64 connections and promises a “lush, almost three-dimensional sound.” Tail times can reach 120 seconds with all settings maxed out, and there’s unison-style modulation via three phase-shifted sine oscillators.
Isomer is an ensemble delay. There are two main stereo delays that feed into four additional ones – these have their own individual feedback lines and can have their times modulated by four separate LFO signals.
Luminance is another reverb, this time of the ‘shimmer’ variety. Its tail gradually pitchshifts itself upwards or downwards, and the plugin is based on a feedback delay network which incorporates a granular pitch shifter and chorus-style time modulation. Luminance follows the musical content you feed it, so you can use it to create a background sound layer of string- or organ-style ambience.
Lastly, Vibrant, a classic analogue-style phaser that connects six two-pole all-pass filters in series and has a global feedback loop. This produces three deep notches in the incoming audio’s spectrum, and there’s a built-in triangle LFO that sweeps the centre frequency between 800 and 3200Hz (exactly two octaves)
Hollow, Isomer, Luminance and Vibrant cost $19 each, and are also available in a bundle of all 21 of Sinevibes’ Korg effects. This costs $229, which is 43% cheaper than the cost of buying them all separately.
Korg today introduced Gadget VR, a virtual reality application that they describe as ‘the DAW of the future’.
Korg Gadget VR promises ‘a future music production studio in VR space’. It’s based on KORG Gadget, a software virtual studio that’s been available for years on multiple platforms, including iOS, Mac and Nintendo Switch.
With Gadget VR, you can control music ‘gadgets’ that are arranged in 360°, as if they were surrounding you. To use it, you need is a compatible VR headset, which currently is limited to Meta Quest 2 / Pro.
Korg Gadget VR currently offers a scaled-down version of the original Gadget, with a selection of ‘gadgets’ redesigned for VR.
The company notes:
“We have carefully selected six gadget instruments from KORG Gadget. In order to make them more like physical instruments, the design used in the other versions has been expanded so that all of the knobs and sliders are displayed on the panels. The sophisticated parameter structure remains unchanged, allowing for the speedy creation of all kinds of sounds. You can enjoy not only immediate sounds, but also realistic visuals with attention to detail at the same time.”
The gadgets include:
London – a drum sound module Gadget designed specifically for dance music.
Miami – a Monophonic Wobble Synthesizer, designed for creating modern electronic bass sounds.
Kiev – a software synth that features vector synthesis, using four oscillators that generate organic, spacey sounds.
Chiang Mai – a polyphonic synthesizer Gadget that features VPM (Variable Phase Modulation) synthesis.
Kingston – this polyphonic synthesizer Gadget is optimized for 8-bit or “chip tune” sounds.
Warszawa – this synthesizer features a wavetable oscillator with a powerful filter and two modulation units,.
