Nu:Tekt NTS-1 MkII Digital Synth Kit

Imagine snapping together a pocket-sized powerhouse in under 10 minutes, no soldering required, and instantly diving into a world of digital synthesis that's as playful as it is profound.

This upgraded DIY kit packs a single digital oscillator—drawn from Korg's prologue lineage—with support for custom logueSDK creations, paired to a versatile multimode filter offering lowpass, highpass, bandpass slopes at 12dB or 24dB per octave. Three LFOs, a single envelope generator, and paraphonic voicing via the new 18-key multitouch keyboard let you play chords and send polyphonic MIDI out over TRS or USB, while an 8-step sequencer with live/step recording, per-note velocity, and arpeggiator add rhythmic depth. Controls include XY pad, FX depth touch strip, tap tempo, and knobs for real-time tweaks, all on a super-compact 129 x 78 x 39 mm frame weighing just 122g, with stereo audio I/O, headphone out, sync I/O, USB-C power, and audio input for FM/AM/ring mod experiments. Effects abound: hall/plate reverbs, BPM-synced delays, chorus/phaser/flanger, plus clipping, fuzz, and sine folding for grit.

Owners love its intuitive build and endless tweakability, with the multitouch keys earning praise for expressive play despite the small size—though some wish for battery power on the go. It's a fresh entry in Korg's Nu:Tekt line, bridging beginner hacks to pro effects processing.