KORG berlin is previewing the final design of the phase8 at Superbooth 2025, being held May 8-10 at the FEZ-Berlin.
phase8 is an eight-voice electro-acoustic instrument, with envelope control, sequencing, waveshaping and audio modulation. It synthesizes sound using eight independent electro-mechanical voices, where the sound is generated using electronically controlled metal resonators.
The company previewed the instrument at Superbooth 2023 and Superbooth 2024. Now, they’re showing the phase8 synthesizer in its final form.
Here’s what Korg shared about the new phase8:
“Ever since the beginning of KORG berlin we’ve been experimenting with ways of making sound by hitting objects. Hitting things to make sound is such a primitive act and when done right, it can be the most expressive form of performance. Look at all the amazing musical instruments across millennia that have perfected this art.
We dreamed of making such an instrument, but in the familiar format of a synthesizer and we’ve cracked it. The result is an instrument that feels, acts and sounds alive, as well as being a box full of fun knobs to twiddle.
The demo units shown at Superbooth this year are made using tooling samples. If you’re not familiar with tooling, it’s basically the molds that you need to manufacture the product many times repeatedly—think cookie cutters for making many cookies. Tooling is a big step towards gearing up to production, but there’s a whole bunch of other stuff like software, electronics, procurement, production engineering, quality assurance, certification etc. etc. before we can start series production reliably.”
Here’s a sneak preview:
Korg also shared a video looking at the development of the phase8:
Pricing and Availability:
Korg expects for the phase8 to be available starting in Q1 of 2026, priced under 1000 Euro.
this thing is definitely cool.
Is it really? For €1000?
It does little other than sound a bit like a Kalimba
How do you think that the envelope knobs will effect the timbre of each voice?
From what I’ve heard so far it can only make percussive sounds with a short or medium decay. I don’t think it can make pads or sounds with a soft attack. I could be wrong. It was at Superbooth last year too but it seemed like too much waiting to see or hear it so I moved on
there was a sustain mode where it can generate pads that was demoed last year.
percussive those’re exacatacaly the sounds i prefer. sustain would be only marginally useful to me.
Seems like it should come with adjustable tines and hammers, unless people want to compose using the same 8 pitches over and over.
that would be a good update; change the materials, and add dampers and other bits. mechanical synthesis have been pretty much ignored since the calliope.
That’s exactly what they were showing last year. Different shaped tines and different materials. I’m sure the videos from Superbooth 25 will be in soon
“…priced under 1000 Euro.” That is litte bit high. Unit is not big. Maybe price 250 euro would be ok. I need to check this weekend on superbooth.
Not impressed by the demo. On the contrary…
Jeez, how many years are they working on this thing now? It better cures cancer or something, for how long they are actually sinking their money into this.
Here’s an idea: Just take the modwave, wavestate and multipoly, combine it into one device and charge me 1500 bucks for it, which would be more than worth it, given the overlap.. These are the real hidden champions and criminally underrated in my oponion, especially modwave.
I mean, what have you made in the past 2 years? It better cure cancer or something.
Fuck man, they’re trying to create something different in one specific location of their giant corporation while still releasing other stuff like the multi/poly and the remade miniKORG. Does it make sense to bitch like you are?
most folks don’t realize an established company generally spends 3-5 years on product development. this bugger likely took a lot of prototyping and tooling to produce.
“we’ve been experimenting with ways of making sound by hitting objects”.
I hope this did not involve baseball bats and human heads, because it sure as hell seems like it…
Do we really need a $1000 synth that makes ‘plonk’ ?
“Here’s a sneak preview:” where?
ok, Synthanatomy has a better written article anyway.
I don’t ordinarily post here—but I think some of yall fundamentally misunderstand this instrument (which can be forgiven considering the somewhat bland announce video). The resonators themselves can be removed, swapped, replaced, etc — I’m sure some folks will even try to make their own given how accessible cnc and laser cutting machines are these days. You’re also supposed to play this like a prepared instrument. If you watch the demos on their website, I bet you will be surprised by the range of timbre. Voltage controlled physical resonators is a pretty novel idea. To my knowledge there has never been a commercially available acoustic synthesizer on offer before. I noticed a similarly curmudgeoy response to Madrona Sumu on this blog, which, again, was genuinely NEW and sounds amazing. I promise you most contemporary working musicians have no interest in most of the nostalgic remakes or “DAWless” consumerism on offer most of the time —but this is actually something new. Not sure I understand the vitriol
kickass, thanks for the textual detail! definitely getting this. real physcial modeling for jazz and orchestral work is my hope; WOOHOO!
I wonder if I can mic it up too?
I have watched the videos and I’ve seen the tines replaced. Besides a slight change in timbre and pitch there isn’t much else. You’re obviously limited by size and shape for the tines. Unless the had some kind vertical component to them. It makes plinky plonky sounds but not much else. I’d hardly call it a synthesizer. More of a mechanical instrument imho. The sequencer looks interesting
Its cool but its only like $299 cool.
man they’ve been working on this thing for years! and honestly it’s like a little automated kalimba with a pickup mic.
This would make a fantastic educational Fisher Price instrument for toddlers!