Released in 2008, Korg’s original NanoKey MIDI keyboard spawned a slew of imitations. A low-profile, super-portable 25-note controller, it sold, we suspect, by the bucketload.
How do you disrupt the mini MIDI keyboard market again, though? Korg’s answer is the NanoKey Fold, a new 25-noter that, as its name suggests, can be folded up to make it even smaller. In fact, we're told that it's designed to be "as mobile as your smartphone".
Taking design cues from the new wave of foldable phones, the NanoKey Fold genuinely can be transported in your pocket, ready to be unfurled whenever you need it. What’s more, the silent membrane keybed is said to be silent, so you won’t annoy your fellow passengers if you whip it out on a train or plane. You can adjust the velocity settings of the keyboard to suit your playing style.
The NanoKey Fold might be small, but Korg has still managed to pack in quite a few of the features that you’d hope to see on a full-sized contemporary keyboard. These include Scale and Chord modes - always useful for non-players - and an arpeggiator. There are no pitch and mod wheels, obviously, but you do get a pair of touch sliders in their place.
What’s more, although there are only 25 keys, you still have the option to split the keyboard and have each side operating independently, so you can play two parts at once.
The NanoKey Fold has both USB-C and TRS-MIDI outputs, and comes supplied with a TRS-to-MIDI DIN adapter. There’s no Bluetooth connectivity - a cost-saving measure, perhaps? - but the keyboard can be bus-powered over USB.
Of course, convenience is one thing: the other question is how well the NanoKey Fold actually plays. We’re not expecting it to feel like a grand piano, but we hope that it’ll at least be suitable for playing simple chords, basslines, beats and melodies.
The NanoKey Fold costs £110/€129 and is available in orange, green, beige, black or white. You can find out more and get your order in via the Korg website.
