Promising the power of its Kronos keyboard in a more streamlined package, Nautilus is a new synth workstation from Korg that’s designed for performers, songwriters and producers.
Nautilus is available in 61-, 73- and 88-note configurations, and comes with more than 2,200 sounds, some of which are entirely new. All nine of Kronos’s engines are featured, and there are enhanced SGX-2 Grand Piano and HD-1 High Definition PCM synthesizer engines.
Other features include sampling, HD audio recording and effects processing, and there’s a 7-inch touchscreen - complete with gesture support - so that you can keep track of what’s going on. Real-time controllers include a four-way joystick, vector joystick, ribbon control, a dedicated dynamics knob and customizable buttons.
There are three ‘pillars’ to the Nautilus soundset. The Standard sounds cover the classics - acoustic and electric pianos, orchestral instruments, guitars and bass guitars, for example - while the Current sounds make use of the modelling synthesis and PCM engines to give you contemporary synth, drum and effect patches.
Then there are the Unique sounds - the likes of phrase loops that follow tempo, esoteric pianos and found percussion.
Speaking of pianos, Korg says that Nautilus has more types than any other keyboard product. You get the Grand and Upright varieties from the Kronos and Grandstage, plus the EX piano libraries and a new piano.
Each Nautilus program can contain a two-part split/layer and a drum track, and there’s also a 16-part Combination Mode. Polyphony is 240 notes, with Korg’s Dynamic Polyphony Allocation and Smooth Sound Transition technologies promising uninterrupted performance and sound switching. A dual polyphonic arpeggiator and customisable Setlist mode are here, too.
As far as processing goes, you get 16 effects and 32 EQs, with a dozen inserts. You can record across 16 MIDI tracks and 16 audio tracks, and there’s a built-in SSD drive.
The 88-note Nautilus includes Korg’s RH3 hammer-action keyboard, while the 73- and 61-key keyboards offer a ‘Natural Touch’ semi-weighted synthesizer action.
You can expect all three Nautilus models to be released early in 2021, with prices set at $2,700/£2,549 for the 88-note model, $2,400/£2,199 for the 73-note model and $2,000/£1,949 for the 61-note version.
Find out more on the Korg website.
