Korg is quietly expanding its Nu:Tekt range with the piece it was missing: a mixer. The NTS-4 is a compact six-channel analogue performance mixer, featuring two digital effects engines, a USB-C audio interface and a MIDI output, all supplied as a solder-free kit for €219. On paper, it is the missing link in the brand’s desktop ecosystem; in practice, it is above all a clever answer to a problem familiar to anyone who plays live with several boxes.
The mixer that was missing from the volca ecosystem
For years, the world of desktop synths, grooveboxes and volcas has been growing without any mixer really designed for it. People make do with tiny general-purpose desks, stack a mixer, an interface and an effects pedal, and juggle with cables in a jumble of formats. The NTS-4 tackles that exact issue: six channels in total, split into two mono inputs and four stereo inputs, all on 3.5 mm mini-jacks — exactly the output format of volcas, NTS-1s, Pocket Operators and most compact hardware. You can feed up to ten signals into a single configuration.
Each channel strip provides its own level control, a mute button, a cue for headphone pre-listening and an effect send. A detail that matters for modular users: the two mono inputs offer a switchable attenuator between line level and modular level, allowing you to plug an eurorack output straight in without overdriving the input stage. The main output, meanwhile, finally uses 6.35 mm jacks — ready to connect to a proper monitoring system or PA without makeshift adaptors.
Two effects stages, inherited from the NTS-1 / NTS-3 platform
This is where the NTS-4 goes beyond a simple summing box. It carries two independent stereo effects engines, organised in two complementary ways. The first is a per-channel effects send (Send FX) offering delays, reverbs and chorus, with per-channel send amounts. The second is a master stage (Total FX) that processes the entire mix: filters, flanger, phaser, decimator, drive, distortion, compressor and limiter.
Most importantly, these effects are based on the same programmable platform as the NTS-1 and NTS-3 Kaoss. In other words, the NTS-4 is not a toy with fixed algorithms: in theory, the library of effects developed around Korg’s in-house development kit is usable here as well. Anyone who has already loaded third-party oscillators or effects onto an NTS-1 will immediately see the appeal — the device is open, and its sonic palette can grow far beyond what the current spec sheet suggests.
| Nu:Tekt model | Role | Core |
|---|---|---|
| NTS-1 | Synthesiser | Open synthesis engine (custom oscillators) |
| NTS-3 | Kaoss multi-effects | Four simultaneous effects controlled via X/Y pad |
| NTS-4 | Performance mixer | 6 analogue channels + Send FX + Total FX + audio interface |
The coherence of the range is obvious: a synth, a gestural effects box, and now the mixer that lets them talk to each other. Each fits in the palm of your hand and shares the same connectivity language.
Audio interface and clock: the NTS-4 also talks to your DAW
The USB-C port is not just for power. It carries 24-bit audio in both directions to a computer or mobile device, turning the NTS-4 into a fully fledged audio interface — you record your hardware setup directly, without an additional sound card. On top of that, it handles USB-MIDI and provides a MIDI output on TRS mini-jack, invaluable for syncing your external gear to your workstation’s clock. The unit can run on USB-C bus power alone, or from an external mains adaptor if you prefer.
Assembly, finally, stays true to the Nu:Tekt spirit: no soldering. The PCB comes pre-assembled; all you have to do is fit it into the steel chassis. Expect a few minutes’ work, a screwdriver, and the quiet satisfaction of having “built” your own machine.
My take
I have spent enough years in control rooms and in studio technical management to be wary of devices that claim to do everything. Here, the promise is more honest: the NTS-4 does not replace a console, it solves a real point of friction. The small electronic live rig — two grooveboxes, a synth, a module — has always suffered from the lack of a clean summing point, in the right format, with usable effects and no computer. At €219, with an audio interface and MIDI clock thrown in, Korg ticks those boxes without any bluster. I will remain cautious on one point: the sound quality of the analogue stage and the real-world comfort of the mini-faders can only be judged in hand, not from a spec sheet. But the open effects architecture, inherited from the NTS-1, is what really sets this mixer apart from yet another entry-level product — and it is exactly the kind of intelligent design that deserves attention.
In the same desktop spirit, this NTS-4 will naturally sit nicely next to a groovebox such as the Teenage Engineering EP-133 K.O. II or a desktop effect like the Erica Synths Razornator. Those looking instead for a mixing surface for the studio should turn to the Softube Console 1 Compact, which plays in a very different league and at a very different price.
Price and availability
The Korg NTS-4 is available now at a price of €219 (£190 / $209), supplied as a kit for self-assembly. The official product page can be found on the Korg website.
