Korg NTS-1

Great little synth and effects unit

I needed some effects in my setup and I had heard about the NTS-1 through YouTube, suffice it to say it's a really nice little unit for effects, on the synth side of things it's a nifty little mono synth. Being able to find more effects and synth engines online is a huge plus. Changing different parameters isn't too bad but not great either, twisting tiny knobs while holding tiny tactile switches can be a pain. Still I 100% recommend this one if you need a little multi-effects box.

Box of Wonders

- I'm a guitarist and this was my first synth.

- I'm always looking for low budget stuff with great value.

- I have a MIDI keyboard to control the NTS-1.

This synth was a revelation. It was also my introduction to synths in general. At the time of review It's 6+ months since I bought it.

You can get a wide range of different sounds. I don't think of monophonic as a downside.

This box has a very good and versatile Arpeggiator - you can set number of notes, scale in which it plays, type of note change UP,Down,Cont,Random etc. You can really get great lines just by using the arpeggiator.

This box has a very good effects processor. Oh my ... this is a whole different story altogether. There are separate MOD, Delay and Reverb modules and you can run all 3 together. The effects are really good and usable, some combinations sound great together. Like Chorus + Space reverb = instant blade runner :). I would like to mention the "riser" reverb which makes this box capable of making ambient pads and continuous noises - it's not easy to do but work with it - ensemble mod + riser reverb + arpegiattor + VCO cutoff and resonance really low.

The effects can also be used by another device! Just plug another synth in the NTS-1 input and add NTS-1 effects to your other synth. The great thing about this is that you can still play NTS-1 even if you have another synth patched through. So the NTS-1 can process effects for another synth and also adds the same effects to its own notes and you can still play its keyboard (or play it with a MIDI controller). This makes it a companion synth and FX box for any instrument - even guitar!.

And this pairs exceptionally well with Volca Bass.

Downsides. Well for me there are no downsides. There are compromises.

Compromises:

- There is a limited amount of knobs so every control shares a knob with other controls. I learned the controls pretty fast and I would say the combinations are intuitive. When you set one control with the knob and change to another control the knob remains in the same spot so the other control will jump to the value that the knob is physically set to. This means you will change the value of the control each time you switch back to it. This also means that you won't be able to have the controls at the exact place you had them before and every setting you make will be unique. This leads to the next point..

- Settings can't be saved.

- The display is small. Once you get used to it it's enough. It only has 3 (or 4?) characters. It would be nice if every control would have a number from 1-100 displayed when you turn the knob. This way you could write down the exact position for all settings.

- The volume knob is a joke. It's just a small wheel on the side and I think it's linear. You can only set volume roughly. It's hard to balance volume. If you have another synth plugged into it this small wheel becomes your main volume.

- There is some noise always present

The knobs are good and work well.

The keyboard is ok but it's hard to hit the right key and be consistent at it. Sometimes you don't press well enough and it doesn't engage. I use a pencil with a rubber eraser to press the keys. I recommend a MIDI controller. You will need a 3.5 trs to MIDI cable and it has to be Type A cable. Look up on youtube for connection instructions.

Everything works after 6 months and I use it a lot. I don't carry it around and I have it on a board together with other mini synths.

I recommend using a power bank to power it. Make a board with the NTS-1 and a power bank. I also have a mini stereo mixer with 4 inputs and a Volca Bass and Volca Sample. This setup rocks.

small and powerful

Great and relatively open source thingy. Also the stock synth engines and effects are really great. Specially the reverbs can put to shame most of nice, expensive boutique reverb pedals and we are only speaking about the default ones.

With midi implementation and midi controller and custom enclosure, this thing is part of my gigs for the last two years. Best bang for the buck.

Nice box of tricks

A great collection of useful functions in a small box and at a nice price, but ... that's all. You soon outgrow it and want more, but a cool starter toy for a low price. Recommended for small home studios and modular synth users.

Korg nts-1 is superb value for money

For 100 euro you cannot find a better synth and effectsunit. Only the reverb is worth the money. I have some minor issues with the unit. It has some noise issues but that is easily fixed with a ground loop isolator in the audio in and out. That you can’t save presets in the unit is another issue. Only system settings can be saved. Also i don’t like the knobs on this unit but that is also easily fixed with some chroma caps. You can also install third party plugins free and paid on the korg nts-1. A no brainer in my opinion.

Awesome! this little gadget can do it all

I can spend hours tweaking it to get the right sound

Fun little item

The NTS-1 is a fun project synth that is very satisfying to use, given the right expectations. The standout feature is the capacity to add effects and oscillators from the "Logue SDK" library. These obviously won't be as sophisticated or sonically rich on the NTS-1 as they are on a larger Korg synth. But for the price it's fantastic. It works equally well as a sound module or effects box; even includes an arpeggiator!

Small and powerfull

Although size is like Korg Monotron it has much more features from bigger models, waveforms, great filter, 3 LFO-s, effects.

It comes in kit, so it takes 30 minutes do complete assembly, but it is very easy to do it.

With external MIDI controller or sequencer it becomes serious device.

For MIDI input uses Type A mini connector, details on correct pinout

can be checked here:

all details needed for custom modifications and tweaking.

Great sounds for home

Great bit of kit for a home studio - would be worried if I had to take it on the road as it could get damaged easily. Also switches itself off it not tweaked for a while.

USB noise

Generally nice device and very light. One big disadvantage for myself is that if connected to USB from my laptop PC it creates annoying noise, therefore requires external power bank for recording.