KORG Phase8 Eight-Voice Acoustic Haptic Synthesizer

The KORG Phase8 is an eight-voice acoustic synthesizer that trades oscillators for physical vibration. Each of its eight independent voices is electromechanical, built around a vibrating steel resonator paired with electronic control. KORG describes the sound as living beyond the analog-versus-digital question — alive, responsive to physical touch, and shaped by acoustic feedback. It is aimed at players and sound designers who want an instrument that reacts to being handled, not just programmed, and who value texture and physicality over the polish of a purely digital voice.

The heart of the system is its resonator set. Thirteen chromatically tuned steel resonators are included, and any eight can be installed at a time, letting you assemble your own scale and tone before retuning or swapping them as a piece evolves. Envelope control stretches each voice from short percussive hits to long sustained notes. Beyond the knobs, you can touch, pluck, strum, or tap the resonators directly or introduce found objects for new textures, while the dedicated AIR slider adjusts the acoustic response of anything that makes contact.

For composition and integration, a polymetric sequencer handles both step programming and unquantized live recording, with per-voice step skip and eight onboard memory slots. Tremolo, pitch-dependent modulation, tempo-synced trigger delay, and full parameter automation keep patterns moving. Connectivity is broad: MIDI TRS-A, USB-MIDI, and Sync I/O for tempo and note sync, CV input at plus or minus 5V for modular gear, plus quarter-inch line out and 3.5mm headphone out for studio or stage.