Nu:Tekt NTS-2 Oscilloscope Synthesizer Kit

I already have a Korg NTS-1 synth so I knew what to expect from the kit, but I didn't know how useful this would be when finished! It shows amusing progress from the NTS-1 in that it has USB-C but unlike that synth it also has battery power. There are four channels on two sockets, arranged as left and right - so for mono oscillators you will want a pair of breakout cables stereo to mono, similar to the one you'd need for CV on a volca:modular. There is no microphone so the tuner does need an audio source feeding to it. I haven't tried just using a dynamic mic yet, but will update when I do. The kit is easy to assemble, but like the NTS-1 the bit of snapping the PCBs makes me nervous. It takes very little time to put together and is ready to use as soon as you put batteries in. What's it being used for: I've been trying to tune my Behringer analogue synths by ear and the problem is what sounds appealing is "slight difference" so I could never quite get it right. This is annoying for me, my cat, and my neighbours, so the Korg NTS-2 is an instant hit - I tap into the right oscillator where I can, and they're usually free-running so I can look at the waveform, use the FFT to view the harmonics, and the tuner to tune. Can also observe noise/actual waveform shape and voltage levels, it's very versatile. If you tap into the audio post filter you can see the mixed and shaped waveform evolve and as you add saw/triangle/pulse and resonance it's fascinating to see the shapes that look so familiar from wavetable synths. Yes, I can do this in software, but the process of working with signal, not audio, visually is really reassuring. The ping, the clarity of getting all the oscillators in the right tune and /then/ adjusting intervals from a fixed reference transforms how I use the 2600 and also the confidence I have with tuning other synths by ear to the reference. The NTS-2 can also output LFO, audio frequency oscillator and a simple envelope. This is set on screen as a fixed value, it doesn't appear that you can "play" the NTS-2 over USB MIDI for example. Through ports mean it can be left wired in and the use of AAA batteries or USB-C power banks makes it very portable. CAD data is available for making rugged enclosures and stands, too. Probably the best little bit of studio tech I've bought in ages!

This is a really cool kit, which takes approx 15 minutes to assemble. Once complete, plug in up to 4 audio sources and adjust/study waveform parameters ad nauseum. Fun for all the family, bringing the principles of analogue subtractive synthesis to life. It would be great if Korg made a matching multimeter for calibrating oscillators.

Once upon a time oscilloscopes were the size of a car and cost as much. It fascinates me to no end that this little thing offers this kind of functionality at this price.

Oh dear. What a disappointment this unit is. All the hype on YouTube etc., how it comes with a nifty little stand and a 'free' booklet. None included, just 4 little rubber feet, the obligatory usb lead and av3.4mn stereo jack cable. Simple enough to assemble, but unable to sync horizontal movement with my synths. Very poor by todays standards. Had the aforementioned stand and book been included, the maybe a 3-4 star product, but as a standalone unit, very poor. Additionally, the display and buttons freeze, and the only way to unfreeze is to disconnect the power, and/or remove the batteries. I'm seriously considering sending this back to Amazon for refund. Contacted Korg for tech support. That failed to get back to me, so decided to go for a replacement. Now, that's better. Im not going mad after all. The replacement arrived, and I assembled it in exactly the same way as I did previously. This is now perfect indicating that the first on was faulty. Marks. 0/10 for their lack of good manners in failing to contact me. But 10/10 to Amazon customer services.

Waste of time, when assembled the tuner continually flashes erratically. On googling it I discovered that this is common fault that Korg are aware of....doesn't stop them selling them though

Es hat schon so seinen Charme das Gerät erst zusammenbauen zu müssen… Mir hat es zumindest gefallen und es passt auch alles wunderbar. Wer gerne die Wellenformen seiner Instrumente sehen möchte wird hier gut bedient. Ich nutze es für mein kleines Modularsystem und es lässt sich dafür kinderleicht bedienen . Den Preis finde ich zwar etwas happig, aber insgesamt ist es für Interessierte schon ein gutes, rundes Angebot.

ECCELLENTE !

Excellent. Parfait pour 'voir' les sons

I absolutely love this unit. Best oscilloscope at this price point.

I spent an inordinate amount of time carefully assembling this, only to find that after inserting the batteries, the screen didn't respond. I suspect the item is faulty since I received this with no packaging and with some damage to the box it came in.