littleBits Korg Synth Kit gets MIDI, CV and USB I/O modules

LittleBits and Korg have unveiled three new modules for their Synth Kit. Specifically, these add MIDI, CV and USB I/O capabilities, giving you far more flexibility when it comes to integrating your DIY synth creations with the rest of your studio.

The Synth Kit landed in 2013, and a lot of fun it is too. You can learn a lot by snapping together its magnetic modules and creating your own instruments. With the new modules, though, the kit instantly becomes more practical.

Add in the MIDI module and you can control your Synth Kit from any MIDI-capable software or hardware, and you can also create your own littleBits MIDI controllers (littleBits control voltages can be converted to MIDI messages). The CV module, meanwhile, will enable the Synth Kit to play nice with CV-equipped analogue synths.

Finally, the USB I/O module enables you to send and receive digital audio and control voltages to and from a computer. So, you can record the Synth Kit's output without the need for an external audio interface, and audio can be sent from a computer to be processed by the Synth Kit (by the filter and delay modules, for example).

Expect to pay $40 for the MIDI module, $35 for the CV module and $35 for the USB I/O module. Find out more on the littleBits website.

Ben Rogerson

I’m the Deputy Editor of MusicRadar, having worked on the site since its launch in 2007. I previously spent eight years working on our sister magazine, Computer Music. I’ve been playing the piano, gigging in bands and failing to finish tracks at home for more than 30 years, 24 of which I’ve also spent writing about music and the ever-changing technology used to make it.