Phase8, Korg’s ‘acoustic synth’, is finally confirmed for release, and it looks and sounds awesome

(Image credit: Korg)

Superbooth 25: Korg has been teasing an ‘acoustic synthesis’ product for a couple of years now. We first got wind of it at Superbooth 23, and a further prototype was shown at the corresponding event in 2024. Now, though, we finally have the promise of an actual product: Phase8.

This truly is a synthesizer with a difference, as its eight independent voices are electromechanical. Sounds are created using replaceable and tunable metal resonators - these can be sequenced and tweaked using envelopes, waveshaping and audio modulation.

The result is an instrument that’s simultaneously melodic and percussive. It comes out of Korg’s Berlin office, which is headed up by Tatsuya "Tats" Takahashi, the brains behind the company’s hugely popular Volca series and several other products.

We’re looking forward to playing the Phase8 at Superbooth 25. The only release information we have so far is a rough date - some time in the first quarter of 2026 - so we’ll also try and get a rough idea of price.

A post shared by KORG berlin (@korg_berlin)
A photo posted by on

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.