Korg NanoKey Studio

KORG nanoKEY Studio Wireless and USB MIDI controller with 2-octave keyboard, 8 knobs, X/Y touch pad and numerous keys

NanoKey Studio represents the evolution in Korg's series of nano MIDI controllers dedicated to music production and live performance, thanks to a wealth of controls, USB and wireless connectivity, and a new LED backlighting of the keys that assists the user in performances or studio composition by indicating the notes included in the musical scale set. Korg nanoKey Studio gathers in just 278x160mm a transposable 2-octave mini keyboard, an X/Y touch pad, 8 velocity-sensitive multifunction pads and as many rotary potentiometers all individually configurable into 8 different scenes that can be recalled on the fly during performances. A complete control tool that serves as a physical extension for your music applications, DAW software and virtual instruments. NanoKey Studio is compatible with macOS, Windows operating systems, and iOS devices. Connection to a computer, iPad, or iPhone is via the traditional USB cable provided, or wirelessly as it is compatible with Apple's Bluetooth Low Energy MIDI communication protocol specification. The 25 keys of the keyboard are velocity-sensitive and have a special backlighting that employs white LEDs, which taking advantage of the Scale Guide function will show us the notes within the scale we set. Another function that will be very useful to those unfamiliar with the 7 notes is the Easy Scale function, by activating which we can perform musically correct melodies by pressing any key on the keyboard. The 8 pads, which are also velocity-sensitive and backlit by white LEDs, in addition to the classic trigger function (sending MIDI note messages) take on different functions depending on the operating mode set: pressing Scene will allow us to load one of the configurations that can be saved directly into the product's internal memory, while activating the Chord Pad function with the button of the same name will transmit MIDI chords harmonically related to the selected scale. The X/Y touch pad allows you to transmit two separate MIDI Control Change messages (Kaoss Pad style), or to originate real melodies (Kaossilator style) by transmitting MIDI note messages by simply moving your fingers over its surface. Even in the latter case, the setting of a scale will make it possible to avoid out of tune in the generated parts, and thanks to a built-in arpeggiator, it will be possible to play extreme melodic/rhythmic parts in tune with immediacy. The 8 rotary potentiometers, fully configurable in the dedicated software editor (like all the other controls in the product), put the parameters of plug-in virtual instruments, or those of your DAW software mixer, at your fingertips.

Bluetooth Wireless Compatibility

Korg nanoKey Studio adopts Apple's Bluetooth Low Energy MIDI protocol for wireless transmission of MIDI data, which requires an Apple computer with MacOSX 10.10 Yosemite (or later) operating system installed that is equipped with a Bluetooth chip from version 4.0 onward: MacBook (Early 2015), MacBook Air (Mid 2011), MacBook Pro (Mid 2012), Mac mini (Mid 2011), iMac (Late 2012), or Mac Pro (Late 2013). Use of the KorgnanoKey Studio wirelessly with iPads, iPhones, and iPod Touch requires iOS 8 (or later releases) installed on the following devices: iPhone 6, 6 Plus, 6s, 6s Plus, iPhone 5s, iPhone 5c, iPhone 5, iPhone 4S, iPad Pro, iPad Air 2, iPad Air, 3rd and 4th generation iPads, iPad mini, iPad mini 2, 3, and 4, 5th and 6th generation iPod touch. Prerequisites for PC computer users are the presence of the Bluetooth chip (4.0 or later), a Windows operating system from version 8.1 onward, and installation of the dedicated KORG BLE-MIDI drivers. When operating wirelessly, for power supply purposes it is necessary to insert two AA batteries into the compartment in the product, for a usage time of about 10 hours.

USB compatibility

Use via USB of Korg nanoKey Studio enanoKONTROL Studio MIDI controllers with PC and Apple computers requires Microsoft Windows 7 SP1 (32-bit/64-bit), 8, 10 and macOS 10.8, 10.9 Mavericks, or newer operating systems. With iPhones and iPads, the Apple Lightning to USB Camera Adapter is required (NOT INCLUDED: available from Apple retailers). On older models with a 30pin connector, however, the Apple USB/Camera Connection Kit (NOT INCLUDED: available from Apple retailers) is required. IOS devices must have iOS8 or later versions installed on them. Once connected to a USB port, the controllers will power themselves directly from that port.

IOS SOFTWARE AND APP EQUIPMENT*

In addition to theKORG KONTROL Editor software (downloadable directly from the Korg.com website) with which you can configure the product's scenes in detail, thus going on to assign the desired MIDI messages to be transmitted through each of the physical controls in the NanoKey Studio, in the product package you will find a postcard to proceed to download a variety of music software in demo or LE versions. Refer to the website for downloads and more information:

Software and App Equipment List*:

Korg nanoKey Studio Features:

* Eko Music Group is NOT responsible for technical and/or commercial support of the software or music apps provided free of charge with the distributed hardware product. For further information you must consult the website directly and contact the software manufacturers with whom you will directly sign a contract during download and/or during installation.

IMPORTANT:Korg NanoKey Studio is a USB MIDI Controller, thus a product that transmits MIDI protocol messages useful for controlling and/or playing software, for Windows and MacOS, and MIDI-compatible iOS applications. It does not have sounds and it is NOT possible to load sounds into it as it acts only as a controller. Audio generated by music software or apps in the iOS environment played through the nanoKey Studio will be played from the built-in audio outputs and/or speakers, or from the audio outputs present in any dedicated audio interface (NOT included).