NAMM 2026: The Korg Phase8 is a hybrid kalimba with digital controls

Korg really killed it with their electronic music production gear at NAMM 2026. They announced the release of a new, full-size Kaoss Pad, but that wasn’t the only interesting electronic music production tool they rolled out. 

Created by Tatsuya Takahashi, the inventor of Korg’s renowned Volca and Minilogue synths comes the Phase8. Labeled as an “acoustic synthesizer”, it’s basically a synthesizer and electric kalimba, an African instrument also called a “thumb piano”. It combines the sound of this unique ethnic instrument with electronic controls that modulate and sequence like a synthesizer.

A different kind of sound engine

The sound engine is based around eight tuned steel resonators that are stimulated via electromagnetism to produce sound. Each resonator can be controlled tactically too through plucking or strumming, items can even be placed on the instrument itself to change the timbre of the resonators.

There are multiple modulation modes, trigger delay, and full parameter automation over a sequence with the record button. It has external connectivity through MIDI, USB-MIDI, and CV to manipulate the parameters of the control knobs. 

Digital kalimba controls

It’s a bit of a mindfreak at first, but play with it for a little while and you’ll find there are some very original sounds and textures on tap. A number of knobs control envelope and velocity, as well as single control knobs over depth and rate.

The onboard polymetric rhythm sequencer supports unquantized live tracking and step programming. Each voice has step skip for polymetric sequencing.

All of the sounds you can conjure with Korg’s Phase8 are beyond esoteric, but that’s the point.

Learn more about the Korg Phase 8.