Japanese multinational Korg is known for its musical instruments and recording equipment. It is now testing new waters with a collective of turntables that you and I can shy from, but musicians and creators would find difficult to neglect. Not necessarily noteworthy for their appearance, which is reminiscent of Vestax’s Handy Trax portable turntables, the new turntables from Korg are meant to simplify scratching for DJs, while the company’s Nutube vacuum tube integration in a separate model will give audiophiles a reason to tune in.
Korg announced the release of its three new portable turntables: Handytraxx Play for DJs, the premium Handytraxx Tube for awesome sound quality, and the flagship Handytraxx 1bit for digitalizing vinyl at the NAMM Show 2025. The global music and entertainment event was lit up by tunes from Korg’s turntables designed to give users the freedom to play or scratch records anywhere. Let’s delve a little deeper into what that is!
Designer: Korg
The Handytraxx Play is the entry-level turntable developed especially for DJs in the collection collaboration with Toshihide Nakama: former Vestax President and co-creator of the Handy Trax. Nakama passed away during the development of the Play in 2023, but the OG design ethics remain the basis of this model filled with Korg’s audio tech and incredible digital processing. The portable player runs on an AC adapter or six AA batteries, offering DJs the flexibility to take their music anywhere.
This is made possible with a built-in looper for live looping; low-pass and high-pass filters for a smooth transition; EQ filter with a low isolator; custom-designed tonearm to minimum needle skipping; and belt-driven motor for rotation correct, which together ensure, a casual player can play records on the go or a hardcore DJ can conduct reliable performance during events demanding scratch play. Korg has built-in Handytraxx Play with a 2.5W speaker so you can have nonstop parties even if external speakers are not connected.
The concept of record players is reviving in the surmounting consumption of audio on smartphones through earbuds; the $800 Handytraxx Tube steps up to embrace the trend and give serious music aficionados a reason to rethink their choice. Designed to bring enthusiasts closer to the timeless allure of analog records, the Handytraxx Tube with its portable battery-operated design, built-in stereo speakers, and Korg’s Nutube vacuum tube-powered phono amp offers unmatched warm sound.
The flagship model in the Handytraxx series from Korg is the Handytraxx 1bit which offers vinyl recording capability in amazing 5.6 MHz, 1-bit (DSD) format. This best-captured vinyl essence is delivered in 5.6 million samples per second, which is way above other competing formats, so the sound quality is unmatched. Whether you’re planning on digitalizing your vinyl collection for better, or want a turntable for casual playback, the 1bit is right there for an asking price of $1200. Korg hasn’t made an official date when these turntables will be released. But going by the anticipation, we are guessing summer release.
