Professional musicians and producers in search of a powerful music creation station with nuanced performance controls will appreciate Korg Nautilus AT, the flagship music workstation with an upgraded keyboard; now with aftertouch. The Nautilus AT offers a vast palette of sounds, integrated editing, detailed 7" TouchView display with gesture support, 16-track sequencer, 16-track audio recorder, and extensive sampling capabilities. With the upgraded keyboard, the sound engine and content library have been updated and expertly fine-tuned to provide exciting aftertouch-controlled effects to existing programs plus new content.
The Nautilus AT includes Essential and Future sound sets for a total of 3000 programs and combinations. The instrument features nine distinct sound engines, with each engine dedicated to authentically reproducing its respective instrument type, including detailed pianos, vintage keyboard sounds, tone-wheel organs, ethnic instruments, plucked instruments, analog synthesizers, and more.
The sequencer can access any combination of sound engines and imported samples, and the 16-track audio recorder can be used for recording vocals, other instruments, and more. The sound architecture offers a two-part split along with a single drum track in a single program, which when combined with the 16-part combination mode, makes for a massive sound and sequencing power house. The Dynamic Polyphony Allocation and Smooth Sound Transition provides uninterrupted playing and sound switching.
The Nautilus is equipped with over 197 different effect types and can use up to 16 simultaneous effects and 32 simultaneous EQs for massive production power. You'll have plenty of hands-on control thanks to the streamlined TouchView interface and control panel with customizable mode buttons. The Nautilus delivers professional sound quality and capabilities in an affordable, streamlined performance synthesizer.
Top Features
- Nine Sound Engines—NAUTILUS features nine dedicated sound engines to reproduce sounds such as pianos, electric pianos, organs, and more. For example, the SGX-2 is a dedicated sound engine just for piano sounds
- Upgraded keyboard with aftertouch features an expertly tuned sound library that brings exciting aftertouch-controlled effects to the existing programs
- Color TouchView Display—A 7" touch-and-drag sensitive display allows more detailed control while using NAUTILUS Fun interactive instruments and panel graphics provide the ability to do everything from adjusting the lid of a grand piano to connecting a patch cable on a semimodular synthesizer model
- DYNAMICS Knob—You can instantly control the changes in volume and tone in response to how hard you play the keyboard on NAUTILUS, and you can customize this knob in real time to match the keyboard playing feel required for each style and song
- Set List—When performing live with NAUTILUS, Set List mode provides color-coded touchscreen buttons; each one can instantly call up the appropriate sound for a live performance
- Simplified and Intuitive Controls—The MODE button lets you see all modes on NAUTILUS on a single screen, from PROG and COMBI to the set list, sampling, sequence, and global modes. Quick Access buttons are also available and customizable to help you navigate NAUTILUS quickly and easily
- Record Ideas—NAUTILUS features a sequencer/recording section that offers both 16 MIDI tracks plus 16 audio tracks
Sound Engines
SGX-2 Premium Piano
- This sound generator lets you perform with the sounds of famed grand pianos such as the German piano, on which the ambient sounds can be freely modified; or the Italian grand piano, whose sound is growing rapidly in popularity over recent years. These pianos offer delicate expressiveness to capture every last nuance of the acoustic piano, with 12-step velocity-switched sound, string resonance, and more.
- With the damper pedal depressed, all of the piano strings are free to resonate. When any key is played on the piano, other strings that are pitch-related to the original key may begin to vibrate via sympathetic resonance. The SGX-2 accurately captures and recreates this sympathetic string resonance, adding an additional level of detail to the grand piano sound.
EP-1 MDS Electric Piano
- This dedicated electric piano sound generator realistically reproduces seven different famous electric piano sounds, with the addition of an earlier model featuring characteristic distortion. MDS (Multi-Dimensional Synthesis) technology eliminates transitions between velocity-switched samples and does away with the unnatural behavior of looped samples. Smoothly responding to the nuances of the player's touch, yet allowing your performance to reach an energetic climax, this modeled engine features an astounding dynamic range that exceeds what one might expect from digital sound generation.
- Each of the seven different models, different amps, cabinets, speakers, and standard vintage effects are realistically simulated. From the samples, to the touch, to the effects, all aspects affecting the sound are coordinated into a single package, making this the ultimate electric piano.
CX-3 Tonewheel Organ
The original KORG CX-3 combo organ went on sale in 1980. Loved by musicians around the world, this classic organ reappeared in 2000 as a new product with the same name but using the latest technology. In NAUTILUS, the CX-3 engine precisely models this classic tonewheel instrument. Proprietary KORG technology has been used to perfectly reproduce the vacuum-tube amp, and effects such as vibrato/chorus. Special attention was given to the rotary-speaker effect, which lets you choose from seven types, as well as use the NAUTILUS' joystick in the X-axis to control the speed. Even the instability, fold-back, leakage, and noise of the tonewheels have been obsessively analyzed and recreated. The organ sounds heard in legendary performances—some recreated here by the original artists—are now yours for the playing. Experience these classic organ sounds, reborn for the present day.
HD-1 High-Definition Synthesizer
HD stands for High Definition, indicating the HD-1's superior sound starting with KORG's proprietary low-aliasing sample playback oscillators, full-bandwidth multimode resonant filters, and extraordinarily fast and smooth envelopes and LFOs. The HD-1 is the most powerful PCM sound engine in KORG's history, into which KORG has poured all the PCM know-how accumulated since the M1. All of KORG's acclaimed PCM sounds are painstakingly created by specialized technicians. Data that was reluctantly omitted from previous models due to limited memory has now been called back into service on the NAUTILUS. The amount of waveform memory alone might rival a PC-based sound engine. Yet the real difference is in the completely different level of quality and finish that is obvious when you play these sounds as instruments on the NAUTILUS. The finest technicians, working on the finest platform, and aiming at the finest quality: that's the HD-1.
MS-20EX Legacy Analog Collection
Packed with cutting-edge technology, NAUTILUS nonetheless has respect for the classics. The KORG MS-20 first appeared in 1978 and quickly captivated many synth fans with its rich personality marked by thick and solid sound, aggressive filters, and patching capability that provided nearly infinite possibilities for creating sound. Using KORG's CMT (Component Modeling Technology) the MS-20EX faithfully reproduces the MS-20 while dramatically expanding its patch panel functionality. Modulate filters with audio-rate oscillators; turn audio inputs into control signals; control all of the original knobs with mod sources including additional envelopes, LFOs, and real-time controllers. It's a tweaker's dream. And of course, the NAUTILUS version is now majorly polyphonic.
PolysixEX Legacy Analog Collection
The Polysix first appeared in 1981, offering six-voice polyphony and program memory, and a surprisingly competitive price tag. With its self-oscillating four-pole filter, smooth analog oscillator, and sub-oscillator, plus a lush chorus/ensemble effect, the PolysixEX extends the abilities of the original in many creative ways. The strings and pads that were such a major feature of the Polysix will be invaluable when you need the sounds of the early '80s. The classic arpeggiator built into the original Polysix is also provided. As a bonus, it's also capable of extremely high polyphony.
AL-1 Analog Synthesizer
Feature-packed, the AL-1 is the same premium analog-modeling sound engine that was first featured on the KORG OASYS, the Open Architecture Synthesis Studio back in 2005. Completely eliminating aliasing noise and delivering the supple and fascinating sound of analog synthesis, this sound engine uses oscillator waveforms and filter morphing to generate new sounds that were unobtainable for analog synthesizers of the past.
MOD-7 Waveshaping VPM Synthesizer
This sound engine uses VPM synthesis based on the VPM (Variable Phase Modulation) technology that powered two classic instruments—the Prophecy appeared in 1995; and the Z1 appeared in 1997 as a further evolution, adding PCM sample playback, multimode filters, and external input to create a freely patchable semimodular synthesizer. Combine Variable Phase Modulation (VPM) from KORG's classic Prohpecy and Z1, add in some waveshaping, a little ring modulation, mix in a few samples, and add subtractive synthesis, plus a modular patch-panel system, and you have the MOD-7. Exceptionally versatile, it offers everything from classic FM keyboards, bells and basses (including the ability to import sounds from vintage DX synths) to rhythmic soundscapes, and sparkling, epic pads.
STR-1 Plucked Strings
Based on the physical modeling know-how KORG developed over the course of many years, this struck / plucked-string physical modeling sound engine takes advantage of cutting-edge technology. This sound engine shines at producing sounds whose tone responds to your touch in ways that are difficult for a PCM sound engine to reproduce: acoustic guitar, electric guitar, harpsichord, clavinet, harp, bell, as well as ethnic instruments. It also goes much further, allowing you to synthesize and modify sounds that do not exist in reality. This is a sound engine of the future, one that allows the synthesizer programmer to construct truly new sounds.
Additional Features
Optimized for Live Performance
Set Lists provide easy on-screen selection of Programs, Combinations, and Songs from a single screen. Smooth Sound Transitions (SST) provide overlapping effects and voices when you change sounds, with no special mode necessary.
Effects
The Nautilus AT comes with 197 types of professional-grade effects that offer a stunning range of freedom, including chorus, delay, reverb, amp models, vocoders, and more.
Arpeggiator
To support your playing and songwriting, there's an arpeggiator that can automatically generate rhythmical or broken chords (arpeggios), a drum track for quickly playing drum patterns in a variety of styles, and a step sequencer that lets you intuitively create and play back original drum patterns.
Sampling
Audio signals coming through the analog inputs can be sampled in stereo. You can also add the built-in effects when sampling, or even resample the programs or combinations. The Nautilus can also import sound files in various formats.
Audio and MIDI Sequencer
The sequencer provides 16 MIDI tracks and 16 audio tracks (24-bit, 48 kHz) for composing and producing your own music. You can import and export SMF and WAVE files when working with other platforms.
USB Functionality
The Nautilus can connect to your computer with a single cable, as it features a USB Type-B port that supports USB 2.0 for transmitting and receiving MIDI and audio data. The Nautilus features a USB Type-A port for easy connection to an external storage device.