KORG Nutube 6P1: a mini vacuum tube triode

[RPLKTR]

Haven’t seen this discussed here yet but this looks like an interesting piece of technology: https://korgnutube.com/en/

It’s a small, low-voltage, dual directly-heated triode device. It’s manufactured like a vacuum fluorescent display, just with “one pixel”. Despite the size, it shares audio characteristics with traditional valves.

While you can buy the triode yourself for about $50, it’s been steadily appearing in KORG products since its 2016 release. Some interesting ones:

Volca Nubass

nu:tekt OD-S Overdrive pedal kit

The pictures of the last one is actually a unit that I assembled. The overdrive is suitable for both guitar and synthesizers, can provide clean boost as well as pleasant low-gain distortion. Thanks to the low-power nature it’s perfectly happy with a 9V battery which makes it a unique stomp box. If you’re interested I can make some demos.

It would be cool to see it used in eurorack modules or in conjuction with NTS-1 or the bigger Minilogue xd. There’s already an interesting DIY project with this device: a preamp. Note that unlike the OD-S, this is an actual soldering project.

[renegog]

This is cool thanks for sharing! Definitely interested in demos if they’re not too much trouble

[dianus]

If you want to see an example of this technology in a modular application, the Plankton Spice contains two circuits that use the Korg NU Tube

[RPLKTR]

How’s that for a demo, this time driving the Circuit Mono Station:

I’m not a pro at this so bear with me here. Open to any feedback you might be having!

[steveoath]

I think it’s the same as the tube in the teeny tiny vox mv50 heads. I had one and it sounded massive. But was the size of a small handbag. Great bit of kit. Just too quiet against my other guitarists 5150 #shocker

[oscillateur]

@steveoath

I think it’s the same as the tube in the teeny tiny vox mv50 heads. I had one and it sounded massive. But was the size of a small handbag.

Vox is owned by Korg so that would make sense…

[renegog]

That was a great demo, thank you! You could be a pro-synthfluencer, someone send rplktr a subharmonicon! ^ _ ^

[RPLKTR]

This is off topic here but I do have one pre-ordered I love Moog as a company, they are good people. And the Subharmonicon has to be one of the most interesting releases by a major manufacturer in a long time.

[RPLKTR]

@renegog

someone send rplktr a subharmonicon! ^ _ ^

Ha, I received the Subharmonicon yesterday. Here’s what I did so far:

Moog Subharmonicon

The Subharmonicon features two VCOs, each of which provides two clock-divided sub-oscillators. All this is mixed into one signal that goes through one EG, VCF, and VCA. While you can achieve fantastic results with that alone, I was tempted to split the two VCOs into their own signal chains so that you can pan them in stereo. Turns out it’s quite easy to do! All you need are two separate EGs. I’m using Mutable Instruments Streams since it’s not just a pair of EGs, it’s also (or rather, mainly!)…