Korg NTS-4 Mixer Is Here: What You Need to Know
- Noise Harmony
- 2 days ago
- 6 min read
Korg just dropped the Korg NTS-4 mixer, and if you have ever looked at a Volca Mix and wished it had more channels, MIDI, and a USB port, this is the one you were waiting for. It is a six-channel performance mixer with two built-in effects engines, it ships as a solder-free DIY kit, and it lands at €219. It slots into Korg's Nu:Tekt range right next to the NTS-1 synth and the NTS-3 KAOSS pad, and it went on sale on July 10, 2026.
Table of contents
What the Korg NTS-4 mixer actually is
The NTS-4 is a compact analog performance mixer with six channels. Four of them are stereo and two are mono, and everything runs on 3.5mm minijacks. Those two mono channels can switch between line level and Eurorack level, so you can plug a modular output straight in without it clipping the input (Eurorack signals run hotter than normal line gear). The main outputs are a pair of unbalanced quarter-inch jacks on the back, which is the one place Korg went full-size.
It is small. The whole thing measures 195 x 125 x 38 mm and weighs 613 grams, so it genuinely almost disappears into a bag. Ten audio signals can go through it in a single setup, which is a lot of gear for something this size.
Like the rest of the family, the NTS-4 arrives as a kit you build yourself. There is no soldering and no electronics knowledge required. You drop the pre-assembled circuit board into the housing, screw it together, and you are done in a few minutes. The lineup now reads NTS-1 (a pocket synth), NTS-2 (an oscilloscope), NTS-3 (a KAOSS pad effects unit), and the NTS-4 as the mixer. Korg has been quietly building an ecosystem of tiny kits, and the NTS-4 completes it nicely. If you have followed the brand's recent hardware, you know Korg likes packing serious features into small boxes.
Two effects engines doing real work
This is where the NTS-4 earns its keep. It has two separate stereo effects engines, and they do different jobs.
The first is the Send FX. Each channel has its own send knob, so you can dial effect into one channel while leaving another bone dry. A send effect works like a shared tank the channels feed into: turn up channel 3's send and it swims in reverb, leave channel 1's send at zero and it stays clean. The Send FX menu covers delay, ping-pong delay, two hall reverbs, two slap reverbs, and chorus. For a mixer at this price, having proper per-channel sends is a real luxury.
The second engine is the Total FX, and it sits across the whole mix on the master output. This is your performance weapon. It gives you a low-pass and high-pass filter, an isolator, flanger, phaser, decimator, drive, distortion, compressor, and a limiter. Sweep the filter to build tension, slam the whole mix into the decimator for a lo-fi breakdown, then let the limiter catch the peaks so nothing clips on the way out.
Why it's the Volca Mix people actually wanted
To understand why the NTS-4 matters, look at what it replaces. The Volca Mix was Korg's four-channel analog mixer, built to sit under three Volcas and glue them together. It sounded warm and it was cheap, but the controls felt fiddly, the master effects were analog-only, and there was no MIDI and no USB anywhere on the unit. You could mix your gear, and that was about it.
The NTS-4 answers every one of those complaints. You get six channels instead of four, per-channel send effects instead of a single analog master processor, a USB-C audio interface, a MIDI output, and cue and mute buttons on every channel. It is the Volca Mix reimagined by someone who actually gigged with the original and kept a list of gripes. The table below lays the Nu:Tekt kits and the old Volca Mix side by side.
The one thing the Volca Mix still has going for it is price. Korg has been clearing it out cheap, so if all you need is a dumb analog mixer for three Volcas, the older box undercuts the NTS-4 by a fair margin. For everyone chasing MIDI sync, USB recording, and real performance effects, the NTS-4 is the smarter buy.
USB-C, MIDI, and your hardware setup
The connectivity is what pushes the NTS-4 past a simple mixer. The USB-C port turns it into a 48 kHz / 24-bit audio interface, so you can record your whole hardware jam straight into a DAW on Mac, PC, or a phone, and the same port powers the unit. No separate soundcard, no extra box.
The MIDI output is the clever part. You can send MIDI out of your DAW or a USB controller, through the NTS-4, and out to your synths and drum machines. So the mixer doubles as a small MIDI hub for a dawless setup. There is also a stereo send/return loop on the top panel for patching in an external pedal or effect, plus a headphone output with its own cue system, so you can preview a channel privately before you bring it into the live mix.
The honest catch
The NTS-4 is not perfect, and pretending otherwise would be doing you a disservice. The inputs are all minijacks, so if your studio runs on full-size quarter-inch and TRS cables you will be living in a pile of adapters. Some players will still reach for something like a Zoom L6 that has full-size connectors and onboard recording.
There are no proper level meters either, just clipping LEDs, so setting precise gain is more feel than science. And there is no battery option, which is a slight shame for a box this portable. You power it over USB or with a 9V DC adapter, so a truly off-grid busking session needs a power bank. None of these are dealbreakers at the price, but you should know them before you build.
Price and availability
The Korg NTS-4 mixer is available right now for €219, which works out to around $249 or £189, and you can grab it from Thomann. Factor in that you assemble it yourself in a few minutes and you have one of the most feature-packed small mixers going for the money.
If you want to see it in motion before you commit, Korg's own overview walks through the channels, the effects, and a live jam.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to solder anything to build the Korg NTS-4 mixer?
No. The NTS-4 ships as a solder-free kit, the same as the rest of the Nu:Tekt line. The circuit board comes pre-assembled, so you just fit it into the housing and screw it together. Most people finish in a few minutes with no electronics experience.
Can the Korg NTS-4 mixer work as an audio interface?
Yes. The USB-C port carries 48 kHz / 24-bit audio in both directions, so you can record your full mix into a DAW on Mac, PC, or mobile, and play audio back through it. The same USB-C connection also powers the unit.
How many channels does it have and what can I plug in?
Six channels total: four stereo and two mono, all on 3.5mm minijacks. The two mono channels switch between line and Eurorack level, and the mixer can handle up to ten audio signals at once, which covers a small stack of synths, grooveboxes, and modular gear.
What is the difference between the NTS-4 and the Volca Mix?
The Volca Mix is a four-channel analog mixer with no MIDI and no USB. The NTS-4 adds two more channels, per-channel send effects, a master effects engine, a USB-C audio interface, and a MIDI output. The Volca Mix is cheaper on clearance, but the NTS-4 does far more.
Does the NTS-4 work with Eurorack?
Yes. The two mono channels have attenuator switches that drop hot Eurorack signals down to a safe level, so you can run a modular output straight into the mixer without clipping the input.
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