NAMM 2024: Korg’s new portable record player takes inspiration from the iconic Vestax Handy Trax
Here’s a dream come true both for record ‘diggers’ and hardcore portablists alike.
Image: Korg
NAMM 2024: Korg has been on quite the roll the past week with its – frankly, impressive – string of releases set to make their debut at this year’s NAMM show. Joining the ranks of new products is the Handytraxx Play, the brand’s latest attempt at a portable record player that builds on the legacy of the iconic Vestax Handy Trax.
Described as the “definitive tool for portablism”, Korg’s latest turntable/DJ-deck was designed in collaboration with former Vestax president, Toshihide Nakama, who sadly passed away before the project could be completed.
As it stands, the new Handytraxx Play evokes the spirit of the original, with the addition of a bunch of unique functions that go beyond both DJ and normal record players to allow for “full-fledged DJ play”.
To start, the Handytraxx features creative filters as well as a built-in looper with variable playback function. Cue function and monitoring allows for DJ play using the looper while listening to your record with your headphones. There’s also a crossfader with reverse mode for you to switch between tracks.
True to its promise of ‘on-the-go play’, the rather compact Handytraxx can be powered by AAA batteries or USB-C, and comes with built-in speakers. The unit also has a detachable control panel, replaceable crossfader, and is MM cartridge mountable.
There’s no word on the release date or pricing for the Handytraxx as of yet, though a non-playable prototype will be displayed at the Korg USA booth (Hall C 7003) at NAMM 2024.
In other news, Korg recently unveiled the Opsix mkII, a step up from the original Opsix promising “more variety than any single synth has ever been able to achieve before”.
For more info on the Handytraxx Play, head to Korg.
