Korg is joining the turntable craze with portable options for archiving, DJing, and more

Coorg is the name that usually comes to mind SynthAnd keyboards Production toolsbut before No. 2025The company announced new turntables. These aren’t just your typical rack-mounted vinyl spinners attached to speakers. Under the Handytraxx brand, Korg will soon offer portable turntables for listening, archiving and DJing, some equipped with the company’s equipment Newtube vacuum tubes.

The turntable series gets its name from Vestax’s original Handy Trax. Former Vestax president and co-developer of the OG model, Toshihide Nakama, has been working with the company on “an entirely new kind of record player,” Korg says. Nakama died in 2023 during the development of the Handytraxx Play, but Korg has continued to integrate digital processing and audio technology into the “soul” of the Handy Trax.

the Operate HandyTracks ($400) is the DJ-focused member of the group and looks like he’s ready for the masses next veil At NAMM last year. Designed for scratching, the turntable comes with a Nakama-designed fader as well as three types of filters, delay, playback control, and a built-in audio loop. The tone arm is machined to reduce needle skip, and the belt-driven motor has digital rotation correction to keep things under control. The Play supports both ceramic and MM cartridges (some soldering is required to swap them out) and the Korg allows you to flip the control panel for right- or left-handed configurations.

If your vinyl habit is more listening than scratching, then… Handy Trax tube ($800) “Bridges the gap between modern convenience and analog magic,” according to Korg. This model gets its name from the small Nutube vacuum tube that lends its power to the subwoofer and its warmth to the overall sound. The die-cast aluminum platter, balanced tone arm and MM cartridge serve as the main components. Bass and treble controls are located directly on the deck and there is a dedicated knob for adjusting the Nutube’s output. If you want to convert your records into digital files, the tube connects to your computer via USB for this purpose.

There’s also a special version of the Handytraxx tube that Korg calls it Handy Trax J Tube ($1200). This model looks very similar to the tube, but is equipped with a JICO Clipper MM cartridge. “The cartridge’s unique design balances the center of gravity between the left and right channels, while the Tapered-S Cantilever ensures precise vibration reproduction, creating a truly immersive Hi-Fi soundstage,” Korg explains. In other words, this is an option for the audiophiles in the group.

Finally, the Handytraxx 1bit ($1.00) is what Korg calls the flagship model in the new series. The company explains that this unit blends high-quality playback with 5.6MHz/1-bit recording for archivists. The 1-bit works with Korg’s AudioGate 4 high-resolution audio conversion software after connecting the turntable to your computer via USB. This complete setup supports recording and playback in 5.6MHz and 2.8MHz DSD as well as PCM formats up to 192kHz/24-bit. The Handytraxx 1bit has a 7mm JICO J44A cartridge, and like the Handytraxx tube, there is a built-in Nutube. As on this more affordable model, bass, treble and tube controls are located on the top of the 1-bit version.

As I mentioned, the entire Handytraxx series is portable thanks to the built-in 2.5W speakers. You can power it with the included AC adapters or use six AA batteries for a true on-the-go toolkit. There are convenient inputs and outputs on each model if you want a fixed setup, including an on/off switch for the speakers.

The Handytraxx Play, Tube and 1bit are scheduled to arrive in May, followed by the Tube J in June. All four are currently available for pre-order From B&H photos.