NAMM 2024: We’re going to have to start calling this site KorgRadar at this rate, such is the volume of new products that the company is telling us about. The latest of these is also one of the most unexpected - a new portable record player, Handytraxx, that takes inspiration from the Vestax Handy Trax, a take-it-anywhere turntable that was doing the rounds in the early noughties.
This has since become popular in the ‘portablism’ space, which is filled with people who DJ using easily transportable gear. And so, sensing an opportunity, Korg enlisted the late former Vestax president, Toshihide Nakama, who sadly died last year before this project could be completed, to advise on a new version of the Handy Trax with additional features.
So, not only is Korg’s Handytraxx turntable a scratch-friendly portable deck, but it also comes with creative filters and a built-in looper with variable playback speed function. A cue function and monitoring mean that you can play the looper while listening to your record in your headphones, creating a unique kind of DJing setup. A crossfader with reverse mode enables you to flip between the two sources.
The new Handytraxx will be able to run on AAA battery or USB-C power and come with built-in speakers. You can also expect it to have a detachable control panel, replaceable crossfader and MM cartridge support.
There’s no word yet on when the Handytraxx will be released, but we do know that a non-playable prototype will be on display at the 2024 NAMM Show.
