Nonlinear Labs C25 debuts as a 48-voice performance synth at Superbooth 2026
The C25 put tactile control first, with 48 voices, poly aftertouch, ribbons, and a Phase 22 engine built for real performance, not nostalgia.
Ten years after the C15 turned heads at Superbooth 2016, Nonlinear Labs used Superbooth 2026 in Berlin’s FEZ-Berlin to unveil the C25, a 48-voice performance synth built for players who want the instrument to move with them. This was not sold as a retro tribute. It was presented as the next step in a line that has always cared more about hands-on expression than about looking back.
The live reveal made that point in plain sight. Nonlinear Labs staged a Gesprächskonzert in the Kino on May 8 from 2:30 p.m. to 2:50 p.m., with keyboardist Tim Sund playing alongside his trio ELECTRIFIED, Alex Will on bass and Jonathan Gradmann on drums, while founder Stephan Schmitt explained the concept. The company later said the C25 emerged after a long development period and a massive final push to get prototypes ready, and that the response at Superbooth 26 was tremendous. In other words, this was not a press-image launch. It was a performance demo, and that matters for a synth built to be played.
The hardware is where the C25 starts to look genuinely interesting to vintage-synth readers. Nonlinear Labs gave it a 7-inch TFT touchscreen with touch input, but also a hardware button for every function. The front panel carries six endless potentiometers with touch sensors and haptic feedback, a Bender, a new Lever, two ribbons with LED position indicators, up to four pedals and four CV inputs. Underneath sits a Fatar TP/8S keybed with continuous sensors for key position, velocity and polyphonic aftertouch. The preliminary specs list 48 voices at 48 kHz, or 24 voices at 96 kHz. Dual mode covers split and layer setups, and the recorder can capture hours of lossless audio. Nonlinear Labs also says the C25 is meant to be compact, lightweight and robust for touring.
The sound engine is just as broad. Phase 22 combines phase modulation and FM-style synthesis with waveshaping, physical modelling and subtractive techniques in one architecture. Nonlinear Labs says it evolved from Spark and Cha-Osc, benefited from the experience behind Prism and Skanner, and was shaped by Stephan Schmitt’s earlier work, including Kontour at Native Instruments. The C25 also inherits access to the C15 preset library and is being positioned as a platform for future developments, including synthesis or effect engines from third-party developers. With most components manufactured in Europe and durability and sustainability emphasized from the start, the C25 looks less like a one-off flagship and more like a serious touring instrument built for the same hands-on ideal that made the best classic polys endure.
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