Korallum Atelier Unveils No.1 Nérée Touch-Driven Groovebox With Synth Engines

Korallum Atelier unveiled the No.1 Nérée, a touch-driven groovebox that pairs sample/playback with integrated synth voices, touch surface controls, looping and live performance features. Synth Anatomy reports, "Nérée is a new touch instrument built from a PCB shaped like a whale, with 24 touch-capacity plates that support notes, pressure, and movement."

The control surface abandons rows of encoders in favor of tactile play: Synth Anatomy notes "you have a knob and a display. For those who love knobs, it might be the wrong instrument." The unit includes at least one button that activates its sound engines; "Pressing the button triggers engine-generated sounds." Korallum Atelier presents the device as portable and informal, saying "Nérée won’t replace your entire studio; it brings music-making to your couch."

Functionally the No.1 Nérée combines multiple engines in one package. Korallum Atelier describes it as a standalone synthesizer, sampler, and drum sequencer, and Synth Anatomy characterizes it as "this touch whale is a looper groovebox with synths, samples, and FX." The original announcement frames the product as a modern instrument rather than a vintage reissue.

Performance features are focused on gestural interaction across the 24 touch plates. Synth Anatomy lists the device’s live tools verbatim: "continuous pitch bending, touch-controlled modulation and FX, strum-based FX intensity control, Theremin-style glide mode, and a unique arpeggiator that turns chords into arpeggios." Those systems are positioned for on-the-fly composition and looping in a compact form factor.

Onboard processing and FX aim to shape loops and synth engines in creative ways. The developers describe "an FX system with various effects that add color, space, time, glitch, stereo, ambient, and noise layers," and say the unit "offers non-destructive or baked FX rendering." The announcement also highlights tuning flexibility: Nérée "includes a scale system with various built-in scales, including microtonal and non-equal temperaments."

Availability is framed around crowdfunding: multiple reports state it "will launch on Kickstarter this week." Sources vary on the maker’s naming and origin — the initial announcement lists Korallum Atelier as the boutique maker, while Synth Anatomy refers to "Korallum Atelier No.1" and frames the project with underwater metaphors. Synth Anatomy also discloses the site uses affiliate and partner programs to finance part of its activity.

Key technical and commercial details remain unreported in the announcement: Kickstarter launch date, pricing or pledge tiers, polyphony, synthesis architecture, sample memory, connectivity and I/O, and battery or power specs. Those items will determine whether the No.1 Nérée becomes a portable creative companion or a niche performance instrument; Korallum Atelier’s Kickstarter and spec sheet should clarify them when the campaign goes live.