In 2008, Korg, the music industry's leading supplier of analog synthesizers, made waves—figuratively and literally—with its surprisingly robust DS-10, a synthesizer emulator for the original Nintendo DS. Since the cartridge landed well before tablets and smartphones had risen as suitable, portable pieces of musical hardware, its use of the DS touchscreen proved welcome for anybody who wanted to quickly twist knobs, create sequences, and create glorious, synthesized sounds in a cheap, portable way.

However, since its host hardware only had 4MB of RAM, the designers at Japanese studio Detune had to make compromises in reproducing the decades-old MS-10 synthesizer, particularly in cutting the number of simultaneous sounds. After launching various follow-ups on iOS, the DSi, and even a limited keyboard synthesizer on the 3DS, Korg has returned with its most robust synth emulation offering yet: the DS-12, set to launch this September.

For starters, Korg enthusiasts can now look forward to 12 discrete synthesizers running simultaneously, as opposed to the original DS-10's weird hack of two synths and four "drum tracks" (which actually worked by pre-recording drum tracks to be played back, so as to reduce overall hardware load). As with last year's M01-D piano synthesizer, the new DS-12 will also include longer 64-step patterns, which can either lengthen sequences or provide greater sonic density in the same amount of time.

All of this is matched with the original software's ability to jump from sequencing to knob-twisting to cable-plug interaction in real time. In this sense, the 3DS's dual-screen setup is one of its few boons compared to the growing touch-screen fray, allowing main system information to remain frozen on the top screen while performers jump around on the fly for the sake of live performance antics. (Sadly, the 3DS's lack of multi-touch will continue to hamper faster-fingered sonic manipulators.)

Detune has somehow made use of the 3DS' no-glasses gimmick, as well, by rendering the synthesizer's oscilloscope in 3D. The above video, which merely hints at the synthesizer's "right in your face" 3D effects, serves both as proof of the software's robust sound possibilities and as a reason to host laser-filled raves in your living room. We'll keep our eyes out for the game's announced September launch, though that remains in doubt thanks to the M01-D's months of delays before launching last year.