As gear continues to shrink to super convenient, super transportable sizes, one company has wondered “what if studios shrunk, too?”
The Neko, from Neko Engineering, could be the answer to that question. Launched on Kickstarter this week, it is a pocket-sized studio that marries wireless connectivity, amp and pedal modeling and recording with AI tools. The focus, it says, is on learning songs, and turning guitar riffs into fully-formed arrangements.
Simplicity is also key, with Neko Engineering saying it’s looking to get “players of all experience levels playing without juggling equipment and apps before strumming a single chord.”
So, what exactly is it?
Well, the unit is pretty powerful. Two wireless jacks live and charge inside Neko, with one plugging into a guitar or bass, and the other to an amp or mixer. The small but mighty Neko then handles sound processing, with NAM tones a huge plus, and as well as multi-track recording.
It’s also emboldened by useful tools such as AI stem separation, the ability to mute the guitar in a track and play in its place, turn audio into tabs that are then displayed on its display, and build backing tracks and arrangements through generative AI.
The Time Machine feature also lets musicians listen back to ideas they’ve previously played, even if they forgot to hit record before hitting the strings. That’s handy, even if the generative AI elements aren’t going to excite everyone.
Notably, the NAM tie-in means players have access to the staggeringly big Tone3000 library of amp and outboard gear captures, with plenty saveable directly onto the device.
For those who hate getting entangled in cables, it can connect to amps wirelessly – with cable routing also on offer. In all, Neko Engineering says its “giving musicians the tools to practice, capture ideas and develop their musicianship with a new level of ease.”
And there’s clearly something in it, too. Within the first 24-hours, the Kickstarter had been backed with $10,000 of pledges. Suffice to say its initial $30,000 goal has been left eating dust; over $260k has been raised already.
“Neko began with a simple frustration: sometimes the thought of setting everything up to play guitar was enough to stop me from playing at all,” says Vadim Smirnov, founder of Neko Engineering. “We kept asking, ‘What if getting started felt as effortless as putting in your AirPods?’ Neko was our answer.”
Pledging with rewards (ie, you get the unit) starts at $449. Retail price is $599.
Neko Engineering plans to begin shipping the Neko to backers in April 2027.
See Kickstarter for more.
