dualo du-touch S: a keyboard, sampler and looper packed into one small case

What it is

Picture someone sitting cross-legged on a sofa, no computer in sight, building a loop from scratch: a bassline, then a chord pad, then a melody on top, all played on the same small keyboard. That is the promise of the dualo du-touch S, an electronic instrument from Intuitive Instruments that folds a keyboard, a sampler and a looper into a single 0.6 kg unit.

It is aimed at musicians who want to compose, loop and perform without setting up a laptop and a digital audio workstation first. The instrument runs on its own, with a rechargeable battery, and can also be plugged into a computer when needed. No separate variants are listed for this model.

Why it exists

dualo states that the du-touch S is built around a logical, backlit keyboard designed to let people play in tune with a minimum of effort. The idea addresses a common frustration: standard keyboard layouts demand a fair amount of music theory before a player can improvise confidently.

The brand also describes the du-touch S as more than a simple MIDI controller. According to dualo, it is a complete instrument, with a sampler and a looper/sequencer built directly into the hardware, rather than requiring separate software running on a laptop to become fully playable.

What matters

The keyboard offers four selectable note layouts: dualo, dualo diatonic, piano (Jankó), and chromatic accordion (+/- 60°). Switching layout changes how notes are arranged under the fingers, which matters for players coming from a piano background, an accordion background, or no background at all who want the dualo-specific logic.

Looping capacity is generous for a device this size: up to 18 loops spread across seven tracks, with up to 22 sequenceable states per song. In practice, that is enough headroom to build a layered live arrangement, moving between sections of a piece without needing to rebuild loops from zero each time.

The keyboard itself spans three octaves across 52 keys, with the internal synthesiser reaching up to seven octaves. It responds to both velocity and pressure, known as aftertouch, so a note can swell or change tone after it has been struck, giving the same physical gesture more expressive range than a flat on/off key.

Battery life is rated at eight hours on the lithium-ion cell, with a recharge time of three hours. For a portable instrument meant to be used on a train, in a rehearsal room, or on a stage without mains power nearby, that runtime covers a full session or a full evening of practice.

Storage sits at 2 GB of internal memory, with 147 sound slots and 247 factory sounds, 140 of which are loaded by default. The instrument also holds up to 69 songs or tutorials in memory, which is enough to keep a working set list, or a set of practice pieces, without connecting to a computer.

Beyond the keys, the du-touch S reads gestures through a two-axis gyroscope, covering pitch and roll, alongside three touch sliders and three capacitive touch buttons for sound selection, settings and the looper. These add a layer of real-time control on top of the keyboard, letting a player bend a sound or trigger a loop function without taking their hands off the instrument.

Day to day

The du-touch S charges over USB, using the supplied charger and a one-metre USB to micro-USB cable; a full charge takes three hours and lasts around eight hours of play. The box includes a fabric protective case for transport, alongside the charger, cable and a quick start guide.

Custom sounds can be loaded onto the instrument as .wav files at 44100 Hz, 16-bit, and loops created on the device can be exported in .mid format for further editing elsewhere. The du-touch S also works as a controller with software such as Ableton Live and Reason, and is compatible with Windows 7, 8 and 10, macOS 10.10 and later, and Debian, Ubuntu or Red Hat Linux. Audio comes out through a standard mini-jack 3.5 mm output, whether the instrument is used on its own or feeding into an amplifier or interface.

Technical specifications

Caractéristique	Valeur
Internal memory	2 GB
Sound slots / factory sounds	147 slots, 247 factory sounds (140 loaded by default)
Loops per song	Up to 18 loops across 7 tracks
Sequenceable states	Up to 22 per song
Song/tutorial memory	69 songs/tutorials
Keyboard	3 octaves (synthesiser up to 7 octaves) / 52 keys
Keyboard sensitivity	Velocity and pressure (aftertouch)
Note layouts	dualo, dualo diatonic, piano (Jankó), chromatic accordion (+/- 60°)
Touch sliders	3
Gyroscope	2 axes (pitch & roll)
Capacitive touch buttons	3 (sound selection, settings, looper)
Audio output	Mini-jack 3.5 mm
Battery life	8h (Li-ion battery), recharge in 3h
Dimensions	19 x 21 x 5 cm
Weight	0.6 kg
Loop export format	.mid
Controller compatibility	Ableton Live, Reason, and others
Supported operating systems	Windows 7/8/10, macOS 10.10+, Debian/Ubuntu/Red Hat Linux
Box contents	du-touch S, fabric protective case, USB charger, USB/micro-USB cable (1 m), quick start guide
Custom sample format	.wav files, 44100 Hz, 16-bit

What the brand says

dualo states that the du-touch S is designed to let players stay in tune with a minimum of effort, thanks to its logical, backlit keyboard. The brand also presents the instrument as far more than a simple controller, describing it as a complete instrument that integrates a sampler and a looper/sequencer directly into the hardware.