Korg's new Kaossilator Pro.

[Randy|Kaoss]

£355 in the UK! (That's equivalent to approx $570 in the US).

Good luck with that. No one in their right mind will pay that, especially if they already own a Kaossilator and a KP3.

It should be £250 in the UK, max.

Where did you get that price? I know a couple of online places have it down at that but I'd be very surprised if that's the final price when it's actually released.

Googled it, saw 3 outlets accepting pre-orders @ £355.

[mindgames]

I'd be surprised if was over £300 by the time it's released, same as the KP3. Those sites are probably just covering themselves until a proper price is set.

[Randy|Kaoss]

Even at £299 it would still be quite pricey. £250 would be a fair price I think.

Having already spent £400 on a Kaossilator and KP3, I would not be willing to spend another £300 on a Kaossilator Pro.

There are better things to spend £700 on! Using eBay you could pretty much buy an entire home studio for £700.

[mindgames]

Even at £299 it would still be quite pricey. £250 would be a fair price I think.

Having already spent £400 on a Kaossilator and KP3, I would not be willing to spend another £300 on a Kaossilator Pro.

There are better things to spend £700 on! Using eBay you could pretty much buy an entire home studio for £700.

Agreed If it had effects thrown in as well it would be a no-brainer for me at £300...I will probably end up buying one anyway though

[Randy|Kaoss]

Unless the 200 programs are completely kick-ass, or it has some mad features that Korg have yet to announce, then I'll probably wait a few months for them to appear second-hand on eBay.

I generally don't use my Kaossilator on the move, so I could sell that first to ease the pain

[Hugo]

The only way to save this one for me is to make it a midi note controller, so I can breathe new life into my other synths, especially by using the pad motion button. But I asked for this feature about 2 years ago for the KP3, so I would be super angry (if they even made this idea a reality) about not including it in a software update for the KP3.

What? I was sure the KP3 had this ability already. Does this also include soft synths? I mean. shouldn't it be a small job to write an application that translated the signals from the KP3 into midi note information?

[X-Trade]

The only way to save this one for me is to make it a midi note controller, so I can breathe new life into my other synths, especially by using the pad motion button. But I asked for this feature about 2 years ago for the KP3, so I would be super angry (if they even made this idea a reality) about not including it in a software update for the KP3.

What? I was sure the KP3 had this ability already. Does this also include soft synths? I mean. shouldn't it be a small job to write an application that translated the signals from the KP3 into midi note information?

Well yes, but it would be nice to be able to do it without the software in the middle. Assuming the KoPro transmits MIDI notes rather than just CCs from the pad.

[supermel74]

If it transmits midi notes all is good and this is a great product.... but does it?

[salamanderanagram]

pretty sure it does not transmit midi notes but hopefully i'm wrong.
i still hope the hardware is identical to the kp3 and i can somehow get my hands on the firmware. that would be ace.

[RichF]

\Generally?

With reference to the KOPro, "generally" means that up-down motion will sometimes control a filter, sometimes an effect parameter, sometimes LFO frequency, etc. depending on the program.

[RichF]

Another thing: I see you still have to hold down the record button when bangin' out tunes. This is very annoying I think. Why isn't it just possible to hit record once and then be free to use both thumbs? This has always bugged me with the original Kaossilator.

The reason for this is so you can move around the pad with precision (without lifting your finger), and tap the Loop Bank button to record a specific pattern or rhythm. This way, you can record transform-style stutters with sustained sounds, without having to first record a solid line and then mute/erase afterward.

It should also be noted that the Loop Bank buttons are very close to the display, so it's not very difficult to hold down the button with one finger/thumb and use the X/Y pad with another digit.

Just so you know, this isn't the case while recording external audio. Just press the REC button, then press the desired Loop Bank, and you're free to control your external source with both hands. Recording will stop when you press the REC button again.

[RichF]

I run a Kaossilator through a KP3. Using them that way gives me MIDI sync and 4 tracks for looping. That's 90% of what the Pro offers. The only new ideas here are more sounds (meh), a slider on the gate arp (meh), and a vocoder (robot voices - meh). That's not much of a trade for the KP3's effects.

If you already own the old hardware, it's the Pink Kaossilator all over again. Yawn.

The loop recorder functionality is a HUGE advantage, especially if you're doing a live performance. You can use it to construct a continually-evolving DJ set on the fly, without having to make separate passes to sample the Kaossilator into the KP3. If the mood changes, you can change the tempo, and all the loops change with it, unlike the original Kaossilator. Again, you'd have to make a separate pass into the KP3 to tempo-sync the loops.

Overdubbing is also a huge benefit, since you don't need to sacrifice a separate button to do it. You can build your ideas separately, overdubbing on a single Loop Bank instead of resampling onto a new button each time you add a new element.

Also consider the MIDI functionality... Have you ever wanted to sequence your Kaossilator with your DAW? The KOPro's X/Y pad can receive MIDI CC messages for pad touch on/off and X/Y position.

I know I'm biased, but the new sounds are also no joke. The sampled drum kits in particular are lots of fun to play, and there are up to four sounds (i.e. kick, snare, closed hat, open hat) per kit, with program-specific modulation on the Y axis.

[xmlguy]

Also consider the MIDI functionality... Have you ever wanted to sequence your Kaossilator with your DAW? The KOPro's X/Y pad can receive MIDI CC messages for pad touch on/off and X/Y position.

Actually, no, that's the tail wagging the dog. I want the Kaossilator to send MIDI note on/off to a hell of a lot of other gear, maintaining the scale and key (not just sending every note). The EMX-1 can do that right now with the ribbon (when reversed) to send notes in scale. It the Kaossilator Pro does that, then great. If not, that's a HUGE miss hit. No, I don't want to translate X/Y into notes externally, otherwise I'd just use the padKontrol. Now I can see some minor advantage to sending CC + X/Y to a DAW, but, yawn, that is, yawn yawn yawn, something lots of other gear can do.

I do like most of the other features you mention, and the fact that others have mentioned that the KP3 does sampling is kind of besides the point, since it's a very good thing for the Kaossilator Pro to have all that built-in precisely because you won't have to buy the KP3 to do it. The KaossilatorPro + miniKP is cheaper, if someone wants to add effects alone. A lot of us already have the KP3 or miniKP anyways, or both, or more.

[RichF]

Hi again,

Here's a video demonstration of the Kaossilator Pro from the NAMM show:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0C_fej59BFg



-Rich

[supermel74]

So can this be used to play other hardware synths and be sequenced/played by hardware without the need for any other equipment? Basically I'm asking 2 questions.
1. Can I use my ESX to sequence the Kaossilator Pro just as I could any other synth, Microkorg etc?
2. Can I play an external hardware synth with the Kaossilator Pro without any other equipment, daw, etc?