What's Stephen Kay doing?

StephenKay · Post by **StephenKay** » Mon Sep 29, 2014 1:19 am

worth wrote:Literally karma in arranger styles would change the game and you would almost certainly create the next generation of workstation arrangers for the next 5-10 years . What are you waiting for ?

I am waiting for an arranger manufacturer to figure this out and contact me about licensing.

Bachus wrote:karma working in addition to arranger tracks is in my opinion what can add the diversity and livelyhood to arrangers that can pull them to the next level...

I absolutely agree.

Seriously, I tried presenting this concept to Korg Italy (makers of all the Korg arrangers) many years ago. My concept was not to "replace" the arranger technology, but to augment it with a few tracks of KARMA. You know, a more "KARMA Randomized" strumming guitar part or bass line (for example) mixed in with the rest of their arranger tracks, or a more humanized percussion part on top of the fixed drum tracks, or arpeggios and phrases that you could trigger at any time in the music with buttons or joysticks, etc. The ability to modify the KARMA GEs in various ways, like you can do in Kronos Scenes, and then store them in the arranger's variations in a similar way - there's much that could be done to combine the two technologies. It would be far more customizable by the user than the fixed MIDI tracks only....

You would think Korg would be interested in this, considering they already license KARMA and have put it into keyboards... but apparently not. I got the feeling that Korg Italy (which is really a completely different entity and group of engineers from Korg Inc. Japan) feels their boards are "pretty much perfect" as is.

Personally, I think a marriage between some of KARMA and some of the arranger technology would be a fantastic thing. But apparently, unless I get into manufacturing hardware arrangers myself, it ain't gonna happen.

I can only make software - and right now, my KARMA 3.x technology (the KARMA Motif Software) along with one of the supported Yamaha keyboards (XF, XS, MOX, MOXF, Rack-XS, and soon S70/S90 XS) is about the closest you can come.

Ojustaboo wrote:Would a PC VST style (or stand alone) Karma be possible so that we could use it with whatever synth/sw we wanted?

This is really where I feel I have to go next. After I get these projects "off my plate", I'm serious about looking into it. Some kind of "KARMA plug-in".... Although that's a huge investment of time and effort, which is why I've never done it before.

Bachus · Post by **Bachus** » Mon Sep 29, 2014 10:18 am

Its obvious to me that the one arranger developer that embraces Karma and makes an exclusive deal with you gets the cutting edge for the time comming..

vladsu · Post by **vladsu** » Mon Sep 29, 2014 10:38 am

Hi, Stephen! When does leave new model of Kronos?

gjvti · Post by **gjvti** » Mon Sep 29, 2014 11:04 am

vladsu wrote:Hi, Stephen! When does leave new model of Kronos?

doubt that anytime soon - Korg seems way too busy bringing new Electribes and Arp Odyssey to namm

as of Karma - I think that vendor agnostic version, even if it will probably be some feature limited (missing waveshaping for example), would be worth to investigate and invest so it can be developed with less hassle and independently of synth manufacturers.

Veren · Post by **Veren** » Mon Sep 29, 2014 11:11 am

Hi Steven, so why don't you (make hardware arrangers)

you can call it something like "KARMA PA ...can't touch this"

You will outsell everyone else ten fold...

StephenKay · Post by **StephenKay** » Mon Sep 29, 2014 5:16 pm

Veren wrote:Hi Steven, so why don't you (make hardware arrangers)

No problem, I'll just go get 10 million dollars of investment, hire 10 or 15 engineers, and put out a hardware arranger/workstation to compete with Korg, Yamaha and Roland. Should be done by next week.

- StePHen

Bachus · Post by **Bachus** » Mon Sep 29, 2014 5:49 pm

StephenKay wrote:
Veren wrote:Hi Steven, so why don't you (make hardware arrangers)
No problem, I'll just go get 10 million dollars of investment, hire 10 or 15 engineers, and put out a hardware arranger/workstation to compete with Korg, Yamaha and Roland. Should be done by next week.

- StePHen

Either that..... Or you build a hardware solution based on selfbuild all in one pc with build in 27" touchscreen... That works like a module and can be added to any piece of hardware.. Giving them the true workstation experience they want...

Using free VSTs as the base, like a free version of kontakt filled with your own samples, and allowing buyers to register for the full versions with a click..
And wit ableton live free version with a chance to update, and then you integrate KARMA and Software that plays arranger styles as VST effects and instrument tracks in ableton....

You allready have an interface that allows midi master gear to controll Karma or ableton...

You dont need 10M, you just need to use the stuff other developers allready build and offer them a piece of the cake....
If you spend €750 on hardware and find someone to assemble and test them for you and use other peoples free software, with payable upgrades, you can sell for €2000.

I think it can be done if you think with the new buiseness way of things...

StephenKay · Post by **StephenKay** » Mon Sep 29, 2014 11:20 pm

Bachus wrote:Or you build a hardware solution based on selfbuild all in one pc with build in 27" touchscreen... That works like a module and can be added to any piece of hardware.. Giving them the true workstation experience they want...

Using free VSTs as the base, like a free version of kontakt filled with your own samples, and allowing buyers to register for the full versions with a click..
And wit ableton live free version with a chance to update, and then you integrate KARMA and Software that plays arranger styles as VST effects and instrument tracks in ableton....

You allready have an interface that allows midi master gear to controll Karma or ableton...

You dont need 10M, you just need to use the stuff other developers allready build and offer them a piece of the cake....
If you spend €750 on hardware and find someone to assemble and test them for you and use other peoples free software, with payable upgrades, you can sell for €2000.

That business model has already been tried. It was called "Open Labs".

Or ask member Rob Sherratt about how it worked out with his custom synth plans and/or Liontracs. It ain't easy to make a hardware *anything*, regardless of where you get the parts from.

But in any case, I could certainly see a KARMA plug-in at some point...

Post by **Sharp** » Mon Sep 29, 2014 11:32 pm

Either that..... Or you build a hardware solution based on selfbuild all in one pc with build in 27" touchscreen

Hardware is a complete logistics nightmare and Stephen would be better off totally avoiding that kind of headache at all costs. There's far too many factors to consider when building a physical object that needs to be shipped in a box. I wasted 2 years of my life on Lionstracs over such efforts.

It's also completely unnecessary as KARMA can be distribute electronically.

The only thing KARMA is missing to be a complete self contained package is it's own sound engine and sounds. That's a far more realistic challenge to take on than dealing with hardware. The sound engine Lionstracs used was Linux Sampler (runs on Win and OS too). I know the main developer of that and I'm sure that it could be licensed no problem.

All this would create a buzz on Kick Starter I bet.

Regards
Sharp.

Kevin Nolan · Post by **Kevin Nolan** » Mon Sep 29, 2014 11:38 pm

StephenKay wrote:
But in any case, I could certainly see a KARMA plug-in at some point...

_VERY_ interesting !

Crystalmsc · Post by **Crystalmsc** » Tue Sep 30, 2014 2:44 am

StephenKay wrote:But in any case, I could certainly see a KARMA plug-in at some point...

Great, I still own the original Karma + MOSS board. Would love to see the vst with the latest version of Karma.

csteen · Post by **csteen** » Tue Sep 30, 2014 3:33 am

Ooooo an IKarma perhaps?...

bugzoo · Post by **bugzoo** » Tue Sep 30, 2014 4:15 am

Stephen,

Karma + Band In A Box could be quite interesting...

Bachus · Post by **Bachus** » Tue Sep 30, 2014 9:22 am

StephenKay wrote:
Bachus wrote:Or you build a hardware solution based on selfbuild all in one pc with build in 27" touchscreen... That works like a module and can be added to any piece of hardware.. Giving them the true workstation experience they want...

Using free VSTs as the base, like a free version of kontakt filled with your own samples, and allowing buyers to register for the full versions with a click..
And wit ableton live free version with a chance to update, and then you integrate KARMA and Software that plays arranger styles as VST effects and instrument tracks in ableton....

You allready have an interface that allows midi master gear to controll Karma or ableton...

You dont need 10M, you just need to use the stuff other developers allready build and offer them a piece of the cake....
If you spend €750 on hardware and find someone to assemble and test them for you and use other peoples free software, with payable upgrades, you can sell for €2000.
That business model has already been tried. It was called "Open Labs". Or ask member Rob Sherratt about how it worked out with his custom synth plans and/or Liontracs. It ain't easy to make a hardware *anything*, regardless of where you get the parts from.

But in any case, I could certainly see a KARMA plug-in at some point...

Hmmmm, i think i can agree on that, despite my own ideas...
You can do everything withouth the hardware part, and it is a lot less risky

Bachus · Post by **Bachus** » Tue Sep 30, 2014 9:25 am

bugzoo wrote:Stephen,

Karma + Band In A Box could be quite interesting...

Band in a box is non real time
karma is all about real time

If ever there is a PC program i would like to see work with a Karma plugin it is Varranger.. (And offcourse ableton)