Behaviour of the Kaossilator Pro with a scale

globulator · Post by **globulator** » Wed Mar 17, 2010 10:23 pm

I just got a KaoPro. I'm enjoying it a great deal but something odd happens when I play it. I haven't used any other devices in the class so I'm interested to know whether the following behaviour is normal.

I select a clean scale-based program (42-Piano is good) and try to play a scale by pecking the columns across the pad. Range is set to 1 octave, scale is ionian. Correction setting makes no difference.

The pad lights indicate that I'm hitting the right column, but the left two columns play the same pitch, and the right two columns play the octave.

If I drag my finger I get the full scale played. Using a stylus in place of my sausage finger, I can see that note transitions don't generally happen at cell boundaries (although light transitions do, so it seems that some part of the firmware knows what column I'm in).

So: does anyone else get that?
Thanks,
globby

bluemind · Post by **bluemind** » Wed Mar 17, 2010 10:29 pm

I don't have the device yet, but considering what you are telling, I quess it's normal. What I've understood so far is that the scale is not related to the actual grid. Of course that can serve as a visual indicator, but you might have to learn where those notes are, instead of trying to exactly hit the columns.

samartin · Post by **samartin** » Wed Mar 17, 2010 11:22 pm

Yes it is very hard to play the same note again with instruments such as piano/jazz guitar/etc...

I've found that it can be inconsistent too from time to time. I think you'll learn to avoid doing those in realtime and maybe pre-record them.

Mr36 · Post by **Mr36** » Thu Mar 18, 2010 12:07 am

I was thinking it might just be that some scales have different numbers of notes and so they won't all line up with the set number of cells on the X axis. But then you said the scale you were using was Ionian. And I believe that has 8 notes in it, so I don't know...

All in all a pointless post. But I've typed it now.

globulator · Post by **globulator** » Thu Mar 18, 2010 12:15 am

Yay for the power of typing!

Thanks for the replies chaps - yeah, I was sort of going berserk feeling out all the corners and twiddling all the knobs - bit like you, Samartin, in those vids. I can hit a full scale now, if I really have to. Mebbe best not though, eh?

This looping & layering is mesmerising me. I predict little sleep...

Kaoss Elation · Post by **Kaoss Elation** » Thu Mar 18, 2010 10:01 am

I find the LED display distracting because of this - the LED grid bears little relation to the position of the notes. And because the pad is bigger than the original Kaossilator, it's a bit harder to start in the right place (perhaps just because I'm not used to it).

Here's what I've been doing. Where I want a precise riff, I set the note range to 1 octave and use a scale with few notes (pentatonic or blues is usually good for the kind of stuff I do). That way you find the notes are much more closely aligned to the LED grid. I use 4 octave ranges for wild Kaoss solos where there is no hope of hitting any specific note!

Scott M2 · Post by **Scott M2** » Thu Mar 18, 2010 3:50 pm

Since the KOsc-Pro uses the KP3 8x8 LED grid, it is a shame that the squares don't clearly relate to the notes produced.
Here's one or two items for the Firmware Update Wish List or KOsc-Pro 2 Wishlist:

If possible, for typical 8 note scales in one-octave-mode having one note per grid square
and for 8 note scales in two-octave-mode having two notes per grid square would be a great help
for more precise and repeatable playing for a Pro model. The LED squares would become more like actual instrument keys.

An LED Option for all LEDs to be always lit except the one "in play" (last-touched) would make the grid more easily observed
in a live (or any) situation to assist in finding notes. (This is the reverse of the last-touched is the only LED lit option.)
The name of the patch could still scroll through but then all LEDs simply light-up instead of making pretty patterns.

Mr36 · Post by **Mr36** » Sat Mar 20, 2010 9:32 pm

Have you tried testing the Touch Pad Correction function? Maybe that has something to do with the inconsistencies...

k0va5 · Post by **k0va5** » Thu Apr 01, 2010 1:26 pm

samartin wrote:Yes it is very hard to play the same note again with instruments such as piano/jazz guitar/etc...

I've found that it can be inconsistent too from time to time. I think you'll learn to avoid doing those in realtime and maybe pre-record them.

try chaning the scale to 5ths.. thats a lot easier

SMK · Post by **SMK** » Thu Apr 15, 2010 10:14 am

Scott M2 wrote:Since the KOsc-Pro uses the KP3 8x8 LED grid, it is a shame that the squares don't clearly relate to the notes produced.
Here's one or two items for the Firmware Update Wish List or KOsc-Pro 2 Wishlist:

If possible, for typical 8 note scales in one-octave-mode having one note per grid square
and for 8 note scales in two-octave-mode having two notes per grid square would be a great help
for more precise and repeatable playing for a Pro model. The LED squares would become more like actual instrument keys.

An LED Option for all LEDs to be always lit except the one "in play" (last-touched) would make the grid more easily observed
in a live (or any) situation to assist in finding notes. (This is the reverse of the last-touched is the only LED lit option.)
The name of the patch could still scroll through but then all LEDs simply light-up instead of making pretty patterns.

Added to the updated list:

http://www.korgforums.com/forum/phpBB2/ ... 593#329593