Anyone playing live by themselves with Karma?

JoshRDA · Post by **JoshRDA** » Mon Sep 10, 2012 6:53 pm

I'm about to start playing "improvised" shows around the Seattle area with just a set of homemade combis. Nothing pre-sequenced. It'll be like a DJ set where I can hit wrong notes.

Has anyone else done this? I've got my combis set up consistently so there won't be a whole lot of "where am I", but I'm wondering if there's anything else I can do to make sure things go smoothly.

Ksynth · Post by **Ksynth** » Mon Sep 10, 2012 10:51 pm

Mass hypnosis?

What could go wrong if you absolutely know every possible Karma GE?

Good luck.

BasariStudios · Post by **BasariStudios** » Mon Sep 10, 2012 11:39 pm

I have done it and also few friends of mine, a complete Gig but we heavilly
rely on Custom GEs, made from scratch which requires the KARMA Software
and also a lot of knowledge about it...a lot more then knowing Kronos.

pressrecord@hotmail.com · Mon Sep 10, 2012 11:48 pm

Anyone willing to share what Combis/Karma settings go well with particular songs?

danmusician · Post by **danmusician** » Mon Sep 10, 2012 11:53 pm

I have several songs in my repertoire where I am using strictly Karma as my accomp. (I also do some tunes with presequenced accomp). I use my foot switch to turn latch on an off for endings or breaks, and I switch modules for a different accomp on verses and choruses. I like the flexibilty of not being tied to a set number of verses or choruses. I am only using preset Combis and Karma, although I have transposed or set my own tempo.

JoshRDA · Post by **JoshRDA** » Tue Sep 11, 2012 12:25 am

danmusician wrote:I use my foot switch to turn latch on an off for endings or breaks, and I switch modules for a different accomp on verses and choruses. I like the flexibilty of not being tied to a set number of verses or choruses.

This was my main reason for going with a Karma or Ableton Live setup. I've played live with a sequencer and lamented having to follow it when the crowd got into a section.

mathieumaes · Post by **mathieumaes** » Tue Sep 11, 2012 9:59 am

Personally I don't think Karma is suited for accompaignment in live situations. It lacks a lot of flexibility (no intro, no ending, no fills, ...). Also, it's not easy to quickly choose a certain style or drum pattern. You will need to create combi's for all kinds of music styles you wish to play and use set list to quickly choose between them.

I've done a musical improv act in the past, but is was a more acoustic show with just a pianist (me!) and a singer.

We had this big spinning "wheel of fortune" with all kinds of music styles. We spinned the wheel for every song we were about to play... Funny how you end up playing "Final countdown" in salsa, or Beethoven's Fur Elise as punk rock! Oh, good times!

simur · Post by **simur** » Thu Sep 13, 2012 8:50 pm

danmusician wrote:I have several songs in my repertoire where I am using strictly Karma as my accomp. (I also do some tunes with presequenced accomp). I use my foot switch to turn latch on an off for endings or breaks, and I switch modules for a different accomp on verses and choruses. I like the flexibilty of not being tied to a set number of verses or choruses. I am only using preset Combis and Karma, although I have transposed or set my own tempo.

I was wondering to use Karma more or less in the same way. I think that it could help you to play cover songs in a different taste / flavour than the original version or to get a fair arrangement feature to your own songs.

Do you play cover or original tracks ?

simur · Post by **simur** » Thu Sep 13, 2012 9:05 pm

mathieumaes wrote:Personally I don't think Karma is suited for accompaignment in live situations. It lacks a lot of flexibility (no intro, no ending, no fills, ...). Also, it's not easy to quickly choose a certain style or drum pattern. You will need to create combi's for all kinds of music styles you wish to play and use set list to quickly choose between them.

This is the point. You are right, but I was wondering if is possible to merge the Karma engine with a classical arranger structure / ui. I think there is a real need of a product like this. I love the way karma plays the Kronos sounds and I am not 100% sure that actual arranger can give the same feel, but on the other hand you cannot quickly start gigging with karma and Kronos if you want to have some fun playing cover songs with friends in a party.

jeremykeys · Post by **jeremykeys** » Fri Sep 14, 2012 1:57 am

I'm playing a duo gig this saturday and I wouldn't want to try using karma "on the fly" so to speak. I can cerainly see how it could work and probably work well but I think you'd have to at least spend some time at home getting feels and tempos if not right but at least close.
With the 8 control buttons I wold think you could make the groove interesting.

iggymusic · Post by **iggymusic** » Tue Sep 25, 2012 3:51 am

who has the karma software for kronos???

BasariStudios · Post by **BasariStudios** » Tue Sep 25, 2012 11:58 am

You mean who sels it?:

http://www.karma-lab.com/store/index.ph ... ucts_id=50

iggymusic · Post by **iggymusic** » Tue Sep 25, 2012 1:11 pm

no I mean who is using it on this forum. and is it worth it?

BasariStudios · Post by **BasariStudios** » Tue Sep 25, 2012 1:22 pm

I am using it for long time, since M3, i dont know who else is using it.
Is it worth it but it requires a lot of work and learning before you can actually
do something with it.