Re: KP3

[mech <mech@m3ch.net>]

At 10:42 PM -0800 12/30/06, mark sottilaro wrote:
>Judging by your description I think Korg did it's
>customers a service by creating something that's
>different not just a kp2 with some new features.
>Perhaps they'll continue to sell both?

Yeah, I think of the whole KP series more like complementary units. 
Unfortunately, our first tendency is to consider every new release as 
a replacement for all its predecessors.  Most new products are for 
some reason judged as inferior if they don't encapsulate every 
function of every previous version.

Mebbe we've just been spoiled by bloatware, I dunno.

I've been thinking more and more about the quantization issue, 
though, and I think it gets back to Korg hitting a "wall" of sorts. 
While the KP architecture lends itself very well to continuous 
theremin-like control, there are some effects that are just about 
physically impossible to control easily in any sort of musical manner 
with that as standard.  Dividing the pad into discrete steps allows 
them to incorporate those effects into the KP.  The new lighting 
system allows flexible visual feedback so you know where the steps 
are.

And, as I mentioned before, they didn't quantize everything.  Some 
effects still behave just as they did on the previous two 
incarnations.

>  > VST's like NI's FastFX or Bram's (SmartElectronix)
>>  SupaTrigga.
>
>I don't know SupaTrigga, but I've lost many a night to
>playing with NI's FastFX.  NI seems to not really
>market it's Electronic Instrument collection, but for
>the money they're a really, really interesting set of
>effects and instruments.

Yeah, I've found FastFX in particular to be a sleeper in that bunch; 
Cyan too, for that matter.  I'd picked up a pirated copy of EI2xt in 
Bangkok last year, primarily for Metaphysical.  It wasn't until I 
splurged on a legal copy a few weeks ago that I really started 
playing around with the other ensembles.  (Aside: yeah, I'll use 
pirated warez, but I generally go on to pay for the software I use on 
a regular basis.)  FastFX has proven to be far more useful than I 
ever thought it would.  Unfortunately, NI has now completely 
discontinued Electronic Instruments 2, and I doubt they'll ever 
release a Universal Binary for it.

As for SupaTrigga, I think you'd really dig that one, based on some 
of your other comments.  Also, while on the Smartelectronix site, 
check out MDSP's LiveCut, which is similar.  Either is like having a 
realtime version of Stylus' Chaos function.  Heckuva lot easier than 
importing a REX loop into RMX, though.  Truthfully, I think I overuse 
LiveCut even.  For example, you can hear an instance on pretty much 
every instrument I used for my 30-second LD anniversary cut -- noise 
loop, drums, texture synth, etc...

>thanks for the review Mech!

No problem, although I hesitate to post a "real" review, simply 
'cause I've owned the KP1 for years, but I gave the KP2 a pass. 
Knowing my luck, I'll start raving about some new feature, only to 
later realize that it was actually introduced in the KP2.  :P

Let me know if you have any particular questions though, and thanks 
for the kudos!

        --m.
-- 
_______
"The future: everyone is housed, clothed, and fed, because everyone 
is in jail."