Kaoss comparison (was: Kaosilator and new Mini Kaos)

["Rainer Thelonius Balthasar Straschill" <rs@moinlabs.de>]

David said:

> I was eyeing the KP3. Would you recommend this pair over that?  Price
points? 

I have some Kaoss experience, note that however while I own the KP1, KP2 
and
KP3, I have never played (or even seen) the Kaossmini or Kaossilator.

KP1, KP2 and KP3:
-----------------

The first KP didn't offer many of the options the current variants have to
offer. Sampling was only possible in the "Sample" effect programs (although
they really offer great fun, scratching a sample turntable-like is always a
great performance effect). And they weren't any MIDI-synced effects in it,
which makes integrating the later variants in a groove-based music 
framework
so nice.
However, there is still one reason to use it: while all of the later
variants sound very contemporary from a sound quality standpoint, the KP1
has that lofi-digital kind of charme. Send a lifeless organ sound through
the distortion lowpass filter, and you suddenly got a screaming and puking
hammond.

There were a few important additions for the KP2: MIDI-synced effects and
two (one-shot) sample slots independent of the effect you're using - plus 
an
increased amount of effect algorithms.

The KP3 adds yet a few more effect algorithms, but the most important 
change
is this: you have four independent loop samples (no overdub or "first loop
capability" here, though), which can run in parallel, adjusted in volume,
single segments switched on and off and turned on and off altogether. With
that comes a resample functionality, which for the first time in Kaoss
history allows you to sample the output of the KP, not the input (meaning
effects are contained here). Note that with software version 2.0 (free
download), it now allows changing track volume and segment switching while
the other tracks continue playing - an important feature request Korg
answered! These samples can be stored on a SD card and transferred to the
computer via USB.
Another nice thing is that the patch names are now displayed on the pad in
full - not just numbers!

Note that all of them (not sure right now about the KP1 here) have some
synth patches, but they can be seen rather as an addon. For that reason, 
the
KPs are really effects and not instruments (although you can load samples
into the KP3 and use it as a sample loop player).


KPmini and Kaossilator:
-----------------------

The KPmini appears to me as a trimmed-down version of the KP3, without all
of the sampling stuff, and also not including microphone and turntable 
input
like the KP2 and KP1.

Now the Kaossilator is a really different story, because it seems to offer 
a
looper with overdub (but without feedback control as it seems) for the 
synth
stuff you play here. No audio effects of any kind, but if you're after the
"instrument" aspect of the Kaoss series (meaning you'd like to have some 
toy
which beeps when you move your finger on it), then it seems to be something
you can use to play around and have fun.

Price tag: KPmini and Kaossilator together cost less than a KP3 but more
than a KP2.

Thanks for bringing that discussion up - I wouldn't have found out about
that great software update without it!

(off to play with the Kaoss pad...)

        Rainer