Product Description for the Korg Kaossilator Pro

As a trailblazer among the "instrumental gadgets" that allowed anyone to easily create melodies and phrases, the KAOSSILATOR gained a strong and dedicated user base, even among those without any performing experience. Today, the KAOSSILATOR continues to be enormously popular. Retaining these revolutionary features – while adding a wide variety of new ones as well – is the new KAOSSILATOR PRO. With 200 sound programs, a new Electribe-inspired gate arpeggiator, and four loop recording banks that can even record external audio sources, the KAOSSILATOR PRO is packed with features that make it ideal for both live performance and premium productions. In addition, USB connectivity with your computer and SD card memory storage allow the KAOSSILATOR PRO to be used not just for improvised performances, but also as a superbly intuitive, track-making music production tool.

Intuitive X-Y touchpad

 Using touchpad is highly intuitive – simply rub, stroke, or tap it to instantly create complex phrases with a single finger. Responding instantly to these gestures, the KAOSSILATOR PRO creates spontaneous changes that were difficult to produce on synthesizers of the past. Horizontal motions control the pitch, while the vertical axis can control tone parameters such as cutoff, feedback, or modulation depth. This makes it easy for anyone to create entirely original sounds and musical phrases.

200 exciting programs

Korg's synthesizer technology – acclaimed by top musicians around the world – has been carefully distilled into the KAOSSILATOR PRO. The versatile array of pro-level sounds includes synths, drums, FX and other instruments. These sounds complement all styles of electronic and dance music including techno, house, breaks, hip hop, R&B, reggae, and electro. There are also numerous acoustic instruments such as piano, trumpet, and guitar, providing a further boost to your expressive resources. You can assign your favorite programs to the eight Program Memory buttons for instant recall, ensuring that your live performances will be smooth.

Extensively enhanced drum sounds

Rhythm can be the most important element when creating a phrase. In addition to the modeling synthesis borrowed from the original KAOSSILATOR, the KAOSSILATOR PRO provides a new PCM sound generator as well, offering even more realistic drum sounds arranged in kits across the X-Y pad. There are twenty different one-shot sounds for kick, snare, and hi-hat etc., as well as twenty-five rhythm loop patterns to spark your creativity.

Vocoder programs for creative audio effects

The KAOSSILATOR PRO features a mic input jack and fifteen types of vocoder programs, making it easy to achieve unique sound effects, create robot voices and more.

Thirty-one scales for musical expressiveness

The thirty-one types cover a range from chromatic scales to major, minor, blues and beyond. By specifying a scale and key, you can use a single finger to play perfect melodies and phrases that would be difficult to play even on a keyboard. There are also special scales such as Spanish, Ryukyu, and Raga, letting you play phrases that have a distinctive flavor. Another boost in expressive power is provided by the new Note Range function, which lets you specify the range of pitches available on the touchpad from a single octave up to eight octaves.

Gate Arpeggiator provides tightly sync'ed grooves

Inspired by the EMX-1 and ESX-1 Electribes, the new Gate Arpeggiator allows you to play a pattern of sounds that are always in sync with the tempo, generating phrases that defy imagination. The KAOSSILATOR PRO's slider can control the gate time or gate speed, allowing even more complex phrases to be produced. Tempos can be set manually, or on the fly using the Tap Tempo function.

Loop Recording with unlimited overdubbing

Loop Recording can be set for up to four measures /16 beats. Your KAOSSILATOR PRO musical performances can be recorded into one of the Loop Recorder Banks. By adding (overdubbing) additional sounds one at a time, you can create amazing loop phrases by repeating the cycle of selecting a sound, playing a phrase, and recording the sound over and over again.

Four Loop Recording Banks allow DJ-style performances

The KAOSSILATOR PRO provides four Loop Recording Banks. These banks can be combined for virtually infinite performance possibilities. Each of the four loop banks can host infinite overdubs. In addition, each bank can be muted or un-muted, its volume adjusted, and its loop length changed, making dynamic live performances easy for anyone. An unneeded loop can be erased during playback, and a new one recorded, so there's no need to stop the performance.

Loop Recording using an external source

The KAOSSILATOR PRO provides line inputs and a mic input, allowing loop recording using an external audio source. This makes it easy to add a rap, vocal, or audio from an external device to any loop phrase created on the KAOSSILATOR PRO.

USB + MIDI provides versatility and compatibility

The KAOSSILATOR PRO offers standard MIDI IN/OUT connectors. In addition, the USB connector lets you use your computer to back up the loop recording data, or even drop loops into your favorite DAW. The KAOSSILATOR PRO can also control your software applications or an external MIDI device. The KAOSSILATOR PRO can send or receive MIDI clock.

Convenient SD Card* data storage

The KAOSSILATOR PRO provides an SD card slot for storing loop data and user settings such as program memories. Favorite phrases can be saved to build up a collection of loop data that will inspire your musical arrangements. SD Card storage also allows you to create the same show with the same loops, night after night. You can also swap loops with other KAOSSILATOR PRO users, or use your data in multiple units.

* not compatible with SDHC cards and SDXC cards.

Dedicated Editor / Librarian Software

KAOSSILATOR PRO Editor is a dedicated software program for managing your recorded loop data, as well as MIDI assignment editor functionality that lets you transform the KAOSSILATOR PRO into a powerful MIDI controller that's set up just the way you want. KAOSSILATOR PRO Editor can be downloaded free of charge from the Korg website.

* Runs on Microsoft Windows XP (SP3 or later) / Vista (SP2 or later) / 7, and on Mac OS X 10.4 or later.

SOME OF THE KAOSSILATOR PROGRAMS

• Program L015 Talk KAOSSILATOR PRO speaks! See how many words you can make.
• Program A040 Vibraphone Deep, resonant bells with L/R delay built-in.
• Program B080 MG Bass A classic “mini-style” bass that is ANYTHING but small.
• Program C090 E. Guitar Four electric guitar strums on the X axis, with pitch change on the Y axis.
• Program S119 IndustrySFX Tap random spots on the pad… Money, it’s a drag!
• Program D141 Rock Kit Play a four-piece drum kit with kick, snare, closed hat, open hat, and adjustable reverb on the Y axis.
• Program P173 Breakbeats The Y axis controls a filter, and the X axis gives you a huge range of variations on the classic “amen” break. Crank up the tempo and get your drum n’ bass on!
• Program U185 Vocod-Unison A thick, meaty vocoder for use with external audio. You can record with it, too!