Korg Kaossilator
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 Korg Kaossilator |
|
| Manufactured by | Korg |
|---|---|
| Dates | 2007 - |
| Price | ~$200 |
| Technical specifications | |
| Aftertouch | no |
| Velocity sensitive | no |
| Memory | none |
| Effects | none |
| Input/output | |
| Keyboard | none - XY-pad |
| External control | none |
The Korg Kaossilator KO-1 is a portable dynamic-phrase synthesizer manufactured by Korg. It is capable of producing a wide range of sounds and can be tuned to various keys and scales. Being related to the Korg Kaoss Pads, the Kaossilator is a synth that is played touching a pad that is not unlike a trackpad on laptop computers. It is truly portable, running off of four AA batteries with the dimensions 106 mm (W) x 129 mm (D) x 29 mm (H) (4.17" (W) x 5.08" (D) x 1.14" (H)). It weighs 154 g (5.43 oz) without batteries. There are spots to affix lanyards. Outputs consist of a pair of female RCA-style plugs and a stereo mini-phone 1/8-inch jack. It is nearly the same shape as the Korg mini-KP, differing only where the mini-KP has a pair of RCA-style input jacks.
The Kaossilator features 100 synthesized sounds including acoustic (guitar, trumpet and piano), percussion, and electronic sounds. Most instruments can be locked into various keys and scales. The Kaossilator supports 31 different scale patterns including chromatic, blues and diatonic scales as well as more exotic scales such as Japanese and Egyptian.
The Kaossilator also has a gate arpeggiator and a loop function that allows the layering of instruments to produce loops. The loop recording function is somewhat limited, as the maximum length is two bars in 4/4 time. Despite this limitation, some artists have recorded full-length albums with the Kaossilator[1][2][3][4].
It is possible to overcome the two-bar limit as the Kaossilator records audio to memory. To do this the user sets the tempo to the desired value – 150 for example – and records his part. The tempo is then set to exactly half the tempo of before, in this case 75. When played back one hears the first two bars but then two more will be available afterwards.
Another way to fully overcome the two-bar limit is by powering up the Kaossilator while holding down the Tap and Loop Rec buttons. Doing this will give you four bars, but this disables the Undo function[5]
[edit] Notable users
Wayne Coyne of psychedelic rock group The Flaming Lips wired a Kaossilator pad to a Guitar Hero guitar controller and attached it to a double-necked guitar[6], parodying Coyne's belief in a common perception among Guitar Hero players that being able to play the video game well is relative to actual guitar playing skill.
Diplo has also stated using a Kaossilator[7]
Lily Allen started using a limited edition pink Kaossilator since the start of her March 2009 UK Tour.[8]
Serj Tankian also used the Kaossilator on his solo tour for his self-titled debut album "Elect The Dead".
Travis Barker said on his twiiter that he has recently purchased one.
redkattseven is currently using one in his studio. [1]
[edit] External links
- Kaossilator page at www.korg.co.uk
- Kaossilator page at www.korg.com
- Korg's very own Kaossilator micro-site
- Kaossilator video on youtube
[edit] References
- ^ Gary Kibler's The Yellow Album (visited 13-03-2008)
- ^ Cosmic Curtain's Silver Spheres (visited 27-03-2008)
- ^ Steven Edward Little's (nu jazz) Jazzed Edge (visited 25-04-2008)
- ^ Steven Edward Little's (using Kaossilator & mini-KP) Water Vapor (visited 27-06-2008)
- ^ Korg Kaossilator 4-Bar Loop Hack (visited 14-08-2008)
- ^ Video Showing Wayne Coyne's use of the Kaossilator
- ^ http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/feature/148739-guest-list-diplo visited 13-02-2009
- ^ http://www.concertphotography.co.uk/Photo-Album.php?currDir=./LILY_ALLEN&pageType=image&image=COPYWRITE_512__JSN3172.jpg
