Sonic LAB Kaossilator Pro Review

Sonic State delivers another deep video review with their take on the new Korg Kaossilator Pro. See their write-up for more details and supporting info.

They raise some important issues with the Korg Kaossilator Pro. The inability of the Kaossilator Pro to be played via a MIDI keyboard is especially gobsmacking – though it’s really not designed to be a sound module.

As we said in our 2010 Best Of NAMM wrapup, though, the Kaossilator Pro is going to sell like hotcakes. It’s just a lot of fun to play.

If you’ve tried out the Korg Kaossilator Pro, leave a comment with your thoughts!

25 thoughts on “Sonic LAB Kaossilator Pro Review”

  2. Hang on, I thought Sonic State themselves had a quick unboxing and preview video where they actually demonstrated triggering the Kaossilator Pro via an external midi keyboard?

  3. Per Nick: "I had to translate the MIDI note information to from my keyboard, with the help of Logic Pro's transform functions, to exact MIDI controller values which corresponded to the relevant CC values on the X axis (pitch). For me, Korg should really consider making this a standard feature, as it makes the playability a much less challenging prospect."

    He goes into some of these issue in more detail in his write-up.

  4. Per Nick: "I had to translate the MIDI note information to from my keyboard, with the help of Logic Pro's transform functions, to exact MIDI controller values which corresponded to the relevant CC values on the X axis (pitch). For me, Korg should really consider making this a standard feature, as it makes the playability a much less challenging prospect."

    He goes into some of these issue in more detail in his write-up.

  7. I bought the original because of the fun factor and cheap price point.($179).

    At $460, that's quite an investment. If you are using a computer to sequence, the new features seem redundant.

    Korg marketing makes it seem like cutting edge new technology, but the Roland D2 did most of what this does 10 years ago. with 600 sounds and midi control, dozens of drum kits, step sequencer, it was not as intuitive, though, but still superior to this. I remember it selling for $399 10 years ago.

    It would be a great live tool for DJs, but DJs would not be incorporating the new features, just set tempo/scale and jam, which the original does without taking up much space.
    The vocoder is not impressive sounding here.

    It's limited to 8 notes, no octave shifting, which is ok for simple riffs, but not as expressive as a keyboard.
    I like it, but at $460, I'll stick with the original. Maybe if it were $299 or less.

  8. I bought the original because of the fun factor and cheap price point.($179).

    At $460, that's quite an investment. If you are using a computer to sequence, the new features seem redundant.

    Korg marketing makes it seem like cutting edge new technology, but the Roland D2 did most of what this does 10 years ago. with 600 sounds and midi control, dozens of drum kits, step sequencer, it was not as intuitive, though, but still superior to this. I remember it selling for $399 10 years ago.

    It would be a great live tool for DJs, but DJs would not be incorporating the new features, just set tempo/scale and jam, which the original does without taking up much space.
    The vocoder is not impressive sounding here.

    It's limited to 8 notes, no octave shifting, which is ok for simple riffs, but not as expressive as a keyboard.
    I like it, but at $460, I'll stick with the original. Maybe if it were $299 or less.

  9. I bought a kaossilator pro and I'm trying to do the keyboard to kaossilator interphase with the Midisolutions event prosessor plus, an inline box that transforms the incomming midi data to a diferent midi event. It can do this on 32 events.

    I need to know the midi CC number that triggers which note. Do you can at least give me the starting point on this? Mainly I need the midi CC# to trigger at least one note, I'll be able to figure out the rest!!!

    Thank you!!!

    By the way, great video!!!!

    Ricardo Rivera Puerto Rico
    [email protected]

  10. Hi!

    All I need is the type of CC# that triggers the notes on the kaossilator pro to be able to map the events and enable the keyboard to play the unit. It would be nice to have a chart with the corresponding CC# to trigger which note for tha Kaossilator Pro, if I get this to work I'll post it with the instructions on how to do it with the midi solutions Event Processor Plus. This is a Swiss Knife tool for tweaking and experimenting with mapping any 32 events to other events for any application. ps. I bought it a few years back and have used in some applications on my midi equipment.
    Please help me with this!!!!

    Ricardo

  11. On the KP3, the note triggers' presets are CC 36 , 37 , 38 , 39. One per the 4 buttons, when it is in external control mode. You can actually program which notes these are, but if i recall correctly, it's like one note per pad and that's it.

  12. Can You post those translations here? example: CC# 00 , value# 00 = note midle c and so on.
    If we can post a table for this values it will make life so much easier for us the kaossilator pro owners.
    Since I have only a way to map 32 events with the midisolutions "midi event processor plus" all I need is to have a starting point in terms of where to start.

    I think midi CC has a number and a value to send in order to trigger a midi note on the kaossilator pro. I don't think I'll need the whole chart, how to trigger middle c should be enough, from there I can play with the values to trigger the rest of the notes!!!!!

    When I get this figured out I'll make sure to post it here so everybody can have the ability to increase it's kaossilator pro way of performing. As many of you wrote, Korg sould have made the midi input standard to use a midi keyboard.

    Thanks for your help!!!!!

  13. I'm playing with the Kaossilator pro and seems to have CC# 92 value 1 for note on and CC# 92 value 0 for note off. Also the CC#12 value 0 for the first note, 10 second, 19, 27, 36, 44, 53, 61, 70, 78, 87, 95, 104, 112 and 121, for the last note. This was done with midi-ox. Once I sent the CC#92 value 1, the kaossilator pro trigered and held a note, then I sent CC#12 value 0 – 121 for the notes.
    I haven't been able to program the midisolutions event processor plus to do this yet.
    Also haven't been able to map of events on my windows PC. If anybody have done this and want to share. I'll keep trying !!!!!!!!!

    Thanks!!!!

  14. Unbelievable ! I just discovered this myself today ! All dressed up with powerful synth sounds and nowhere to go with a keyboard!!

    I have both the "PRO" and KP3 . The funny thing is that a "PRO" CAN send midi notes which the KP3 RECOGNIZES ??? Start turning the knobs on the Koossilator PRO and the effects change on the KP3. Move your finger on the PRO and the same movement shows up on the KP3. But INPUT MIDI NOTE DATA into the PRO????? NO WAY.

    Dan
    http://musicinit.com/fastfingers.php

  15. Unbelievable ! I just discovered this myself today ! All dressed up with powerful synth sounds and nowhere to go with a keyboard!!

    I have both the "PRO" and KP3 . The funny thing is that a "PRO" CAN send midi notes which the KP3 RECOGNIZES ??? Start turning the knobs on the Koossilator PRO and the effects change on the KP3. Move your finger on the PRO and the same movement shows up on the KP3. But INPUT MIDI NOTE DATA into the PRO????? NO WAY.

    Dan
    http://musicinit.com/fastfingers.php

  16. Unbelievable ! I just discovered this myself today ! All dressed up with powerful synth sounds and nowhere to go with a keyboard!!

    I have both the "PRO" and KP3 . The funny thing is that a "PRO" CAN send midi notes which the KP3 RECOGNIZES ??? Start turning the knobs on the Koossilator PRO and the effects change on the KP3. Move your finger on the PRO and the same movement shows up on the KP3. But INPUT MIDI NOTE DATA into the PRO????? NO WAY.

    Dan
    http://musicinit.com/fastfingers.php

  17. Unbelievable ! I just discovered this myself today ! All dressed up with powerful synth sounds and nowhere to go with a keyboard!!

    I have both the "PRO" and KP3 . The funny thing is that a "PRO" CAN send midi notes which the KP3 RECOGNIZES ??? Start turning the knobs on the Koossilator PRO and the effects change on the KP3. Move your finger on the PRO and the same movement shows up on the KP3. But INPUT MIDI NOTE DATA into the PRO????? NO WAY.

    Dan
    http://musicinit.com/fastfingers.php

  18. Unbelievable ! I just discovered this myself today ! All dressed up with powerful synth sounds and nowhere to go with a keyboard!!

    I have both the "PRO" and KP3 . The funny thing is that a "PRO" CAN send midi notes which the KP3 RECOGNIZES ??? Start turning the knobs on the Koossilator PRO and the effects change on the KP3. Move your finger on the PRO and the same movement shows up on the KP3. But INPUT MIDI NOTE DATA into the PRO????? NO WAY.

    Dan
    http://musicinit.com/fastfingers.php

  19. Unbelievable ! I just discovered this myself today ! All dressed up with powerful synth sounds and nowhere to go with a keyboard!!

    I have both the "PRO" and KP3 . The funny thing is that a "PRO" CAN send midi notes which the KP3 RECOGNIZES ??? Start turning the knobs on the Koossilator PRO and the effects change on the KP3. Move your finger on the PRO and the same movement shows up on the KP3. But INPUT MIDI NOTE DATA into the PRO????? NO WAY.

    Dan
    http://musicinit.com/fastfingers.php

  20. Hello

    Is there anyway I could get my hand on a guide so i can connect my midi-keyboard to my Kaossilator Pro, using Logic Pro 9?
    Can´t seem to find anything on the internet except this site, and all it says is that it works…

    1. I bought this patch from Andres and it’s great! Works as advertised. You can buy with confidence. I now play my Kaossilator Pro from my keyboard! Ian.

  22. I finally succeded today! at programing my midisolutions “Event Processor Plus” to plug in a midi keyboard and play 2 octaves on the kaossilator pro! Took about 27 midi settings, including note on and note off. Note off took 2 settings since some controllers send note on with value 0 and others note off command. This thing have the capacity for 32 settings. Prior than today, I was able to make a midi controller with my ipad 2 and an app called midi touch, there I made 2 rows of rectangular bottons, one row for note play only and the 2nd row, same notes but will control the Y axis as you play the note and slide the finger on it like a ribbon control. Also made in the same page a ribon Y axis and several small preset bottons to change sounds with one touch. As today the only ipad app that can send Many “Control Change” messages is MidiTouch. I do like the Midi Designer app for the “Learn” option when programming and The excellent customer support.
    I will be posting this in the near future on youtube, just have to put everything in order with all the steps and how to, so it will be easy to follow!

  23. For all of you that want to see the kaossilator pro controlled by a midi keyboard, go to youtube and search for: rikochetti I have one video using a midi keyboard and have another video using my ipad 2 with an app as a midi controller. It is only demostration videos, no musical performance!

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