Korg Karma

seems very straight forward and logical.Soundiver helps !...ts actaully essential for sorting or organising patches.

i wont go into this.....

its sound is fine but thin in comparison to the Z1 or old wavestation of even the larger tritons....yes they all have the same algorithmns..( triton series) but i'm not convinced they have the same a/d convertors.The karma takes some work to not sound harsh alot of the time but can sound awesome and lush.Mine has the Z1 board ,
i own a z1 also...the z1 board i'm afraid doesnt do the z1 justice....my z1 is large , organic and very analogue...the z1 board in the korg karma sounds thin...but again , is a nice addon and can sound fine ina mix.The main issue with the karma for me is the arps / ge's etc....thats what i bought it for...and sfx...weird loops and moving sounds....buy the karma for this alone....dont judge it on its sound engine...its fine but not suitable for doing a whole mix from unless you like the sound of softsynths and being boxed in .

seems solid

?????

overall is an amazing machine with the ge's...can do lush triton like sounds but can often sound harsh or thin unless you work the sound.Its main potential is as a very create sketchpad and arpeggiator.Its chord buttons are fantastic and a simply yet handy idea.Dont get me wrong , it cna sound fantastic , but can sound thin and cold in nota nice way .Good for sfx and ethnic sounds , for special arps and lush moving waves....sits well in a mix.....on its own a mix sounds somehow lacking....the z1 card is cool but doesnt have the unique edge of the z1.It can do the same sounds , but doesnt have its prescence.Its a classic synth for sure.Steven kays a clever guy....

I've owned my Karma for at least 2 years (forgot the exact time I bought it, but it was shortly after release). This workstation has a really long and gradual learning curve. For the first year or so, I was only using the preset patches and combis, and tweaking the realtime knobs to modify ge's a bit. The Karma is very easy to operate in that level, so even complete techno-newbies can start using the Karma right away. The sequencer is very handy for putting down ideas FAST. Especially with OS 2.0, hit 3 buttons and you've got your sound ready (with effects too if you want) in a sequencer track.. then press Record, press Start, and you're recording! If you mess up, hit 2 buttons and you can redo the recording or dub over it. I like Karma better than the Triton because of this button method of going through menus, which is faster & easier than the triton's touchscreen, so you can get your ideas down lightning fast. The note editor takes a bit of getting used to, and is meant more for touching up and fixing your mistakes instead of writing songs in. It isn't awful though, and once you figure out how it works, it comes in pretty handy for editing. If you want to _write_ songs on a graphical display -- use a computer. All in all, this isn't the easiest synth to use.. but it's no DX7. If you spend time with it, you'll reap the rewards. You can get some amazing sounds out of this beast (more on that in the next section) and once you master it you'll be surprised with how much this 'ROMpler' can really do! And I haven't even touched on the Karma function yet! So, concluding this paragraph, you've basically got a Triton with a faster processor, no sampling (bah, use a computer for that!), and a smaller screen (which is actually more intuitive & faster than Triton IMO).


KARMA - Kay Algorithmic Realtime Music Architecture
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You can kiss all your other wimpy little arpeggiators goodbye. KARMA is the mother of all arpeggiators. Period. This thing can truly inspire you! Whatever you use it for, jamming, inspiration, or using it in your music, KARMA works. I recently had a situation where I needed to pump out an interesting DnB+Techno track in a short amount of time. I had some great drums down (made with the Karma's excellent RPPR function), a good pumping bass, and some other padding inside the track. I was running out of time and needed an interesting lead to finish the track, but whatever I tried was too simple and I didn't have much time, so i turned to the KARMA function. I browsed through the 1000+ KARMA Generated Effects, and picked a lead pattern I liked. I messed with the realtime knobs for 10 minutes, and sculpted the pattern into an original interesting lead sound that fit perfectly with the track! I recorded this into the sequencer and added some hand-made lead (for more uniqueness) in a few places (inspired by the GE lead), and ~VOILA~ my track was complete ahead of time and I was a happy camper.

A lot of you may now be wondering if KARMA will replace musicians and let inexperienced newbies create songs without any knowledge create music. You might also be thinking that I'm a fool and I shouldn't use some computer algorithm to make my music. That's not the way KARMA works. It provides you musical clay to work with, and you must mould it into something great. You have a lot of control over this moulding, so you can create something very unique. KARMA is also a refreshing creativity-generator for tired minds! You can not even use the KARMA function in your song, but let it inspire you to experiment playing different types of music. It has certainly opened my mind to a lot of possibilities!

The KARMA function is easy to use at the shallow level, but as many say, the deeper you explore it, the more exciting surprises and power you'll find.

In the last few months I've been starting to edit the presets on the Karma and programming new ones from scratch. It took a while for me to really get to that part, but now that I have, I discovered that the sound engine of the Karma/Triton, despite being a 'ROMpler' is quite flexible! You can make a lot of new and interesting sounds by combining and modulating the different waveforms. I've made a bank full of pads, leads, and basses for my techno music. What you've got is basically a 2-osc synth in one patch, and all the basic waveforms are right there in the ROM! You get all the goodies: Saw, Square, Pulse, Triangle, Sine, plus variants of these sampled off different analog synths. Then you have a nice filter for each osc, modulation up the ass, and EXCELLENT effects. If 2 oscs isn't enough, you can layer patches together as combis for 3, 4, 10 detuned oscs anyone? ;) People are complaining that the sounds are bad, but you've got a very capable synth right there, letting you make some great analog sounds right off the bat! And then you get the other ~400+ waveforms to mess with. So don't complain about crappy sounds. You've got a very capable subtractive synth with -tons- of interesting waveforms to choose from. You just have to program it well! And that comes with practice. Try messing around with the presets and modify those at first. Once you know how it all works, you can start creating sounds from scratch. One little issue that just came to mind with this synth is that there arent enough banks!! There are ==so many== sound possibilities with this thing that it's a shame there are only 5 editable banks. The thing is, I like to keep the factory presets intact so I can examine how they are programmed, and they are handy for some ready sounds.. so I only have bank C and D to put my stuff in. I find myself constantly switching banks on my floppy, which kind of sucks.. but oh well, I'll have to live with it ;P Maybe one day I'll have the courage to clear up banks A B and E. Theres an F bank for the expansion synth EXB-MOSS, but you can't use it without the expansion card, so it always sits there and taunts me :-o

Annnnyways ;)

MIDI is very nicely implemented. I use the Karma to control software synths all the time. The realtime knobs can all be mapped to midi CC numbers, and you have the double 4 knobs on the left, which adds up to 16 realtime knobs - plenty. Velocity (lol) and Aftertouch are all there, good stuff. The joystick is an interesting design, letting you modulate 4 different things at the same time (you can set it to modulate ANYTHING including KARMA function, and you have +X -X +Y -Y range of motion, pretty cool concept.

Mmmm, ridiculously fat basses, dreamy pads, fresh ethnic instruments or good old-fashioned traditional bread & butter, this thing has got it all!

Those complaining about crappy sounds are generally using premade presets and want more/different premade patches.. If you are one of those people, go get yourself an expansion card or get a Sample CD with the premade sounds you want. Otherwise, you can program quite an amount of sounds with this thing using just the ROM itself. I won't need an expansion card except maybe for new drum sounds.

The effects are of IMMACULATE quality! You have so many damn effects on here it isn't funny. GREAT eq and compressor included.

It seems little flimsy on this side. Hasn't broken on me yet, but here are some bad points:

* Keys seem very cheap and wiggle a little when you move them sideways.

* Knobs arent the worst I've seen but it looks like they'll break off with minor force.

* It generally feels cheap, unlike the excellent build of the Nord Lead or Virus, this one feels like it'll crack or something will fall off if you treat it roughly.


Saying all this, it has fallen once due to a keyboard stand being loose, and it came out working perfectly. I haven't gigged this though, and wouldn't feel like doing so. On the bright side, at least most of it is made of metal, and it's quite light.

Steve Knowles at Korg Canada is VERY helpful, this guy should be commended or something.. best tech support I've ever consulted! :)

If it were lost or stolen, I'd buy it again. It is a very helpful, innovative tool that really helps me make music and inspires me. The sounds and sound engine are great and nice to work with once you have it figured out. This is my only ROMpler, and I keep it right up beside my computer. I've owned many others before, but this one takes the cake, and is the only one I've kept. I use this as frequently for techno as my Virus, and it helps me bring new flavours into my music all the time. Good stuff.

This would make a good -second- or possibly -first- synth to buy for a beginner, after learning what analog synthesis is all about. It's quite hard to get started programming your own sounds not knowing about synthesis, but you have all the great presets and KARMA which make this synth worth it even if you never touch the program editor. I worry though about beginners buying this as their first synth, and being overwhelmed by the presets and KARMA, and forgetting all about programming. Either buy this as a first synth if you have a persistant personality, or if you are already skilled in the art of sound design this will open up a world of new things that you might have not believed were possible! For what it does, it deserves a 10!

Using version 2.0 - Downloadable from www.korg.com. It's fairly straightforward to program and use. The KARMA function is cool, but don't expect it to follow your every move. It's more of a super-Casio-auto-play than anything else.
The wall-wart power supply blows chunks, especially for a synth in this price range. Korg, are you listening?

Keyboard action is pretty good. I'm told Korg is still using Yamaha keyboards. Polyphony is adaquate. Expansion options are a great asset. But the expansions still sound "Korgy" - what did ya expect?

OK - here we go. As with all my Korgs, it's a love / hate relationship. I wouldn't take my Karma within a mile of a recording studio. BUT for live performance, the Korg sound cuts through the mix like gang-busters. Korg sound is definitely "plastic" and "synthy". If you want realism, opt for a Kurzweil. I got the KARMA cause I could get a phatt, synthy sound only using one keyboard, instead of my usual rack full of gear.
After using it for a while, al the organs sound kinda the same...... all the brass sounds kinda the same..... all the pianos sound kinda the same.... BTW did I mention there's not a whole lot of variety within the sound sets??

So far, no problems ; )
I bought it new cause I've been burned on E-bay more than once. The extra 200 bucks was money well spent.

No Opinion

If it were lost or stolen...... hmmmm. If I could only have ONE synth, it would definitely NOT be a Korg (any Korg). But I've got a few boards ;) and the KARMA is a nice ADDITION to the endless array of sample playback synths...... all touting the "triple strike ultimate Steinway piano sample" and "most realistic bowed strings".

There have been many reviews of the KARMA so I'm going to write this one purely from the perspective of how I respond to it as an improvisational musician. I'll start by telling you where I'm coming from. I'm fifty three and I've been playing keyboards and guitars for forty years. I play a variety of styles but I'm mainly interested in improvisational approaches to music. I don't gig. I play music around ten to twenty hours a week, typically by myself, and every once in a while with another musician. I'm not daunted by technology, but I'm not a techie. I'm less interested in sound design, composition, and recording,than I am in making on the spot music.....what I can best describe as Mandala sand paintings....get into a groove and mess around for an hour...and be grateful for the experience....no record of my"accomplishment." The KARMA is accessible, tweakable, deep, and complex. I haven't bothered with combi creation or the GE software. I'm sure it would be great fun to do so, and I have enormous respect for people who make music that way, but in the amount of time I have to play music, I'd rather just be at the keyboard. On that basis, the KARMA is a pleasure to use. Real time combi tweaking is instantly possible, as is basic mixing and program editing. This is definitely an instrument in which you can "learn by doing." Your understanding grows as you experiment and gain more experience. Not everything is transparent, but you can get your chops going pretty quickly.

Seven months ago, when I was contemplating buying a synth, I couldn't decide between the KARMA and the YAMAHA S90. As a long-time piano player, I knew I would want a great feeling 88 keys, with superb piano sounds. Yet I was much more intrigued by the KARMA concept. So I wound up buying both, finding a used KARMA at a great price. I haven't looked back, and I have absolutely no regrets. The KARMA is an improvisational dream machine, pure and simple. The KARMA function is waht makes this possible. It is all that it is cracked up to be. This is a feature-packed rig. Most amazing is that even though the synth market is so volatile, and so many new designs and innovations appear monthly, the KARMA function remains fresh, original, and creative. You discover something new everytime you play. After seven months of use, I've barely explored this feature rich instrument. I've hardly used the excellent sequencer. I find that just exploring the KARMA function on the pre-set combis is enough to keep me happy. The key to using the KARMA is to be patient. Many of the combis are deserving of many hours of exploration. I see each combi as an ecosystem of sound, filled with habitats (loops) and species (sounds) that interact in surpising ways, depending on how you interact with them. Moreover, there are so many of them!! Although I don't find all of them useful, the great majority are good,and many are outstanding. Coupled with the superb CHEMISTRY and REINCARNATION packages, there is no end of possibilities. The KARMA is a veritable encyclopedia of sound templates and improvisational possibilties. I essentially use the KARMA as an improvisational groove template and then I play over it with the S90.

The sound sets of the various synthesizers have been thoroughly compared. Of course, it comes down to taste. In my view, the KARMA has excellent pads, leads, percussion, and guitars. In general, it's a solid, clear, and flexible sound set. However, although the pianos are adequate (for use in KARMA combis), I greatly prefer the pianos in the YAMAHA S90. In general, the acoustic sound set in the S90 is superior. But it should be as that's the main feature of that instrument and it has much more ROM than the KARMA. The measure of the KARMA sounds ought to be how well they serve the instrument, not how they compare to other instruments. For the purposes of the KARMA function, they are excellent. In that regard, they are well designed for the instrument. I wouldn't buy the KARMA for solo pianos. It's not deisgned for that. I love playing solo acouistic and electric pianos, and I use the pianos on the S90 about 80% of the time. That frees up both the KARMA and the S90 to do what they do best. I also use an EMU Planet Earth to add more zest to the KARMA.

Absoultely no problems whatsoever.

Thousands of KUDOS to the absolutely remarkable and unprecedented support network. Stephen Kay's availability to answer all types of questions, the numerous helpful and experienced musicians who offer advice at the great KARMA labs website, and the production of after market combis, are all terrific. The manuals have been criticized, but i don't think that's warranted. They are not well written, but they are clearly laid out, comprehensive in coverage, and a great resource. What's incredibly helpful are all of the start-up guides, and other instructional aides. I've not dealt with KORG directly, so I'm not giving them a 10 as much as I am Stephen Kay and his entourage.

The bottom line is always....how has this instrument helped my music? And this is where I convey my unabashed enthusiasm. The KARMA has allowed me to explore styles of music and approaches to improvisation that I would not have otherwise explored. I am less daunted by the technological possibilities, than I am by the possibilities of expression. I've thought about putting together a musician's guide for how to use the KARMA as an improvisational learning tool (but I'm too busy playing the instrument). I was so overwhelmed by the extensive combis that I began taking notes in a field guide, organizing the combis in terms of styles, and making lists of personal favorites. Here's the interesting thing. I now find that I'll explore a combi that I passed over six months ago, because I was impatient or not fully appreciative of its possibilities. I've taken to randomly selecting a combi, and tweaking it until it's interesting to my ears, as a challenge to my ability to become comfortable in a range of musical styles. To my tastes, I'd rather see more world beat/jazz styles and fewer dance combis...but you know what....with some basic tweaking, and messing with a few GE's you can take just about any of the templates and make them serve your musical tastes. This is a flexible, eclectic, brilliant musical instrument, and it has been a great teacher.

This is an updated review on the Karma (I'm the 'Cheers' Anonymous guy). I've had the Karma for a little under a year, and like any relationship, after the lovey-dovey period weans, the flaws within are exposed. I still believe that the Karma is a solid board. It's certainly unique and an eye-catcher. The KARMA technology is still a step above anything else that has been brought to the hardware market lately, which certainly says something about other synth manufacturers. Stephen Kay is still faithfully supporting his product, and it seems like Korg's marketing and hype of the Karma has reached a standstill. Indeed, one can have a brand new Karma for ~$1200 at some stores. THIS IS A STEAL compared to shelling out your hard-earned bucks for a classic Triton. Still, the misunderstandings about what KARMA really is about still exists - and who can blame the people? My opinion on its preset sounds has changed slightly. Keep in mind that the Karma shares the same PCM waveform data as the Triton, so my opinion applies to both boards. The Hammond-like organs really are quite terrible and lack character - get an external organ module if you're serious about organ playing. The distortion guitars are usable to a certain extent, although envelopes are set so that you hear an annoying 'chiff' sound on keypress, making fast note runs sound incredibly sloppy. Strings are wonderfully expressive and tasteful - can you say film score material? The acoustic guitars, especially when layered together are very bright, and string plucking sounds dead on (I'm a guitarist so I -KNOW- how a guitar is supposed to sound). The EPs are lovely and velocity switched. I am especially fond of the Wurlitzer EP sound. Brass sounds are average, nothing noteworthy there, as well as reeds. The orchestral combis sound THICK as hell and are a joy to play with. Stock acoustic pianos still suck horribly - get the dirt-cheap piano expansion. You won't be disappointed. However, I was disappointed to not find any Farfisa organ samples - in the stock ROM or in any of the Korg EXB expansions. But where the Karma exceeds most is in its ease of use. Dialing in new combis and programs is easier than eating pancakes. I spend a lot of time coming up with new lead sounds and pads in the progressive and Floydian vein. Sherinian, Rudess, Kuprij, Wakeman, Wright? All possible. The robust effects section - over 100 quality effects (the leslie is AMAZING) makes it easy to fatten up sounds to your liking. However, a PC librarian and program editor would be appreciated. Hello, is anyone at Korg listening? Routing KARMA GEs can also be a serious pain to the inexperienced. Paul Osborn's combi creation tutorial helps, but it could be a bit more intricate and detailed. All in all, it's still a great board. It's a joy to play. I plan on complimenting it with the EXB-MOSS expansion, a Kurzweil ExpressionMate, and an 88 key controller in the near future. It's worth every cent I paid for it, and I would immediately rush out and get another one if it were lost or stolen. The keybed holds up to my rough mashing and glisses, despite the fact that it feels very fragile, it has yet to exhibit any flaws or breakage. Now, if only Korg made a Karma with sampling...

I would like to reply to that Idiot "Suminona." Dude, what do you think the Karma is ?? It's a sample based synthesizer and one of the best I've seen. Just check what it can get outta the 32 MBs of Sample Rom.
If you want a Piano that sounds like a Piano get Steinberg's Grand. One can always say there are better Brass samples than the Karma ones or the Roland ones or the Yamaha ones!! I have sample CDs who are 100% accurate and perfect, so if you use them in conjunction with the Karma your done. Why critize the sounds ? They sound good to my ears and if you're not satisfied, get some solid sample CDs. You've misunterstood everything!

I don't wanna really give a review at this point, I just wanna comment on some things. I've owned it for almost a year and still haven't learned ANYTHING! But it's surely is easy to use

Features ? Are you kidding, this has WAY MORE capabilities than any other synth!
Did you forget what KARMA Stands for ? - Definitly 10

I don't know what's up with you people, using wrong speakers, soundcards whatever. In those 32MB of samples ly the best sounds I've ever heard. I didn't really buy the Karma for the technology itself but for those PERFECT sounds!

NO PROB at all. I've gigged with it twice.

No Idea!

I don't know why you gave the Karma so few points. I've owned it for almost a year and have only scratched the surface on it. Most people rate it badly because they've only played it for a couple of hours. If your not into learning this thing FORGET IT! It's not only a performance keyboard it's -EVERYTHING.
Work on it and you'll be surprised by the results. At first I was very sceptic and I played with the idea of bringing it back and getting a Triton or Fantom or Motif. But this baby really is EVERYTHING. If you need better sounds then get a S2000 for 100 Dollars on Ebay or use HALion -PERIOD.
The only workstation comparable is the Triton which is too similar, and believe me, get an AKAI Sampler and you've passed the Trition by miles hehe. The Ribbon on the Triton is cool though, and the keys a nicer, but anyway. Karma + AKAI Sampler + Good PC/Soundcard = The best you can get.
I play in a metal band and it's suits that perfectly. I do Drum n Bass and it plays wonderfully. I have studied Piano at ABRSM in London for 10 years and I can do AMAZING classical compositions.
I love it, and I think there is no better Keyboard in this universe, trust me!

Ease of use with the Karma is very very good. I have owned one for about a month now. I use 2.0 OS at this point. The manual made a great fire starter for my wood stove and have not missed it since. Useless, useless, useless manual. Everything and I mean everything I have needed help with did not come from the most stupid, out of range manual I have ever read. Most musicians do not want the severly technical/in depth jargon, they just want to know how to make sounds and get on with there life.

Ease of putting together patches and Layers are very easy and quite intuitive, no manual needed and with some patience can be done on your own in a matter of 1-2 hours. The effects are ok,,,,,ok, thats it.....ok. Nothing more. The Midi is a very strong part of this keyboard and quite impressive. Karma is Karma at this point and something a little better than a new technology that has yet to evolve. Very difficult to adjust and get used to. The technology of Karma is quite cool. Maybe more time with the unit will prove it to be "awesome". The keyboard sucks big time.

The instrument that shines the most on this unit is the brass, vocals are nice, not impressive, strings are ok, THIN, THIN, THIN on all sounds. I could not believe my ears. My Ten year old Ensoniq ASR-10 puts this thing to shame thickness wise. Velocity and touch react like they are supposed to. Did I mention the keyboard sucks bigtime? Its' touch is almost embarresing to show people. Very mushy, no spring back, lackluster touch.

Seems to be very reliable at this time. I would trust its; reliablity solo.

If it were stolen I would collect the insurance and invest in visiting many music stores and try a keyboard I was interested in for more than 1/2 hour. I did not do this with this unit and am beginning to feel the regret. It is by far no "Hunk of Junk". But,,,their sales ad did move me in a "grab-ya" position and I do not want to be there again. Any advise I can give is make sure you try many keyboards for the genre of what you are trying to accomplish. I have been playing about 6 years on and off. Have had many vintage keyboards to play with and am not talking out my ass, (last time i looked back anyway). It makes music fine and can put some quite good presets (combi's)together. Just not happy with the Thiiiiiiin sound, Uuuuseless manual, piss poor keyboard bed.

Very easy to use, but can get complicated if you want to go deep with Karma.

Overall pretty good, in my opinion. Check other reviews or Korg`s website for details.

This is the fun part. You can make some nice synth-sounds with the Karma, surprisingly vintage, low down and dirty(which is why I like it), but you can also make a lot of pretty un-cool stuff with it, if that`s your thing(Phil Collins being a well-known Karma-user..)
Presets are good as starting points for programming, not very useable without tweaking. Overall, the Karma is a good synth for black music, funk, hip hop and soul etc., probably for other types of music to, but about that I do not care.

No problems there.

Dunno.

I love my Korg, buy one you too, if you not already have done so. If you don`t own a sampler, buy a Triton, but if you do, buy a Karma, it`s more fun.

Karma editing functions have a steep learning curve but the overall keyboard is fairly easy to get a handle on. You can plug the thing in and play one note and blow people away.

It has great effects, Karma, and routing options for the oscillators and effects. It would be nice if it had sampling, USB, and digital outs.

Amazing! I have the MOSS board and some EXB ROMs and this thing is great. With the MOSS board I can get classic analog (Moog, Arp. Oberheim) and plucked instruments (physical models). The standard piano sounds are a bit tame so invest in the EXB Board. The Karma function takes everything to a new world. It is like having the Korg Wavestation and Prophet VS with better definable synth sequencing. The Karma MW Software is awesome but again not easy to understand if your a beginner. Effects are first rate and with 5 insert effects and two additional global effects you can get a lot of great sounds out of this synth.

In summary, you could spend months with this keyboard using one patch and the Karma function and only scratch the surface with regard to the possibilities. It is that deep! Using the Karma function with other gear will breath new life into stale programs. Bottom line- people generally get slam the Karma because many of the presets just sound like a keyboard player "trying" to sound like a one man band. Karma can be used this way quite effectively. However, if your interested in creating unique and compelling sounds, coming up with riffs that raise the hair on the back of your neck, or tweaking loops (in real time) that explore realms unknown, there is no better product on the market right now!

Fairly stable, although I broke the EXB door within the first two weeks.

Great! They really on this keyboard to do well. Stephen Kay is way cool. Met him at NAMM and he was just as nice in person.

I would buy this thing again if it were stolen. I use it and the KARMA function to drive other hardware and software synths in the studio. The realtime controller knobs work incredibly well with Reason! I can not emphasize enough how orignal sounding this synth be when the Karma function is engaged. For example, you can have a minor third tracking your lead below middle c and a perfect fith kick in above middle c. Meanwhile, everytime you hit the X/Y controller a glissando occurs in the key your playing. Amazing! That is just a very small example of what I mean. You could easily set the Karma to trigger a riff by another piece of gear in the above example by hitting B flat as well.