Korg Karma

Good use of a decent sized screen, and the OS is prety logical. Although the surface controls for the Karam GE's are fun to play with, the actual underlying functions require some serious devotion to minutea and detail...Not for the faint of heart, or those who are looking for quicker forms of gratification. Probably explains why so few musicians are aware of anyone really taking these boards into new and interesting territories...Pity that they are mostly known for generic trance and hip-hop beats. The MW software that came free with these boards sold in the US once version 2.0 was released is a great tool for getting below the surface of Karma.

The ROM cards I demoed were Vintage Keys and Dance Extreme. The dance card wasted alot of space on generically useless rap samples ("Kickit!") and snippets of gospel vocals, and the vintage keys were pale comparisons of what's already available as free samples, or even in modeled syths elswhere, but I suppose there's a convenience factor of having those extra PCM's built in. If the Karma were your only sound source, they would be welcome additions to the available PCM's but not worth searching for in place of outboard gear. I'm told the MOSS card is a very poor and pricey substitute for an actual Z1.

There's no reason why the Karma algorythms couldn't control a good outboard synth/sampler just as well as the onboard expansions (which further reduces their questionable). The score is raised only by the Karma functions, because otherwise this is a pretty mediocre/thin synth, with a good sequencer, and great built in effects.

As a synthesizer goes, this is basically a ROMpler with rather unimpressive filters. It will produce some interesting tones from it's good PCMs, but the quantising limits movement to the tone, and the zipper effect limits realtime control. The excellent effects section does wonders for the thin sounding sources.

The build quality is abit better than it looks, but not by much. I've seen several Karma's that have switches and encoder dials that are either pooched, or on their way out...not a good sign in general...although admittedly these were on boards that looked as though they had negligent owners to begin with. Still those dinky little knobs and cheap plastic ends do little to inspire confidence.

The keyboard itself is just awfull...even by low the low standard of a fatar style keyboard. The keys are way too light even for someone who likes a light keyboard (myself), and wiggle around sideways like they're ready to fall off. The aftertouch is thick, squishy, and CREAKS (audible and tactile) through it's wide range of travel (even though it is simply turning AT on/off without any value range through all that motion) until you finally get solid positive feedback at the very end of the travel. Like trying to dance with very cheap shoes, on a light plasticky carpet layed over a thick spongey pad that doesn't offer enough resistance before you hit a solid concrete floor....Not pleasant, nor very musical.

Korg has a great Distributor in Canada (as far as Tech Support goes)

This rather expensive synth is just a well layed out subtractive ROMpler with mediocre filters, and great sounding FX/routing,...and of course one HELL of a neat bag of tricks up it's sleeve with the very challenging KARA functions!

But...Unless Stephen Kay's technology get's locked up in patent courts (or something equally nuts) and there are only ever a handfull of Korg models that offer this Kay functionality to musicians, the Karma board (as the first incarnation of KARMA) is not destined to greatness in its own right, nor is it a particuarly impressive synth or controller either....So this model is obviously not going to hold it's original inflated value...and it hasn't.

Once the distinctive Karma edge get's offered (fingers crossed)inside of more desirable hardware...and more importantly in SOFTWARE form (if legally possible while rights are presumably held by KORG), the price will certainly bottom on this particualr peice of hardware, and it'll likely be a $4-500 peice of plasticky history.

One that apperantly still hasn't inspired enough people to develop the fascinating Karma side of things to it's full potential (IMO)....not YET anyhow!

I see the Korg Karma (and Oasys) as simply over-priced barriers to wider adoption of Stephen Kays wonderfull KARMA technology...KARMA will surely prevail and reach a wider audience despite this ;-)
(fingers crossed)

S/W version 2.0

Presets sounds FANTASTIC. Some needs to be modified by tweaking with effects.

Patch editing is very easy

No need to consult the manual if one handles the KARMA frequently.

The main feature is the KARMA function, it helps in music making within a few minutes & can capture all the thoughts of a human brain & then transforms it in a music. Thats Really great.

64 polyphony. Keyboard is good for fast playing.

Inbuilt effects are easy to use but needs some practice to apply them with appropriate tones.

Yes expandable with 2 EXB_PCM cards.

Onboard sequencer is easy to use.

Majority of sounds are FANTASTIC, both in Programs & Combis.

Yes, it is reliable.

I can use it in a gig without a backup.

Never dealt with them

I hv been playing KARMA for about 3 years. KARMA helps to make music in second. I wish , if KARMA would have USB port (instead of Floppies) for saving sounds.

Version 2.0
The output quality is good. The preset sounds thin.
Korg's interface has always been good.

Keyboard is nowhere as good as wavestation or 01w. but miles better than alesis qs series. Effects are good and easy to use.I haven't touch its sequencer yet.

I have not learn anything yet about Karma technology. again, the key action is 'acceptable'. It is not as disgusting as alesis. certainly playable!

Sounds. Now, the bad part :
Strings are so bad, I find it suprising in a korg.
The Pianos are worst than lower end Korg N5.
Well, with heavy effects, I could certainly make it sounds ok in a mix.No thick epianos. Organs are so weak.32MB ROM of what? there are sounds that M1, wavestation, sy85 and 01w that can do better! Where are the good flutes/woodwinds like 15 year olds yamahas and rolands? Did i mention the mediocre choirs? N5's choirs beat karma's hands down. But pads and leads are excellent.

regret 50%.

I'm hoping to get the orchestral expansion soon.

overall disappointing sounds, more playable than alesis.

Wavestation - bad LCD. N5 - bad (1) key. 01w - no problem. Overall Korgs has been reliable

not very friendly in my country (korg's distributor)

I read positive reviews about this board, even from owners of wavestation, o1w. I hope maybe there's something wrong with my speakers. anyhow, still having much to learn about karma technology, I certainly am putting high hopes on this board. I don't think i can last long with this board without getting the expansion boards,(exb pcm & moss) because im tired of the cheesy onboard sounds.


get it for the karma technology, not the sounds :-(

Version 2.0, Almost all the preset sounds are excellent sounding. Editing the patches initially takes a bit of time, but then you can get really expressive and realistic sound. The manual is quiet straight forward, the only input is your time with the maroon monster.

although the feel of keyboard action is not very good, although things like after touch and the velocity is quiet appreciable (ofcourse you cannot expect an 88 weighted key action in a 61 notes!!!). polyphony is good. There are 89 insert effects and 5 master effects which you can use for your program sounds in a live situation or in combination or sequnecer mode. You can expand using Korg EXB expansion boards, upto two expansion slots are avaliable. You can also incorporate MOSS board(Multi oscillator Synthesis System). Karmalab (www.karma-lab.com) is a very dedicated site for Karma owners, you can get more sounds. The Karma community is really helpfull and would help you sort any problems that you encounter in your Karmafied world... Karma software is an interesting software, with which you can create your own GE's (generated effects)which is the heart of karma. The onboard sequencer is quiet friendly to use, I would say that almost all features of sequencer is similar to Triton. Cue list feature is a very intuitive and powerfull song making technology.

Sounds are very realistic right from piano,organs, guitars, brass, strings, synth sounds, pads, drums etc etc.. I very much object to people who complain especially the piano sounds!!! You have to tweak and add more effects like a mixture of stereo compressor with some chorus and rev room etc... Any sounds is possible to be formulated. Although the board has all the sounds for any kinds of genre, I personally think its more geared towards hip-hop, techno, house kind of stuffs. The after touch and velocity comes to live especially in orchestral kind of stuffs..

I had mine for more than a year, I never experienced any problems yet. The body doesn't appear to be very strong though.

I don't know!! I heard from my friends who had bit difficulty when approaching Korg.

I hate to think about that. I would love to have Korg Oasys if I have funds if not I would go for Karma, as Oasys features second generation Karma technology.

Understanding the Karma function is not easy at first, i've had it for some time now and i'm still struggeling with it. Digging through the manuals is a must if you want to get to know this beast, problem is there's 3 of them, and they're huge! 1 "basic" manual, 1 "GE"(Karma) manual and 1 "Parameter guide". Don't expect to do miracles with it at first but with some practice you truly have a lot of power lying in your hands. The presets are great, there is(as far as i remember) about 350 single presets and 350 combi(combined singles) presets to choose from.

The only time i might have polyphony problems is when running a very big combi, but it's barely noticeable. The keys feel a little cheap and plasticy, but i don't mind, i just play faster this way! Karma has a ton of built-in effects to choose from, even a few i haven't seen before as the "Auto-Reverser". I you have the chance, try it out on a acoustic piano, sounds fantastic! There is several expansion boards with more sounds for Karma, it is built on the Triton sampler engine which means almost everything that works in Triton, works in Karma! Isn't it great? If you do not desire to use the built-in sound module you can send the Karma patterns as MIDI to another synth/device. You can also enable "Sequencer mode" which gives you up to 16 sounds to play with(although not live, you must use an external sequencer to trigger and play the sounds, as the name opposes), my only down here is that your amount of insert effects is still limited to 5. 5 effects for 16 seperate sounds isn't alot...

As probably also spoken of the Triton, the Karma piano is know to be a little "thin" and "unrealistic". I've found that can be changed with the right set of effects. There is many good presets, most of them are very melodic(not so many "hardcore" techno sounds, which is kind of nice) and quite a few SE's(sound effects) too! The etnic instruments(sitar, gamelan drums, pan flute, ect.) sounds very nice and pretty realistic to me. Karma is good for most kinds of electronic genres, and Stephen Kay(the genious inventor of the Karma technoligy) did a few progressive rock presets too, these don't sound too convincing to me, but pretty fun to play around with.

Usually Karma goes as it's supposed to. I have rarely had problems with it, though it can be a bit of a pickle syncronizing it to a live band, even to the computer it can be annoying to sync if you don't have the proper knowledge. I wouldn't depend too strongly on the Karma function itself live, but defanetly the sound module, strong as a rock.

Incredible support! Check out their forums at www.rar-lab.com! I've asked several questions in there and most of them are answered by Stephen Kay HIMSELF! Now that's what i call customer support!

I'm a synth junkie, although i've only been playing for 6-7 years now. If it was stolen, i would probably replace it, although i always feel like getting new gear, but i need to learn to exploit my gear fully, as i haven't used the Karma function nearly enough than i should've. But there's work in doing it, consider it a fine art of sound designing. Tough job, but when it's done, you'll be stunned. If you want something new and innovative, you should defanetly consider Karma. I use it as my little inspiration machine, i jam it, and tweak the Karma controls a little and there we go, all new cool song!

Soft. 2.0
Sound: You ave to hear it !
Ease Editing the sounds. and with KARMA-MW its brillant !
The Manual is as big as the functions.
To understand the Multirecording with a external Sequencer only by the Manual isn?t reachable !

Didn?t find the end of polyphony in my Jobs.
The Effekt section is also cool with over 100 Fx?s
The capapilities are great not cheap but great PCM-EXB or MOSS Board
The Midi capapilities are very great hear it !
Easy to use Seqencer. And Multirecordable !

Sound are big big big great !

Because the KARMA architecture is so deep and comprehensive, it does take time and dedication to get the most out of it. But once you get into it, the Karma is amazing.

The KARMA Technology built into the GEs(Generated Effects, ARPs on steroids) is the heart of the Maroon Monster. This has to be one of the best real time compositional tools there is. In addition, its synthesis/sound system, sequencer, IFX and MFX is identical to the Korg Triton. What separates the Karma from the Triton is the KARMA functions and their Real Time Controllers (way beyond Triton).

The sounds coming out of this thing are just awesome, especially the Karma-fied combinations which can be considered to be mini compositions that you can manipulate in real time. Don't get me wrong; this is not an arranger keyboard. It is eons beyond that.

The keybed and the joysticks have experienced some malfunctioning. However, the operating system is great.

With the various Korg centres around the world, with all the online support groups that are available, technical issues can be resolved.

"The whole is greater than the sum of it's parts." Oh yes, this certainly applies to the Karma.

2.0 Software. Presets: Uses the TRITON Sound Engine so you know this thing is great! Editing patches is easy enough. 3 manuals (SHEEEESH!!!!).

62 Poly. Light keyboard action (Good). Uses 3.5" Floppys. Haven't used the sequencer yet, but looks easy enough.

Most instruments sound very realistic. Karma is geared for Dance/Techno. Very nice onboard effects.

I've only had it a couple of months but seams to be pretty solid. I use multiple keyboards when playing live (5).

Never dealt with customer support and I still opwn a KORG X3.

If it were stolen I would get another KARMA.

Hi there. This question is hard to answer. You can start playing right away and have great results, but in order to understand the full system you need time . The manual is OK (4 of them) On Steven kayes website there are plenty of other manuals. Some of the presets are awesome.

Of course the Karma is the mother of all Arpegiattors. It is a system that helps Pro`s and Hobbyists produce music.The effects are like on the Korg Triton. Many choices. It is a good Workstation.

Piano`s and Organ`s sound good. Ihe Karma is a system with very good sounds although some virtual analog Keyboards can sound very good too. Again the reason to get a Korg Karma is the Karma System itself which is a great production tool.

Mine works very well . Software 2.0 I am mainly a guitarist songwriter who plays modestly Keys .I only used it in the Studio.

The local Music Store in Saarbrucken Germany `Musikhaus Knopp is very knowledgeable and Knows about support. Everything else can be found on the website

I am a huge Fan of it. After trying everything from Roland Grooveboxes to Samplers etc. i finally found the right Production tool . It's fun it kicks ass and is very musical.I'd like more people to understand what the Korg Karma is.Most of them think it is another Chord recognition Keyboard or Arpegiattor which is not true.

My KARMA is version 2.0 by default.
Preset sound are amazing. Most of them are usable.
Patch editing is convenient enough, but I'm using SoundDiver, it's more convenient.
Manual is good.
The thing is not easy to use for me is KARMA technology. :)

Polyphony is 62-voice (68-voice if EXB-MOSS installed). Keyboard action is good enough, but not the best.
It has a good built-in effects (5 Insert effects + 2 Master effects + Master EQ). Effects are very good quality for built-in. They are not easy to use for me. And I don't like that all programs and combis use them by default.
It can be expanded by EXB-PCM boards and EXB-MOSS (Z1 like 6-voice synthesizer).
It has a good MIDI capabilities: channel, aftertouch, controllers, all parameters can be changed by MIDI.
It has a very good (if not the best) onboard sequencer.
But the main feature of this synth is a KARMA function!!

Almost all sounds are usable. Sounds are great, I like it.
I think this synth is good for any type of electronic music.
Onboard effects are great.
KARMA function does not allow to sound static. It change many many parameters (some of them in random order) and every note you play will sound different then previous!
The kayboard has velocity and channel aftertouch. It doesn't react to release velocity.

I dodn't gig it. But I don't think it's "built like a tank".

Didn't need it yet.

If it were lost or stolen. Maybe I would buy it again. Maybe I would buy a Triton or Kurzweil K2500. But I like this keyboard!

Version 2.0.0

La informacion contenida en los manuales es de buena calidad, suficiente. Sin embargo, hay muchas cosas en las que los manuales no son de mucha ayuda.

La polifonia es buena, aunque preferiria que fuese de 128 voces.
El procesador de efectos es de muy buena calidad. Es una pena que solo tengas 5 efectos de incercion y 2 efectos maestros. Lo ideal es que cada track tuviese al menos un efecto, por ejemplo, un ecualizador parametrico de cuatro bandas. Sin embargo, sabiendo optimizar los recursos adecuadamente, puedes hacer mezclas extraordinarias.

Lo uso para todo tipo de musica.
Las guitarras son extraordinarias,
los metales y las maderas son fantasticos,
las campanas son algo pobres,
los pianos son muy buenos pero no tanto como se espera de KORG.
Los efectos son excelentes.
Las teclas son agradables al tacto. En mi opinion, la curva ideal de respuesta deberia ser 4.5.

Ojala KORG dise?ara una nueva version del KARMA con las siguientes caracteristicas:

-160 Mb PCM ROM
-Sampler 16 bit, 48 kHz stereo/mono
-Resampleo
-Banda Ribbon
-Mayor cantidad de knobs y sliders para contolar las modulaciones dinamicas.
-16 efectos de insercion simultaneos.
-5 efectos maestros
-Master EQ Parametrico de 7 bandas.
-Touch View (no es indispensable)

En resumen, habria que crear el KARMA Music Workstation/Sampler, fusionando las caracteristicas del Triton Extreme con los algoritmos de la funcion KARMA.

Jose Manuel Sandoval Martinez

I've upgraded my Karma to version 2.0. In general,it's not too difficult a synth to get around on - at least for basic functions. You can get pretty deep with it, though. I've had a lot of experience on synths going back to pre-midi era. However, if this were my first synth, I'd probably find it to be a major undertaking to learn.
The manuals are not the best, but I don't find them as problematic as some users have written about.

The features have been well documented in other reviews, so I won't go into all the details. For me, the feature that absolutely makes this keyboard the dream machine that it is, is the Karma function. I've seen this misrepresented by some as being glorified auto-accompaniment. This, in my opinion is very far from the truth. As someone with an avid interest in synthesis, I see the concept of the Karma as a quantum leap forward in the evolution of synthesizer technology and one of the most original devlopments to come along in years. Major kudos to it's developer Stephen Kay!

Other features I find very useful are the chord triggers, latch function, scene function, and the wealth of real time controllers. The only thing I wish it had is a sampling option like the Triton, so one point off for that.

The Karma has a huge range of sounds available. For the kind of music I do, which is ambient, electronic, New Age, soundscape-type stuff, it is astounding. I have an extensive collection of some of the best synths and modules available for this kind of music, including Korg Wavestation SR, Prophecy, micrKorg, Roland JD800, Yamaha FS1R, EMu Morpheus, Kurzweil K2000RS, and others. However, I'd have to say that the Karma is the crown jewel in my collection. It's become the one I start most of my composing on, and then use the others for overdubs and icing on the cake.

Since I use it mainly for atmospheric and textural music, I'm probably not the best one to comment on realistic sounds like piano, organ, brass, etc., as I never use them.

As far as some users describing the sounds as "thin" - maybe they are talking about sounds that I don't use, but that is the last adjective I would use to describe the Karma. In many cases, the depth and detail of some of the sounds is beyond belief. I've played some music I created on the Karma for professional musicians, engineers, and producers here in San Francisco and they were extremely impressed by the quality of the sounds. Words like "rich" and "lush" come up often. Once again, perhaps I'm just not using the sounds that some people refer to as "thin", but that's definitely not how I would describe the sound of the Karma.

I had the Karma for almost a year before got under the hood and started editing the sounds. And once I did, my appreciation for it increased even more. I found that certain combi's that I thought I'd never use, could be tweaked into something totally unexpected. Especially some of the busy,intense techno patches. I found that by getting in there and pulling out the bass, drums, and certain other elements, and bringing the tempo down, some really lovely atmospheric, evoloving pads emerged out of the chaos.
Not being a "computer person", all my editing has been done from the front panel. However, I do look forward to eventually checking out the software editing program that is available.

In addition to presets and edited sounds, I've also used some of the sounds from Karma Lab's "Chemistry Vol 1" which were excellent. I'm interested in checking out more in this series.

I've had mine for about two and half years and have never had any problems whatsoever. However, it's been used primarily in my studio and not on the road. But, in my experience, Korg products are well made and I wouldn't anticipate any difficulties.

I haven't dealt with Korg for this product. With support available from Karma Lab, I probably won't need to. However, Korg has been helpful to me in the past in answering my questions.

I have to say that Stephen Kay's hand's on support for Karma users is extraordinary. Karma Lab is as complete a resource as you could want, and he often answers questions personally.
So my rating for customer support from Korg is "no opinion", but a "10" for Karma Lab.

I would definitely replace the Karma with another one if I needed to. Although I'm very curious to see if they come out with the inevitable updated model in the future. This is without a doubt my favorite synth I've owned including all the ones listed above as well as earlier classics like Oberheim OBX-A, Roland Juno 106, D-50, etc. I actually sold an awesome synth that I really loved - the Kawai K5000S - to be able to buy the Karma. At the time I couldn't afford to keep both, and the Karma had such amazing features that I had to have it. And as much as I hated parting with the K5000, I don't, for one second, regret getting the Karma. No other instrument I've owned has had such an impact on my playing and creativity. It has opened new doors and allowed me to go in new directions of soundscape design.

The only thing I was disappointed with, at least in the begining, was the color. After having the K5000 with it;s sleek silver brushed aluminum top, the burgandy color of the Karma stuck out like a sore thumb in my studio where everything else was black, gray, or silver. I remember wishing they had made it like the Triton or at least in black, but over time, it has grown on me and I'm more ok with it now.
But this is a miniscule point in comparison to all the incredible features of this keyboard and the impact it has had on my music. I'm just now completing a new album with special guest, New Age keyboardist Steven Halpern (who also has a Karma), and I have to say that the Karma was used extensively on practically every track.
(Samples can be heard at www.songpeddler.com/MichaelDiamond)

Another fun application with the Karma has been to trigger it from my midi guitar and Roland GR33 rig. It opens up whole new avenues of creative expression.

I don't give out "10" ratings that easily, but in my book, the Karma definitely deserves it. Perhaps if I were a pianist and keyboard action were important to me, or if I was looking for "realistic" sounds, I might not rate it as highly. But for ambient music and for my particular needs it's the best. If I could only keep one of the synths in my collection, this would definitely be the one. The only other synth that's come along in the last few years that has aroused my interest is the Roland V-Synth. But that is pretty much an amalgamation of various existing technologies, rather than something groundbreaking like the Karma.

As much as I've used the Karma in the past couple years, I feel like I've just scratched the surface of it's capabilities. I look forward to delving much deeper into it and highly recommend it to other sonic explorers.

This comment first. no one should critique this keyboard unless they have had it for 6 months +. At first, I thought it sucked. As I began to learn over time that the people that made this unit are 1000's times smarter and more intelligent then all of us combined. I began to realize this was quite an accomplishment. I dare anyone (ok maybe one ) of us reading and writing these respnses to design to completion just one function on this unit. Forget it. It is a marvelous keyboard to play. Yesssss the keyboard itself is on the week side, then again, MOST keyboards on units today are on the weak side, only SOME are very special. Regards to the manual, Come on, all manuals suck to all of us, who the frig wants to read the manual anyway? It is either suffer figuring it out yourself or suffer reading the manual...! You can literaly turn thgis keyboard on and it makes wonderful sounds.

Stephen Kay,,,,,,thankyou ever so much. I knocked you and Korg in the beginning,,,I was very wrong. I am a so-so player. Because of Mr. Kay's work playing along side me, I have nailed being in a great band beacuse of this unit,,,,,,period. If you are a great keyboard player, you will love this unit for the thousands of sounds and , over a thousand Karma arpeggiator settings....If you are a really shit player,,,this thing will make you sound great. know triad chords....?,,,your in.
Everything works great, MIDI, onboard sounds, literally well over a thousand. Expansion capabilities are there and second to none to perform.

I included have knocked KORG for its' weak/meak sounds in the past. Bullshit, bullshit, bullshit...! What they are doing is giving us raw sounds to work with. Manipulate thses sounds only slightly and Voila..
!. Big big strings, powerful over the top Brass. Vocals,,,ahhh, needs a little work and additions from Korg. Pinaos need some building, copying, pasteing, but work non the less to fool many audience's.
Oh, just discovered the drums on this thing the other night, never had a need for them, they're outa control, they're really cool.

I bang this friggin thing around so much moving from practice to playing and back again. Throw in the truck. Korg should sign me up as the guerilla in the cage in the commercial throwing the suitcases's around. Only in this case the Korg Karma. I am half kidding here but this unit does take a licking and keeps on ticking. Static shocks and all. I have used it solo at times without worry. Knock on wood.

Never needed,,,,,,,,yet.

If it were stolen, I would have to replace this thing. Every major sound that I have built upon is on the Karma. It truly can and is a stand alone piece. I do have other keyboards that perform separate functions wonderfully, but they are not the topic here. All together now, we all bitch about something or other on keyboards, especially the nose in the air bla bla, I know it all, pain in the ass keyboard players who have to have their way or they stamp their little feet.
The Korg Karma has some of the best trade offs on the market.
Thanks again Stephen,,,because of me, Korg, and your great/fabulous work and dedication, I, am once again, after many years, playing again.
I gave Stephen Kay and Korg a hard time about a year ago on this product, but was too stupid to realize the genious put into the Karma along side of Korg's work. Like I said no one should rate anything on these reviews without having them for at least six months to a year.
One last thing, I have 5 other keyboards/synths to work with,,,if someone said, "You need to bring one keyboard" out of all my, my, not anyone elses' my,,, keyboards to a job,,,,,hands down the Karma would be first choice without reservation.

Unfortunately, the manual is poorly written. As with many synths, the manual would be much more useful if explanations were writtne with better grammar and followed by demonstrative examples. The Karma manual seems almost like it is trying to be a comprehensive flow chart of sorts but for what its worth, I find it tedious and at times lacks clarity.

The features are good considering the Karma function. I have been using this as a controller for some time. I use some of the bass sounds, sometimes some of the drum sounds and a few of the lead and pad sounds but mostly the controller and Karma functions. These are easy to use and quite useful.

The so unds are not really that bad as others would have us believe. I have never considered this instrument one to go to for realistic sounds. For that I used an Emu hardware sampler until I got Kontakt and Garritan PO. Those provide my realistic sounds. Korg has not advanced their soundset like Yamaha has done and I suspect that they are simply banking on old techonology cause it still sells and does not require much investment. I would imagine that Korg reasons the synth market is going software and eventually will go nearly completely software so investment into defeloping hardwaye synths is not wise. In fact, Korg has just released some software versions of some of thier classic pieces with a cool scaled down M-20 (is that the model number?). Anyway, my hardware sunths are about how they work as controllers. I like the Karma for the Karma function since the keyboard makes a good controller as do many dedicated controllers but gives a bit more by including Karma, some useful internal sounds, decent effects and expandabliity.

No problems.

Stephen Kaye is remarkable in this respect. The s upport network for t his instrument makes it even more interesting depending on how deep you want to go.

If the sounds were better, this wo uld be an 8 or 9 but I would add that there are some very usable sounds. I suspect that the sounds could be improved by the user if you want to invest the time and effort. For some of us though, programming synths takes time a way from other production and compositional tasks.

Korgs have been easy for me. Easier than roland, yamaha, alesis etc... The preset/combi is OK, Korg-ish, highly commercial perhaps. Combination Not as breathtaking as my old Yamaha SY85.Overall this is easy to use, the Korg's advantage over others. Alesis has the worst (really) interface ever created in synth history.

Keyboard, hmmmmmmmm light. My favourite feel is Korg Wavestation.I get better keys with early 90's products.But Features are all well built-in.

Sounds are all uninspiring.Thin. Like Triton-thin. (Better than N-Series). even PSR9000(!!!) sounded better.

Not a pleasure to play.

Effects are fine. Yamaha's better.

Korgs are pretty much dependable

I have been playing 7 years. I own SY77, SY85, Wavestation, QS7, S4, N5, XP80, RD600, 05R/W, AKAI SG01k, P50M, FS1R. I think i know what I'm talking about when it comes to sounds.Karma does not have that special sound quality.

But for those who can accept the sounds, its a good buy with all the features/optional boards, sequencer, GEs etc.....

I'm using the 2.0 software and have found this keyboard to be incredibly playable. After learning a few basics about the different ways in which the nontraditional buttons affect the sound, it was cake to play. I love the tempo knob because it allows you to craft a preset that doesn't sounds great into a smooth beat in about two minutes. Patches take a little reading to edit, but this board really isn't meant for static sound design. It's more of a performance synthesizer that allows you to easily manipulate loops by playing multiple parts simultaneously, all in real-time. The manual is incredibly thorough and aside from reading the 20 page getting started section, should be used on an as needed basis.

The most important 5 features I've found are: 1. The Karma Function, 2. The Chord Triggers, 3. The Latch Button, 4. The Key's Velocity & Aftertouch, and 5. The Tempo Knob.

1. The Karma function turns single notes into playable sequences of sounds that affect one another.
2. The Chord Triggers allow you to program the chord progressions for your songs into 5 buttons -- making it possible to play full chord progressions with one hand while using the other to control the realtime effects.
3. The Latch button allows you to press a button and let go with the button behaving as if you were still holding it --- very convenient.
4. The keys play different related patches based on how fast they're pressed, how long they're held, and where they are located on the keyboard.
5. The tempo knob allows you to easily change loop tempo to find a groove that fits your song needs in under a minute.

This board is best for people with electro-acoustic needs that want new sounds with organic roots. The effects work fine and the key-response is excellent. Warning: this is not an electric piano, and the keys do not feel like those on a piano -- thus, piano abilities are not rewarded.

As far as sound quality, the bass has more punch on some pads than my PA can comfortably handle without some adjustments -- nice.

Of course, it's a professional keyboard, feels incredibly solid.

Any questions can be answered easily by "user experts" at karma-labs.com. The synth's designer, Stephen Kay will often respond to questions personally -- very cool.

I've been playing for two years and would replace it immediately if stolen. I shopped for a set of keys for months and honestly feel this is the best performance synth for playing live loops on stage with ease. It makes the songwriting process incredibly accessible and new again -- it's not a synth for programming enthusiasts or sound purists, it's a board for those wanting something new, fresh and most importantly, fun.

i think the karma isn't made for nerds. its so complex as a studiosynth. when im in the studio i always use the effects from the karma.
with live playing it is a great board 2, the factory programs are a bit dry, but once u really know where u can find everything and start to create own programs. WOW thats great. and the chord buttons are easy 2, during a solo. it takes a little time, but its great.

its a bit difficult 2 edit paches, but once uve done it, u cant 4get it.
the manual is great 2, because uve got 2 manuals: one easy and one for further studying. so when ure a experimental person (like me) u readthe easy one

the action of the keyboard feels a bit slow, but when ure used 2 it its no problem anymore
of course u have expansion capabilities, but i dont use them, because i arrange by my self a lot
i also use it as a master-midiboard, which is easy 2 do. all the latest capabilities are there
the sequencer, i dont use it a lot, isgreat

i use the karma with my metalband, and its very great. the sounds are realistic (a violin is a ciolin, not a cello for example), and they become more realistic whith shifting keypressure.

i can really depend on it. once it fell from my stars (its a really heavy board)and: not even a scratch. i use it without a backup.

the service is great. i dont need a upgrade and it doesnt need repairs

if it gets stolen, i buy it again, its that great.
i play 12 yeards now and i own a roland jv 90 and an d70, but the korg rules. i love everyting on it.

This keyboard is not for novices!!! The features on this monster are so overwhelming that someone new to music technology would have no idea what to do with them. Once you learn how to use them, all of the features are very consistent and easy to access. The presets sound very dry and thin, but with the right effects mixes added, they sound incredible. The process for updating the operating system is simple but somewhat lengthy. Editing patches is fairly straight forward, and no computer software is required, but navigating through the many pages can be confusing and cumbersome. The synthesis system is so complex that just tweaking one patch could take hours if you don't know EXACTLY what you're doing. The manuals (there's like three of them) provided are very detailed, and cover everything you need to know.

The KARMA has a unique 62-voice polyphony (I would love to know what happened to those other 2 voices)...The keyboard action is much improved from the 01/W and the Trinity, since the keys don't strike with as much excessive force. The effects section is WICKED! Probably one of the biggest perks in the whole unit. You can use up to 2 master effects and 5 insert effects, plus a master parametric EQ. In essence you could have up to 4 effects processers altering a single instrument, and still have effects buses to spare for other channels. The effects are very easy to use and route to channels/timbres, and can be sync'd to the a sequencer or the KARMA-function metronome. The KARMA has two card slots for PCM-ROM expansion cards, or even the MOSS synth expansion. There is, however no sampling capability on the instrument. The keyboard has pressure sensitive keys, two assignable switch buttons, 4 assignable knobs, MIDI IN/OUT/THRU, a pedal jack, a footswitch jack, a disk drive, a very POWERFUL 17-track sequencer, a X/Y-joystick, and a ton of sequencer, program, and combination memory. If there's anything you don't like on the unit, EVERYTHING IS PROGRAMMABLE...just reprogram it.

Some of the instruments are even more life-like than the real thing. The drums are punchy and very life-like. The saxes are very versatile, and are programmed to emulate breath-noises and growls when triggered by certain controllers. Most of the presets have little surprises in them that can be brought out by controllers such as velocity, aftertouch, the joystick, and the assignable knobs. The brass sounds are probably the nicest i've heard on any synth. The strings are very thin and buzzy, but can be tweaked by editing the programs, and adding effects. I reprogrammed a string patch with the parameters from the 01/Wfd program "TheStrings" and i found a huge improvement. The piano presets are terrible, but once you add some reverb and a Parametric EQ, boost the lower freqs and attenuate the higher freqs, they sound very realistic and are very versatile to fit any style of playing. The woodwind sounds don't really have much life in them, and the samples really are not very good. I found there really isn't a whole lot you can do with any of the oboe, clarinet, or flute sounds in sequencing. Even the effects built in don't seem do do anything for them. The timpani sample is a very plain sample, and does not offer a lot of versatility. What can I say, it's just really not a good sample.

I also purchased the Triton/Karma Orchestra EXB-PCM06/07 cards, and I must say that these cards really make up for what the original PCM ROM lacks in. The string samples are exquisite, and very classy sounding. The set comes with 16 MB of just string samples alone, and the other card is dedicated to wind and perussion instruments. The flute sound is one of the most realistic I've heard, and the oboe and clarinet sounds can hold their own. The brass ensemble sounds on the cards aren't as good as the original ones, but the solo instrument sounds are very realistic, versatile, and respond very well to playing. The timpani sound provided is still a bit sticky and bright, but again, you can just throw in a ParaEQ effect to give it some life. All of the other multisamples fill in the gaps the KARMA originally left.

Just like the other KORG instruments, you could probably throw this thing off a 5-story building and it could still get you through a gig.

Stephen Kay, the inventor of the KARMA has created a very comprehensive support forum dedicated to this instrument. Any help you need can be found there.

This instrument is irreplaceable to me, and I need it for everything I do. I have two choirs at a school, and this instrument is offering me a lot of abilities I never had before. My only real complaint is that Korg would stop making keyboards in different colors. What's wrong with black? Black is neutral. They only make the KARMA in this ugly maroon-color, and it makes it look all tacky. At least it's not that nasty silver on the Triton and the Trinity.

If you're interested in any of the newer KORG synthesizers, understand this: Many of the presets on the KARMA and Triton are not very good at all, but KORG makes their instruments so programmable that you can very easily change EVERY aspect of any preset to suit your needs. And if the multisample just ain't good enough, throw in some effects. I promise you you will not be disappointed. This instrument takes months of using to reap all of its benefits. And if you think the piano is too bright and pinchy, you need to throw in those effects to make it sound right.

I'm using version 2.0. If you are familiar with other workstations then it will be fairly easy to pick up on the Karma. However, there are a few functions that can get involved and take some time to master.

It has many features that allow you to create music that you normally wouldn't create. The sequencer is okay--could be better. The keys are cheap! The sounds could be much 80% better--they are too thin!

It sounds good when playing the combinations and programs. When you turn off the effects and try to record you see how thin the sounds really are.

It seems dependable as long as you don't drop it too much. It doesn't seem like it can take a beating.

I never received a response to any of my e-mails.

The sounds are thin, the keys are cheap, the color is awful...A keyboard can have all the features in the world but if the sounds aren't good then you don't have a good keyboard. I sold mine...

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 t