Korg Karma

Ease of Use? Some tools are required - like patience, common sense, etc. Otherwise, it is a fairly simple machine to operate. By simply sitting down with the keyboard, opening up the Basic Guide and Parameters Guide and trying out different aspects of the keyboard you can learn pretty quickly. I've had mine for about a month (as of 7/26/01) and I have pretty much explored most of its capabilities. The sounds are pretty cool. If you're like me you want any and every sound known to man in one keyboard. If it existed, it would cost about $10,000 dollars. This keyboard, for $1800.00 provides more than what I paid for. Editing is fairly simple and strait-forward and even though editing doesn't make a profound difference, it's enough to tweak sounds to fit a song or style. The manuals aren't as bad as I had read about but again it helps to have the keyboard in front of you.

This keyboard has plenty of polyphony, effects, expansion capabilities (like the Triton), midi controls, etc. The sequencer is very easy to use although you have to reassign switches and some controls. Even though I prefer to record directly onto the computer I found the sequencer especially handy for drums - to be more dramatic using more than 1 track and because I have no rythm. I have heard complaints about the key action being to flimsy. Although I can see this point, I prefer the loose key action because it is easier to simulate some instruments with such control.

The expressiveness of the sounds is good, remember - this is an $1800.00 keyboard. Realistically, if you want to access any sound you have to either buy several type of keyboards like Kurzweil, Roland, Yamaha, Korg, etc. or learn to play drums, guitar, bass, sax, etc. However, if you learn to use the controls and apply effects you will find that you will have greater versatility with the keyboard. Also, this is a general instrument in that it can be used for all types of genres from Classical to Metal. Unfortunately, the combinations are geared more towards techno, but again - play with it and you can get some pretty interesting results.

Very dependable and reliable but I don't "gig" and it stays in one place.

Never dealt with Korg, better to get to know your local dealer.

My overall rating is based on two things: 1) the price of this keyboard was ONLY $1800.00. All things considered, it is a good price for this keyboard. The sounds on it are good and will be better once I buy some expansion cards. 2) I bought a piece of equipment that I was looking for - something to provide different types of sounds. It drives my crazy to see reviews by people who complain about the sounds on the Karma - they should have bought something else.

I was looking for a workstation that would provide some sounds for studio work, so I was looking for a wide range of sounds for classical, jazz, funk, blues, rock, metal, r&b, hip-hop, etc. This workstation does the job - along with a guitar, bass-guitar, drums, and other necessities. I won't list any complaints because - once again - I only paid $1800.00 for this very cool keyboard.

v 1.04

It has the Triton soundset, nuff said fred.

Are you kidding? It's great and I also own a Roland XP-80. I bought it mainly as a means to generate cool drum grooves but it does so much more.

I can depend on it to generate the sickest drum grooves and atmospheres imaginable.

Don't know

It the cats meow. Here's the real powerful secret concerning the KARMA function. IT SYNCS TO MIDICLOCK!!! Hello! Serious business. Start with some cool drum waves from your fave drumloop CD. Make sure you have your sequencer set to send midi clock to the Karma. Now play a Karma patch with the Karma engine on and the Karma effect will be in perfect sync with da groove. Believe me, this is HUGE!! You have to hear it to understand the song building capability I'm talking about. Anybody who passes this off as some kind cheap arranger keyboard that does advanced arpeggiation is a freaking moron! Check Steven Kays site www.karma-labs.com and you'll begin to understand how revolutionary this board is. But please, go to your local music store and play around with the combis and tweak da knobs and you will soon see. KARMA engine+Triton sounds=Next Gen songrighting tool!

I'm using software version 1.0.4. Presets sound great, it's hard to look at the manual during your first week, this instrument is a lot of fun! Editing isn't bad the layout is quite easy to figure out, effects, KARMA is all straightforward. The manual is a chore to read and not written well at all. It's seems more of a referance than anything else, there are four books, and one will refer to a page in a different book without mentioning to look in a different book.

Polyphony and keyboard action is just fine, keyboard is velocity sensitive didn't expect that. Effects sound great and are easy to use. The midi side of the board is more advanced than anything out there, a second midi I/O would be nice though. Sequencer is difficult to grasp from the manual and many people have some issues with the Karma function eating all the sequencer space very quickly. Nothing to be concerned about, it's just not finished yet, future OS will resolve these quirks. Typical of most keyboards. External power supply but no wall wart, keeps heat, noise and weight out of the keyboard.

Sounds are fantastic. Well rounded for all sorts of music which is just what I needed. Acoustic sounds are very expressive for 16 bit 48 K. Pads, synths and atmospheres are inspiring, I can't decide what style of music to play on it. The sounds and KARMA adapt the board to a style if you tell it to.

It's a korg, I can depend on it. It's not made of plastic like in some reviews, it's aluminum with plastic mouldings on the sides. No problems yet. I would gig it without a backup.

Never dealt with Korg, but Steven Kay has a yahoo group and answers questions every day. Unrivaled support!

It's definatly worth it's price and more. I would buy it again, I wouldn't buy anything else, depending on what Korg develops as their next workstation. It's not perfect, and for writing music you need at least a DAW, but it is fun to use and that should be true of all the gear you buy.

Software version 1.02 . . .
Presets are awesome. Anybody whinging about the piano sounds should get the Piano/Organ board and slot it in. There are some good sounds on here. As good as Triton - I've got both.
Editing is a piece of cak - if you udnerstand what you are doing i nthe first place. The Karma is not (contrary to what some might think) for beginners or amateurs. It is a highly complex instrument which requires a bit of background knowledge.
The manual is typical Korg jargon. Plentiful in content, but not very stimulating to read.

If you run several functions together, the polyphony gets eaten up (sometimes by overspill from previous midi data . . .)
Keyboard action is good. Different to Triton, but not worse or better.
Effects are magic. I would expect to pay #1000 more for this kind of quality.
Expansion capabilities are there, although Korg charge WAY too much for their boards.
Midi capabilities? Do me a favour - this is Karma. There is nothing in the world of midi to touch this beast. It redefines what we should seek in an instrument.
On-board sequencer is the same as the Triton.

Sounds are very good. Yeah, the piano isn't too hot but this is fixed by buying the optional card with piano sounds on. This instrument works well for all music - you can do anything with it.
No quibbles.

I haven't had it long enough to say how reliable it is, but would imagine that it is pretty reliable - Korg stuff usually is.
I wouldn't gig with it, simply because the Karma functionality cannot be accurately monitored.

Korg are good for customer service . . .

I'd buy it again if it was stolen, but I think it is perhaps a little overpriced. Around #1200 would be a fairer price. I have only touched the surface of this beast, but would recommend it to anybody. It's different to the Triton (as an instrument) and in some ways, it is better. If you can get by without the sampler then you are on to a winner with the Karma.
A touchscreen would have been nice, especially as I am used to the Triton and it feels like a step back.
I think that Karma will be the benchmark for future workstations, though as a pure synth, i am sure that there are others out there that easily match it on a sound-for-sound basis . . .

My OS version 1.0.1. My opinion is that if you use it as a simple multitimbral workstation into your computer based seq (I use Logic Audio) this is a very easy of use instrument, such us other Korg workstations like Trinity or Triton (same wavetable on Karma). Instead if your intention is to use Karma presets into your arrangements things dramatically changed and becomes extremely complicated. In my opinion, at actual OS version, Karma presets are interesting only in a live environment, where you can effectively join the incredible power of this algorhithmic-system only by rotate and press live controllers on the surface of this amazing red-coloured keyboard creating real killer loops and sequencing. Manuals are good, especially the reference version.

Poliphony, 61 voices, is sufficient. Such as oher Korg instruments you have the possibility to expand the system by installing optional cards and the MOSS DSP. Effects are decent at all, not impressive; if you have an external device try to use it. Keyboard action is really good. No opinion abuot int seq 'cause I use this Key into my Mac/Logic based setup.

Same wavetable of Triton. This signify high quality in a general wavetable created to satisfy a various range of musical arrangements. In my opinion Karma is perfect for rhythmic and bass presets, where its quality is top-of-the-line.

Before this Key I've used an EX-7 workstation. Presets are really different and the quality of the sounds is not comparable. Yamaha sound is a little bit clean but not aggressive, Karma bass and drums sound are extremely powerful. Acoustic simulation in Karma sounds is not very good.

If you can operation the Triton, So, you still enjoy with this creature!

The Newest featured that created by Steven Kay of Korg's, The Karma Realtime Controlers (as you know same as live sequncer), This Karma will be the best for DJs, Electronican, Jazzy Groovy, Dance, Techno, Ethnics and all kinds musicians. Only 62 Polyphony? It doesn't matter for you, because before you used all of this polyphony, maybe yor song be crowded! Don't worry about this thing!

If you looking for acoustic or analog sounding, Karma is not the best choice. Karma it's just enough for me. But, if you loking for digital future souns, here you are The best Keyboard that I ever know!

I use Karma with Triton for Sampling and I used Korg MS2000, Access Virus for my analog, with Kurzweil K2600 for my acoustics. For my expanssion boards, I use EXB-PCM - Piano, Studio Essential, Future Loops.
But, If you prepared and unprepared for play, with Karma, It doesn't matter. Karma Realtime Controller will helps you!

I have a friend In Indonesia, Wiwie GV, He is the one and only Indonesian KORG distributor. He always ready to helps us about KORG using.
If you wanna know who Wiwie is, ask to Steven Kay. Mr. Kay is a friends with Wiwie.

I will buy it Karma again if it stolen or lost! I use Triton for Sampling and I used Korg MS2000, Access Virus for my analog, with Kurzweil K2600 for my acoustics. For my expanssion boards, I use EXB-PCM - Piano, Studio Essential, Future Loops. If I compare Karma with other product I choose Roland XP-series, MC-Groove boxes, VA-series, and I think JP-series (maybe), The best rival still Karma's Brother, Triton. But Karma created for completed the Triton. Deal?

Many of the presets are tryly amazing.
Screens and (their resolution) are aweful.
Editing is difficult.
Manual is quite good for Korg
(well organised into seperate manuals).

Polyphony is not an issue.
Effects are qood - reverbs sound quite natural.
Midi features of course are incredible, due to KARMA.
It would be useful to be able to quickly assidn all parts
of a combi to the same midi channel for playing from a remote
keyboard. this is a feature missing from most synthesizers.

This instrument is not about its samples. I agree, the Piano
is dreadful, but to be honest most of the reviews
I read of sound quality are hype - most are about passible in
a mis but do not stand up alone, hence the amount of dreadful
synthesizer based music around.

Where KARMA is unique is in the provision of styles. Take a
simple drum loop. Until now these have been preset patterns
playing a drum kit, or a sample. With Karma it's a series of
parameters, controllable in realtime by midi. So if you select
an African based rhythm pattern, it's entire embodiment, from
the basic rhythm, to swing, syncopation ro accemts, and voicing
are changable. So you are performing, and the rhythm is truly
only a style, which you can genuinely shape and evolve in a performance,
and record through midi. the risk and uncertainty is that you can't
control exactly what's going on - and as much as I hate to say it
because I like to 'control' what i play and perform (!), the challenge
is to perform well! If you get a good take you had better have a MIDI
sequencer recording it! But this is true of a JAZZ performance.

So KARMA puts electronic instruments into a new dimension -
managing all those parameters in a realtime manner, partly
managable, but depending on your performance. It hints of
a new era in electronics. And it make a style truly that -
a style that you can get infinite patterns from in that style
by turning those knobs.

As I said I dislike not being able to control this thing, and
and hopefully future software upgrades will allo for this, but
it puts music back into the arena of performance. I've never been
able to program good drum loops, and this thing allows me to have
fun with styles, infinitely varying them in realtime, my way,
ahere I just don't feel I'm cheating (doeas a guitarist feel
there cheating on rhythm when they have a good drummer behind
them).

this is why KARMA will add a unique attribute to your music,
because your performance makes it.

No issues yet

-

I wouldn't buy it again - I'd wait for the
next instrument of tis type to come out, because
other synthesizer companies should be very scared
(yet KARMA is an opening of a door, not a complete
solution). I hope other companies are scared and
take all instruments into this dimension
(unless they run scared too much like Yamaha
did witht eh VL1)

Terrible.
Dear Anonimus, who is saying that Karma != Piano.
Let's make it clear- bad PIANO on KArma is a simptome. If a synth
which uses wavetable synthesis, has SUCH a bad piano it can only
mean, that this synth is cheaply designed and uses CHEAP circuits,
cheap samples etc. KORG is no longer
a respectable synthesizer company...

By the way, the rest sounds on Karma can be beaten by any Yamaha
above 1000$, Any Roland above 800$.

If you are a novice in keyboards: try Roland XV or XP series and
see, what a mistake you could make buyng a Korg. I hate I did
that mistake.

Have had the KARMA for a week. So far very pleased. I have a pretty extensive home recording studio that contains lots of gear, the KARMA being the latest addition. Regarding ease of use, this is a mixed bag...you can turn it on and use the presets, just pressing buttons to tweak KARMA functionality and make some pretty descent music. A friend of mine, a drummer, who doesn't really play keyboards but tries, loves this board exactly for that reason. It empowers him to make some incredible music while I jam over the top of it. However, if you dive in an want to program this thing...you can very easily go extremely deep. Kinda like the ocean...you can wade near the shore and have a lot of fun throwing beachballs around, or you can scuba dive and explore the fascinating world far beneath the surface.

By now you know the features so no sense in going into them here. However, I would say that the feature set on this instrument is pretty good. Definitely a synth that you can use for live performance or studio work. Also a good companion when going to the beach or mountains and you want to compose. Built-in sequencer is handy. The only thing missing would be a SCSI connection for digital audio recording. If it had that it would be pretty close to the ultimate workstation given the polyphony and sound choices. I wish it also had a riboon like the Trinity, but alas. At least it has the good joystick.

Great sounds. Remember, this is NOT a piano so if you buy it and complain about how the piano doesn't sound like a piano, you're an idiot. KARMA != PIANO

I don't like the keyboard feel. Korg has a great keyboard on the Trinity and Z1 but this keyboard is somewhere between and Alesis and a Roland variety. The aftertouch action is very Alesis. I would have liked the Trinity keyboard on the instrument but it's easy enough to get used to. It seems to me that it would be road-worthy.

Korg has always been good to me.

So far so good...if you're looking for a good all-around synth that has the Triton sounds for less $, this may be for you. That was my justification and so far I'm very pleased with the purchase.

Initial Reaction is WOW! - just turn it on and hit on/off, latch, and any key.. BANG! the opening voice is extremely cool and really blows you away.. (I have a special preference for the guitar sound on 014 Magic Flute - beatiful and realistic). So far, easy to use

Keyboard action is a bit "light".. Built in effects are crazy to the point of overkill - BUT the sounds you can get, after effects and just the sheer polophony (is this a word? :-) - of the layered sounds that arpegiate and repeat over each other is just amazing!
- Yes, Midi compatible, although my Logic Audio Platinum makes a huge buzzing sound! (one of the pitfalls of setting up Pro-audio)..
- Good to have expansions, although I'm looking forward to hooking up the Roland XV 3080 and trigggering THOSE sounds..

Expressiveness is a 10,, just because you can do things musically that would take forever and a day trying to MIDI sequence each note.. Very inituitive, and responsive to what you are doing..
-- BUT -- For some reason, the...forgive me if I say this wrong..speaking as a layman..CONTROL over what is actually going is LOST to me.. Sure you can play without the KARMA modeler doing its "thing" , but when it is on, some of the notes are dropped, eliminating the full expanse of notes in a given song.. In other words, seems the engine that powers the KARMA, is not strong enough to support extra notes.. There is a better way to say that, but there you go.. END RESULT: Cool sounds, but little control over specific parameters. It has "life of its own".. 9 for expansive sound creation (ambient, sweeping pads) - BY THE WAY: I make music :

Listen to me at www.mp3.com/ambientrip.

Soon, I will be using the FULL capabilities of this machine.. Inspiration is at all time high: JUst bought it last night and created an entire CD in one night..
- not to rant: but the end result was really great sounds, that sounded very "jumbled" together.. the KARMA seems to muddy up the works a bit, like a wave the ebbs and flows.. not a constant volume level, but a constantly shifting algorythm, that is cool at first but annoying as hell when it comes to specific control over individual notes.. I'm sure MIDI would shed a new light on this aspect..

Yes, from what I have read, Korg is strong, but I prefer Roland samples..
Have not had long enough to make a relaible guess on lasting ability.

Overall, I like it.. but I just need to dive into the manual and really find what these knobs REALLY do..

Next up: A virus B for fat analog synths ..

LAST SHAMELESS PLUG: www.mp3.com/ambientrip

Peace,
Michael

Well i can tell from the reviews that this seems to be a hate it or love it machine and i'm sort of stuck in the middle. the Karma's interface is diverse in that it's easy to use if you just want to pop up a program or combination and start hitting out notes, but it can be a humongous headeache when you get into the details, especially of the karma function. But overall i would say that this interface is VERY intuitive and well laid out. the manual is pretty cut and dry, the info is there but not very friendlyishly.

62 voice polyphony. The keyboard on this thing sucks, it's worse than my Alesis QS6.1 that i traded in on it (which i miss dearly - great keyboard, but the keys sucked and several broke after like 4 months) i can just feel the cheapness of them. however, all the actual features of this thing are amazing. for the price they are not bad at all. let's compare to the yamaha cs6x which is $400 less. the cs6x has about 2 more knobs (the ads say 19 but 5 are for moving through menus, actual effect knobs are 14 vs the karma's 12) and an onboard sampler plus smartmedia storage, as for the size of libraries i'm not sure what the difference is. well, the karma has a wonderful onboard sequencer, a floppy disk drive (which in my opinion beats smartmedia), the humongous karma function, and chord trigger keys (which are very useful). they even out for their prices i'd say. the karma can read the pcm expansions for the triton and also the moss expansion (which could be loads of fun). also for each song or combi there can be a total of 5 individual effects (102 to choose from!!) and 2 master effects, however each individual program for the combi or song can only have 1 effect applied to it except drum kits for some reason get 2, when i bought it i thought each program could have up to 5 individuals. oh well. i imagine that the karma function can do some REALLY funky stuff, but i haven't gotten into it beyond listening to the presets simply because i have a life. the fact they included a seperate 52 page manual -just- for this function should say something. however if you got into it i imagine it could be wonderful, and for those who say it's for wannabe's who have no talent, i say things like this are for original composers who simply lack the talent of a pianist and want a simply enough method of performing live. in hand with this is the RPPR function, where you can make a loop phrase with a program and then play it back by hitting a specified key on the keyboard - VERY useful. there may be a way to do this without having to hold the key down, i haven't looked yet but i hope there is.

the sounds on this thing absolutely suck. if it sounds like a triton then i'm never buying a triton. the guy who talked about how korg offers 20,000 crappy samples instead of 10 good ones was right on the money. i've been scrolling through the programs just playing randomly and i've found about 4 good useful samples so far. sure i can take care of the samples with a jv-1080 but doesn't that defeat the purpose?? i'm not sure cause i haven't tried it yet but i think the karma function generates midi data with everything it does so that you can use it on other sound modules. i certainly hope so at least. in that case, the karma does pretty much make the ULTIMATE master keyboard controller if you already have some good sound modules. also i wish i could find out how good the pcm and moss expansion cards are before i waste my money on them.

i can't really give this a "low" score without having actually experienced a problem since my keyboard is still new and i haven't played with it live, but the casing feels very cheap and so do the keys. hopefully it won't crap on me during a gig, i'm just afraid of the keys breaking or coming loose. kind of defeats the purpose of being a master controller huh.

never dealt with korg though i am very happy with my EA-1, that's why i went with korg when i decided to get a big beef keyboard.

it's kind of a mixed bag. there are some great functions on this beast, the onboard sequencer is good, plenty of knobs to keep you busy, plenty of room to process fx and mess with the lfo and oscillator crap, very useful chord trigger keys and i know some psychogenius is going to revolutionize music with the karma function. but, the sounds suck almost completely and some of the parameters can be a little confusion. i got this thing by trading in my whole life story, so i can't really say if it's worth the money exactly. if stolen i'd cry, try to get the money from insurance or whatever but probably wouldn't buy it again. it may be right for you so give it a chance, but a load of its extra goodies are useless for my purposes of live application. however it's fresh and original and i imagine it will inspire a lot of people. i just wish the sounds didn't suck so bad.

Never used it

Ok - so i havent used a KARMA yet - but you know, Korg take WEIRD steps - whever they move forward - they take 5 steps backwards! WHY?!?! Follow the path - >

Some examples:

Korg O1Wfd - this was a great workstation! The BEST. I mean, the allround it was so good for the time and it had a rocksolid sequencer - the sounds were allright but it really shines with pads etc etc.. so what to Korg do?? They take a good idea and ruin it - with the release of the X and N series.

I mean comon! SAME sounds, Garbage interface, cheaper construction. Same with the N - based of the same architecture and just biult cheap. Why would anyone want a diskdrive on the side of the keyboard?! wtf!

When the Trinity came out - it was phenominal! (a tad expensive though!) - but when fully loaded with the hard disk i/o, flashrom and MOSS dboards, this workstation is still amazing!! It had some weak sounds (Piano) and AMAZING sounds - it certainlly wasnt designed for every music style but it was very usable. The touch screen was a slow and bugs were weeded out with later os fixes - but defiantly the most amazing workstation concept.

OK - So Korg Follows this with the Triton - ok - so its sounds pretty much the same (argue all you want) - the drum sounds are from the trinity PBS dance library and LOTS of it is identicall but it has a sampler which is great. Only thing is, they leave out cool stuff again - like the hard disk recorder - it was so easy to do preproduction with a vocalist - plugin and go! That, and its a chunky keyboard with no style :) But - great board with tons of expansion options - and as for compatibily - can the triton read trinity stuff? Kinda.

Now - the Karma is released - using the new KARMA and HI architecture... but wait - the new creme Korg keyboard looks like a toy!! - And has an external power supply!!! That is not a Pro spec Korg! WHere did the touch screen go? Where did the metal chassis go? The whole concept of the machine seems to a blurred vision - possibly an I series on supersteriods - with a cheap shell??

Korg - if you're in the market to sell pro keyboards - stop building them like toys!

I coulndt beleive the SP100 has a wall wart power supply - its biult soooo solid - and you're telling me there was NO room for a real plug?? Cmon - WAKE UP!

Seems like the cool stuff (wavestation, the prophecy, OASYS, (Trinity) and Z1?) were in a league of their own - but that is kinda true isnt it... that mysterious department from sequential circuits?? I dunno.

Just a rant,

cheezemachine@hotmail.com

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software vers. 1.01
The presets are awesome( for the most part ). Disappointed in the pianos, but i have a jv-2080 that more than makes up for that. the only problem so far is that the combinations are soooo cool I havent tried to edit any patches. I could waste days just jamming to the grooves generated by this thing. The manual is pretty thorough although you may have to read it a couple of times so as not to be overwhelmed by karma functions( which kick ass! )Of course, i can't think of one manual that has ever been a joy to read....

the polyphony is only 62 voice, which suprisingly so far seems decent. It would be a good idea to have at least another sound module or seperate sampler if you are into creating elaborate sequences with tons of stuff going on. I love the effects( 5 assignable, 2 master fx )...very clean. I kind of dig the r&b album noise effect. very cool for breaking down a song to sound like its off an old radio or record then kicking back in to the groove head on. it does have expansion room( only 2 slots and the moss board ), but i havent tried their cards so i have no comment on that. it is good to know that i can boost it up a little later on though. everything is sent to midi...and i do mean everything. you want to apply a karma to that whacked out sound on your sampler? no problem. As far as the sequencer goes, i have an old Peavey DPM3 that i used for sequencing(that should have been blown up years ago) so I am more than impressed with all the functions here. It's like having my own digital recording studio minus the audio inputs, i can do everything, modify in real time( including karma functions, knobs, rpprs, time signatures, etc...)and routing all the effects is actually pretty easy. This thing is so great i want to cry. Of course i have never used the triton...but the os on it is several years old. I can always get my samples from something else.

brass sounds are exceptionally good. when run through the karma, it is very hard not to think that you have a real brass section pumping it out. synth sounds are great also...acoustic piano sucks. i think the karma is probably best suited for electronica and techno, but you could do anything with this whether you are into rock, metal( the lead synth sounds will rock your socks off!) or jazz. Some of the woodwind sounds are very good, but not quite as realistic as some found on the roland. I cant really notice much aftertouch here, but I have never really understood how to make a noticeable difference with it anyway. maybe im just ignorant on that fact.

Cant comment on reliability. no problems as of yet.I read some people think the keys feel like they are flimsy. I wouldnt disagree...i certainly dont feel at ease whacking at them like i would at my piano. but as of yet, it has been pretty damn sturdy. My experience is to never gig without a backup. But that said, it just doesnt seem to sturdy( but it sure looks cool as hell! )

no opinion, although everyone i read about seems to have good things to say about Korgs support staff. makes me feel better.

if it were lost or stolen, i would probably buy it again...if nothing else, but for the karma function( once this thing really opens up, watch out! )It would be perfect if it were available in a 76 key or with a sampler. I love the way it looks and sounds...it just stands out from everything else. i hate the external power supply( why is it there? )I looked at triton pro also, but its a couple of years old already and i just know that i would somehow screw up that touch screen with all the crap i put my keyboards through. I love the fact that they will be coming out a way to modify karma and other systems through the computer also. Im going to be using it for jingles and ads, i think the bar has just been raised. Looking for inspiration out of nowhere, just punch in a combi and shazam! Ive just been inspired! As much as i love my roland jv2080...Korg has a way of making the cleanest sounds with great seperation.

Software Version: 1.01

The preset sounds are pretty decent, nothing to complain about. I used the preset sounds in the first batch of songs I wrote.

The KARMA is not the easiest synth to use as there are so many buttons and options you have to go through, but after using it for a while I got use to it. I have never done any patch editing (will do it soon!) so no comment on that part.

I have dealt with Korgs before and their manuals aren't the greatest. Its not very clear, but you have to read it many, many times before understanding what to do. Not too bad, but have patience.

Polyphony is 62 notes, which isn't too bad, I think its enough. The keyboard action is okay, like the N364, but feels a little flimsy and I'm afraid if I press the keys too hard it'll break.

I have not really used the effects that much, but will use them soon, so no comment so far. There are the EXB expansion boards which I think it is good because the amount of sounds can be expanded.

The sequencer is decent, nothing to complain about. It's pretty similiar to the one on the N364 so I have gotten used to it. But, its kinda of hard in the beginning because of all the buttons and menus you have to go through.

The preset sounds are pretty decent. All of them are good except the guitars. I think some of the guitar samples are weak. Also, the string sounds are good, but I'd rather pick up a synth with the AI2 synth engine just for the string sounds. The synth works well for, I think, all kinds of music from pop, techno, industrial, rock, etc..

The KARMA feature is the best thing on the synth as you get some very cool background rhythms or rhythms that would be normally hard to play. I have not touched the KARMA editing parameters, but will try soon.

As stated before, I have not really used the onboard effects. But, the EQ on the KARMA is good as I can adjust the highs, lows and mids in real time to get the song the way I want to sound.

Its lighter than the N364 I used, but it seems durable. I'm gonna be using it in a performance soon, so I'll see how it holds up.

I called KORG tech support on a few minor sequencing problems and I got through pretty quickly. The guy knew his stuff and helped me solve my problem quickly. Thumbs Up!

Tech Support number is (516)-333-8737 as it is not listed on the KORG web site or in any of the manuals.

Excellent synth. Better than the N364 I used and the 01w/fd I used for a few months. If it got stolen, I would hunt the damn guy down take it back and beat the hell out of him. If I could not do that, I'll definitely buy another one.

Guys, if you are looking for a pedal mashing, high-performance real keyboard synth, GO SOMEWHERE ELSE. BUY A TRITON. You buy this for the KARMA functions, and for those it is the best ever offered. I have NO NOISE PROBLEMS.

Don't cluuter this review board with YOUR MISTAKES. Know what you are buying before you do, But hey, we're musicians!

I have some very serious news about the KARMA (IMO). I just bought one, and despite the fact that I think it sounds reaally cool, I am probably going to return it for one critical (but unpublicized) reason: Notes which have been released (by way of the keyboard) will be re-sustained at their current release point if you press the sustain pedal again at any point during their release cycle. This seriously EATS UP Polyphony, man! No joke. If you are playing a string pad or instance, with a 1-2 second release, and you let go of the keys, then hit the sustain pedal (intended to hold your NEXT chord), it will also hold the previous chord, even if the notes are practically inaudible. You just cut your polyphony in half! Do it again, quick enough, and you cut it in half again...not to mention the muddy-ness that it creates with all of those stray notes being held. This is totally and completely unacceptable. I expect a software update to fix it. The only instance when it MIGHT be handy is with a basic piano sound (to emulate the way a real piano's sustain works). But this synth is not about emulating real pianos.

If you bought one of these, or plan to, please re-consider. Better yet, hassle KORG about it. I'd love to keep mine, but it is damn near worthless. I use sustain pedal like crazy.

1.0.1 is the software version I had. I got one of the original manufacturing run of the Karma. These units had a noise problem caused by some of the IC chips on the board. More about his later. The presets and manuals are good. Programming Karma setups is not easy.

62 Voice polyphony. This is a Triton engine so it sounds like Triton as along as you don't have one of the initial defective boards. If you do have a defective board, get Korg to fix it! Built in effects are plentiful enough and sound good. Expansion capabilities are great for a synth of this price. Sequencer is good.

Sounds just like triton for the most part. Works well for all types of music. Keyboard action is okay.

Okay, my Karma was defective out of the box, and Korg tells me I actually discovered the problem. My unit was no. 444. After about a month, they told me to take it to an authorized repair center, which I did. The noise problem was fixed, but the board worked only for about four hours, then it wouldn't turn on. I am sure the repair guys screwed up somewhere.

The company was okay about the whole noise recall deal, but they should have cross shipped me a new board immediately. I did a lot to get my Karma in working shape and then it just blew! I had to haul it back and forth a lot. What a pain. Cross-ship replacements Korg! The guy at Korg was very nice about the problem, and agreed to have a replacement cross shipped after the first (repaired) board blew, but he couldn't do it in a timely fashion, especially considering I had gone through the ordeal of getting the first board repaired, so I just returned it and got Triton... The guys at Korg were nice, but their own strategy really bit them in the ass here. They had me take the board to a service center where they had probably never opened a Karma before. How did they think this would produce good results?

SO I took the Karma back and all they had to replace it was triton. They sold Triton to me for $1975 to make up for the problems, which is a good deal. After using Triton for a few days all I can say is "BUY A TRITON". My feeling is that this is a much better peice of equipment. The key action is better, it has an internal power supply with an industry standard cable, the moss expansion slot is not cramped at all (Karmas is), and the touchscreen makes the workstation eminently more usable. I didn't need a sampler, but after playing with it for an hour or so it is great fun and super easy to use. The graphical waveform editing is a cinch! I have owned a sampler for sampled sound playback of orchestral instruments for some time, but Triton has convinced me to start sampling for myself. Karma is a neat product, and gives you some of the power of Triton for a 400-500 savings, but once you use Triton you'll understand the reason it costs more. I also have to say that I thought I'd miss the fun of "Karma" because it was fun to just jam and fool around with the Karma Combi's. Triton makes up for it in other indescribable ways!

Well, on one level this is very simple. But the Karma functions add an entirely different level. The manuals are a little off-putting at first, but now I have them mastered, and they contain a lot of information. I actually want more on the Karma GE's, but I see we may get to edit these in the future (April Keyboard Mag)

Imagine a state of the art Korg synth with a hardware version of the old "M" or "Mpc" software installed. The depth of the KARMA function is incredible. The sequencer is a little hard to grasp at first, but now it is easy (in 3 days)

For me, this has all of the expressiveness I need, but then I am not playing out with it. Ths sounds seem very good, with a lot of techno orientation.

I have a 17 year old Korg synth that is still playing away. I assume this will perform as well as that one.

N/A

On sale at Sam Ash in NYC. 10% off the normal price. This synth is the ultimate algorhythmic composer/keyboard. I was an electronic music major ooh so many years ago, and I would have killed for this machine 20 years ago. Listen to the electronic music collection "OHM", and you will read comments about people who were trying to achieve what KARMA can do with a twist of a knob.

Pretty intuitive, but having the manual helps. (Keep in mind this is my first synth outside of software synths.) It was a bit frustrating having to do the "copy combi" to get the combination sounds in sequencer mode. I'd rather see it take your last modes preset as an option. Software v1.01

The presets are awesome!

Editing patches is fairly straightforward

The 64 note poly is nice. The action is of course not as cool as weighted keys, but excellent when compared to like synths.
You can add in any of the triton expansion modules which makes it very appealing. It has all the standard items (velocity, aftertouch, etc)
The on-board sequencer seemed fairly straight forward, but as always having a computer based software midi program is easier.

This is where Karma really shines. There are all kinds of interesting things to be discovered. I'm primarily electronic on the composition side, but after working through the presets I have all kinds of ideas for soundscapes and orchestral. I'm a guitarist with enough piano skills to be dangerous, but not as much chops on the keys. So the Karma function was ideal for me there.

The onboard effects are pro and sound very clean and crisp.

Seems solid and the majority of it is metal (the ends are plastic). As with my personal beefs though I treat all my musical hardware with great care, so I will hold to no opinion.

Haven't had to deal with them yet and hopefully I won't. :)

I love this synth! I think that the addition of either the MOSS or the Vintage Archives EXB would totally complete my sound needs. I had looked at the trinity and was considering it (Triton was a bit out of my price range), but once the Karma came out there was no contest. I had no need for a sampler because my computer handles all that. The Karma function is pure bliss. For grins I sat down and toyed with the Triton's arpeggiator and while cool, I still got musically more for me from the Karma. If anyone knows of a good user community forming online please let me know. I'd love instrument definitions for Cakewalk or other cool utilities like exist for the Triton. (though since this has the same sound banks some may be compatiable) I also preferred Korg's sounds over Rolands, etc.

Final ruling, if you absolutely need a sampler get a triton...but if not KARMA!

software ver.1.01
The presets are fantastic.
Patch editing is something i really havent done on this board yet,although it seems from the manual to be easy utilizing the available knobs and menus.
There are 4 books with the board. One is a basic manual and three are supporting manuals and soundlists. The manual is too wordy, confusing and repetitive.

The polyphony is 62.
The keyboard action is ok.
It has many built in fx. You can use up to 5 insert fx and 2 master fx. The fx are a challenge to set up.
The Karma has 2 topside expansion bays and 1 on the bottom.
The unit has all of the standard midi capabilities and also sends Karma arp info via midi.
The sequencer is totally stupid the way it works. Korg should have found a more sensible user friendly sequencer format.

In preset and combi mode this board is incredible. In sequencer mode you basically have a 1980's Casio pt-1 until you painstakinly try and add fx and eq and tweaking to each track instrument. In preset and combi mode you can do all music types. The fx in this unit are great. Some patches have intermittent noise in them which is not there on purpose. Korg has informed me that they have a fix for this that is covered under warranty. Problem is i dont want a brand new 8 day old synth to require shop servicing already.

Korg tech support has been very accesible thus far.

If it were lost or stolen i would get something else.

dont know the software. the presets sound good. a lot of them can sound better. patch editor is good, and yes it does make a diff. the manual is very detailed and complicating at first but as you mess with the machine a little bit you start to understand the general idea.

the keyboard action is great but the keys feel a bit light. the built in effects are necessary. i personally havent learned all of the tweaks and things you can take advantage of but the ones that i have figured out help the sounds out alot. you know that it expands already. they should have def. put a sampler in it because without one, it is limited. midi capable. pressure sen. keys is good. sequencer is the best part for me cuz i have nothing to lay the track down on. its basically everything you need to create any type of music. good for serious beginners. very easy to make good music.

gotta take the good with the bad man. life has good things and bad things. this board is like life. again you can make any type of music. you can create your own music. fx are standard. a little static. one sound can be mediocre and one can sound hot but if you put the right noises together, this machine will make it sound magnificant.

you can definetly use this board without a live band. all you need is speakers. so far so good on dependance but it seems a little fragile

im about to call korg about the sound prob. with the karma so we'll see.

if it was stolen id smash out whoever took it then i would rob him or her and buy me a triton. i'm a natural musician. no experience needed. i own a microphone and the karma. what i love about this board is that the quality is industry standard. i feel that as of now korg has this keyboard business on lock. i tried other boards and the sounds on those are either more acoustic than karma/triton (neither good nor bad) or they are just so complicating that i dont even want to make music. so ill stick with karma for now, but next year it'll be another new revelation so dont get too attached. the only thing id switch this machine for would be triton. its basically the same except for the sampler and the touch screen. if your into the now generation music, you gotta have a sampler. akai is industry standard for samplers. if you got the money buy the triton if your 500 dollars short buy the karma.

This is my final review update. It is now 3/23/01 and I have just spoken with my "friends" at Korg and they have informed me that the Karma "noise" issue is now officially being handled by Korg service centers. They had acknowledged the problem weeks ago and are now ready (and have the parts) to fix it. All you need to do is take the board to a local authorized service center (or send it to Korg) and they will replace the fauly IC's. They said the downtime should be minimal. While I understand that it is no fun to give your new board back for a few days, I love my Karma and had faith in Korg. I think it has paid off, as once I have it back I can finally master all of the work I have done on it! Long live Karma!

Operating system 1.02

I bought the Karma after returning a Korg Triton because I'm blind and could not use the touch screen on the Triton. I have been able to figure out much of the sequencer in the two weeks I have owned the Karma. This is also true for program editing. I have not done much with combi mode or Karma function yet. I upgraded from the Korg 01W wich I have had for 6 years and will have for ever.

This keyboard has a number of features which makes it the best in it's price range. The 62-voice polifony is more than adequate for most uses. The 16-track sequencer is better than the 01W's sequencer, and that says it all. it's a 200,000 event sequencer with the ability to have 5 insert effects, 2 master effects, and an EQ. Although a sampler would make this keyboard complete, the Karma function certainly adds a lot to it and places it above all other keyboards in it's price range. In time, the Karma may replace my 01W and my Yamaha PSR-630 which I use mostly because of it's accompaniment styles.

The Karma comes with great sounds right out of the box. The acoustic sounds are very good, except for the Piano. But even the piano is good for fast, short-notes music such as salsa and merengue. The guitar (A005, and E005), accordion (B060), strings, saxophones (A029 and B029), trombones (A089 and B089) and drums are simply great. The slap bass is also great, but the regular bass (A118) is a little weak on the low end. This keyboard can be used for every style of music, but it really shines on dance, rock, jazz, pop, and latin rhythms. Those drums are excellent. The keyboard feels kind of springey, but I'm getting used to it. It also has nice pad and synth sounds. The only reason I'm not giving it a 10 is because Korg should have done better on the piano sounds. Electric pianos are good though. Take a listen to A017 and B017.

I haven't used this keyboard long enough to say about it's reliability, but Korg is pretty good about that. My 01W has taken all the abuse a keyboard can take, and it's still going strong. The Karma seems a little weaker, but I have great expectations. It could do without the plastic parts, but then it would be heavier.

I think this keyboard is certainly worth it's price. If it were lost or stolen I would cry for a while, and then cry some more. I've been playing music for about 15 years. I use keyboards such as the 01W, Karma and Yamaha PSR-630 for life performance and studio recording since I have a home recording studio. When shopping for it, I compared it to the Yamaha PSR-9000 and 9000 pro. Also to the Kurzweil K2600, and to som
e emsonic models. The Yamaha did not have as good of a sequencer, and is just too big; the Kurzweil was good, but too costl. No other keyboard came close, except of course the Triton. I had in fact purchased a Triton and would have kept it if it didn't have the touch screen. However, I didn't know the Karma existed at that time. I think that for $500.00 less, I would still take the Karma over the Triton. It's the same sounds and sequencer, and they can share data and sequences. The only thing that kills the Karma is the external power supply. I was very disappointed when I saw it after having purchased the piano. I didn't even check for that at the store because I did not think they used external power supplies for pro keyboards. I wander why they did that!!!.

Software Version: 1.02

The presets sound absolutely incredible. It just blows me away, every time I play it. I love the sounds that come out of this machine so much, that I spent about 1/3 of the money in my bank account to buy one. (I'm only 16, so it's not like I have to worry about putting food on the table, hah)

Editing patches isn't too hard. For the combinations, it's actually fun, with fading splits, and varying velocity zones. This is my first real high-end synth, so these features are probably nothing special, but I'm amazed anyway. Editing the individual programs is something I haven't tried just yet. I'd like to, when I learn a little more about it.

The manual's pretty informative, but it took a few reads for me to understand the KARMA feature, and I still don't understand all of the Karma parameters.

The polyphony is 62 note, I believe. I could be wrong. The keyboard action isn't weighted, but it doesn't feel bad like most non-weighted keyboards I've played. I'm actually using it to play piano music in a wedding, so it must feel pretty good.

The Karma effect is INCREDIBLE. It generates counter-melodies and backup effects on the fly, and it generates them as MIDI as well, so it'll show up in sequencing. It's easy to choose good Karma presets for the different voices, and you can create your own which is pretty complex. Editing the presets makes it easy to get what you want though, which is accomplished through a few knobs and two menus.

There's an expansion bay that accepts two Triton-compatible boards, which is great because I love the Triton sounds.

Basically, everything you play gets sent to MIDI. Velocity, aftertouch, damper pedal, joystick movements, and even the generated KARMA parts get sent. It's incredible.

The on-board sequencer is pretty nice. I've messed with Cakewalk Pro Audio 9 some, and Midisoft Studio 4 before that, so I know my way around a MIDI sequencer. I especially like the fact that step recording can be humanized, making it sound less like a machine and more like a real person. I've tried my hand at sequencing two covers with it (both NIN songs) and gotten amazing results.

Some of the instruments don't sound so great, but most of them are absolutely incredible. I'd use it for absolutely any type of music. I play it in my industrial/rock band often, and I'm also playing it in a wedding on March 31st. The types of samples are so varied, that anyone could easily find one that fits what they're looking for.

The KARMA effect is absolutely incredible, and something that every synth should have. Those who've called it an overrated arpeggiator have no clue what they're talking about.

This thing reacts to your playing like crazy. It'll adjust lip pressure on a saxophone based on velocity, and on an orchestra combination, if you press hard down in the lower octaves, you'll even get timpani sounds, etc. Don't forget that KARMA generates MIDI content based on what you're playing, how hard you're playing it, how fast you're playing it, and what style of music you've set it to.

I've used it on a gig already, with wonderful results. I absolutely depend on it. It's got some plastic parts, instead of being 100% aluminum, but I suppose it's just as good. The thing's not very heavy, either, which makes it good for gigging.

I've not dealt with Korg yet.

If I lost my Karma, I'd probably cry for months at a time. Then I'd hunt down the bastard who took it and beat him to death with a Les Paul guitar. (That's gotta be heavy enough to kill someone.)

I've been playing piano/keyboards for nine years, but this is my first real synth. I have a crappy Casio "synth" (if you could call it that) that does MIDI, and Cakewalk Pro Audio 9, so I've dealt with MIDI sequencing before. I also play the guitar, and am a pretty good singer too.

I love absolutely everything about this keyboard. It absolutely makes music a bit easier, if you understand it. Obviously, someone who's never played a keyboard before isn't going to be able to make beautiful music on this thing, but someone who just knows chords could, thanks to KARMA. (Although they'd really be wasting their money.)

If you have the money, BUY IT NOW!

Easy.
But, as for every complcated device, don't expect
it to do all you want at once, unless you
_REALLY STUDIED_ the unit.

Nice features, but

1) No full-blown sampler
2) No arranger

Personally I think that any good synth should have it in future :)

Keyboard action- IT'S A KORG, guys! Means, cheap and unnatural.
Lightweighted spring suspention, etc, etc. Try ROLAND XP series
for WAY BETTER action. And sound (hint, hint)

Here it sucks...
I don't understand, why Korg has chosen the policy to place
Millions and millions of mediocre samples instead of couple
hundred of good ones?

Remember, that the sample memory is limited on synth.
Hence to add every new sound, factory has to
use less memory for the rest sounds. This means, that
incorporation of "scratch number 20" or "noise nuber smth."
decreases quality of piano, guitar, drums, etc.
DA Converters are also a little chesy. It looks, that
after 01W some smart ass found how to make Korg cheaper.
No good DA converters can be found on Korgs since then.

And if you, guys, don't hear, how bad the sound on Tritons
or Karma, or other recent "1000" instrument Korgs is,
do not bother to look for Roland XP or XV
series, or EMU samplers, or Kurzweils.
Karma is oriented for you.

Korg is oriented for people, who would prefer "1000 cheesy"
rather than "10 quality" sounds.

This is an update to my earlier review, as well as a response to the "anonymous" user below who thinks he knows something he doesn't.
I work at a Korg Dealer (we sell marshall amps, which are distributed by korg but we are not a keyboard dealer) and I have had several discussions with the folks at Korg, they are awesome. The conversations have all centered around the issues of noise in the drum kit samples, especially the toms in the tricky kit mentioned in my earlier review. Well, I am sure Mr. Anonymous will be extremely distraught to know that he is not the smartest coward (put your name there smart guy) in the universe... Korg has told me that they have found that "MANY KARMAS" have this problem... All of the affected units are from the initial production run, and some units do not have the problem... This problem has nothing to do with the decimator or analog record effects that are in some patches applied to these samples, but rather a defective IC on the board. I love my Karma and have been assured by Korg that as soon as they have a strategy to fix the problem that I will be contacted with instructions on how to have my board fixed. Because of Korg's great support I am keeping the board fully confident that I will be satisfied when they figure out what they want to do... So in response to the "experienced" Triton user who is "awfully sick" over people complaining about noise in some patches... Get well soon... Jerk.

This is my first Keyboard and the only problem I have encountered was routing the effects properly when bring over programs, other then that Very Easy.

Seems like plenty for now I seem to have been biten by this seq.,Groove thing... tons of fun!!!

I have played a Triton and the sounds seem the same to me and thats Fantastic

So Far So Good

I called to get help with the routing of effects and had an answer that night...

Ive played Guitar for ever and just started with keyboards to record make demo's practice Ect...And Me thinks me got a winner This thing makes it too easy to sound like you know what your doing Its Just Great!!!!!

I bought the Karma the day it came out. I've had it for about a week now. The user interface is decent, setting up the karma function is little difficult at first. The manuals are average (though a heck of a lot better than Roland's)

The Karma function is a 4X arpeggiator that allows you to modify each and every one of it's atributes in realtime. The effects are good, though i wish you could apply more than 5 insert FX and 2 master FX.
I also wish there were more than 2 EXB slots. At least triton had a sampler so you'd never run out of new programs. Being used to the old school analog SEQ of the Roland MC-505 it's gonna take a little time getting used to making songs onboard.

Very good strings, basses and guitars. The Karma function can push out some very nice riffs for electronica composers, as well as complex rythms. There are too many cheesy drum samples, like in the percussion and Orch. kits, as well as your typical vocal scats and whack hits. The Keyboard action is alright.

I use it to produce Electronica in my project studio. So I wouldn't need to depend on it as far as gigs go.

Never had to contact them.

I tried the triton and would have bought that if I had an extra $600.
Because of the built in sampler and nifty touch screen. I'd say for the most part I am satisfied with my purchase. Combined with a software SEQ/24 track it should do the job.

Just for the record: I'm an experienced Triton owner who is _awfully_ sick of hearing people complain about the 'noise' they hear on certain patches. There are a few R&B/pseudo-hip hop patches, combinations and drum kits that use the "Stereo Analog Record" and "Stereo Decimator" effects to introduce noise. These can be turned off very easily.. if you've got half a brain!

Also, I believe Tricky Kit uses some distortion... but, heck, you can turn that off too..

Current software: 1.01.
The presets sound fantastic. I heard it at NAMM and then I bought one when I saw it at the local shop. Everything is extremely expressive. It does have some of the fake sounding and less useful sounds built in (like most sequencers, if you listen to a Samba rhythm that's pre-programmed, it typically sounds like cheese.) I have noticed some noise on some sounds, just as the previous review mentioned. I have heard it on some patches where it could be a serious problem. In fact, though I am thrilled with the functionality of the unit, and the quality of the sounds, this is the kind of bug that WILL make me return the unit if it isn't resolved. I still have some checking to do to verify that it's not something on my end causing the noise.

62 note polyphony. TONS of effects, and very easy to call up and play with. 2 expansion slots, as well as a spot for the MOSS expansion. It has all of the standard features for midi control, minus a ribbon controller. 16 track sequencer, that I have not figured out yet. I can't rate that function, because I'm new to the machine, and am not used to sequencing onboard.

MANY realistic instruments. Very usable synth strings, and a pretty impressive guitar sound. Everything about the individual sounds and combis are easy to use. It will work well for anyone trying to add an atmosphere to their work. I can't really think of a music that this would be inappropriate for.

I bought it for a project studio. I wouldn't gig with it, because I'm primarily a composer/guitarist.

If the noise issue is resolved, I would buy it again, for certain. If the noise issue is NOT resolved, I'd steer clear. The Karma function is just great. It's originally developed in MAX (an object oriented music programming language) and I've done a few years on MAX. It shouldn't be considered an arpeggiator... it's got so many features and editable functions. I guess I'd say that if you go demo this thing, demo the Karma functions first and foremost. THAT is what seperates this from the other boards in the price range. If, like me, you know your theory and chords, but don't have a great deal of technique for keys, or like other people, you have a lot of technique and want to do things that simply aren't POSSIBLE on other boards, I think the Karma features will knock your socks off.

1.01 is the sofware version. This keyboard is incredibly easy to use, either for performance or in a sequencing setup. I have to give kudos to Korg for the simplicity of the multitimbral setup. Everything is very straightforward. When I need them, the manuals are great except there is no index. Karma setups are a little complex.

This is basically a triton sound generator with a great arpeggiator and a few of the expansion options left out. You can get PCM boards and the moss board, and the PCM slot is on the top and easy to open. Full MIDI, and a great sequencer on board.

The sounds are like Triton, but I have noticed some noise in the toms on Program A004 (tricky Kit). If anyone else notices this, email me!!!

Only had it for a few days. The case is plastic and aluminum. All aluminum would be better...never gig without a back up. External power supply is a drawback.

I called Korg about the noise in the samples mentioned above. They said the noise is there on every Karma... I tried two and they both had it, so I guess I believe them.

The Karma system is inspirational, as far arpeggiators go, it is the coolest I have ever seen. Basically it has over 1000 patterns that are realtime adjustable for things like rhythm swing, dynamics, pattern randomize, etc. Very cool.