Fantom X and KAOSS PAD KP2

Hmm, is the KP2 really a nice gear? Read this (an review from "angelo" at 04/28/2005):
http://www.harmony-central.com/Effects/Data/Korg/KP_2_Kaoss_Pad-01.html

He's not very impressed!

May be the sound is good in conjunction with the Fantom, but this gear has some weaknesses.

What do you think about it, Jost?

Hi micropoldi,

thank you for that link, however I don't agree with Angelo's view at all. Brian Eno, the Master of Ambience, on the other hand praises the KAOSS PAD.

My 'limited' exposure to the KAOSS shows me that the KAOSS is one hell of a creative tool which needs lots of experimentation and very careful application. The fact that the manual is only 6 pages strengthens the point that it needs creativity and imagination of the user,

I went to a gig yesterday playing Jazz and Acid Jazz. I was using mainly EP's and Virus Leads, but the KAOSS enabled me to play EP's and Leads in a way I'd never done before.

Give it a try - its a most expressive tool and I think you'll either hate it or love it. I adore the KAOSS, I should have known about it much earlier, but remember you need to treat it like 'spice' to food - too much wrecks the food, not enough keeps the food boring.

http://www.jostsauer.com
"When one is not expressing himself, he is not free." - Bruce Lee

Hi Jost,

thank you for your comment. Instead of the Kaoss PAD i use the Alesis AirFX. Only 50 effects, no sampling, but you have a x/y/z - infrared controller. This is very usefull and so cool. No damaged sensitive pads, just move your hand and listen to the effects. In germany the price for the KP2 is 333EUR (and 6 EUR for each replacement pad). The price for the AirFX: 109EUR!

Give it a try if you see it anywhere.

I have used a Kaoss pad a few time while DJ'ing, great piece if kit for live work but you don't have much time between tunes to do it justice. Never thought of using one with a keyboard, but then again I saw the Radiohead guitarist use one at Glastonbury a couple of years ago. Turned his performance into something really special.

Might have to give one a try with my 909.

I wonder how a Kaoss pad or Air FX would intergrate with the V-synth XT which doesn't have it's own D Beam. I haven't tried to yoke my D2 to the XT either, but when I get back home to my main studio (some time in May), I'm going to give it a shot.

Brian Eno was very much involved with the development of Korg's new RADIAS (awesome kit). The keyboard version has a nice well to drop the Kaoss pad into it.

Interesting.
Cheers,
Eric

EJ2 - Double EJ Projects Karma Combis Sale - http://spaces.msn.com/members/EJ2/

I've been experimenting with the KAOSS extensively now and I really love it; it has turned my Fantom into something totally new. I must admit it needs a lot of practice to get it 'right' as you can easily worsen your performance, but when it is 'right', it is something that hasn't been done before (due to the unlimited possibilities of working with the Pad)

Hi Eric:
V-Synth XT and KAOSS? Yes, definitely, but it might be a bit messy in the beginning, however you will be able to produce sounds no-one can identify as Roland and Korg effects merge into something previously unheard. The V-Synth/KAOSS combination sounds very tantalizing to me...

micropoldi:
thanks for the tip. I haven't heard about that Alesis AirFX, but I will give it a try. My experiences with the KAOSS have made me hungry for this kind of experimentations.

chargedup:
i'd say the KAOSS will make the MC-909 absolutely lethal.


http://www.jostsauer.com
"When one is not expressing himself, he is not free." - Bruce Lee