Vintage Synth Explorer

Korg • KARMA

The KARMA represents seven years in the making. It's a synthesizer based on the engines and effects of the Triton series. KARMA is a music workstation with a revolutionary new phrase technology. Generate grooves, arpeggios, effects and more, all in realtime with plenty of knobs, switches and joysticks for hands-on control. You can control the rhythmic complexity, harmony, melodic repeat, phrasing, panning, effects and more from these knobs! KARMA is designed to create techno arpeggios and effects, natural sounding glissandos, and many other animated sounds and dynamic effects. KARMA lets you play complex moving synth parts that could normally take hours of programming. Just play some chords and twiddle the control knobs to vary the KARMA patterns, and let KARMA do the rest.

Like the Triton, KARMA features 62 voice polyphony and HI (Hyper Integrated) synthesis with 425 PCM multi-samples and 413 drum sounds. Patch memory consists of 640 user programs, plus 256 programs and 9 drum programs, 64 drum kits and 9 GM drum kits. Up to 8 patches can be combined, split, layered, etc. There is, however, no on-board sampler as there is in the Triton. But the KARMA technology more than makes up for this limitation with its revolutionary ability to generate totally random or fully controllable animated sounds, grooves, phrases, etc. which can't be found in comparable synthesizers. A splendid, studio-quality effects section offers 102 effects to sweeten your KARMA creations. In addition to an LFO, Alternate Modulation and Effect Dynamic Modulation enable you to further modulate the pitch, filter, amp, EG, LFO, etc. All modulation and KARMA functions can be synced to tempo or MIDI clock.

A built-in and powerful 16-track sequencer is all you need to generate complete music tracks with the KARMA. It can hold up to 200 songs, with up to 999 measures per song! Phrases generated by the KARMA function can be recorded into your sequences. Songs are created using a Cue List function to arrange up to 99 different sequences. The RPPR (Realtime Pattern Play/Recording) function lets you play phrases back by pressing a single key. And there are 150 drum and percussion patterns provided. You can jam along with the RPPR function or the Song Play function, using KARMA effects in realtime and in sync! Excellent for live use as well as in the studio.

KARMA - Kay Algorithmic Realtime Music Architecture, developed by Stephen Kay, Karma Lab LLC. The KARMA function separates every aspect of a musical phrase into independently controllable parts. It features over 1000 Generated Effects (1 GE per Program, 4 GEs per Combi or Song). A GE contains over 400 parameters to generate notes, control synth and effects parameters, and provide randomization of these events. There are eight knobs and two switches to control up to 10 of the 16 KARMA parameters in realtime. Two Scene memories store current knob settings to recall them instantly. MIDI control messages can be used to control KARMA too. One KARMA module is available in Program mode, four modules can be used in Combi/Sequencer/Song Play modes. Classic Chord Memory is also available for playing entire chords with just a single key...Trance heaven! KARMA is an exciting new synthesizer technology that adds a whole new level of interactivity and variability suitable for just about any genre of music.

The new Version 2.0 operating system for the Karma Music Workstation is a free of download to all Karma owners and users. It works with the new KARMA MW, a computer software program (Mac/Windows) that allows in-depth access to all of KARMA's creative features. Version 2.0 adds 320 new locations for saving and storing User GEs. These can be loaded in via floppy disk or MIDI dump, and can be created externally using the KARMA MW Computer Software. Other new features packed into Version 2.0 include time signature and tap tempo control, intuitive real-time control, improved sequencing, true swing quantization, improved performance with external sequencers, and much more; all of which are mostly the result of user input and ideas. This upgrade to 2.0 and the KARMA MW software is a must have for all Karma users! Current famous users include Rick Wakeman, Phil Collins, Adam Holzman, Herbie Hancock, Peter Gabriel, Vangelis, Yes, Greg Phillenganes, Pete Townshend, and Keith Emerson.

Additional Expansion Options for the Karma:
EXB-PCM01 - Pianos/Classic Kybds
EXB-PCM02 - Studio Essentials
EXB-PCM03 - Future Loop Construction
EXB-PCM04 - Dance Extreme
EXB-PCM05 - Vintage Archives
EXB-MOSS - the ultimate 6-voice DSP tone generator

VISITOR COMMENTS

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KD Schon

Posted 221 days ago

The Triton produces some incredible sounds that can only it can produce. Agree that the complexity level and intricacy of some of the presets are simply stuning - but could never quite get "into" the machine as a tool for my own creativity. What is was and still is - is a lot of fun to play with, listen to, and some of the groove presets made my young kids dance like maniacs, so I think it earned it's keep. My son, now 15, has found patches and presets that are useful in his music (and he is an analog snob like me) - some of the sounds he has coaxed out of the unit are simply astounding.

planetplayer

Posted 312 days ago

Don't get me wrong, I like the sounds out of the KARMA box and on the awesome OASYS. How do we notate these computer expressions? Esp from top rated artitsts. Is this the invention that says you cannot copy me now? Do we redo ourselves with the latest and greatest again? The Death Star patch and few others on the 01/W was not easy publishable already. I don't know what to think of all of this. To me the Karma is something that I would plug up to 20 speakers after a day recording and just press one key and let it sprinkle all the sound around me and I'll say ahhhh.

planetplayer

Posted 312 days ago

It is not like an E=MC squared to the routine. I was going to buy it as soon as it came out and when I heard one of my favourite drummers use it I was saying maybe, but total recall is this- an instrument as long as not broken is as good as the player no matter what it is. I do everything manually and love all I can do with mine and they can do whatever with the KARMA. My ears are ok and I'm used to classical compositions like from Mozart. I know the Karma sound would have more of a psychology effect on the listener, but how many notes and sounds could a pro musician would want to keep track of while listening and not hearing? Is this where music is moving too?

planetplayer

Posted 312 days ago

I tried this and I know there are a lot of famed players that I like, but hear is own thing. Wavestation used wavesequencing to create music concrete. You could do things that may or may not be written musically on paper. The Karma can do many things at one time and cannot by written on a score. To recreate, one would have to give the patch and so on and so on and so on. Some of these things are for people who cannot express themselves in the first place. It's like an autoplay home keyboard type feature. The Arpeg. on keyboards was nice, but most intermed/professional players could do scales manually. Ever tried Mozart? People has been doing soundscaping with one or many keyboards anyway. I know it's less time, but how musical is it or is it just noise effect? I very much respect the pro players that use this, but to me. It takes the fun of creativity.

Rob

Posted 322 days ago

The Korg Karma is a masterpiece of innovation. It debuted with the same synthesis, multi-effects and sequencing capabilities of a Triton (sans sampling) with the addition of the powerful KARMA engine. Despite the complexity of KARMA, it is surprisingly easy to use. This instrument went where no other instrument had gone with 1190 Generated Effects (GE's) to choose from that can be modulated in real time by 16 of some 400 parameters in each of 4 modules that can be run simultaneously. The possibilities are mind boggling and with the purchase of Karma Music Workstation software, GE's can be created or edited. I've grown more musically with this keyboard than with all my other keyboards combined. KARMA inventor, Stephen Kay hosts a highly sophisticated support website at www.karma-labs.com. Other than the newer Korg OASYS and M3 which incorporate enhanced versions of KARMA technology, if I had just one keyboard to choose from, it would still be the original Korg Karma.

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