Muff's Modules & More

rico loverde

I've been offered a Korg kp3 kaoss pad and am trying to make up my mind if I should buy it or not. I was gonna run my modular through it. For some reason I'm feeling a bit leary of it. I've played with one before but never with a modular....

Couple of questions...

1. How's the sound quality? Is the modular degraded ruthlessly thru it?

2. If I took both outputs of a Malekko Output could I monitor the signal of the modular thu the headphone jack of the Kp3?

Would love to hear anyone's experiences with them within the modular world

kindredlost · Posted: Tue Nov 08, 2011 10:53 pm Post subject:

I don't particularly think the sound is all that great but that is not the reason I think the KP3 is powerful. Any dedicated effect will be either as good or better but the Kaoss Pad is good as a controller tool. The KP3 is very easy to use and I like the looper function much better than most of the loopers I've used.

I've never used the headphone jack so I don't have an answer for the monitor function.

rico loverde · Posted: Tue Nov 08, 2011 10:57 pm Post subject:

Thanx kindredlost, i think I'm just looking to be swayed in one direction or the other more than anything...

Johnisfaster · Posted: Tue Nov 08, 2011 11:02 pm Post subject:

Id say running the modular through its gonns be pretty damn clean. Although Id say a deciding factor really comes down to desire and price. Its a fine processor, not $1000 studio quality but clean and very useful for FSU and glitching/looping. And you can always sell it if its not to your liking.

Illiac · Posted: Tue Nov 08, 2011 11:29 pm Post subject:

sound quality is rubbish. I'm no audiofile, but that's the reason I've ditched both the 2 and the 3.

dkcg · Posted: Tue Nov 08, 2011 11:52 pm Post subject:

Might be fun to play with, but the RCA jacks always turned me off.

ok...I'm a jackist.

Johnisfaster · Posted: Tue Nov 08, 2011 11:52 pm Post subject:

Seems to me if beardy man can get on just fjne with just his voice and a kp3 (or 2) there must at least be some usefulness there.

rico loverde · Posted: Wed Nov 09, 2011 12:02 am Post subject:

Illiac · Posted: Wed Nov 09, 2011 12:46 am Post subject:

StepLogik · Posted: Wed Nov 09, 2011 7:28 am Post subject:

I'll have to second the poor sound quality. Depending on the type of music you are making, that might not be a concern. The different effects are interesting, though. There is a lot you can do.

If you are looking for a "real time" DJ-type FX box, consider the Pioneer EFX-1000. Much better sound quality and has many similar functions.

richard · Posted: Wed Nov 09, 2011 7:44 am Post subject:

well, its not Eventide but I think the sound quality is fine for the price. The 3 is much cleaner than the 2 which was much cleaner than the 1. You have to watch your levels and sweet spot range in the input is not that high. Only plumb it in when you need it, keep your input levels conservative and don't run everything through it all the time

That said, I've had a Kaoss pad as the last output stage on almost every gig I've done in the last 12 years and I've not felt my live sound was compromised by it

Korg are no less than idiots for not putting an SPDIF I/O on them for computer/MPC use. I'm surprised they haven't made a pro version with better converters and a bit more programability. I'd snap one up if they did.

relaxing · Posted: Wed Nov 09, 2011 1:26 pm Post subject:

Radiohead have been using a KP1 live for, oh, 10 years now? seriously, i just don't get it

I like my kp3, it also has just weird effect I need. Don't get it to replace an eventide or whatever, get one to do the shit your other fx boxes don't do (or are tied doing other things.)

The only thing I'd fix is the sampling capability. Or maybe I just don't understand it...

shreddoggie · Posted: Thu Nov 10, 2011 10:59 pm Post subject:

for me it is typical of so many Korg products - really amazing capabilities - but with a 'consumery' sound quality. I have owned (and sold) a Kaoss, a Radias, and an Electribe - all of which I loved in one way, but couldn't get around the contrast they had sonically vs some of my other gear and how they felt in the (endless) quest to make stuff that is professionally produced sounding. I would say that for the price its worth an experiment as long as you are prepared to be trading a bit of lo-fi (not the sexy type) for some really wild capabilities.

Oh yeah - and re: rca - I put mine through some Jensen transformers and found the levels nicer and the digital harshness somewhat softened by the shock-absorber effect.

MrBiggs · Posted: Thu Nov 10, 2011 11:12 pm Post subject:

They're fun thingies. If you're worried about audio fidelity then the KP3 is not what you want, I think. I mean, it's an effect looper. I can't think of any of its effects that don't fizzle or wring or mush or louden or bitchslap your audio in some way.
I had one for years but didn't know enough about stuff to get the most out of it. So Rico if you don't jump on it, send the seller my way. I may go there again. I'd like to run my Tyme Sefari into it.
Regarding the RCA jacks, I mean, Radio Shack adapters yo.

rico loverde · Posted: Thu Nov 10, 2011 11:46 pm Post subject:

I ended up buying it. It's fun so far but I can see myself being over it in a month or so. The sampler has been fun, def having a hard time w the sound quality though. Hate these damn RCA jacks...

mckenic · Posted: Thu Nov 10, 2011 11:54 pm Post subject:

Since I got a Kaossilator Pro (nice & cheap vocoder) Ive been chomping at the bit to get a KP3 to run vox and guitar thru - if you dont like it, I'll buy it off ya!

infradead · Posted: Fri Nov 11, 2011 12:17 am Post subject:

one of the best live loopers i've used.
great for tempo sync'd stuff.

fowl · Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2012 4:48 pm Post subject:

I've never used one but I was curious how the sampling / looping compares to other loop pedals?Im not interested in it for FX. I've never heard a loop pedal on studio monitors but in a gig situation its hard to tell the difference between the original and the copy. I figured that it would be nice to combine the loop/layering/arranging function on kp3 with its function as a midi controller - though I am put off by the 'sound quality' issue some are finding as I would want to use it in the studio for layering monosynth lines - I want a portable sampler that you can't tell between the original and the sample - but doesn't just do what a simple loop pedal does. Any Recommendations?

fowl · Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2012 4:49 pm Post subject:

I take it the Kaossilator PRO is the same sampling sound quality as the Pad?

MrBiggs · Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2012 5:10 pm Post subject:

I don't have any problems with the audio quality. Live, you'd never know it. In my studio with a cheap mixer and M-Audio monitors, I'd never know it.

The KP3 does things that loop pedals can't, and can't do things that they can.

Does do:
Has four banks, therefore four loops at a time.
Can launch playback and stop via MIDI.
The 1-8 program buttons are fun with loops.
They're also controllable with MIDI.
You say you don't care about the FX, but you will. There are some fun effects on there.

Doesn't do:
Not a pedal. You have to use your hands to record. MIDI can't launch record. (pain in the ass with guitars and other instruments where in two hands are busy -- so for your monosynth lines it depends on how you make them)

That's only one doesn't do, but it is a big one.

Find a used one, try it out, and if you hate it sell it for what you bought it for.

fowl · Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2012 5:30 pm Post subject:

yes, they are cheaper than most samplers and they are small and light- which is attractive to me - but I use genelecs which are very very bright... I wonder if you'd notice degradation between the copy and original on those more?

Anyway... yr right I should prob. just grab one.. im just not very impulsive about purchases .... thought about a MPC for a long time for this too....arranging/layering modular... and then there's Expert Sleepers!!

ALL these options are overwhelming and I end up buying none!

MrBiggs · Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2012 5:33 pm Post subject:

darenager · Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2012 6:05 pm Post subject:

I think they are pretty good for what they are, and the price, I think the sound quality is ok, certainly cleaner than my dep2a and teaspoon but I like those too. It has quite a good interface that can be played like an instrument with practice. I have a spare one of which is in BST hihi