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!