The Effects is very high rate. Very clear with no distortion, unless you want to add distortion effects. Like a high price sampling drum, the samples that you sample are clear. No degraded noise or compress sound.

This product is loaded with features, but not so much where you get lost in it. It's not that dj effects box like the kaoss pad 2 was. KP3 is more mature, and be use as a remix tool, dj tool and studio ready. When I say studio ready, I mean you now has sd media for storing samples and settings and you can transfer this data to a pc. Edit on your pc and transfer the samples back to the kp3 thru a usb connection. The bpm timing feature is the whole key to getting professional locking effects and seemless looping samples. So once you get the bpm lock. Than the sky is the limit on ideas and trick to control your music. I love the sample playback/reloop slice feature and you can blend and crossfade your four sample banks. The feature I wish it had, is little more triggering controls when playing a sample. Like one shot, stuttering and reloop. I'm not saying these performnce can't be done. It can if you select one of the 7 sampling and effects program. It will be even nicer if you can control all four sample banks seperately on the fly. Also have sample trim and select a pitch for each sample. Because if you're sampling a hiphop track at 92bpm and you later sample a house track at 125bpm. The hiphop sample will play at 125bpm, because you change the bpm to sample the house track.

Like I said before, the kp3 is more mature than the kp2. So there is a little learnig curve. I found learning the kp3 to be fun, because the feature don't get in the way of your music ideas, but add ideas. As a matter of fact, there are still is some feature I like to try on the kp3. It's just little time to do all I like to do.

Just like the kp2, the kp3 is built strong and solid. No loose parts or flimsey feel. The manuals does state to take a little easy on the pad. So anybody in there right mind should have this unit for many years. You can tap on the pads, but don't go crazy.

For the features, sound and fun I get from the kp3. I think it's worth every penny. I was expecting the price to be a lot higher when I got word, that korg was going to release a new kaoss pad with all the new and improve features. It's only a $100 more than the kp2. I also own the pioneer efx-1000 and the features on the efx-1000 is very limited, compared to the kp3 and the efx-1000 cost twice as much.

I never had to deal with korg, while owning the kp2 or the kp3. Not needing support to me, is the best support. I don't want to call them, because the unit failed or for needing spair parts.

As you already know, I own a kp2 and after reading on the kp3 on the net and all the new and improve features. I was ready to get my hands on the kp3. Of course the new look was strikeing, the little lights puts it over the top.

DJ and Remixer

Jazz and House and smooth true Hiphop

I just bought the Korg KP3 recently, this is an amazing sound effects module. I have used many effects equipment in the past, but nothing compares to the KP3. The most flexible and fun effects unit on the market! The sound is really good, and expressive for whatever kind of electronic music you are producing. This product is great for both studio work and live music productions. I am using this with the Korg EMX-1 drum machine. They work great together for some great dance beats.

The features is great with the varity of effects presets to match just about anything you are doing. I really like the control of how much each effect is used on your music. The materials are solid and strong.

The interface is very simple on this device, barely needed the manual to operate and the manual is written very good.

Excellant quality, the only thing I would change is the plastic knobs.

The selling price is fine.

Have not had to use tech support yet, but I have heard that it is good.

The lights on this pad are really cool and fun to interact with.

Musician

Techno

Well 1st off i wouldnt even do a review unlsss i was truely impressed. The last thing 4 years ago i did a review on was the ESX1 from korg. So i am very impressed with sound and sound quality of this thing, Have a little problems keeping the loudness and clearness whne resampling but theres probably a trick to it. I love FX and do a fair amount of processing everything. Its never been a very fun process untill now. I can get studders and sweeps and fills that would take a good amount of time editing in Loic-Protools etc Completely fun and addicting to mess with. I got mine 4 days ago, pluged a mac and an mpc2000xl into in and in minutes had a very complex and banging loop coming out of it. It has some synths in it but they dont seem to be able to be controlled by a midi keyboard which is a let down unless im missing someitnhg. Never Seen something so expressive. If you take time and get good with this thing, it can become a real art and tool. I do a break beatish tech housey trance style of music. I guess im hearing what ive always wondered in those latest tracks with crazy fx on them came from. Get tricky with this thing and it adds a whoel new favor to your stuff. I have a mpc2000xl, esx1,emx1,jp8080,xp80, rs50, waldorf q, rm1x. Running any of them thru and getting some flavor out of it that i wouldnt have ever got out of anything else. even my electrix mo fx. I dont do live but its obviously ideal for that. studio, unbelievable.

Came out of the box with a 2 GB SD card, dont think it originally comes with it but it sure is helpful for saving. I got the Editor running on my macbook pro in no time. transfered loops and that was the most painful part...very slow.

24 hours after having it i was making some of the most creative loops ive ever made in 7 years. Using with anything like i said is a breeze. getting a loop in time with it was a tricky. The only way i found to get it in time was to trigger the drums in it and start from there so at least the tempos correct. The looping was strange at 1st cause it never stops looping. it just keeps on going and theres no start/stop button. if you stop the recording before it loops over you hve control over when it starts-stops, but it shoulda had a start button on it. Also , still trying to get it to START when i hit PLAY on my MPC. not sure if it will or not but it should and hopefully future OS updates will provide this. It does sync to the mpc's tempo and midi set up was easy. Id do wish i could play the 9 synths in it with a midi controller.

Made decently well. I wanted this more than the others (kaooss pads)` cause it didnt look like a DJ toy but more a studio tool. Not cheaply made like the other kaoss pads felt in the past. Would give a 10 if the pad wasnt going to go out and i could bang on it like my mpc...

10 because nothing on or planet can do what this can,

10 because ive owned korg stuff since i got a cheap guitar pedal when i was 13 and never have had their stuff die on me.

its pretty. no need to go into this too much. Their designers know what they are doing. Like nameing their korg ESX-1....rearrange the letters and you'll get SEX, talk about marketing and sex sells...sheesh...just name the next electribe OrgasmX

hobby

electronic, rock, pop

The Kp3 does an outstanding job at protecting the integrity of your samples. Exported samples come out just as freash as when you add them. Never any feedback, fuzz or clashing EQs. The filters and FX in this machine are top notch. Out of the box it has around 10 built in samples for you to play with.

The Kp3 comes in a flashy box that contained just the Kp3, a "Kp3 Editor CD" and a power cord. I had to buy everything else seperate.......... The Editor (has no instructions either) lets you import .wav files into the Kp3 for mixing. Only about 1 out of 5 .wav samples I try will import though.. The Kp3 is very picky.

This machine was a pain in the ass to learn. The instruction book has nothing in it to tell you how to actuially OPERATE the machine. It just shows diagrams on how to hook it up to mixers and CPUs. The controls consist of "Hold these buttons and press this button" to do things. It takes a long time to figure out on your own why lights are flashing red and green. Also the touch pad is almost impossible to hit the exact note you are looking for.

Built like a Tank. Very durable and well crafted.

Its the best thing sitting on my rack.

Ive never had a Korg product before, but they have mu buisness from now on.

Very Sweet look. Flashy lights.

ACTIVE MUSICIAN

DRUM AND BASS

The timestretch is wonderful. no artifacts even with drastic tempo changes in realtime. as good as Recycle and Ableton timestretch algorithms.

4 banks of audio is great for a small mix. synth built in and effects.

extremely easy to control

built like a tank. however handle with caution because of its glass.

wish it was cheaper but it's worth the investment

if it's glitchy send it back to korg. Version 2.0 is essential

get it!!!!!!

Great sounds overall.

My interest in this unit was mostly production. I would have loved to have a digital input and output to use as an effects send, and other production-friendly options. The unit only has RCA analog ins and outs, which to me pigeonholes the unit as DJ gear. Digital outputs and inputs would make the unit much more versatile.

As a DJ effects unit, it is incredibly easy to use. You just dial in the effect and go. If you try to use it for much more than that, it starts to break down. Sample recording is sloppy, and even with sampled units you still can't control which effects apply to which sample - the KP3 can only effect all samples at once. I was looking forward to more standalone production features, and was disappointed. The unit also can't record its own synths and such.

Very well made.

At risk of sounding like a broken record, I feel that for a $399 effects unit it should have included digital I/O.

Regardless of the lack of practicality for what I'm doing, I still loved playing with it and would love to have one. If I was a DJ I would absolutely need this after playing with it. And if I was a producer of Goa\Psychedelic trance I would find it a necessity as well.

Producer

Eclectic