Korg Kaos Pad Kp3+ | Dynamic Effects Unit/sampler

If you look at a number of professional DJ setups, there’s a good chance that you’ll spot a KORG Kaoss Pad patched somewhere into the mix. The flagship KP3 first appeared in 2006 and continues to be a highly acclaimed by musicians and DJs around the world for its powerful, instantaneous effect programs and its wealth of sampling functionality. The KP3+ builds on this reputation with 42 new-types of effects, and a host of new functions that will continue on the tradition of this unique touch-pad effects unit.

The intuitive design and amazing flexibility of the touchpad allows Kaoss Pad 3+ users to easily control multiple effects and parameters by simply stroking, tapping, or rubbing the Kaoss touch pad with their finger. Using this remarkable design, you can easily control and perform with effects in complex ways that would be impossible on a conventional effects unit.

150 effects ideal for remixing, DJ and live music applications, and in-studio use
The KP3+ provides new effect programs that are worthy of its status as the flagship model of the Kaoss Pad series. The KP3+ contains a total of 150 programs - 22 more than the KP3. In addition to the 108 effects carried over from the KP3, which include filters, spatial-type effects such as delay and reverb, a grain shifter that freezes tiny pieces of sound and repeats them, and a vocoder, there are 42 new or improved effects that represent today's dance music scene, including effects that were newly developed for the Kaoss Pad Quad, such as the Looper, Vinyl Break, and Ducking Compressor.

Vinyl Break – instant turntable simulation
It's easy to obtain the scratch sound that's heard when you scratch a turntable, or use a record-stop effect. In addition to the basic Mod.1 Vinyl Break, the KP3+ also provides the new Mod.2 Break Reverb, which adds reverb to the effect, and the LoP.2 Break Looper and LoP.8 Loop Breaker effects, which combine the effect with a looper.

Ducking Compressor – easily emphasizes the back beat
You can use a side-chain effect to emphasize the backbeats of the kick. In addition to Mod.8 Ducking Compressor, there's a new rEV.1 Pump Reverb that adds a reverb effect. You can add a sense of “breathing” to your music by dynamically varying the reverberation in synchronization with the BPM.

Newly-designed looper lets you freely manipulate loops
For greater usability, the looper effect has been modified to let you loop the sound starting from the instant you touch the touchpad. The existing programs have been significantly updated; for example, if you move your finger to change the number of beats in the loop, the timing of that change will automatically be quantized. There are also many new programs such as LoP.4 Freeze Looper, LoP.6 Shuttle Looper, and the LoP.7 Slice Looper that finely slices a phrase and loops the location that you choose.

Effects for breaks and drops
New effects include dLY.2 Echo Break and rEV.3 Reverb Break, which mute the input sound and generate delay or reverb. These are ideal ways to create breaks in your DJ play. We've also enhanced the synth sound effects that are effective when used during a break, bringing them up to date for the evolving dance music scene. Newly added sounds include Syn.3 Pump Noise (noise without resonance, processed by a side-chain effect) as well as Syn.4 Lofi Synth and Syn.9 Resonator.

Other added effects include FL.16 Center Canceler for partial vocal cancellation, LFO.1 Jag Filter which uses a non-resonant filter to chop the sound, dLY.5 One Delay which shines on styles such as hip-hop, and Grn.6 Stutter Grain which alternately applies a grain shifter and a Looper. We completely rethought the X-axis and Y-axis parameter assignments and their polarity, and included flashy and glittering synth sounds as well as many more effects that will enhance the latest sounds of today's scene.

Practical functions: Program Memory, Hold, Pad LED
There are eight program memories that let you instantly select your favorite effect programs, and a Hold effect that sustains the effect even after you release your finger from the touchpad.

The pad LEDs illuminate along the path that’s traced by your finger, letting you perform without difficulty even in a dimly lit environment. We've modified the way that the four sampling bank LEDs illuminate to make them more intuitively understandable than on the KP3; they now light up red during recording and green during playback.

Intuitive sampling functionality
The KP3+ features enhanced sampling functionality that lets you perform using multiple effects and samples. Each of the four sample banks can record a sample up to 13 seconds long (*1), and play it either as a one-shot or loop. The KP3+ also has functions such as a start point adjustment that lets you create a half-beat shift to create "doubled" effects, a new slice function that edits the structure of a loop sample to instantly create completely new phrases, and a resampling function that lets you apply an effect to a sample and then re-sample the result.