Great sounds, VERY easy to use. 
by Bob from St. Charles, Missouri, July 2008
Music Background:  Hobbyist

Although it’s small and yellow, this is a serious-sounding synthesizer. The sound is noise-free and very high quality. I agree with other reviewers that the “acoustic” sound group (piano, guitar, sax, etc.) aren’t very good, but who cares? You have 90 other great fun sounds to use. If you want a band-in-a-box, get an inexpensive Yamaha keyboard, which have terrific acoustic sounds.

Kaossilator is clearly optimized for either live performing or fun noodling, since it has no way to save the loops you create. It’s also geared towards dance and groove music. Some of the thick patches get so wild and nasty you think your speaker coils might melt. Patch 60, Kaoss Drone, almost made my head explode with its blackboard-scraping distortion.

The record and overdub feature quickly becomes addictive. You will soon find yourself layering six or more loops on top of each other, by which time you learn that this kind of turns to mush. Four or five layers seems like a good target for ad-hoc noodling; if you really plan ahead, you could possibly get eight layers to sound clean, but you will have to plan your sounds carefully.

As one review suggested, you should definitely download the Easy Start Guide from the Kaossilator support page on the Korg website. It’s written in a fun style – 30 minutes later, you will know how to do EVERYTHING with this amazing little machine. The instructions that actually come with the Kaossilator are most useful for the patch list.

  This thing is freakin AWESOME. 
by Chris from New Mexico, June 2008
Music Background:  Hobbyist

Picked this little gadget up, hooked it up to an amp, and was jamming out with a band in seconds. This thing is addictively fun, and very easy to use. Anyone can make some cool sounds to go along with any type of music.

  Fun! 
by Chris from louisville, May 2008

I had no idea so much fun could be packed in such a little portable box. This thing is great, especially for those that are keyboard challenged. Simple design, and a surprising amount of options for so few buttons.

  Wonderous 
by r. dekoch from San Francisco, March 2008
Music Background:  Electronic Musician, Visualist

If I had one of these as a teenager, I wouldn't have been able to sleep. As a musician, I found the recording options limited. You can't save your work, control individual track levels or delete tracks. Having said that, it hardly matters because it sounds great, it's intuitive and it's a blast. When I think I'm finally over it, I'll find myself picking it up again. The price is pretty damn good compared to a Tenori-On.

  Kaoss in the hand. 
by Paulo Mazarek Jr. from Seattle, WA, March 2008
Music Background:  Recording Hobbyist

I played extensively with this thing when a Korg representative demonstrated it at the local big guitar store in ProAudio. Evidently they are having worldwide problems keeping this thing in stock, as it was released a few months earlier in Europe. It's really amazing especially for its reasonable pricetag. I'm primarily a guitar and bass player but do experimental music, my Kaossilator is on order and I can't wait for it. The outs are stereo RCA only and the guy admitted it flies through batteries pretty quickly. Another negative is it's lack of memory or programability, they could have seemingly easily put an SD card slot in or compact flash, they probably will wait until later models though. Like most Korg stuff, even though the body is plastic it seems well made enough and the touchpad is sensitive and accurate. It boasts an array of sounds an even an amateur electro-musician like me can make impressive noise quickly. I can't wait to get mine, this thing is taking over the world of electronic music! Another great job by Korg.

  Ka-awesome-lator 
by Kevin Tippets from Riverton, WY USA, February 2008
Music Background:  Pro Keyboardist, Educator, Synth Enthusiast

The much anticipated Kaossilator is so very cool. It is basically a handheld monophonic analog modelling synth that allows you to loop and layer up to 8 beats of the internal sounds. It is non-programmable, but the presets are excellent. The sounds are fat and warm and there is a huge variety on board. (The saxaphone and the conga patches are terrible...) There are perhaps a few too many sound effects (20 of the 100 sounds). The arpeggiator patterns and preset drum beats offer huge variety. The effects that are layered with each patch are synced to the tempo and are very much a part of the character of the Kaossilator's sound.

As an accomplished keyboard player, I wasn't sure if I would like 'playing' a touch pad. It IS instantly very easy to make cool noise and electronic mayhem. But is it musical or playable as an instrument? Yes. The pad is programmable into the overall key and scale - which, with some practice, makes the pad very playable (melodies, chord changes...).

The looping is limited with only 8 beats available -but it is good for a sketch pad and for playing along with. I wanted something portable to take on overseas travel and long road trips and I will use my Kaossilator with a Zoom H4 multitrack and a Boss RC-2 looper pedal (both portable and battery powered) for recording entire songs.

The 'quick guide'(available on the Korg web site) is probably better that the actual manual that comes with it. This is a simple unit which is layed out very logically (Korg is good at this). However, you have to hold down the buttons (which are all on the right) while you record layers, which makes it a bit awkward for right handers.

  It's already sweeping the world on Youtube by storm! 
by An old analog guy who has not learned to play keys from NY state, January 2008
Music Background:  hobbyist

Definitely NOT a cheap sounding toy!
Many true analog classic synth sounds..such as authentic minimoog/taurus basses, leads and sweeps.
Even all the amazing actual Korg Triton pcm sounds
have via great korg analog modeling, analog richness!
Yes you can reliably hit the desired notes via easily
set dozens of scales in any key..Dial up the major blues or minor blues scale, set the key of choice and wow! Nice brushed aluminum faceplate, quality build! go to reverbnation.com (free legal music site)
look up 'The Yellow Album' by award winning film composer David Kibler..all tracks just Kaossilator recorded dry and be blown away! Listening to him and watching the over a dozen (more every day) youtube videos will convince you just how powerfull and usefull this wonder is! Some youtube vids show it in action coupled with a Korg Kaoss pad 3 or minipad.
Don't be put off by the only 2 measure loop memory..as you can easily build/edit full length songs by simply plugging it into your pc/mac and record with whatever software you already use..
Once again all the sounds are so fat and useable you won't be embarrased to use live on stage..Again the basses are so good you could easily fill in for one, ect..Finall tip..Manual states battery ( 4 AA) as 5
hours..Buy at walmart ect..the latest generation of rechargable nickel hydride batteries the Rayovac Hybrid AA's..rugged high capacity with the big advantage they hold full charge for months when not being used.(other brands will go dead in a couple weeks)..so you won't be caught with a dead Kaossilator when in a rush for a impromptu jam.
BTW if you have very thick fingers and have trouble hitting just one note..simply tap with your finger nail..in some youtube vids owners are using those fingernail style guitar/banjo picks..
I forgot to mention all the sounds have great Y axis
performance modulation of some sort..great LP filter cutoff sweep and or great analog delay/echo or phasing!! Best $200 ever spent! Well worth the price..
these are destined to be as beloved as vintage Minimoogs! and are far more powerfull and musical!
I am not making this up!

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