Korg KARMA

The Korg KARMA music workstation was released in 2001 as a specialised member of the Korg Triton family. KARMA stands for Kay's Algorithmic Real-time Music Architecture.^[5][6] The unit features up to 62 note polyphony^[7] and is 16-part multitimbral. Its sound engine is based on the Korg Triton workstation,^[8] although it has fewer features.^[9]

KARMA
Korg KARMA
Manufacturer	Korg
Dates	2001[1][2]
Price	£1,599 GBP
Technical specifications
Polyphony	62 (single mode) or 31 (double mode) [3]
Timbrality	8 parts (Combi mode), 16 parts (Sequencer mode)
Oscillator	62
LFO	1 (triangle, saw, square, random)
Synthesis type	Hyper Integrated (HI)
Filter	Resonant 24dB oct Low-pass, 12dB/oct lowpass and High-pass
Aftertouch expression	yes
Velocity expression	yes
Storage memory	32 MB ROM
Effects	5 insert, 2 master, EQ
Input/output
Keyboard	61 keys[4]
Left-hand control	Joystick, 4 Control Knobs, 2 Switches
External control	MIDI

Construction

The center section is made of brushed aluminum, and the side cheeks are constructed from plastic.^[10]

Sequencer

The unit also features a 16-track sequencer with a maximum storage of 200,000 events and 200 songs^[11]

Drum kits

• 413 drum sounds^[12]
• 55 drum kits^[13]
• 16 User drum kits

Expansions

KORG KARMA's presets can be expanded with KORG EXB cards such as EXB-PCM01 (Pianos/Classic Keyboards), EXB-PCM02 (Studio Essentials), EXB-PCM03 (Future Loop Construction), EXB-PCM04 (Dance Extreme), EXB-PCM05 (Vintage Archives), EXB-PCM06/07 (Orchestral Collection), EXB-PCM08 (Concert Grand Piano), EXB-PCM09 (Trance Attack). Moreover, the sound engine can be extended using the valuable 6-voice DSP tone generator derived from the KORG Z1 - EXB-MOSS.

Notable users

• Rick Wakeman^[14]
• Phil Collins
• Herbie Hancock
• Peter Gabriel
• Vangelis
• Yes
• Pete Townshend
• Keith Emerson
• Jean-Michel Jarre
• Tuomas Holopainen
• Jordan Rudess^[15]
• Mark Kelly