The Third Generation Karma Motif
KARMA® is the award-winning interactive music generation technology that has been enhancing high end workstations (such as Korg’s Karma, OASYS, M3 and new KRONOS) for over 10 years. Now, KARMA Developer Stephen Kay is bringing a new version of KARMA to the Yamaha Motif XFand XS series: “KARMA Motif” – for Mac OS X and Windows.
Jam/Create/Produce
KARMA Motif provides almost instant gratification
to the aspiring musician, making it fun and easy
to create professional sounding tracks or jam for hours, while providing
enough power and scalability to satisfy the most experienced producer
looking for something more to inspire and elevate their production and
song-writing to a higher level.
The heart of KARMA is the “GE” (Generated Effect) – a parameterized
specification for an algorithmically generated musical phrase. You can
think of it as a “mutant arpeggiator on steroids.” A KARMA Performance
can use up to six independent GEs to produce multi-instrumental
grooves with an unheralded degree of interactivity and variability.
KARMA has seven layers of real-time control in each multi-module
Performance: one for each of the six Modules, and a Master Layer that
controls multiple modules at the same time. 32 Scenes in each layer store
snapshots of every setting, and the scenes can be changed during the
performance to produce completely different variations: verses, choruses,
bridges, breakdowns – and you can quantize when the scene changes
happen, as well. Press a button ahead of time and the scene changes at
the next downbeat, 2 bars later, or 4 bars later – however you prefer.
Third Generation KARMA
KARMA Motif also debuts the newest, most advanced, third generation
(KARMA 3.0) technology with a host of new features including:
8-track design (6 KARMA Modules, 2 Keyboard Layers) per Performance.
Per-track Volume and Mute stored in each of the 32 Scenes – individually
adjust the mix of all parts in each scene, and which parts are playing.
Velocity Response Curves – individually tailor the velocity response for
the left hand keyboard, the right hand keyboard, the input to KARMA
from the keyboard, and the Chord Triggers (pads), without editing the
Motif’s programs or songs.
Fill/Stop Feature – use one or more modules as a melodic or drum fill,
with the ability to stop and start other modules automatically.
Advanced Stutter Feature – rapidly “stutter” (retrigger) the entire groove
at different rhythmic resolutions, providing an effect similar to how it
would sound if you sampled the entire KARMA groove and then
replicated small slices of the beginning of the sample in your DAW. From
machine-gun like stutters to slow triplet hits, it adds a completely new
dimension to a KARMA Performance.
Master Transpose – play in one key, generate output in another,
switchable in real-time.
Chord Triggers (Pads) – Individual Vel. Sensitivity and Transpose, for not
only triggering KARMA with pre-programmed chords of your choice, but
for triggering hits, sound effects and even the Motif’s arps.
Performance Notes Feature – bring up a detailed Performance Notes
document for each included Performance, with information about the
Scenes, RT Control assignments, Chord Trigger assignments, key zones,
methods of playing, suggested uses and more. Edit to include your own
comments and create your own notes for your own Performances.
Extensively redesigned single-window interface…and more!
The power of KARMA comes to the Yamaha Motif XF and XS!
KARMA’s interface ties the Motif’s Remote Mode to powerful and inspirational real-time control of your grooves.
Where’s the Remote?
Activate the Motif’s Remote Control mode, and all of the buttons
and sliders on the Motif’s interface can be used to trigger the 16
Chord Triggers, Fills, Stutter feature, Scene changes, Scene mixes
and real-time algorithmic variations – no need for an external
fader/button box, although full support for interfacing them is
also provided, with more assignable CCs for real-time control via
external controllers.
You can use the Motif’s buttons to trigger 16 different chords, hits
or SFX stored in each KARMA Performance. Store your own chord
progressions instantly to the buttons using the keyboard, or
assign hits, drum sounds or even the Motif’s arps as additional
elements to be used during performances.
Use the Motif’s 8 sliders and 8 knobs to control KARMA’s
Real-Time Sliders or Scene Mix, and use additional rows of
buttons to select the current Module Control Layer, various
Stutter effects, KARMA’s Real-Time Switches, or KARMA Scene
changes – among others.
Enter the Matrix
KARMA’s Scene Matrix provides an overview of the 32 scenes in
each of KARMA’s seven Control Layers (that’s 224 scenes per
Performance)! Mix and match Scene 1 of the Bass line with Scene
4 of the Drum groove with Scene 7 of the arpeggiated synth – all
called up at the touch of a single button in the Master Layer
Scene. We’ll do the math for you: assuming all 32 scenes were
programmed in all 6 of the Module Layers, you would have access
to over 1 billion potential combinations of scenes within a single
Performance – we think that should be sufficient!
Going to the Library
KARMA Motif includes a library of preprogrammed Performances
and GEs for instant inspiration, in a variety of popular musical
styles such as techno, trance, hip-hop, new-age, classical and
more, utilizing the high-quality sounds and effects of the Yamaha
Motif XF or XS.
Also slated for inclusion is a library of “Single-Module
Performances” – these are not multi-part groove and song
templates, they are simple single-program interactive phrase
producers you can integrate into your more traditionally
sequenced workflow. Need a finger-picked guitar pattern?
KARMA comes around. Need a funky bass-line? KARMA comes
around. Just need a drum groove, and the ability to customize it a
bit so it feels like your own? KARMA definitely comes around!
Reaching an arrangement
Unlike popular “arranger keyboards”, the key to KARMA’s unique
sound and almost mystifying ability to sound “fresh” is the fact
that KARMA generates music algorithmically, with hundreds of
parameters capable of independent manipulation in real-time
while the music is being created, resulting in thousands of custom
variations that would be impossible to achieve in any other way.
An arranger keyboard plays static MIDI phrases over and over; a
KARMA performance can be randomized, changed, and morphed
from something busy to something simple, at the touch of a
slider, knob or switch.
Ready to record when you are!
KARMA Motif’s Performances use the Motif’s Song/Mixing mode,
where each of the 64 songs is a complete, up to 16 part
multi-track six-module KARMA algorithmic music groove, with a
left hand zone for controlling KARMA and a right hand zone for
soloing on top of it. The Motif’s arps are also additionally
integrated in many performances as additional elements that can
be added via the 16 Chord Triggers.
What this means is that when you load a KARMA Performance, it’s
ready to record at any time. Since you are already in Song Mode,
you’re just one step away from recording the your KARMA-fied
musical performances into the Motif’s sequencer – or you can
route the output to any DAW for external sequencing.
Furthermore, a KARMA Performance can call up any Motif Voice,
Performance, Song, Pattern, or Master slot when loading, so that
KARMA can be easily integrated with any of the Motif’s modes.
Availability
KARMA Motif is currently undergoing final development with an
expected release date of April 1st, 2011. All features and
functionality discussed here are preliminary and subject to
change without notice. © 2011 by Karma-Lab. Please consult
www.karma-lab.com for the latest specifications and information.
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