Differences between Kaoss Pad 2 & 3

[ellaguru]

If you want to do live things,
I say KEEP the ESX.. heaps of people use them live, and they're great..
If you want to get a looper, definitely.. get a KP3. .its the best.

Both together will be a badass combo..

I use an ES-1mk2 (older version electribe. .came before the esx) and a KP3, and that alone is pretty badass.

the esx is a bomb...
i'm sorry nuemerik, yesterday night i was half-sleeping. i confuse the esx with the emx...
i think that, as the other guys on the thread said, you cannot compare a sequencer with a looper. maybe you can compare the esx with the sp-505 wich has almost the same functions (good sequencer and the pitch scale)...you said the esx got poor fx...is this really true? i've tried an es-1mkII and i found the fx good. plus, i think that with the esx you can apply more than one fx at once, if i'm not wrong...
if you're looking for a looper the kp3 is ok, but maybe if you don't want to spend that much and continue keeping the esx you can try the kp2, not really expensive and good machine...

[PHeMoX]

If you want to be able to do things like DJ Krush, maybe here's a video that can maybe give you some ideas of what kind of gear you would ideally need;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DoXGU0fJdRI

He could use the Kaoss Pad 3 for triggering some samples live too, but using an additional sampler works better if the KP3 is also the main FX box.

or

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFoHgVS7GAY

Even more minimalistic. KP2 + ESX-1 (and an EMX).

What I'm saying is that a Kaoss Pad 3 + your old trusty ESX-1 would be a very useful combo.

There are really a dozen ways of achieving the same style of music though and while the KP3 is definitely good for stutter FX, FX sweeps and things like that, you could use a SP-404 / sp-555 too. You'd have a better sampler with better FX than the ESX-1 then too, but you'd lose out on some of the more useful touchscreen controlled FX the KP3 has.

It's difficult because Kaoss Pads tend to be so expensive, but I'd maybe go for a KP2 + ESX-1 combo. Maybe add an SP-404 too. But it's all up to you.

[ellaguru]

as phemox said, i think kp2+esx-1 is a reasonable and good solution.

[formal]

Thanks for all the replies guys. It's definitely giving me more to think about. I know comparing the ESX to a KP3 is like comparing apples to pineapples. Like you all have stated the sp555 can almost fill this role, but it still doesn't exactly fit my needs nor my budget at the moment. IF I part ways with the ESX I will still have my sampletrak, turntables, and my iphone with Beatmaker. I'd really like to use as little gear as possible for this project to make my life more simple and the music more effective/enjoyable (that's the main goal).

The reasons why I want and consider the kp3
-Lots of memory
-Size/Form Factor
-Livelooping/layering
-Easy to find LARGE memory cards!
-Ability to play/save longer samples

I am most likely going to hold onto my ESX since I'm pretty certain I'll want it back the day it leaves my hands! An ESX paired with KP3 would most definitely be a deadly duo.

As for videos the DJ Krush was the first thing that came to mind because of his strict use of the Vestax 20SL. This other video is also along the lines of how I want to transition from making 1 track at a time to making more of a mixed & impromptu set. It's an older video, but still good.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVoT9rZHeNw

If I can find a good deal on a KP2 I might snag it up. I've made up my mind that what I'm missing is just a good looper. Now, I just gotta save some extra cash.

[hurlingdervish]

kp2 doesnt loop very well btw
the way you do it is very awkward and theres only 2 pads
more for just all in one effects box

[ellaguru]

kp2 doesnt loop very well btw
the way you do it is very awkward and theres only 2 pads
more for just all in one effects box

have you tried it? can you apply more than one fx at once? it is midi limited?

[formal]

Well for the price of a Boss RC20 looper, it's about the same as a KP3. I know this can all be done with ableton quite easily and I've even rigged up a ghetto usb foot controller to do just this. To me, it's a big pain in the a$$. Even if the KP2 only has 2 sample banks, that might be an alright compromise for the price, but if it's a hassle to use it, I'm not gonna even bother.

[ellaguru]

Well for the price of a Boss RC20 looper, it's about the same as a KP3. I know this can all be done with ableton quite easily and I've even rigged up a ghetto usb foot controller to do just this. To me, it's a big pain in the a$$. Even if the KP2 only has 2 sample banks, that might be an alright compromise for the price, but if it's a hassle to use it, I'm not gonna even bother.

i see the boss rc-20 used by a friend of mine for an artistic live performance. but i don't know this machine. it has fx inside? i don't remeber. i think it's a looper, but that's all i know.

[hurlingdervish]

kp2 doesnt loop very well btw
the way you do it is very awkward and theres only 2 pads
more for just all in one effects box

have you tried it? can you apply more than one fx at once? it is midi limited?

i have tried it yes

used to use it alot jamming with my friend

it has good effects but the sample "loop" function is absolutely useless, no way to sync it at all

i dont think theres midi, could be wrong

its just lots of effects, great ones, but know if you get a kp2 or better yet a mini kp thats what you are getting it for

you can still do the x/y sampling thing which is cool, but with only two samples its very limiting

i dont recall 2 effects at once

[PHeMoX]

The Kaoss Pad 3 can't do more than one FX at a time also if I recall correctly. Pretty sure you'll need to resample for that.

If you want a looper that has sampling capabilities, go for the KP3, if you want a sampler with looper capabilities, I'd look into something different.

Assuming you're going to stick to your ESX-1 anyway, a KP2 really will do. Even with it's less sophisticated looper features.

it has good effects but the sample "loop" function is absolutely useless, no way to sync it at all

You mean BPM sync? That doesn't work flawlessly on a KP3 either.

Oh, by the way the Kaoss Pad 2 does have midi. The mini-Kaoss Pad doesn't.

[hurlingdervish]

Even with it's less sophisticated looper features.

it would be useless to try looping on it man. go give it a go

theres no way to sync the samples, no way to resample, and no way to change the tempo

it was only meant for triggering samples

[PHeMoX]

No, you should tap tempo first, then sample and go from there. I've actually used it too, but never owned one. It takes practice before you can make nice loops with it. Unfortunately there's no bpm sync of samples in there, but it wasn't meant for that. It's mainly an FX box you can use together with a sequencer.

I have to say though, a KP2 and it's 6 sec per pad doesn't give you a whole lot of sample time. Hence why I said, if you're looking for a sampler with looping capabilities, the KP2 ain't for you.

[ellaguru]

anyone knows
How Many Fx At Once can run the kp3, the kp2 and the min kp?
thanx

[hurlingdervish]

anyone knows
How Many Fx At Once can run the kp3, the kp2 and the min kp?
thanx

they all have one im pretty sure

its the resampling without stopping the audio that makes up for it

[ellaguru]

anyone knows
How Many Fx At Once can run the kp3, the kp2 and the min kp?
thanx

they all have one im pretty sure

its the resampling without stopping the audio that makes up for it

is this true for the mini kp also?