Chapter 12 - Kaossilator

Kaossilator - The other off

After all the explanations about WAVDJ, I'd like to move on to this little Korg.
Kaossilator is a Dynamic Phaser Synthesizer.

Specifications

• Programs: 100 sounds
  
• Program Categories: “NOTE” Sound = LEAD: 20, ACOUSTIC: 10, BASS: 20, CHORD: 10
  “SE” Sound = SE: 20
  “DRUM” Sound = DRUM: 10, DRUM PATTERN: 10
  
  
• Musical Scale Patterns: 31
• Key Range: ±12
• Types of Gate Arpeggiator: 50
• Connectors: LINE OUT jacks (RCA phono jacks), PHONES jack (Stereo mini phone jacks)
• Sampling Frequency: 48kHz
• DA Conversion: 24-bit Linear
• Power Supply: four alkaline AA (LR6) batteries (6 V) / AC Adaptor?Sold Separately?
• Battery Life: approximately five hours (with alkaline batteries)
• Included Items: Owner`s Manual, parameter sheet, four AA “test” batteries
• Dimensions: 106 mm (W) x 129 mm (D) x 29 mm (H) / 4.17" (W) x 5.08" (D) x 1.14" (H)
• Weight: 154 g / 5.43 oz. (without batteries)
  

Options

AC adapter ( DC4.5V )

I took a look at YouTube and chose this video to show how the Kaossilator works.

 

Later, I will make a video of all that is happening and post it on YouTube.
For now, my mission is to get background sounds to add to the wavdj and make drum loops.

Kaossilator already has drum loops, but I'm creating them directly in the WaveDJ software. This way, I can drop the drums and background sounds in and out at any time, and they don't need to repeat all the time.

I obtain background sounds from websites that offer free loops and samples, and I select the most suitable ones to create this music project.
These background sounds (loops) I create with the help of Ableton software before adding them to the machine.
Like that, I can make the loops as long as I like, and I can add different patterns and other sounds.

Back to Kaossilator
As part of all the technical explanations above, I have to specify something for people who dont know about this techy stuff:

The kaossilator has 
7 sound categories
1- Leads
2- Acoustic
3- Bass
4- Chords
5- Se (FX)
6- Drum (single beats)
7- Drum (Patterns)
This is the basic 100 sounds.

Scales (key)
Kaossilator have 31 different keys, like C / C#/ D / E #/ E# / G/ G# etc...
Some examples are:
Chromatic
Ionian
Dorian
Majore Blues
Major Pentatonic
Gypsy scale
Arabian scale
spanish scale
Egyptian Scale
Octave interval
And go on, and on, and on..........

Gate Arpeggio Patterns
Some effects can be added to the sounds apart from the typical effects, which cut the sound into short beats.
The kaossilator has 49 different arpeggio patterns.

More can be said about the kaossilator, but for now, I have explained it to the best of my knowledge.


More about this in the next chapter ;)

Chapter 11 - The software

The Software

The software is separated into 4 parts.
1- Edit Window.
This comes as default with 16-channel Instruments. I never used this, but here is where all the music can be composed.
It's here where I can create the blocks and create the tracks... iffff (urggg)
* I do not use this

2- Mixer window.
Here is the mixer display, any time I move a button on the machine, it will show on the screen.
This has a CD room control and I can record outcome sounds into the (Edit Window), plus the machine just works, when I have this mixer window on. If I switch off the software, the sound in the machine stops.
* This is the only window open while I play. (Machines do not work without the software).

3- Style Window.
Here are the Drums and the Korg settings. I can choose the instrument sounds for each button in the Korg and I can set up the drum loops as long as I want or change the loop patterns, including more sounds in the drums, etc...
* I use this one to make the drum patterns that I will use in the machine and set up the sounds for the Korg.

4- Sound Effect window.
900 sounds can be replaced in this board :) 
* This is where all the background and sound effects are uploaded.

And here is the machine connected...

As you can see, the display and the program are not helpful!

Anyway, if this were a very professional sound Equipment, I would not have made this blog and I would not have been much interested in creating something different with this machine.

This is the only thing I touch while I play. The software is not needed once everything is set up.

Cool, for less than £ 20, I get an original toy and I can mess about!

Chapter 10 - Connections

WAVDJ Connections

Here is where the problems begin in the first place.
The wavdj works with an ancient software program, and the connections are designed to work with old PCs.
So, here is the first problematic connection I talk about...

This one, connect the WAVDJ to the mouse connection in the PC Some of the new PCs don't have this connection anymore.
I bought an adapter for this, but was there a problem there where it started? The machine didn't work correctly!
If you've been reading this blog from the beginning, you know I have to change the WAV DJ from my music PC to my older home PC for this to work.

Here are more connections...

This is where the wavdj connects for sound on the back. All of this must be associated with the PC or machine, and the sound will not come out as it should.

All these are the standard PC connections, and they have to be all connected to the PC sound card or will not work correctly.

And on the side...

The user connections are:

1- line in (here is where I connect the Kaossilator)
2- Audio output (where I connect the output cable to my Amplifier)
3- Mic input (I don't use it for now, but it can be helpful later to connect something else)
4- Audio output (I try to connect the headphones on this one, but the sound volume is cut off !)
5- Mic input (The mixer has space for just 1 mic , I don't know why I have 2 mic inputs... )

Now it's all connected and working fine ;) uffff....