So I recently ordered a kp3+ as sampler/effects unit but wondering if anyone on here has used one in their rig. Was hoping to use it as a quick means of adding guitar sample loops and apply overall effects to the mix to create even more random flexibility. I’m hoping to midi sync the Bpm to the other machines but I have read of others having latency issues. Some said most of the effects aren’t great. Starting to wonder if it wasn’t a good purchase.
I just ordered a mini kp2s for the explicit purpose of playing my longer field recordings since the AR isn’t so great at that.
I think for your purposes it’ll be fine. Give it some time and I’m sure you’ll figure out if it’s a good fit or not.
[quote=“” rgraphic""]
Some said most of the effects aren’t great. Starting to wonder if it wasn’t a good purchase.
[/quote]
Funnily enough I was trawling ebay half an hour ago thinking about nabbing one for those exact reasons…
Having owned a KP1 and KP2 in the past, I find that the effects are pretty average, but what do you expect at that price point? But that is offset by the dynamic interaction value.
I’m thinking of a KP3 for little effects here and there, as a transition tool etc, a bit of spice as it were.
I found from previous experince (KP1/KP2) that they are great live, but not in the studio. More a condiment rather then a base for a receipe.
1 Like
Kinda my thoughts too. hoping to use as more a transitional and fun element while still learning my way around the elektrons. I guess it’s possible to map as a touch sensitive midi controller as well. I’m surprised there aren’t as many reviews as I thought there would be. Got it for around $280 new on Amazon so hopefully it’s worth that in experimental fun.
just doing these you’ll get plenty of mileage out of it. sounds like you’ve read other threads so i won’t repeat much, other than it’s ace for easy transitions and its looper is a terrific effect regardless of the others’ shortcomings. oh and ymmv, but i recommend sync’ing it manually rather than by midi clock.
while i’ve never tried it, a few people posted on e-u that they got great results doing this.
It’s a great little tool if you have an Elektron that can send midi CCs. Becomes a little beast once you P-lock it.
I think it is kind of poor for sample playback, since the loops are free running. Great for capturing a sample while you play tho, so you can build transitions and such.
2 Likes
Had one in the past, overall fx quality is acceptable, the biggest problem for me was playing sample loops from it, in the sense that if you were playing an fx over the sample+mix, then going into sample edit mode (to change volume, sample steps…) the fx will be bypassed leaving you with a dry signal. big flaw for me.
1 Like
i bought a 2nd hand KP3
I use it for song transition, by recording a loop, and while playing the recorded loop i can select new patterns with their kids.
i am really happy with it. mixing from one to the other is very nice… the looper and bpm are very steady (much better than Xone DB4, for example)
the fx are not really nice, but it’s good enough.
overall:
I love the small size of the instrument
I love the usability with the touch pad
I love the sampler
I don’t like the fx, but they are good enough, especially since I bought mine 2nd hand for 125 euro.
So I am happy with it, although I hope I will have a better alternative next year.
1 Like
So i have the kp3 running on the aux channel on my mixer (so i can send whatever blend of inputs to it on the fly). Very pleased. As you guys have said, its effects are “ok” or “good” but the way it handles them is so much fun and can get really creative interesting sounds. the only aspect that is a total let down is recording the finger motions on the pad. the latency or timing is not accurate if you make motions to the beat of the music. It is always off by some margin. Anyone figure out a way to fix this?
The more I play with my KP3, the more I love it.
i am looking for a way to ‘delete’ the recorded loops, to be sure the kp3 is empty when playing a new song I want to take loops of. Unfortunately I cannot find it in the manual, on the internet and I think I tried everything.
the reason I want to know this, sometimes I don’t know what I sampled, when I go from one sample loop to the other, I want to be 100 % sure I will hear the right sample, not the sample of a previous loop.
If this goes wrong, the impact is unacceptably big.
So: after recording a loop into the mk3, can I delete this loop again to have an empty slot? and if yes, how.
If its anything like recording the gestures it must be overwritten, if i understand correctly. I love the KP3 but these quirks are certainly annoying.
KP3 is my favorite delay, Del2.
Capturing a live loop is nice for transitions.
The sample one-hits work great.
The ‘looper’ feature is a cool effect. LP5
I like the distortion, Mod10.
I like the washy one. Mod3.
Reverb does the job. Rev2.
The slicer is great. LFO21.
Also, you don’t have to have the wet/dry on 10. You can leave the effect on and bring it in and out with the knob.
Quick hits on the touch pad with the fade out turned all of the way up is cool.
2 Likes
For sure! I’m always coming across new ways to use it.
I’ve read very nasty comments around, about the good old KP (poor sound quality, crappy fx’s)…
WTF, huh, to me KP3+ (THAT model, I mean, not 2 or quad) is absolutely FANTASTIC talking about the relationship price/quality-playability-enjoyability-whateverability
Also, after seein a YT video of Jon Hopkins live rig in action I’m seriously considering buying another one (some stems on one, some other stem on another, wow, funny impro stuff, fuck the digital sound quality, we’re not talking about string quartets)
1 Like
For all the years I’ve had the KP3, I only use it for a handful of effects, primarily the loopers and the granular effects. It’s worth throwing at the end of a signal chain just for those, and it is simple and FUN. That’s enough reason to have one for me. It’s enough reason to own two, even.
3 Likes
I use both a Kaossillator and a KP3 in my rig, really like the granular shift effects, and there are some great delays in there also. I can take sounds that otherwise eventually are out to preset pasture, liven them up with something interesting out of KP3, then just mangle up the juicy bits in my Octatrack. I generally don’t get the KP3 in the midi clock chain as I like to use its bpms as poly rhythmic divisions of the clock. Dividing clock by 3 has some great results.
1 Like
Watching a Jon Hopkins set was what made me buy one too. Had it about a month now. Most of the fx aren’t to my taste, but there are lots of 'em and 3 or 4 hit the spot for jamming. Really handy being able to switch off the delay transition thing.
I have a mini kaoss pad 2 which I have incorporated into my live setup. I’m going to grab a kp3 as soon as I can though; I’d love to have midi sync, and also being able to plock the parameters would be great to get some Gantz Graf-style glitch automation going on.
For what it is though, the mini-kp2 is really nice—it really spices up my transitions and buildups, and using it even just with nanoloop sounds great with effects like the filter LFO! If I get the kp3 I might keep the mini in my setup as well, maybe just effecting one part of the sound…
jon hopkins should get sponsored for the amount of kp3’s he influences people to buy.
his glastonbury set was good , should be on bbc website if your in the uk or know how to get around those types of things 
How does the transition work with the KP3? Every owner talks about it.
Is there a quantising function that works, when you start and stop sampling? And does it match with incoming Midi Clock?
How is the concrete workflow when using a KP3 for transition (for example with an OT as Clock master)?