All arrangers are synthesizers. They add to synthesis technology the ability to generate rhythmic and melodic patterns as a function of chord recognition. Arpeggiators and drum machines play rhythmic and melodic patterns, but without chord recognition. Current groove machines have arpeggiators with real-time control over the groove of a rhythmic pattern; groove machines, like the Yamaha DJX series, are mostly used for techno and trance music. I have looked briefly at U.S. Patent 6,103,964 (to Stephen Kay), which appears to cover some of the technology used in the Karma. The Karma might be a glorified groove machine, but it sounds like it will be applicable to the wide range of music that arrangers typically address. It is hard to tell whether it has any actual chord-recognition ability.

However, unlike the Korg PA-80, which held back on its Triton implementation, the Karma appears to be a Triton with Auto-Accompaniment. It can exchange sounds with the Triton, and accepts Triton expansion boards and the MOSS board. 32MB of ROM is standard, as on the Triton. Expansion is available to bring it to 64MB, which is currently state of the art.

As far as I can tell, there is no mass storage, and nothing is said about custom "Generated effects". So the Karma may not be amenable to the friendly style-making and exchange communities that we have been developing in the arranger community.

As the proud owner of a Wavestation AD, I hope this is not another great technology that gets abandoned by Roland.

[This message has been edited by Clif Anderson (edited 01-20-2001).]