Pulling the Kaossilator Pro from its box, it's immediately apparent that this is a far more substantial unit than the original version. The form factor is almost identical to that of Korg's Kaoss Pad KP3, with an all-metal construction and a bigger overall footprint giving the Pro a much more weighty, well-built feel than its predecessor.
One side effect here is that the Pro is less portable, requiring DC power from a mains adapter. Retaining the ability to run on batteries would have been a bonus, but Korg's promotion of Pro as a studio and live performance tool suggests that it simply isn't intended to be a mobile device like the original Kaossilator.
The layout of the KO-Pro will be familiar to anyone who's used the KO-1, but a series of key differences reflect the new features on offer. The large X-Y touchpad is backlit, as on the KP3, and the gate arpeggiator has a new dedicated slider and button. A quick glance at the connections reveals an extra pair of RCA sockets and a mic input for capturing external sounds and using the vocoder.
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