MusicRadar

• Review

Issues

In terms of letdowns, the biggest issue is the lack of direct DAW integration. In an ideal world, Kyma-X would sit in a mix inside a VST, RTAS or AU wrapper, and you'd be able to pipe MIDI and audio to and from it without leaving the comfort of a FireWire lead.

That's the long term plan – AU support is coming first – but for now you have to treat Kyma-X as physical outboard, with its own MIDI connector. To get audio and MIDI into and out of Pacarana you'll need extra hardware from a third party.

There's a list of supported hardware on the website, but whatever you use will have to be dedicated to Kyma-X – anything with a FireWire or USB connector won't work with your PC or Mac at the same time. This all adds to the price, and detracts from convenience.

The scripting feature isn't so much a problem as a challenge. You can write tiny or large applications using the Capytalk language. The basics aren't too hard, and scripting gives you uber-power over Kyma-X. Non-coders may find this a brain exercise too far, but coders will feel like they've gone to heaven.

Finally we'd also like the software to be – well – prettier. It's best described as functional rather then stylish, and there's room for improvement in the look and feel. This doesn't affect the features, but some more attractive skins and backgrounds wouldn't go amiss.

Summary

If you're new to synthesis, you'll find using Kyma-X is like falling down a black hole. If you're still struggling with oscillators and filters, trying to get up to speed with everything Kyma-X can do will make your brain explode in a very messy but not necessarily unpleasant kind of a way.

If you have more experience and plenty of imagination, Kyma-X is more like the synthesizer you want from Santa. It does everything you want, and almost everything you haven't thought of yet. If you think of it as a modern modular you won't go far wrong.

If you're looking for the usual selection of lush pads, Trance multisaws, Moog basses and percussion zips, you can find them elsewhere. Kyma-X can make all these sounds, but you won't find them in the preset list.

Instead, Kyma-X has the potential to do something which is rare – create sounds which are unique and which move and respond in original ways. It's a challenging product, but perfect for adventurous DJs, ambient artists, professional sound designers, and anyone else who wants to stretch their sounds well outside of the traditional virtual analogue comfort zone.

Take a listen to some Kyma-produced sounds: