Korg Kaoss Pad V: The First Major Touch Effects Upgrade in 13 Years

The Kaoss Pad has seen many different iterations, but the mainline effect unit and sampler hasn’t received an update since the launch of the KP3+ in 2013. Korg has finally given it the attention it deserves with the release of the Kaoss Pad V. Rather than a dramatic reimagining of what a Kaoss Pad is, the V takes the core idea — an effect unit with an X / Y pad for controlling parameters in a natural, performance-focused way. The big innovation on the Kaoss Pad V is that it can recognize two fingers simultaneously to control two distinct sets of parameters, or even two entirely different effects. It also has a dedicated voice effects engine for vocoding and harmonizing. It can even convert vocal input into MIDI for controlling other gear. Imagine being able to control a drum machine by beatboxing, or a synth by humming. The sampling and looping features have also been improved. You can record up to eight bars, overdub, and even chop and rearrange your loop. Those looping features are all the more useful since Korg finally added a balanced input so you can capture cleaner audio from mics, synths, and other instruments. Though, it sticks with unbalanced RCA ins and outs on the back, which are more useful for DJ setups, but less so in a studio. One thing that has not gotten an upgrade, unfortunately, in 13 years is the price. The KP3+ launched at $349.99 in 2013, which, accounting for inflation, is about $493 in 2026 money. But the Korg Kaoss Pad V is for preorder at a whoping $649.99.