Hi guys,
I saw this webpage some time ago & got to know that producers like Amon Tobin uses this Super computer sound design language, KYMA ! I just want to know that if anyone in this community has ever used KYMA or has seen anyone using it.


Thanks

 

Nope! But an interesting unit

 

I know a guy that bought one 4-5? years ago; later he sold it (and said that softsynths + modular stuff like Max/msp or Reaktor were way better for his workflow; it also requires learning some old programming language).
Kyma's hardware is very old and outdated compared to modern Intel processors.
Of course, there exist modern microprocessors that make the hardware of Kyma or stuff like Access Virus to look like a joke, but I haven't heard anyone offering modern digital synths using such technologies.
If you want to get "nerdy", there are more than enough FREE alternatives to Kyma that also require programming. There are tools in the vst world that will also get you there, but they are more specialized, so you have to get several instruments (it depends on what you want to do -granular, additive, morphing, glitch etc, you can find anything these days, most of this stuff also appeared on the sister site).
At this point stuff like Kyma, Sonic core Xite, UAD is just a trap.

 

Last edited: Oct 15, 2018

Very Good explanation. I guess I was impressed with Amon TObin's sound design & I reached Kyma & I saw a hardware unit so I got more curious. I do use Max & I love it. Thanks

 

I have known people who use them, and come very close to getting some of it myself.

IMO, it is a mistake to think of the usefulness of a Kyma or other dedicated hardware exclusively in terms of raw clock-cycle horsepower. My philosophy has always been to choose your software first - and then get the hardware you need to run it. In theory, anything digital could be emulated to run on anything, but in practice this isn't done. Also, if your main i7 or whatever box is maxed out by whatever else you are running, it is still nice to have that extra power that will never be taxed by general-purpose computer duties. Where dedicated hardware can excel is in workflow, and efficiency.

So for me, I think of Kyma not as just some hardware or a synth, but an instrument and environment. Just like Max and Reaktor have their strengths and weaknesses, similar but not the same, I would put Kyma in a similar category. For more esoteric synthesis all contained in the same environment, it is a great option. Of course, you could always grab an old box, install Linux, and run SuperCollider for free - and technically there is a large overlap in possibilities. But again, they are each their own distinct thing. It comes down to what best suits you and the way you work. I don't discount Kyma as an option.

The only dedicated DSP hardware I have now is my Korg OASYS PCI. It is old and requires its own weird way of working, but that's part of what makes it feel like an actual instrument. And it sounds great. And on top of all that, it gives my studio another capable computer besides my main box to play with. Sometimes I run it in a mixed-signal loop as part of my homemade modular, or as a custom eight-channel digital effects rack and it's a blast. The Kyma is far more extensible, and has better support.

 

I have an old capybara 66. It's specific skillset to acquire, but I've made sounds on this thing that have later gotten used in some larger productions. I should fire it up, I haven't used it in a while.

 

Ahh the good old days





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noize2sound

 

Yes. The hardware specs might make it seem "underpowered" or "archaic" but any serious sound designer will appreciate the extra horsepower when it's dedicated to only one of their primary tools. The system does take a little getting used to and yes, you will have to read the manual but IMHO it's not really too different from the learning curve of constructing with primary Reaktor modules or Max.
The one huge difference is the way that the system is laid out and accessed. There are no MIDI or Audio tracks (though it does use MIDI channels and audio samples). Kyma is a sound design language and uses a "Sound" as it's primary unit and calls it a Sound Atom. This can be sourced from anything: I/O, VSTi, any kind of noise generator really. Modules can be connected to effect the sound like most other pieces of software but the beauty is the way that the Sounds themselves can modulate and effect each other. Replacing a sound in your Kyma patch has a much different effect then replacing the audio sample in that awesome FX chain you made because a Sound atom is, in itself, a type of effect as well as a source.

It also has insanely high fidelity and doesn't suck up CPU because of the hardware.
Throw something like a Haken Continuum in the mix and use your brain a little to think ahead, as far as patching and modulation goes and you have one of the most expressive instruments known to sound design.

Amon Tobin recording sounds and playing/manipulating them with a Continuum through Kyma DSP.

I'm don't think he used Kyma hardware for this track but I'm going to leave it here because it's awesome.

 

Last edited: Oct 18, 2018

I own the Kyma PACA, and it’s awesome and it sucks—often at the same time. If you like noodling on a single sound for hours, you’ll probably love it. The Randomize options are great even if you’re not a sound-design pro, and they really do yield unique results. The random-preset stuff on samples is genuinely fun and useful when I’m focused on making tracks, though it tends to steer me toward more experimental music (I’ve heard some techno users get good results too).

Where it falls down is the workflow and hardware. The interface feels straight out of 2005; plenty of plugins look better and are easier to navigate. Kyma could really use a more modern GUI and cleaner access. The hardware requirements are also a pain: needing specific audio interfaces with 16 outputs is annoying, my SSL Big Six doesn’t work with it yet, and relying on FireWire in 2025 isn’t ideal.

Bottom line: PACA is a powerful, unique sound-design playground wrapped in dated UI and picky I/O requirements.

 

we had capys 20-25 years ago because we thought it is somehow better than native tools, but it is only different.

while kyma is a great sounddesign playground, its main focus is still productivity, so if you are a not working with movies profesionally, it might not exactly pay out. but if you see it as yet anpther hardware synth or yet another PC workstation, it can be great for that.

the hardware has made some progress since then, back in the days it was a bit unstable and had limited connectivity, the latest generation can very easily be expanded by simply linking multiple of them. however, they no longer have built-in audio IO.

alltogether there are not enough developers among the kyma users, which means that nobody can help you if you plan to use it like that.

between kyma, supercollider and max i quickly decided to continue with max, because actual programming in kyma is cumbersome and the lisp family just not my type of enviroment.

using kyma as hardware synthesizer and making GUIs for them with max and control them from the host computer this way is also a nice combination.

 

Last edited: Aug 9, 2025

In my opinion, it is the best sound design software in the world and has capabilities that no other program can match. For example, it supports 4 sound sources and MORPH. Please watch the YouTube video I shared with you. It is an amazing system.

 

haha my cat went crazy of these morphing sounds
but don't see anything too spectacular in that example usual spectral morphing
it's quite a common today, even bedroom producers do that

I remember Kyma once was an overpriced box with several DSP processors and environment like Reaktor or Max/PD with genius algorithms behind it. But I'm sure todays processors can overrun this DSP power in no time.