Questions and answers.
Which Macs does KiMiA run on?
Apple silicon Macs (M1 and later) with macOS 14 or newer. KiMiA is made for the Mac only: there are no Intel, Windows or Linux versions planned.
Is it a plug-in or an app?
Both. The app is made for the stage, at full screen. The Audio Unit (Logic Pro, MainStage) and the VST3 (Ableton Live, Cubase) have the same engine and sounds; Set pads and the stage tools are the app's.
Which keyboards and controllers work?
Any MIDI keyboard over USB or a MIDI interface, each input with its own velocity curve. Any knob, slider, button or footswitch can be taught by right-clicking a control. KiMiA has ready layouts for the Arturia KeyLab 61 mk3, the Korg nanoKONTROL2 and the M-Audio Oxygen Pro 25.
Does it support MPE?
Not yet. KiMiA reads velocity, channel and poly aftertouch, both wheels, sustain and expression pedals, and any controller you teach it.
What happens when I change sounds mid-song?
With Seamless switch on, the notes you hold (or hold with the pedal) keep their old sound and its own delay and reverb tails, while the next notes play the new pad. You choose how long the old notes may ring, from 0 to 10 s.
What if my Mac can't keep up?
The Crackle guard fades the notes you'd hear least instead of letting the sound crackle. Before a show, the Gig check measures each pad of your set and marks the heavy ones.
Can I bring my own sounds?
Yes: your own wavetables from WAV files, your own WAV or AIFF samples for the Grain engine, and sound banks shared as files. Every sound you save stays on your Mac.
Does it need the internet?
No. KiMiA plays fully offline. It goes online only to download a piano voicing or to check for updates, and only when you ask.
Is my work safe?
KiMiA backs up your sounds, Set pads and sets at every launch and before every update. A damaged file is mended so it loads, you're told what changed, and the original is kept.
How much memory does it need?
KiMiA keeps what it plays in memory, so nothing waits on the disk on stage. A piano voicing takes about 1.3 GB while a sound uses it.
What will it cost?
The price is announced at launch, with a free trial of everything first. Leave your email to hear the day it's out.
Is there a way to learn it?
Yes: a course in sound design, made with KiMiA, at learn.kimiasynthesizer.com. Four of its 20 modules are free.