The Kaossilator (I refuse to type it in ALL CAPS like Korg does) owes as much to Korg's KP3 sampler box as the small, battery-powered old school Kaossilator from which it takes its name. The Kaossilator is actually a quite wonderful little gizmo, able to do a number of tasks that not long ago required enough equipment to flatten the tires in your van. It has phrase sampling like the KP3. It has on-board synths and arpeggiators triggered by a backlit touchpad, which can also manipulate pitch, delay and reverb, depending on which direction you swipe with your finger. And it can record and filter external sources via mic and line ports. Probably no one will use all of these, but it's nice to know they're there.

Where to Get It: In Chicago, Madman Audio has it for $399.90. Worldwide, check out korg.com.