With the introduction of KORE 1, Native Instruments provided a unifying solution to the conflicting, multiple instrument and plug-in interfaces from all the various manufacturers in the marketplace. The original did not ship with any built-in sounds, but did provide a DAW audio interface.

With KORE 2, the situation is slightly reversed. While an audio interface is no longer part of the controller, NI has taken six of their premier software-instrument engines, and created a "Super Instrument" with five-hundred sounds (including over three-thousand variations) and four-hundred FX sounds, ready for immediate use.

To help with managing and using such a large library, KORE 2 includes an ultra-fast KoreSound browser that can immediately access any sound by choosing its desired musical characteristic. The KoreSound format also provides the ability to store even the most complex user instrument and effect combinations.

The controller has been slightly redesigned and is perfectly matched to the KORE system. A high-resolution, back-lit display is context sensitive and depending on the selected function, provides the configuration of the eight knobs and buttons, controller assignments and current values, plus a complete menu overview.

The rear panel of the controller provides MIDI in and out jacks, two footswitch and two pedal inputs, along with the USB 2.0 interface. New sounds can be easily created using drag-and-drop functionality in the Sound Matrix, and the sound library can be expanded with optional KORESOUND PACKS.