Members Karma1 Posted April 28, 2011 Members Share Posted April 28, 2011 My local music store (Bananas At Large in San Rafael, CA) hosted a Korg KRONOS seminar with a presentation by Korg product specialist Rich Formadoni, who regularly posts and answers questions here on the forum. Rich gave an extremely informative and entertaining presentation, not to mention his being an awesome keyboard player. But the star of the show was the KRONOS - holy sh*t, that thing is unbelievable! I've been a huge Korg fan for years and currently have an M3 module, Karma keyboard, Micro X, Wavestation SR, Trinity Rack, and a Kaoss Pad. I've had the M3 for about a year and am still impressed with it and learning new things about it all the time. But the KRONOS makes the M3 look like a Casio from the 80's! There was a lot of info shared at the demo and I won't go into all the details, but the most impressive thing for me was the massive sound capability available with it's nine synth engines! This was absolutely mind-blowing. It would take a much more advanced and versatile player than me to make use of all this power. Being more of a synthesist and ambient soundscape creator than a "keyboardist" I probably wouldn't get as much use out of the piano, organ, and other realistic-type sounds, but the MOD-7 Waveshaping VPM Synth engine was beyond belief, and that alone would be worth it to me. Not to mention running it through Karma for some other-worldly effects.Being a workstation with sequencing and sampling and a host of other incredibly advanced features, I would imagine that the learning curve would be formidable - in fact the instrument would probably be obsolete by the time I could even scratch the surface of what it is capable of. But that's one problem I wouldn't mind having. I've read a bit about the KRONOS and have seen some demos, but seeing and hearing it live in a professional demo was a real eye opener. Looks like I'll have to start saving my pennies and selling off some of my other gear to get my hands on one of these. For anyone who has been curious about this synth, it is definitely worth checking out. Thanks to Rich for a great evening (and free KRONOS T shirt) and to Korg for putting so much advanced technology in one package - amazing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ElectricPuppy Posted April 28, 2011 Members Share Posted April 28, 2011 Rich is a top-notch dude, I'm sure he gave a great demo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members McHale Posted April 28, 2011 Members Share Posted April 28, 2011 Please tell me you know what the pre-order prices were. Not a single person that has gone to one of the events bothered to check! PLEASE? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Karma1 Posted April 29, 2011 Author Members Share Posted April 29, 2011 Actually I didn't check either since it's way out of my budget at the moment, but I just called the store to ask and they said the pre-order price is $2999 for the 61 key KRONOS ($3799 for the 88 key, and no price listed yet for the 73 key). At the demo, they offered an extra incentive by saying that anyone who pre-ordered and paid in advance would get a free Korg Micro Sampler. They also said that the very first units that arrive from Japan will go directly to customers who pre-ordered and paid for them. The first ones that come in will be 61 keys, and it will be a bit longer for the larger models - arrival dates are a bit uncertain at this point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members McHale Posted April 29, 2011 Members Share Posted April 29, 2011 that helps. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Pilotwings Posted April 29, 2011 Members Share Posted April 29, 2011 Thanks for the Kronos update. I can't wait to play one, this will most likely be my first Korg keyboard since my Poly 800 bought new in '84 I think. I played (but never owned) the Korg Oasys a few times & that's just an awesome machine. I love the idea of having high quality UNCOMPRESSED samples available instantly PLUS the addition of all the other sound engines, effects, & HD recorder in the Kronos - this should be a no brainer!!! My couple nitpicks IMO are - I would prefer a 76 note semi-weighted version and also this Roland feature: USB Memory Song Player - Playable File Format Audio File: WAV, AIFF, MP3 for live playing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Pilotwings Posted April 29, 2011 Members Share Posted April 29, 2011 Please tell me you know what the pre-order prices were. Not a single person that has gone to one of the events bothered to check! PLEASE? I see you've got the 88 note Kronos on order. Are you trying to see if you could have gotten a better deal? Sleep easy knowing you'll be one of the first ones on the block to own one!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members McHale Posted April 29, 2011 Members Share Posted April 29, 2011 Are you trying to see if you could have gotten a better deal? of course. I didn't know if Korg was preselling it or if the store having the promo was. Looks like it's the store. The only thing I'm missing out on is the T-Shirt and the free Micro-Sampler. Oh well... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Son of HuHefner Posted April 29, 2011 Members Share Posted April 29, 2011 My local music store (Bananas At Large in San Rafael, CA) hosted a Korg KRONOS seminar with a presentation by Korg product specialist Rich Formadoni, who regularly posts and answers questions here on the forum. Rich gave an extremely informative and entertaining presentation, not to mention his being an awesome keyboard player. But the star of the show was the KRONOS - holy sh*t, that thing is unbelievable! I've been a huge Korg fan for years and currently have an M3 module, Karma keyboard, Micro X, Wavestation SR, Trinity Rack, and a Kaoss Pad. I've had the M3 for about a year and am still impressed with it and learning new things about it all the time. But the KRONOS makes the M3 look like a Casio from the 80's! There was a lot of info shared at the demo and I won't go into all the details, but the most impressive thing for me was the massive sound capability available with it's nine synth engines! This was absolutely mind-blowing. It would take a much more advanced and versatile player than me to make use of all this power. Being more of a synthesist and ambient soundscape creator than a "keyboardist" I probably wouldn't get as much use out of the piano, organ, and other realistic-type sounds, but the MOD-7 Waveshaping VPM Synth engine was beyond belief, and that alone would be worth it to me. Not to mention running it through Karma for some other-worldly effects.Being a workstation with sequencing and sampling and a host of other incredibly advanced features, I would imagine that the learning curve would be formidable - in fact the instrument would probably be obsolete by the time I could even scratch the surface of what it is capable of. But that's one problem I wouldn't mind having.I've read a bit about the KRONOS and have seen some demos, but seeing and hearing it live in a professional demo was a real eye opener. Looks like I'll have to start saving my pennies and selling off some of my other gear to get my hands on one of these. For anyone who has been curious about this synth, it is definitely worth checking out. Thanks to Rich for a great evening (and free KRONOS T shirt) and to Korg for putting so much advanced technology in one package - amazing! I missed the San Rafael event due to a business conflict( money always wins). Its good to hear from a synthesist and ambient soundscape creator that Kronos was compelling. I really like it for pianos, EP's , acoustic instruments. I sold off my gear in Feb/March and placed my order for an 88 back then. To me, it was a no brainer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Karma1 Posted May 2, 2011 Author Members Share Posted May 2, 2011 of course. I didn't know if Korg was preselling it or if the store having the promo was. Looks like it's the store. The only thing I'm missing out on is the T-Shirt and the free Micro-Sampler. Oh well... Please keep us posted when you get your KRONOS and your impressions of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ChristianRock Posted May 2, 2011 Members Share Posted May 2, 2011 We have one here on Wednesday. I teach a class on Wednesdays evenings... Might have to take off early from work and sneak in because there will be "presentations" all afternoon before the clinic which is at 7pm. Anyone else from the Atlanta area going? It will be at Ken Stanton Music in Marietta (that's like an hour away for burster, I think... 2 hours in Atlanta afternoon traffic!) I could be there like from 5:30 to around 7... Anyone else here from Jawjah? And is Mr. Formadoni going to be there? I hope so! Oh and I work like an hour away from the music store, even though I do live in Marietta... otherwise I'd be there at 4ish pm... ahaha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members McHale Posted May 2, 2011 Members Share Posted May 2, 2011 Please keep us posted when you get your KRONOS and your impressions of it. ALREADY planned on it. In fact, I'm debating tearing it completely down before I even plug it in. There are a bunch of questions on expansion options, build quality, etc. Depends on how much time I have when it arrives. I'm sure my complaints (if any) will be about physical characteristics. I am already familiar with their menu systems (which I love) and the sound quality should be pretty awesome. I'll be focused on the keybed, alleged cheapness of the buttons and knobs, and screen resolution primarily. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ChristianRock Posted May 2, 2011 Members Share Posted May 2, 2011 It would be cool to see the Kronos in person so I might try to go from 6:30 till after the clinic. Let me know how I"ll be able to tell who you are so I can say hi! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members NuSkoolTone Posted May 2, 2011 Members Share Posted May 2, 2011 ALREADY planned on it. In fact, I'm debating tearing it completely down before I even plug it in. There are a bunch of questions on expansion options, build quality, etc. Depends on how much time I have when it arrives. I'm sure my complaints (if any) will be about physical characteristics. I am already familiar with their menu systems (which I love) and the sound quality should be pretty awesome. I'll be focused on the keybed, alleged cheapness of the buttons and knobs, and screen resolution primarily. So far my only obvious complaint is the Volume Knob WAY up to the left. A Volume Slider is so much easier to scooch and often can even be adjusted while playing. That knob idea seriously SUCKS for playing live. It's obvious the person who came up with that solution doesn't gig! Every PRO board I've ever had was equipped with a SLIDER for Master Volume! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members McHale Posted May 3, 2011 Members Share Posted May 3, 2011 So far my only obvious complaint is the Volume Knob WAY up to the left. This is one of my complaints so far as well. This will directly affect me... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members evildragon Posted May 3, 2011 Members Share Posted May 3, 2011 The number of pedal inputs is my second complaint (not a big one since I plan to enslave Kronos 61 to my PC3K8 anyways ). Also the ribbon is not pressure sensitive... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members McHale Posted May 3, 2011 Members Share Posted May 3, 2011 You have a point. An extra jack for an additional expression pedal and an extra jack for an extra pedal switch would have really made this thing flexible for live performances... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ChristianRock Posted May 5, 2011 Members Share Posted May 5, 2011 I can haz Kronos t-shirt. It wasn't Rich who gave the demo though, but a dude named Aaron (if I'm not mistaken). I couldn't stay to the end but I ended up staying longer than I should, and had to fly over to my other commitment... The demo was very well done and this guy was a good, soulful player - and he basically went through the synth engines like in the videos we've seen before. Some things stand out more when you actually watch the keyboard performing right in front of you, though: . My impression that the String Modeling engine steals the show got confirmed. That was one portion that got "aahhhhh" and "whoa" faces out of everyone there. . CX-3 is even nicer than I thought. That Leslie emulation is the best I've EVER heard. Thick, creamy Hammond sounds . The only downside is the HD-1 engine (especially orchestral sounds, everything else is OK.) . Drum sounds really rocked even though the sound system that was used, wasn't really to my liking (too much low end emphasis, scooped mids...) . I have to point out that he was giving a really good Karma demonstration, but while he was in the middle of that I had to leave... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bdub Posted May 5, 2011 Members Share Posted May 5, 2011 You have a point. An extra jack for an additional expression pedal and an extra jack for an extra pedal switch would have really made this thing flexible for live performances... Yeah, I'm trying to find a workaround for that. It's not a deal killer, but it's the only negative spec so far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mididoc Posted May 5, 2011 Members Share Posted May 5, 2011 Yeah, I'm trying to find a workaround for that. It's not a deal killer, but it's the only negative spec so far. http://www.midisolutions.com/prodped.htm These guys can put back what the MFG leaves out. Brilliant stuff: http://www.midisolutions.com/products.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bdub Posted May 5, 2011 Members Share Posted May 5, 2011 That's a CC pedal interface, which is exactly the problem with the Kronos. There is only 1 switch and 1 CC and some of us need 2 switches. The Midisolutions Footswitch Controller is the correct option, but it needs power from a MIDI OUT so you have to rig that up somehow and I only gig with one board. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members sani Posted May 5, 2011 Members Share Posted May 5, 2011 For me, the biggest problem is not the lack of control pedal inputs, but the fact that Korg (as all other japanese companies) sets the function of a control pedal on the global level. This sucks completely.It should be possible to set the function of a pedal on the program or combination level. I think, that's the way how kurzweil does it. If I play piano, the pedal should work as a sustain pedal. If I play organ, it should be possible to set it as a rotary speed control. If I use a synth sound with an arpeggio (karma), I'd like to use the pedal as a tap tempo input.Unfortunately, those are things where Korg didn't change anything since the M1. I guess, the existing 3 pedal inputs are enough for most people. By changing the OS, those pedal could be used in a much better way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members evildragon Posted May 5, 2011 Members Share Posted May 5, 2011 Not quite true. You can use the pedals as modulation sources (AMS) in programs on all parameters that are modulatable. Since Trinity. However yes, Kurzweil is a lot more flexible in this matter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members tonysounds Posted May 5, 2011 Members Share Posted May 5, 2011 That's a CC pedal interface, which is exactly the problem with the Kronos. There is only 1 switch and 1 CC and some of us need 2 switches. The Midisolutions Footswitch Controller is the correct option, but it needs power from a MIDI OUT so you have to rig that up somehow and I only gig with one board. Midi Solutions also makes an AC adaptor to power their boxes. It's one more thing, but it is a solution. +1 on making the limited controllers assignable at the Voice/Combi Level. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members McHale Posted May 5, 2011 Members Share Posted May 5, 2011 Yeah, I'm trying to find a workaround for that. It's not a deal killer, but it's the only negative spec so far. Well here's what I've been using: Of the two pedals, I use the far right for volume and the one on the left for expression. The 10 pedal switches: I use one for damper, susteneto, portamento, SW1, SW2. The top 5 are favorite patches. You have to install the UNO mod to use the pedals as momentaries but that's easy enough... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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