Korg Forums Forum Index Korg Forums
A forum for Korg product users and musicians around the world.
Moderated Independently.
Owned by Irish Acts Recording Studio & hosted by KORG USA
 
 FAQFAQ   SearchSearch   MemberlistMemberlist   UsergroupsUsergroups   RegisterRegister 
 ProfileProfile   Log in to check your private messagesLog in to check your private messages   Log inLog in 

Can anyone suggest a distortion stompbox?

 
Post new topic   Reply to topic    Korg Forums Forum Index -> Korg Kronos
View previous topic :: View next topic  
Author Message
Bitflipper
Full Member


Joined: 24 May 2016
Posts: 121

PostPosted: Wed Nov 06, 2019 8:17 pm    Post subject: Can anyone suggest a distortion stompbox? Reply with quote

Looking to add outboard distortion to my Kronos, mainly for organ and EP patches.

Being designed for guitars, most such units sound out of place with keyboards. I've got plenty of options in my DAW, but this would be for live performance (no laptop onstage atm)

Should I be looking at amp sims rather than distortion stompboxes?
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
GregC
Platinum Member


Joined: 15 May 2002
Posts: 9451
Location: Discovery Bay (San Francisco Bay Area)

PostPosted: Wed Nov 06, 2019 8:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I suppose pre-programmed distortion devices might be a good short cut.

Managing distortion FX on Kronos is tricky, IMO. I am just now starting to figure out how to back it off and edit it to include amp modeling, chorus, limiter, etc etc.

IMO, its not just Distortion FX by itself. It gets interesting when you dial it back and work in other FX.

Then again, it sounds like you are gigging. Cover songs ?
_________________
Kronos 88. MODX8
Achieve your musical dreams Smile
https://soundcloud.com/user-898236994
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
jerrythek
Platinum Member


Joined: 28 Jan 2002
Posts: 2931

PostPosted: Wed Nov 06, 2019 10:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

It depends on just how much "hair" you want to put on the sound. A lot of people like the Lounsberry pedals for adding some tasteful grit to keyboard sounds:

https://www.lounsberrypedals.com/keyboardplayer

Jerry
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Bitflipper
Full Member


Joined: 24 May 2016
Posts: 121

PostPosted: Thu Nov 07, 2019 9:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks, Jerry. I'd forgotten all about those Lounsberry pedals. Might be just the ticket. Watched a video that had the Lounsberry Tall & Fat going into a Ventilator, which sounded nice. I like the Vent's rotary effect but always wished it could get a bit more gritty.

Yeh, Greg, I'm looking specifically for live performance applications. It's not that the built-in Kronos distortion options are bad, they're actually pretty decent for many things.

But programming them is a PIA because you don't know how they're going to work in context until you're live, and the middle of a song isn't the time to start fiddling with parameters. Dedicated boxes with real knobs better lend themselves better to real-time tweaks.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
GregC
Platinum Member


Joined: 15 May 2002
Posts: 9451
Location: Discovery Bay (San Francisco Bay Area)

PostPosted: Thu Nov 07, 2019 11:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I hear you. Distortion is tricky to control as it is.

Then in a live performance , with a variety of room acoustic plus mixing it up with other band members makes it more tricky
_________________
Kronos 88. MODX8
Achieve your musical dreams Smile
https://soundcloud.com/user-898236994
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
aron
Platinum Member


Joined: 27 Jan 2011
Posts: 1546
Location: Hawaii

PostPosted: Fri Nov 08, 2019 7:22 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

They look like mono pedals. You would need two for stereo. Anyway, all you have to do modify the input and output capacitors at most on any simple op amp based pedal. The Ge diodes are easy to put in as well - but the Si diodes are probably fine in something like a tube screamer etc....

One of the most simplest pedals is something like a distortion+. A couple of mods away from a "keyboard" overdrive.

Or just use the built in overdrive of the Kronos. The key to good "overdrive" is EQ before and after overdrive effect. You will want to do a high pass roll off after the overdrive to mellow out the harsh highs. If you have an analog overdrive like a fuzz, you will want to do a low pass rolloff to control the buzziness of the transistor distortion.
_________________
Korg Kronos, CASIO PX-5S, Yamaha VL1, author of unrealBook for iPad.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
Bitflipper
Full Member


Joined: 24 May 2016
Posts: 121

PostPosted: Fri Nov 08, 2019 10:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

You're right, they are mono pedals.

Not a problem for me, as I go mono out of the Kronos anyway and let the Ventilator make it stereo. After all, a real B3 is a mono instrument; it's the Leslie that makes it stereo.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Display posts from previous:   
Post new topic   Reply to topic    Korg Forums Forum Index -> Korg Kronos All times are GMT
Page 1 of 1

 
Jump to:  
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum


Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group