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KronosEnthusiastXT
Joined: 21 Jan 2020 Posts: 25 Location: United Kingdom
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Posted: Tue Jan 21, 2020 11:20 pm Post subject: Kronos 2 vs Roland Fantom 2019 |
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What are your thoughts and opinions on these two instruments??
I bought the Kronos 2 and did compare and test the new fantom in my local music instrument shop but might exchange it to get the fantom within the 30 days... _________________ Patrick |
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Poseidon Senior Member
Joined: 08 Jul 2018 Posts: 373
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benny ray Platinum Member
Joined: 28 Nov 2014 Posts: 628
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Posted: Wed Jan 22, 2020 12:25 am Post subject: |
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That depends on your preference for specific sounds and which keyboard suits your needs.
The Kronos has more sound engines and is clearly more versatile but you have to decide for yourself which sounds better and fits your needs as a keyboard player.
I have played the Fantom when it first came out and was sorta disappointed but with the updates is seems like Roland is listening to customers and preparing for some future updates which are really nice.
I want a Fantom as well but waiting for some new os updates but will never sell my Kronos. _________________ K2 Kronos 88, Mojo 61, Korg CX3, Roland FANTOM 7 |
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Mike Conway Approved Merchant
Joined: 28 Jan 2005 Posts: 2433 Location: Las Vegas, Nevada
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Posted: Wed Jan 22, 2020 4:16 am Post subject: |
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Kronos and Fantom are both great. Kronos has more synth engines. Fantom is newer, so the UI is more modern and slick. Plus, that analog filter is gorgeous. |
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cvanselman
Joined: 23 Dec 2016 Posts: 7
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Posted: Wed Jan 22, 2020 12:56 pm Post subject: |
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I had a chance to spend some time with the new Roland Fantom. I used to own a Fantom X7 stocked with a full set of SRX boards.
I was disappointed with several parts of the new Fantom.
1. the stock piano's were not as good as I'd hoped. Maybe no worse than the stock Kronos piano's but I use a set of piano samples I bought elsewhere.
2. the sequencer in the old Fantom as surprisingly easy to use, so much better than the Kronos sequencer. They seem to have dropped the sequencer in favour of a loop-based sequencer. I know that this is more immediate satisfaction but if you want to write a full orchestrated piece it's never going to do it.
3. most of the synth sounds I tried were just the same old things, nothing jumped out and excited me
Positives
1. Light
2. Keyboard action is very nice and a good compromise between piano and synth wights. |
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Devnor Full Member
Joined: 30 Jan 2011 Posts: 222
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Posted: Wed Jan 22, 2020 6:30 pm Post subject: |
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Both. I use Fantom primarily for zcore VA/PCM & V piano. The Kronos for EPs, organ and sampled instruments. Makes for a fantastic combo. The Fantom's keyboard & control surface is nicer so it's my master controller too. _________________ Fantom 7, Kronos 2, V Synth GT, Moog Voyager |
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ChrisDuncan Senior Member
Joined: 17 May 2018 Posts: 389
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Posted: Thu Jan 23, 2020 5:56 pm Post subject: |
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I watched the Sweetwater demo videos. I'm guessing that 98% of the sounds that come out of it can be created on the Kronos as well if you know what you're doing, with much of the differences being workflow related.
While I have no need to buy one, I find things like this inspiring. Hearing all these different sounds just highlights the depths of the Kronos that I have yet to explore, as I still spend most of my time building chops on piano, Rhodes & B3.
Clearly a very cool keyboard. There's so much great stuff coming out these days you could easily fill a warehouse if your wallet (and wife) would allow. _________________ Studio: Cubase 13 | Windows 10 | Yamaha TF5 | Mackie MCU | CMC AI, QC
Keyboard Station: Kronos 2 88 | Fantom 7 | JV 2080 | Cubase 13 | Windows 10 | Focusrite 18i20 | CMC TP
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chris Duncan
Atlanta, GA, USA, Earth |
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Sweat Full Member
Joined: 17 Dec 2011 Posts: 179 Location: Live Music Capital of the World
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Posted: Mon Jan 27, 2020 4:37 pm Post subject: |
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The new Fantom looks amazing, though it is 10 years too late for me. It is what I had hoped my Fantom G to be when I got it in 2010. Although I was a Roland fanboy since the 80s, I never regretted my Kronos purchase in 2011.
In the latest Electronic Musician magazine, Stephen Fortner gives high marks for new Fantom, but even says the Kronos is still a top competitor. |
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Bachus Platinum Member
Joined: 23 Apr 2006 Posts: 3126
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Posted: Tue Feb 16, 2021 6:51 pm Post subject: |
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Its been a year.. and Roland made huge steps..
Lets see where they are right now compared to The Montage and Kronos..
In order from best to less best for these topics.. and where it comes to taste personal preference
Keybed. F M K
Interface F M K
Sound engines K F M
Sound creation K F M
Build quallity M K F
Sound quallity M F K. (This is very personal)
Ease of use F M K
Daw integration M F K
Sequencer F K M
Arpeggiator/karma M K F
Sampling K F M
Connections F K M
Expandability K F M
In the end, its just personal prefference,
Based on the things you deem important.
You just want one of these 3 as the heart of your setup, and the heart of your live rig. I don’t think for most of us there is much reason to change from one to the other.. so i guess everyone here is still okay with their 10 year old Kronos. _________________ Korg Kronos 2/88 , Genos, Mainstage3 +VSTsu, ipad pro, GSi Gemini, Roland Integra 7, Jupiter Xm, Yamaha motif XS rack, Ketron SD90.
www.keyszone.boards.net |
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GregC Platinum Member
Joined: 15 May 2002 Posts: 9451 Location: Discovery Bay (San Francisco Bay Area)
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Posted: Wed Feb 17, 2021 4:19 pm Post subject: |
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as a home studio musician, Fantom falls short in 2 important areas , esp given its price and its +1 year in the market place:
-each pattern is limited to 32 measures. Montage/MODX has a 256 measure limit.
- the acoustic sounds are lacking esp when compared to MODX/Montage
I am aware of Fantom's strengths. It should be strong on display, DAW integration given its a 2019 keyboard. Those are captain obvious features to be strong on.
And of course, Kronos is 10 years old and no OS updates in the future. I conclude Korg is 100% done on any enhancements. What you see/hear with Kronos is what you get.
Good chance Yamaha and Fantom will continue improving Montage/MODX and Fantom. This potential while speculative, is a plus IMO. _________________ Kronos 88. MODX8
Achieve your musical dreams
https://soundcloud.com/user-898236994 |
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Bachus Platinum Member
Joined: 23 Apr 2006 Posts: 3126
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Posted: Thu Feb 18, 2021 6:31 pm Post subject: |
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GregC wrote: | as a home studio musician, Fantom falls short in 2 important areas , esp given its price and its +1 year in the market place:
-each pattern is limited to 32 measures. Montage/MODX has a 256 measure limit.
- the acoustic sounds are lacking esp when compared to MODX/Montage
I am aware of Fantom's strengths. It should be strong on display, DAW integration given its a 2019 keyboard. Those are captain obvious features to be strong on.
And of course, Kronos is 10 years old and no OS updates in the future. I conclude Korg is 100% done on any enhancements. What you see/hear with Kronos is what you get.
Good chance Yamaha and Fantom will continue improving Montage/MODX and Fantom. This potential while speculative, is a plus IMO. |
Yamaha may also be done with updating the Montage, i think they want to present the Montage follow up in 2022... it will be interesting to see which direction they take the Montage.. _________________ Korg Kronos 2/88 , Genos, Mainstage3 +VSTsu, ipad pro, GSi Gemini, Roland Integra 7, Jupiter Xm, Yamaha motif XS rack, Ketron SD90.
www.keyszone.boards.net |
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GregC Platinum Member
Joined: 15 May 2002 Posts: 9451 Location: Discovery Bay (San Francisco Bay Area)
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Posted: Thu Feb 18, 2021 7:01 pm Post subject: |
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Bachus wrote: | GregC wrote: | as a home studio musician, Fantom falls short in 2 important areas , esp given its price and its +1 year in the market place:
-each pattern is limited to 32 measures. Montage/MODX has a 256 measure limit.
- the acoustic sounds are lacking esp when compared to MODX/Montage
I am aware of Fantom's strengths. It should be strong on display, DAW integration given its a 2019 keyboard. Those are captain obvious features to be strong on.
And of course, Kronos is 10 years old and no OS updates in the future. I conclude Korg is 100% done on any enhancements. What you see/hear with Kronos is what you get.
Good chance Yamaha and Fantom will continue improving Montage/MODX and Fantom. This potential while speculative, is a plus IMO. |
Yamaha may also be done with updating the Montage, i think they want to present the Montage follow up in 2022... it will be interesting to see which direction they take the Montage.. |
true, I was going for optimism for a Montage/MODX update.
Montage is 'only ' 5 years old. Korg, Yamaha, Roland historically take a lot of time to launch new expensive +$3000 keyboards like Fantom, Kronos, Montage.
Going by history, I don't see a Montage 'followup ' in 2022.
I would sooner bet on another OS rev for Montage/Modx. _________________ Kronos 88. MODX8
Achieve your musical dreams
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kronoskarma
Joined: 24 Jan 2021 Posts: 34 Location: Lutz, FL
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Posted: Thu Feb 18, 2021 9:15 pm Post subject: |
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I went a different route. I bought my Kronos 61 and a Roland MC-707 which just happens to have the entire Zencore engine built in. They gave away every single preset you can get during the winter and there were already tens of thousands of presets built in.
Plug a keyboard in and you have one hell of a Roland synth (the fantom pretty much) with the ability to cook your own presets. It's deep, but you can create whatever you want. With Zenology, you can do it visually and then load it into the 707.
Much less expensive way to go AND I get my Kronos.
Mike _________________ Korg Karma
Korg M3 Expanded
Korg Kronos Titanium
Yamaha Tyros 5
Arturia MicroFreak
M-Audio Oxygen 61
Akai Force
Roland MC-707
1010music Black Box
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GregC Platinum Member
Joined: 15 May 2002 Posts: 9451 Location: Discovery Bay (San Francisco Bay Area)
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Posted: Fri Feb 19, 2021 5:57 pm Post subject: |
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kronoskarma wrote: | I went a different route. I bought my Kronos 61 and a Roland MC-707 which just happens to have the entire Zencore engine built in.
Mike |
MC-707 is a updated groove box from what I see.
Only 8 tracks for recording in this MC, correct ? _________________ Kronos 88. MODX8
Achieve your musical dreams
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kronoskarma
Joined: 24 Jan 2021 Posts: 34 Location: Lutz, FL
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Posted: Sat Feb 20, 2021 12:36 am Post subject: |
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GregC wrote: | kronoskarma wrote: | I went a different route. I bought my Kronos 61 and a Roland MC-707 which just happens to have the entire Zencore engine built in.
Mike |
MC-707 is a updated groove box from what I see.
Only 8 tracks for recording in this MC, correct ? |
Not the point. Yes, it is a 8-track with 8 In/ 8 Out through USB.
The Zencore engine is built in - you can program your own presets, but it comes with thousands and tons are available on Roland Cloud.
So it's a groove box and a sound module all in one.
Mike _________________ Korg Karma
Korg M3 Expanded
Korg Kronos Titanium
Yamaha Tyros 5
Arturia MicroFreak
M-Audio Oxygen 61
Akai Force
Roland MC-707
1010music Black Box
Zoom Arq 48 |
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