audioird wrote:Hi,
Here is my case, a few explainations.
My actual config is : Roland RD300sx, a laptop, V-Station, Ableton Live, Korg Legacy suite (MS20 and others).
I do not own Komplete, nor Pianoteq.
I recently sold my Roland to buy a Nord Stage 2 to get a more reliable configuration, a better piano and e-piano.
Than the Korg Kronos appeared !!!
I am now very confused and I want to know what would be the best setup for me.
I am looking for :
- an instrument, I mean real feeling and playability with goods keyboard sounds (rhodes, clavinet, piano) and why not others (Strings ...)
- good analog or wave sounds to overlay
- reliability (always works when you switch it on)
- easiness for live performance
- enough parameters to get the sound I want
The Kronos may be ok :
- if I can try it and if it does not sounds like a toy with bells and whistles (useless features, poor efficiency, poor user interface)
- if the price in France does not exceed 2500 € for a 73 or 88 piano keys.
Or maybe I should buy a Nord Stage
Or maybe I should buy Komplete or Pianoteq and a controller keyboard.
Indeed, with a NS2, you do not get a good sample playback engine :
- in the piano module can only upload .npno files from Clavia, you can't edit a ".npno" file and make one yourself, and Clavia only has pianos/clavinet to offer for that engine.
- the sampler module has no velocity layers. You can edit ".nsmp" files with Nord Sample Editor and put your own samples key by key if you want, then upload it to the NS2, but I reapet : there is no velocity layers possible for that engine module !
Yes, the evidence seems to be overwhelming and compelling that the Kronos beats the NS2 in almost every way.
I own a NS Classic and a Korg M3, so I have a flavor of both.
The NS2 has 2 easy advantages: the 88 key weighs 10 pounds less than the k88, and is 5-6 inches shorter because of the mod/pitch wheel on top. For me this is huge- 88 keys is already super long, but add another 5-6" and it becomes undoable in some situations (like the theatre gig I did with the NS, where it wouldn't have fit in the space if it was any longer). And that extra 10 pounds at the end of the night can be a killer for me.
I am looking for :
- an instrument, I mean real feeling and playability with goods keyboard sounds (rhodes, clavinet, piano) and why not others (Strings ...)
- good analog or wave sounds to overlay
- reliability (always works when you switch it on)
- easiness for live performance
- enough parameters to get the sound I want
What this discussion hasn't taken into account yet is the unique nature of the Nord. IF you like the sound of the Nord, then do you need endless parameters to tweak? After being in the workstation mode for years, I was pleasantly surprised by the Nord approach.
First off, I really LOVE the pianos, the EPs, the organs on the NS. They are the most satisfying, playable sounds I've ever had on any board. Some people are not as satisfied as I am, so that would be important obviously to check out.
But beyond that, it's the difference between a Stage Piano, which is all about getting down to business and playing/practicing, and a Workstation, which is a beast of a beast!
You do have endless possibilities with the Kronos for sound designing, for sequencing, sampling, computer integration, for layering, etc.
But you have to ask yourself if you want all that, or do you want a very portable, satisfying bread and butter sounds experience where you can change everything in real time 'cause almost all parameters are layed out in front of you.
I've gone down the rabbit hole with several workstations now, and frankly, I would probably sell my NS in order to get a Kronos.
But for someone who was a serious player/gigger that was not that into technology and the endless fussing with it that's possible with workstations (and I do mean endless); someone not as interested in music technology but in playing a super high quality, accessible board for gigging and practicing, I'd go with the NSII.
The Kronos has the NSII beat in almost every way, but player satisfaction is very personal. I made the mistake of buying way too much music technology with the Yamaha Motif XS, and grew to hate it. I thought I was getting the "best" out there. When I got the NS I was amazed at how much I just loved playing it, that I didn't spend countless hours auditioning patches and tweaking sounds, etc., but spent that time practicing and playing!
The Kronos is way better than the Motif XS/XF, and in my book the UI is much better with the Korg workstations; but you're still dealing with endless technology. Sometimes simpler is better, depending on your disposition and needs. And while you don't have nearly as many parameters to tweak, I've found the one that are available, from the Drive to the fx to the eq, all immediately accessible from the top panel, gets the job done.
Randy
Would probably look like the Bridge on the starship U.S.S Enterprise.