Korg Kronos 61, 73, 88, all keybed choices!!!!

[kathnrich1]

I really wish Korg would come to their economical and customer demand senses and produce every one of their Kronos line in "The choice of what keybed you Desire" I believe sales would remain brisk right from the get go. I am with a large company's R&D and kinda have a feel for this.
I have the luxury of owning two Korg Kronos, a 61 and a 73, I would have absolutely purchased two 73's one with a weighted keybed for my studio and the other a semi-weighted for playing out. tsk tsk.
I LOVE my Korg Kronos 73 with it's RH3 weighted keybed.
I HATE carrying my 73 around. too heavy, as it is now my studio keyboard permanently!

Rich D.

[dfahrner]

For Korg to offer each model of the Kronos with both hammer-action and semi-weighted keybeds would require significant mechanical/physical (at least) redesign to all three, along with many other changes (new parts, inventory, packaging, etc.)...I'm sure Korg, a relatively small company, has done a cost/benefit analysis of these options, and produces the versions that most customers want while giving Korg the maximum return on investment (I doubt that there's much of a market for a hammer-action 61 or a synth-action 88)...that being said, I'd sure like to have a lightweight 73 for gigging, too, with maybe a better keybed than the 61 (maybe a light hammer action like the Casio PX-5S or Yamaha MODX8, or the premium semi-weighted keybed from the M3-73)...sigh...

df

[kathnrich1]

Well? They're are doing well I heard from Sweetwater that the LS -88, is doing quite well in sales for a semi 88. And I am sure Korg was/are getting their feet wet with testing the market what will sell, I get that. Would not be much of an inventory nightmare to have on hand six keybeds. No other major electronic changes would be needed.. Did not know Korg was a small company.

[drama1]

The moment they offer a semi-weighted Kronos 76/73, my order will be placed..

[GregC]

Well? They're are doing well I heard from Sweetwater that the LS -88, is doing quite well in sales for a semi 88. And I am sure Korg was/are getting their feet wet with testing the market what will sell, I get that. Would not be much of an inventory nightmare to have on hand six keybeds. No other major electronic changes would be needed.. Did not know Korg was a small company.

write to the Korg president. Thats the direct approach

Maybe he will tell you their annual sales, too. Korg is not a 'small co '.

[karmathanever]

The moment they offer a semi-weighted Kronos 76/73, my order will be placed.

+1

[Kevin Nolan]

Well? They're are doing well I heard from Sweetwater that the LS -88, is doing quite well in sales for a semi 88. And I am sure Korg was/are getting their feet wet with testing the market what will sell, I get that. Would not be much of an inventory nightmare to have on hand six keybeds. No other major electronic changes would be needed.. Did not know Korg was a small company.

write to the Korg president. Thats the direct approach

Maybe he will tell you their annual sales, too. Korg is not a 'small co '.

Korg inc had 290 employees, capital reserves of $4million, and a turn over in single millions of dollars. In other words - a very small company by global standards.

Like all synth companies, I'd say Korg is only ever at most one or two major 'failure' releases from going under. It happened to Roland 6-7 years ago, and indeed to Korg in the late '80s.

the expectations of people here are unrealistic. The Kronos is a stunning instrument as is - it's an $8500 OASYS workstation in a package costing less than half the cost, with extra features. Those of you waiting for a 76 note semi-weighted keybed - you're not going to get it. I'd cut the navel gazing and buy one of the available options - life's too short to be griping about such nuanced issues that will never be addressed by the tiny company Korg is.

[GregC]

Well? They're are doing well I heard from Sweetwater that the LS -88, is doing quite well in sales for a semi 88. And I am sure Korg was/are getting their feet wet with testing the market what will sell, I get that. Would not be much of an inventory nightmare to have on hand six keybeds. No other major electronic changes would be needed.. Did not know Korg was a small company.

write to the Korg president. Thats the direct approach

Maybe he will tell you their annual sales, too. Korg is not a 'small co '.

Korg inc had 290 employees, capital reserves of $4million, and a turn over in single millions of dollars. In other words - a very small company by global standards.

Like all synth companies, I'd say Korg is only ever at most one or two major 'failure' releases from going under. It happened to Roland 6-7 years ago, and indeed to Korg in the late '80s.

the expectations of people here are unrealistic. The Kronos is a stunning instrument as is - it's an $8500 OASYS workstation in a package costing less than half the cost, with extra features. Those of you waiting for a 76 note semi-weighted keybed - you're not going to get it. I'd cut the navel gazing and buy one of the available options - life's too short to be griping about such nuanced issues that will never be addressed by the tiny company Korg is.

Hi Kevin, you have a good feel on this. My wild guess is Korg global sales
range 300-350 million US per year { too lazy to convert to yen].

Even if my rough guess is off by 100 million, I consider Korg to be ' medium sized'. I don't believe a comparison to the mega global world to be fair [?].

Its better to rank a Korg in its 'peer group'. Which is more guess work since
Korg does not disclose much on finance reporting.

Agreed, there is no way Korg is going to be ' all things to all people'.
Its not feasible.

Posting on here for another keyboard iteration [after 8 years]
is another wish list/long shot of many long shots. I suppose some folks present their request as a trial balloon of sorts, as it maybe/might somehow hit a nerve some where in the Internet ether. Realistically, a shopper should find a 76 semi weighed controller if its that big of a 'requirement '.

[Kevin Nolan]

Greg -

I did a search on line for company profiles and several web sites came back with the same details about Korg Inc - about 300 employees, assets in the single millions of dollars and about the same in turn over.

I have to admit to being a bit surprised by that - it does sound small for what they do - but I genuinely read the same details on two or three sites (one of them being Blooomberg, for example!).

And when searching - those returned details were only about Korg Inc in japan - perhaps in reality Korg USA is far more than just being the Distributer claimed by those same similar sites?


If they are the size you say they are then all the better. That said, I would find it hard to believe Korg's revenues is in the hundred of millions - I know Yamaha is a few billion - but - they do so much more.

Either way - my point to those procrastinating on buying a Kronos (who don't already have one) - GET ONE ! It's the best workstation ever conceived and it won't be around for ever !!!

[GregC]

Greg -

I did a search on line for company profiles and several web sites came back with the same details about Korg Inc - about 300 employees, assets in the single millions of dollars and about the same in turn over.

I have to admit to being a bit surprised by that - it does sound small for what they do - but I genuinely read the same details on two or three sites (one of them being Blooomberg, for example!).

And when searching - those returned details were only about Korg Inc in japan - perhaps in reality Korg USA is far more than just being the Distributer claimed by those same similar sites?


If they are the size you say they are then all the better. That said, I would find it hard to believe Korg's revenues is in the hundred of millions - I know Yamaha is a few billion - but - they do so much more.

Either way - my point to those procrastinating on buying a Kronos (who don't already have one) - GET ONE ! It's the best workstation ever conceived and it won't be around for ever !!!

The #'s do sound like Korg Japan- the HQ of Korg Inc.
I would guess that Korg Japan also wears a country distil' hat in addition to being the HQ.

What I know [or think I know] is that Korg uses the distributor model for WW sales. Kong USA is its largest disti, and provides additional web site support [ another recollection]. There are somewhat similar disti's around the world.

There are separate legal entities in their countries, each country disti'l has their own employees that they hire etc.

In addition to Korg products , Korg USA distributes other ' non Korg ' electronics- which has nothing to do with Korgs overall sales.

So yeah, my $300 million total Korg sales also includes annual 'purchases ' of Korg gear by the many distributors. Since we are looking at Korg Japan Inc as an electronics manufacturer.

I did this research over 10 years ago so I can't swear to my recall. Most Korg customers may not care about this inside baseball stuff.

AFAIAC, folks should not wait around to enjoy a Kronos- assuming thats the purchase that fits their needs. The price has not dropped and there is zero indication that it will. I think its 60% likely that what what we have with Kronos is as good as it gets. Easily 3-5 years of enjoyment. Thats my current measure.

[kathnrich1]

I'm kind of surprised also. Along with Moog Music, about 100 Employee's.
Who knew

[fomalhaut]

As per the NAMM 2015 report, total US sales in 2014 were a whopping 80000 pieces of gear, and this is a cake to be shared amongst all manufacturers: Roland, Korg, Yamaha, Casio, whatever.

https://www.slideshare.net/PromocionMus ... eport-2015

Although the report is a little bit outdated, one can guess that this is a small market volume indeed so what Kevin said makes total sense. Korg is not a huge corporation by any means and their R&D costs must be serious. Producing the gear can be outsourced and can be cheap, R&D and marketing is not.

[fomalhaut]

And this explains why the Kronos is such a successful product, it has made the competition retreat from the "flagship workstation" segment. So, the Kronos being rivalled only by itself, Korg can reap the benefits of the R&D effort that gave us the OASYS and the Kronos.

[John01W]

Even after all this time, NOTHING out there compares with the Kronos in it's market segment. They could do some things to boost it's appeal by adding more requested features....but I see no reason for them to change it out.....still the King for it's thing!

[conundrum]

...Realistically, a shopper should find a 76 semi weighed controller if its that big of a 'requirement '.

That’s just it, such a thing is really rare these days. I’d like the ls88, though.