Will we ever see a new Korg Workstation?

[ponkine]

Hi!

It's been 8 years since Korg launched Kronos. And 11 years since Oasys

(I'm not going to start into that debate, you know, all the Oasys story and what happened after that)

But there hasn't been quite a proper new Korg Workstation. Yes, some refaces, some minor changes (Kronos 2, then all the others until LS) but not a NEW Workstation for 8 years

In the meantime, Roland released the FA, Yamaha Montage, Kurzweil Forte, etc.

Do you see we'll be seeing a new Workstation this year?

[Gargamel314]

Any particular reason why? They kind built the perfect workstation to compete with any other. All they really could do would be to upgrade some hardware, add a few samples, streamline the performance (it would be nice if it switched sequences and combis instantaneously), etc. I feel like I use like 12% of everything my Kronos offers, and haven't really hit any real limitations. I'm still blown away by it.

[ponkine]

Some reasons

UI: This is the main issue. There have been quite a few "comments" (not to say complains) about the UI on Kronos. Some reviews have been pretty harsh on this aspect.

Sound library: Many sounds have started to show its age, while others have come with 24 bit samples

Sound quality: Overall, for recording, etc. See above

Portability: There's no need to have 20+ Kg keyboard gear anymore.

[karmathanever]

Hmmmm.... if I owned the 88 I could empathise with the weight issue but I can't understand how a TOTL workstation with the highest quality DACs has its sounds "showing their age".

How do the sounds now show their age?

Just curious

[GregC]

Hi!

It's been 8 years since Korg launched Kronos. And 11 years since Oasys

(I'm not going to start into that debate, you know, all the Oasys story and what happened after that)

But there hasn't been quite a proper new Korg Workstation. Yes, some refaces, some minor changes (Kronos 2, then all the others until LS) but not a NEW Workstation for 8 years

In the meantime, Roland released the FA, Yamaha Montage, Kurzweil Forte, etc.

Do you see we'll be seeing a new Workstation this year?

yeah, this question has repeated about +100 times over the past 3 years.

Take a look at the new products that Korg has offered the past 3 years.

I watch Korg and their priorities, as best I can. Plus other similar manufactures.

Thus, my answer to you is No.

However, Kronos is still a quality board and continues to provide satisfaction to owners. IOW, enjoy what we have. Instead of wishing for something that won't happen.

[ponkine]

Hmmmm.... if I owned the 88 I could empathise with the weight issue but I can't understand how a TOTL workstation with the highest quality DACs has its sounds "showing their age".

How do the sounds now show their age?

Just curious

To start with, pianos
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqd_Dl301Uk



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqd_Dl301Uk

[TheDoctor]

Hi!

It's been 8 years since Korg launched Kronos. And 11 years since Oasys

(I'm not going to start into that debate, you know, all the Oasys story and what happened after that)

But there hasn't been quite a proper new Korg Workstation. Yes, some refaces, some minor changes (Kronos 2, then all the others until LS) but not a NEW Workstation for 8 years

In the meantime, Roland released the FA, Yamaha Montage, Kurzweil Forte, etc.

Do you see we'll be seeing a new Workstation this year?

yeah, this question has repeated about +100 times over the past 3 years.

Take a look at the new products that Korg has offered the past 3 years.

I watch Korg and their priorities, as best I can. Plus other similar manufactures.

Thus, my answer to you is No.

However, Kronos is still a quality board and continues to provide satisfaction to owners. IOW, enjoy what we have. Instead of wishing for something that won't happen.

^this. That's one of the reason company don't do quality gear so often. This kids want always something new. The problem is that a lot of people just don't make music, or they don't have stuff or they're so full that they never use it.

[voip]

Hmmmm.... if I owned the 88 I could empathise with the weight issue but I can't understand how a TOTL workstation with the highest quality DACs has its sounds "showing their age".

How do the sounds now show their age?

Just curious

:D

To start with, pianos
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqd_Dl301Uk

:(

Just an opinion, of course, but the Kronos piano was the cleanest, purest, closest to true grand piano, of the keyboards reviewed in the video. All of the other keyboards in the piece were louder, by around 2-3dB, which is known to skew listener opinion in the HiFi business, had more effects, and noticeable amounts of EQ. The RH3 keybed feel might differ from that of a real grand piano, perhaps a little bit more than the other keybeds, but it's possible to get used to that.

How can the sound of a great grand piano, or a Stradivarius, for that matter, feel dated? Provided the samples are good enough, which they are. Most folk get the Korg Kronos piano expansions, not because the stock grand pianos are dated, rather because, for playing some pieces, the sonic qualities of a different grand might be preferable.

.

[karmathanever]

To start with, pianos
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqd_Dl301Uk

1. it's a youtube clip
2. What were the EQ and FX settings
3. Were they all similar samples/programs?
4. What was the atudio gear used
5. Recording gear for youtube video?

It's a fun video as always with Jack - still great info but no way could anyone compare or make any decision from that.

Also it was simply his opinion - means nothing really - all subjective.

I have a "piano-sounds-obsessed" acquaintance who buys and sells keyboards generally all based on reviews and youtube clips - he is never satisfied and just cannot grasp that there are so many components to consider. I wish I could afford the number of keyboards he has bought (and sold).

I said to him that if he is so ALWAYS disappointed in "piano" sounds then just get a piano and don't mic it up

[Jan1]

Yamaha also includes the Genos in the list of workstations (even though I find the omission of proper DAW integration as found on the Montage/MODX/MX puzzling considering the price of a Genos), and Montage lacks certain features commonly associated with a workstation.

That being said, in KORG's case this year has seen a small content upgrade for the KRONOS and KROME, and the only workstation which received a bigger and more comprehensive upgrade is the low end KROSS.
Among the things on the KRONOS which would benefit from a redesign/upgrade would be the UI and the standard factory ROM.
When it comes to the latter I'd focus on featuring a limited number of intensively sampled instruments rather than trying to cover everything with just a few samples per instrument.
Quality over quantity is always better IMO, just listen to the soundset available on the Prophet X for example.
Not that I think the KRONOS is bad, quite the contrary, it still is a beast, but time moves on, the competition does not rest, and some things could be improved upon.
Considering the number of workstations sold by KORG and the reputation they have earned they'd be fools to give it up and walk away, but then, that's just my opinion.

Roland's FA was built to meet a price point, it lacks many SN sounds of the Integra, and it always made me wonder if perhaps a new Fantom would come afterwards.
So far no sign of any new Fantom though.
Since FA dates back to 2014 it is due for an upgrade.

Kurzweil still believes in the workstation concept as witnessed by the new PC4.

Yamaha has received much feedback with the Montage and may reconsider leaving out features commonly associated with the workstation.
I think it won't be long before a Montage 2 (or whatever they will call it) appears.

[nitecrawler]

will we see a new workstation? Maybe, but no real competition out there now. So, really no reason to create a new one.

[Bachus]

Sure i guess we will see a Kronos metalic blue version any time soon..

[Mr_SamDoogie]

Yamaha montage and modx are "Performance synth" not workstations.

[GregC]

Yamaha montage and modx are "Performance synth" not workstations.

I think some folks have forgotten that 'workstation ' is synonymous with
' all in 1 Workstation ". As in no need for an external computer for a full featured multi track recording.

The Roland FA was introduced in 2014. Even that is lacking some standard W/s features.

I think Kurzweil is still making full w/s. But I am guessing its mostly reiterations of past Kurz w/s using VAST. Feel free to correct me- if Kurzweil is making absolutely brand new feature workstations.

My conclusion is that that the "Hardware based all in 1 Workstation" is almost done with. The context of this is absolutely new ground breaking features, new programming, in a hardware package.

I am not referring to different colors or a slight variation like the Kronos SE[ which I like]. Or cut down models like Krome. Thats a price point product tactic.

[Koekepan]

There's also the MPC X. You can make a complete track on it, and it can be a studio master. That's pretty workstation-y in my book.