the most neglected word among design engineers at Korg

[kronoSphere]

upgrades

[pollytronman]

usability? (at least for the ui)

[HardSync]

Design engineers typically create the physical parts of a product, modelling and assembling those in 3D CAD suites. Electronic engineers design the circuits and layouts on PCBs. Software engineers/programmers write the code, create the UI based on specifications, etc. There is some overlap between these disciplines in companies with smaller engineering groups, and it isn't uncommon for engineers to wear several hats. We get you're disappointed, but let's not single out design engineers for a lack of upgrades to your Kronos or its successor. I say this as a former design engineer.

I've said it often enough, but engineering in most companies is driven by their sales and marketing departments' demands and whether the company is willing to spend the money on any given project, including upgrades to existing products. Your complaint about upgrades should be directed at them in all fairness. When things clearly do not work or break easily, then you can blame the engineers and/or the suppliers who manufacture the parts that go into the products. I've lost count of the number of times a supplier didn't manufacture a part according to specs. But I digress....

[kronoSphere]

Sorry for my bad english
I was just thinking about those at Korg who let the Kronos without updates since months and months
"Le mieux n'est l'ennemi que du mal" (Jules Renard)

[HardSync]

Your English is fine, and by far it is superior to my French. I can ask for the bill in a restaurant in Paris, and I do poorly at that. I am always grateful for the kindness as I mangle the language into something unrecognizable.

Your Kronos is an amazing instrument right now, despite its age, without any upgrades. But if it doesn't do something you absolutely need it to do, perhaps you can buy something (hopefully not too expensive) that can do it. I'm not saying that's ideal, but it's an option. Often people ask for newer, more modern effects, and that's something that can be handled sometimes with a simple pedal or a plugin for their DAW. Anyway, you've got a great workstation with nine different synth engines that can all play at the same time, if one wanted to do it. Enjoy what you have, is my point. It may be dated in many ways, but it's still a powerhouse workstation today.

[kronoSphere]

Hello Hardsync,

Yes yes yes ! The Kronos is a superb music instrument

I still think that the Kronos sequencer (so little defended by the stars who use it) could have, should have had improvements that would not have cost Korg a fortune.

It is the reason why I ave linked my Kronos to a daw (Sequoia)

[HardSync]

Yes, a lot of people would love to see improvements to the sequencer. Maybe one reason that hasn't happened is because Korg thinks most people are using DAWs these days.

I've wondered if there is something about the operating system architecture that prevented updates to the sequencer. For example, the Korg M3's sequencer has a Piano Roll which, if I recall correctly, was added as an update. So it's weird that Kronos and Nautilus don't have it, but they do run on different software and chip sets and maybe that's the reason (?). The M3's sequencer also has a very handy "Create Exclusive Data" command to insert sysex data into a track by simply choosing the parameter names - very easy to use. That's something the Kronos never got, and I really don't know why. Different product engineering teams maybe... or some limitation in the coding of the OS.

[ChrisDuncan]

If you consider that the Kronos is actually Oasys Mark II and the Nautilus is Oasys Mark III, it helps with perspective. The Oasys came out 20 years ago, and as far as UI goes it was pretty decent for the time. Lots of power with a much bigger screen than most had, though the screen size keeps shrinking.

From that point of view, you can look at the Oasys as having enjoyed two decades of upgrades, from Mark I to Mark II to Mark III. All in all, not bad.

What many are really looking for is not so much upgrades on this series but the next new big thing. There hasn't been one of those for 20 years, so the anticipation is understandable.

And I completely agree with HardSync about who's to blame for poor product decisions. I've been a corporate software developer for 35 years, and it's the same story whether there's hardware involved or not. Engineers / developers don't want to put out substandard crap. We live to create the coolest things we can create. Even so, however valuable our contributions, we aren't the ones at the top of the food chain making the product decisions. We're just told what to do.

That said, in fairness to Marketing, nothing happens until a sale is made. All the money in the R&D account, not to mention the payroll account, comes from actually selling the thing that you're selling. And based on all the geeks I've known over the years, we pretty much suck at selling things. So, a tip of the hat to the fine folks in Marketing who keep the bank accounts filled. Now if only there was a way for us to all live in harmony...

[kronoSphere]

It remains nonetheless true that no major developments have been made by Korg concerning the Kronos sequencer for 12 years.
12 years !!!

it's getting not better all the times

[ChrisDuncan]

Yeah, I spent about three minutes with the sequencer when I first got the Kronos. They lost me at the point where I realized that my song wouldn't be there after a reboot - I'd have to go menu diving to reload it each time. Seriously?

Haven't touched it since.

[ITguy54]

If you consider that the Kronos is actually Oasys Mark II and the Nautilus is Oasys Mark III, it helps with perspective. The Oasys came out 20 years ago, and as far as UI goes it was pretty decent for the time. Lots of power with a much bigger screen than most had, though the screen size keeps shrinking.

I can’t look at it that way. The Nautilus is more like an OASYS lite.

[ChrisDuncan]

I can’t look at it that way. The Nautilus is more like an OASYS lite.

Yeah, that's a fair point.

Mark II Lite, maybe?

[HardSync]

OASYS Mark II Lite? I can't imagine why Korg's marketing department didn't go with that. ;)

Nah, the true Lite version will have no on board sampling / resampling, two unbalanced audio outs, no headphone jack, no audio ins, no 5-pin MIDI jacks (just two USB ports), a 16 x 80 OLED display, motion sequencers like on the Modwave/Wavestate but you only get 2 step sequencers with 16 steps max each, 24 mini keys (if we're lucky), one data slider for everything, maybe some other buttons, an enormous wall wart power supply and it will run on two Raspberry PI modules just because two are better than one, but the second one isn't connected to anything, it just sits there as backup someday. Also, it will have an ethernet jack so that you are forced to connect to the internet every time you turn it on to validate your new Korg "Stratosphere" subscription service account, like Roland's Cloud service but less expensive, just so you can play one EXi or EXs at a time. HD-1 MultiSamples are streamed from the internet as well. Forget Combi mode. Piano sounds cost extra.

That's a Lite. ;)

[ChrisDuncan]

OASYS Mark II Lite? I can't imagine why Korg's marketing department didn't go with that.

Nah, the true Lite version will have no on board sampling / resampling, two unbalanced audio outs, no headphone jack, no audio ins, no 5-pin MIDI jacks (just two USB ports), a 16 x 80 OLED display, motion sequencers like on the Modwave/Wavestate but you only get 2 step sequencers with 16 steps max each, 24 mini keys (if we're lucky), one data slider for everything, maybe some other buttons, an enormous wall wart power supply and it will run on two Raspberry PI modules just because two are better than one, but the second one isn't connected to anything, it just sits there as backup someday. Also, it will have an ethernet jack so that you are forced to connect to the internet every time you turn it on to validate your new Korg "Stratosphere" subscription service account, like Roland's Cloud service but less expensive, just so you can play one EXi or EXs at a time. HD-1 MultiSamples are streamed from the internet as well. Forget Combi mode. Piano sounds cost extra.

That's a Lite.

For the life of me, I can't understand why you didn't take up a career in marketing...

[bpoodoo]

"Usability" or perhaps "Workflow"

Upgrades can introduce bugs and break compatibility. I say design and rigorously test before releasing a product, and get it right the first time. When products from yesteryear had firmware and OS indelibly burned in ROM, that was the way it had to be done.