Korg Forums

I agree. The Kronos is still going strong enough as their flagship workstation. Although it's exciting to think 2020 NAMM could be the year they upgrade, it's more realistic to be thankful for what we have now.

The initial idea with the Open Architecture System, embodied in the Oasys and Kronos and even Muse Receptor, has all been succeeded by software "in the box" (ITB). Korg itself is a leader there where they basically exported all the Kronos engines into Gadget.

Still, there are a couple areas in the Kronos that software hasn't totally bested it yet -- MOD7, STR-1, and no fuss latency-free streaming samples.

I'm thinking the best way to get an upgraded hardware workstation experience is to just augment the Kronos with something like an iPad for more synth, FX, groovebox, and sequencing capabilities. Powerful, portable, and plug and play.

I agree as well, which is why I have purchased the best that Korg and Yamaha currently offer and have then have paired them with a small NUC PC in my gig rack which is powerful enough to run any VSTi I have.

Derek Cook wrote:I agree as well, which is why I have purchased the best that Korg and Yamaha currently offer and have then have paired them with a small NUC PC in my gig rack which is powerful enough to run any VSTi I have.

I have a Kronos VST, and like any other "entire keyboard VST" I got, they sound very tinny. No bass or depth to them at all. Other VSTs I have purchased that are strictly company made VSTs, they sound amazing. But My Kronos and Motif VSTs sound horrible. I mean, the sound is there, but they just sound dead, and that was even after adjusting the balance.

A Kronos VST won't be a Korg product, so won't have the sonic potential of the original instrument.

Kevbo wrote:I have a Kronos VST, and like any other "entire keyboard VST" I got, they sound very tinny. No bass or depth to them at all.

There's probably a few reasons why a real Kronos is worth more and sounds infinitely better than a 90$ VST.

KK wrote:

Kevbo wrote:I have a Kronos VST, and like any other "entire keyboard VST" I got, they sound very tinny. No bass or depth to them at all.

There's probably a few reasons why a real Kronos is worth more and sounds infinitely better than a 90$ VST.

Well put KK

Kevbo wrote:

Derek Cook wrote:I agree as well, which is why I have purchased the best that Korg and Yamaha currently offer and have then have paired them with a small NUC PC in my gig rack which is powerful enough to run any VSTi I have.

I have a Kronos VST, and like any other "entire keyboard VST" I got, they sound very tinny. No bass or depth to them at all. Other VSTs I have purchased that are strictly company made VSTs, they sound amazing. But My Kronos and Motif VSTs sound horrible. I mean, the sound is there, but they just sound dead, and that was even after adjusting the balance.

I can't say I have ever heard of a Kronos VSTi, but the problem would be trying to capture all the depth, subtleties and power of all the different engines in what I guess is a sample based instrument. Why it is tinny, I cannot say.

Korg really needs to follow in Yamaha's lineup of a keyboard size and weight for many. To have an LS 73 on the line would be big. THE only reason I purchased the 73 is because of,,,73 keys. It is horribly heavy to transport.
KORG, bring on the LS version of the 73 for crickey sakes!!

kathnrich1 wrote:Korg really needs to follow in Yamaha's lineup of a keyboard size and weight for many. To have an LS 73 on the line would be big. THE only reason I purchased the 73 is because of,,,73 keys. It is horribly heavy to transport.
KORG, bring on the LS version of the 73 for crickey sakes!!

The problem with the Kronos LS is, the keys really arent that great, and lacking aftertouch is a dealbreaker for a lot of us .. at least I think it is. Would rather have seen a Kronos 76 .. stop the ackward 73 key size .. with 76 Synth keys w/ afterouch like the 61 model. Its really cheap of Korg not to put in an aftertouch strip. wouldn't have made a diff in the cost of the product. The LS 88 is still a top priced product without aftertouch (cost more than a Kronos 2 73).

I am usually not wiling to comment on this subject as I don't know what is going on in the minds of Korg research.
That said having been around this synth/keyboard world for 25 or so years I am still amazed at the evolution and progress made in the world of sound creation and the beauty of what can be made for the edification of my soul and others who listen to whats being produced.
If my opinion is at all valid I would say if I am a Japanese giant like Korg I will live by the same edict I learned while working for Sony years back and that is I must always save face in how the world perceives me. If that premise is still a motivator then the workstation/ synth world will benefit from my new instrument development and the marketing position I maintain will not be so out of reach that I can sell more of what I make to a hungry group of buyers.
My point is Korg is at a crossroads with the Oaysis/Kronos group. New buyers aside the old market is inwardly screaming for a legitimate new and improved idea. I just hope its not VST market you can have it we are done.

FYI, Korg is not a giant, not in the corporate electronics world. I would guess 350-450 big ones in annual sales.

See you next year . My tea leaves flew out the car window on the freeway.

True they don't have the sales numbers of a company like Yamaha but in the musical instrument production world they are in terms of innovation Oasys being an example of dedication to a different direction. We'll see soon I believe if a ground shaking comes forth. One can only hope. I dont live for it but it would be fun. BTW Greg hows it goin?
Yamaha makes so much more in the way of company crossover to other arenas and they dwarf Korg

PatrickD wrote:True they don't have the sales numbers of a company like Yamaha but in the musical instrument production world they are in terms of innovation Oasys being an example of dedication to a different direction. We'll see soon I believe if a ground shaking comes forth. One can only hope. I dont live for it but it would be fun. BTW Greg hows it goin?
Yamaha makes so much more in the way of company crossover to other arenas and they dwarf Korg

Great to see you hear, Patrick. I am still banging out new songs that sound old.

I think we have seen all the new product announcements from Korg.

Some chance that Korg will toss us Kronos owners a treat by end of month.

the Kronos was, and is an outcome in itself. The future Korg workstation must abandon the remains of the Kronos. Our agile fingers will certainly be able to acclimatize to a completely new future machine. They run !