Korg Forums

Thank you for sarcastic comments. I expected that.
For sure I know that Korg will not read my messages here and that nobody has a crystal ball.

If I ask myself this question, and I think that all those who have a little computer science, think that in 2019 still propose dualcore in a PC card, it's a little hasbeen. So if I tickle you a bit, do not take it badly. It is not the goal.

If you have read the other topics, you will know that this question of the future, I ask myself especially in the choice between a kronos first gen and second. It seems to me that the 2 does not offer much more than one but its price is much more important. That the release of a more powerful kronos for polyphony could have more impact on the price of 2. And that it strengthens me to choose the first model.

My question about the 3 is about polyphony and CPU (sorry for the word : oudated dualcore CPU)

And how much CPU limitation is a concern on the kronos by now,
Second : The screen I found too small regarding the surface of the desk and as the presbyopic I become.

Main question : if a Kronos 3 would be out with only the double CPU capacity as today (double polyphony?), how many of you will upgrade just for that ?

Regards

Kronos Borg Collective :
All other brandstof are assimilated

Ben

macluit wrote:Kronos Borg Collective :
All other brandstof are assimilated

Ben

Brands !
(That Damed automatic Fillin)

magname wrote:If you have read the other topics, you will know that this question of the future, I ask myself especially in the choice between a kronos first gen and second. It seems to me that the 2 does not offer much more than one but its price is much more important. That the release of a more powerful kronos for polyphony could have more impact on the price of 2. And that it strengthens me to choose the first model.

My question about the 3 is about polyphony and CPU (sorry for the word : oudated dualcore CPU)

And how much CPU limitation is a concern on the kronos by now,
Second : The screen I found too small regarding the surface of the desk and as the presbyopic I become.

Main question : if a Kronos 3 would be out with only the double CPU capacity as today (double polyphony?), how many of you will upgrade just for that ?

Regards

Hi there, I'm glad you realize that many people here and on other forums, not only for the Kronos but also for totally different keyboards and brands etc all want their personal preferences to be added in future versions of products. But regardless of the features and components chosen for a given new product, there will always be happy campers and others who will vehemently criticize it should be something else instead.

So as a realistic exercise, a buyer can imagine he/she is the company's CEO. Is it cost-effective in the end to produce whatever machine or new features ? If not, the company can get in trouble or worse, disappear. There's a good reason why almost nobody makes solid keyboard controllers equipped with polyphonic aftertouch (AT) anymore. But they were more common and popular in the 80s.

Imagine now the enormous R&D costs that Korg paid to develop a monster machine like the Kronos. Which explains why it still remains the most advanced hardware digital keyboard after all those years.

Switch to today. We now live in an era where smartphones, cheap technology and 49-key toy-feel "keyboard controllers" rule. So Korg is staying up to date with the new trends and creates lots of interesting new products, and much more inexpensive compared to the Kronos. So maybe there is a good reason why there is still no competition for the Kronos from any other brand after all.

Now, my personal views on some of your questions. To buy a K2 instead of an earlier generation Kronos might offer a few advantages. The most obvious is it could maybe last longer depending on the use it had from previous users. Also, the K2 has a few tiny but interesting hardware advantages, amongst others a bigger heatsink on the MB (less chances of hearing that fan noise) and a couple of additional internal metal plates which protect the critical PCBs and probably solidifies the unit in the long run. And of course, you won't need to buy the Korg additional package needed to upgrade to the K2 factory programs and sounds.

Finally, about polyphony limitations, it's simply a matter of management and choices. For example, in a complex context with 16 instruments playing at the same time, you don't need to choose the most enormous sounds for everything. So while 3 big things are screaming loud on a song, nobody will notice you will have chosen a single-oscillator program instead of the Rolls-Royce equivalent for those occasional soft chords playing at -12 dB. You can also define the polyphony for each program, etc. Also, IMHO the Kronos note-stealing algorythm is one of the very best. Only Kurzweil offers one as good as Korg. Still not enough ? You can buy a second Kronos and use the odd/even feature to split everything between two units.

Of course, there is also the computer/software route. For sure, a screen as big as you want. But also the lovely inevitable latency problems. The difference is that the Kronos is a complete musical instrument. No lag at all, even when I play the most complex and fast classical piano or Emerson passages. I wish I had bigger fonts too, but for that you can buy x2 glasses for 10$ anywhere.

Hopes this helps. Now, back to playing on my K2.

magname wrote: Main question : if a Kronos 3 would be out with only the double CPU capacity as today (double polyphony?), how many of you will upgrade just for that ?

Regards

Wouldnt even consider it.

The only time ive heard voice stealing on my K88v1 is when i created a big layered combi that encompassed the sgx1, ep1, AND several HD1 patches “as is” layered together...if that sound were important to me, Id go into them (each program) and lighten their loads...make an optimized “Mariah Keys”....but, its not a sound i use much because you know, its not 1994.

KK wrote:....too, but for that you can buy x2 glasses for 10$ anywhere.

Hopes this helps. Now, back to playing on my K2.

Thank you but only x1.5 !
But every time I raise my head I have to remove them.

magname wrote: Main question : if a Kronos 3 would be out with only the double CPU capacity as today (double polyphony?), how many of you will upgrade just for that ?

Regards

No, even if a double CPU actually would lead to a double polyphony. It would bring a boost in polyphony and shorter boot times.
There was a video on YouTube where somebody actually did replace the mainboard of the Kronos with a faster one.

But such an invest would only remove those rare occurrences of voice stealing that you not always can hear.

Current bottleneck is the free user RAM. Some people come to that limit even with sample streaming available.
Unfortunately it is not possible to extend RAM more since the Kronos' operating system seems to be 32 bit and the limit here is at 4GB.

Then there is the amount of IFX slots, 16 total. Many programs use more than one slot, then you plug a microphone in with even more FX and you're full very quickly.

And only one stereo output channel via USB audio.


But I'm not speculating what Korg does with the Kronos or trying to tell them what to do - I rather make music and be surprised with the news when they present the next update.

Keep up the good work!