Kronos...cp80 and Electric grand sounds...

Discussion relating to the Korg Kronos Workstation.

Moderators: Sharp, X-Trade, Pepperpotty, karmathanever

User avatar
apex
Platinum Member
Posts: 2340
Joined: Tue Feb 23, 2010 6:22 am
Contact:

Kronos...cp80 and Electric grand sounds...

Post by apex »

short and sweet...

I had a client in the studio yesterday. He found a really nice cp80 (electric grand) sound that he liked in the Yamaha EX5...BUT he wanted to use the Kronos sound engine on his new record.

Would you believe that I could not find ONE nice thick electric grand stock sound in the Kronos? I was so ashamed. lol

I convinced myself that I was just overlooking it or that maybe it was named something other than what I was looking for. (cp80, electric grand is what I searched for)

COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING...

ended up connecting a midi cable to the Kronos and used a plugin. He was very satisfied with that.

Just couldn't believe I could not find anything stock on the Kronos in that electric grand family.

fwiw....The Kronos is my hero keyboard. So there will be no Kronos bashing on this thread whatsoever. 😂
GregC
Platinum Member
Posts: 9451
Joined: Wed May 15, 2002 12:46 am
Location: Discovery Bay (San Francisco Bay Area)

Re: Kronos...cp80 and Electric grand sounds...

Post by GregC »

apex wrote:short and sweet...

I had a client in the studio yesterday. He found a really nice cp80 (electric grand) sound that he liked in the Yamaha EX5...BUT he wanted to use the Kronos sound engine on his new record.

Would you believe that I could not find ONE nice thick electric grand stock sound in the Kronos? I was so ashamed. lol

I convinced myself that I was just overlooking it or that maybe it was named something other than what I was looking for. (cp80, electric grand is what I searched for)

COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING...

ended up connecting a midi cable to the Kronos and used a plugin. He was very satisfied with that.

Just couldn't believe I could not find anything stock on the Kronos in that electric grand family.

fwiw....The Kronos is my hero keyboard. So there will be no Kronos bashing on this thread whatsoever. 😂
I don't know exactly. You would expect the EX5 to 'be ' or have the epic CP80 sound. Its been used +1000 times on recordings.

Sound is also highly subjective. So here is mine, layer 2 Kronos AP's. Detune or micro tune 1 slightly. Add chorus, touch of reverb, per client taste.

Thats my simple mind approach. It might get you 80-90% there.
Kronos 88. MODX8
Achieve your musical dreams :)
https://soundcloud.com/user-898236994
User avatar
apex
Platinum Member
Posts: 2340
Joined: Tue Feb 23, 2010 6:22 am
Contact:

Re: Kronos...cp80 and Electric grand sounds...

Post by apex »

GregC wrote:
apex wrote:short and sweet...

I had a client in the studio yesterday. He found a really nice cp80 (electric grand) sound that he liked in the Yamaha EX5...BUT he wanted to use the Kronos sound engine on his new record.

Would you believe that I could not find ONE nice thick electric grand stock sound in the Kronos? I was so ashamed. lol

I convinced myself that I was just overlooking it or that maybe it was named something other than what I was looking for. (cp80, electric grand is what I searched for)

COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING...

ended up connecting a midi cable to the Kronos and used a plugin. He was very satisfied with that.

Just couldn't believe I could not find anything stock on the Kronos in that electric grand family.

fwiw....The Kronos is my hero keyboard. So there will be no Kronos bashing on this thread whatsoever. 😂
I don't know exactly. You would expect the EX5 to 'be ' or have the epic CP80 sound. Its been used +1000 times on recordings.

Sound is also highly subjective. So here is mine, layer 2 Kronos AP's. Detune or micro tune 1 slightly. Add chorus, touch of reverb, per client taste.

Thats my simple mind approach. It might get you 80-90% there.
the cp80 in the ex5 is great. but the ex5 wasnt the issue lol.

as far as the suggestion... just imagining it in my head, that doesn't seem like it would give an electric grand vibe. but I may still try it
BillW
Platinum Member
Posts: 933
Joined: Tue Jul 12, 2005 2:22 pm
Location: Northern Virginia

Post by BillW »

I'd recommend this:

https://shop.korg.com/Kronos/EXS-143

I contributed a couple of the programs and I use this in my Genesis tribute band.
Korg Kronos 61 (2); Kurzweil PC4; Casio Privia PX-350m; Macbook Pro
Sweat
Full Member
Posts: 182
Joined: Sat Dec 17, 2011 5:08 am
Location: Live Music Capital of the World

Post by Sweat »

It seems that the only cp80 available from a stock Kronos is perhaps the E.Grand Piano in the GM bank. It is sort of thin sounding too.

Purgatory Creek's EXS-143 is hard to beat.
yeskeys
Full Member
Posts: 141
Joined: Mon Nov 05, 2018 7:48 pm
Location: Virginia Beach VA

Post by yeskeys »

BillW wrote:I'd recommend this:

https://shop.korg.com/Kronos/EXS-143

I contributed a couple of the programs and I use this in my Genesis tribute band.
Whoa now! Genesis tribute in Virginia??? I'd love to see that. I have/had my own prog band here in Va Beach. The only Genesis tunes I could get them to do was Turn it On Again and ABACAB.

Here's a couple vids. That's me playing guitar, as well as my Keith Emerson impression....2nd impression(?)....

YES: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWwPF6sdiJs

ELP: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1IU34zopV8

Let me know if/when you have a gig....
IAA
Full Member
Posts: 130
Joined: Sun Feb 10, 2013 8:43 am

Post by IAA »

The Yes medley was really good well done Sir.
yeskeys
Full Member
Posts: 141
Joined: Mon Nov 05, 2018 7:48 pm
Location: Virginia Beach VA

Post by yeskeys »

IAA wrote:The Yes medley was really good well done Sir.
Thank you very, very much
psionic311
Platinum Member
Posts: 1046
Joined: Fri Nov 14, 2014 11:57 am
Location: Orlando, Florida USA

Post by psionic311 »

Lucky you to have been in a band with a lot of great musicians. Never seen 3 bassists play at once before, like in the middle of the Yes medley, that was great!
psionic311
Platinum Member
Posts: 1046
Joined: Fri Nov 14, 2014 11:57 am
Location: Orlando, Florida USA

Post by psionic311 »

Sweat wrote:It seems that the only cp80 available from a stock Kronos is perhaps the E.Grand Piano in the GM bank. It is sort of thin sounding too.
I agree, that E.Grand Piano is kind thin. I pulled up the factory CP80 on my MODX7 for comparison. But these tweaks make the Kronos E.Grand sound pretty darn close to the MODX7 CP80 (without FX on either):

Layer 2 of the E. Grand multisamples to add strength to the basic sound:
OSC1 Basic tab
- copy all settings from MS1 to MS2
- on MS1, set Xfade Range to 127
- set Curve to Layer

Sounds improved, right?

Now add a bit of sweetness, and it rivals the MODX7 CP80.
Basic/Program Basic tab
- turn on Unison, 2 voices only
- set detune to 002 or 003
- set Stereo Spread.

There ya go! CP80 on the Kronos.

Final tip: The Kronos CP80 may still be a bit dark for your taste. Easy fix is adjusting how velocity opens the filter.

Filter/Filter1 LFO tab
Under Filter EG, Velocity to A is set at +77. Change that to 90 and try playing the keyboard to see how it feels. Adjust to taste.
User avatar
Derek Cook
Approved Merchant
Approved Merchant
Posts: 1290
Joined: Sun Jul 20, 2014 9:05 pm
Location: Wales, UK
Contact:

Post by Derek Cook »

Hi,

The best CP80 I have ever heard (other than a CP80) is Pianoteq's CP80 model. Play that through a chorus pedal effect and a dose of reverb and it is instant Tony Banks! :)
Derek Cook - Java Developer

Image

Follow kronos.factory development and submit ideas over at the kronos.factory Trello Board

My Echoes Music Website
My Carreg Ddu Music Website
Sweat
Full Member
Posts: 182
Joined: Sat Dec 17, 2011 5:08 am
Location: Live Music Capital of the World

Post by Sweat »

Hey psionic311, I tried your tweaks to the El.Grand Piano in the GM bank. This does help quite a bit, but since it is just one multisample layer, it is very limited to relying heavily on the Filter EG velocity setting for dynamics too.

I really wanted a good CP70/80 piano, so during the recent summer sale I compared EXs60 KARO Electric Grand and EXS-143 Purgatory Creek CP-70b. I decided to purchase EXS-143, and I have been playing it a lot and love it. It is very flexible for use in soft or loud playing and sounds great.

Although not quite as robust as the EXS-143 CP-70b, I also found that Purgatory Creek has a good CP-80 in the Free download section of his website, included with this library:
https://www.purgatorycreek.com/index.ph ... ansistors/
psionic311
Platinum Member
Posts: 1046
Joined: Fri Nov 14, 2014 11:57 am
Location: Orlando, Florida USA

Post by psionic311 »

Glad that CP-70b is working out for you.

Having never personally played a real one,
I couldn't tell how accurate the MODX CP80 was to a real one.
dfahrner
Platinum Member
Posts: 573
Joined: Sat Jun 21, 2008 11:17 pm
Location: Bend, OR

Post by dfahrner »

psionic311 wrote:...Never seen 3 bassists play at once before, like in the middle of the Yes medley, that was great!
...see "Big Bottom", by Spinal Tap...
psionic311
Platinum Member
Posts: 1046
Joined: Fri Nov 14, 2014 11:57 am
Location: Orlando, Florida USA

Post by psionic311 »

dfahrner wrote:
psionic311 wrote:...Never seen 3 bassists play at once before, like in the middle of the Yes medley, that was great!
...see "Big Bottom", by Spinal Tap...
Ha, nice one. Double neck bass, that's also a first for me.
Post Reply

Return to “Korg Kronos”