I just recieved my Kronos number 104 today from guitar center in Dallas. i got home and started exploring. the SYNTH SIDE OF THIS IS REALLY OUTSTANDING! The BRASS ENSEMBLES ARE TOP NOTCH as are the Woodwinds and strings. THE SOLO BRASS AND STRINGS ARE NOT GOOD. They are about as good as any other workstation but not really good in solo. the Drums are all very very good! This Synth Does Sizzle! the synths and Synth Basses are Truly OUTSTANDING. the Touchscreen is nice but i have to admit that it will take a little adjusting to get that SweetSpot to the tip of your finger...you have to touch a few times in some cases to get the screen to recognize your TOUCH. i am sure after using it I will learn to adjust my own Paralax View and learn how to Touch it effectively. the sequencer is nicely laid out but the data is SMALL and again you have to really AIM REALLY GOOD To get the screen to respond. this will NEVER EVER replace my Logic Audio...EVER. but its good for Hotel Rooms or carrying it home from the studio to play with. the EFFECTS are all REALLY GOOD!!!
Overall i am Very very happy with my decision to buy this synth. i can tell you that the SYNTH part of this workstation will be used alot more than the Brass and strings etc. OH and i must admit that the JUPITER 80 IS GOING TO KILL THIS THING WHEN IT COMES TO SOLO STRINGS AND BRASS AND ESPECIALLY GUITAR......the accoustic guitar samples are NICE but really dont translate into PLAYING. if you tried to use the accoustic guitars in a sequence its going to sound like a FAKE guitar. The Jupiter 80 accoustic guitars are PHENOMENAL. if you do orchestral work then wait for the JUPITER....if you are into SYNTH work then the KRONOS WILL DEFINATELY BE WORTH THE MONEY!!!! the FM and MS20 synths alone make this a worthy purchase. its very very good! and ITS REALLY PRETTY. IM happy
KORG ARRIVAL
Moderators: Sharp, X-Trade, Pepperpotty, karmathanever
Re: KORG ARRIVAL
First up, Congratulations!lesfarrington wrote: the Touchscreen is nice but i have to admit that it will take a little adjusting to get that SweetSpot to the tip of your finger...you have to touch a few times in some cases to get the screen to recognize your TOUCH.
Second, Calibrate the screen..
Lou
Can we have a part 2 on the other sounds & stuff to this review? 
And I never valued Korgs acoustic sounds, they always sucked!
But for the FM & AM analog synth engines, and the Piano sounds I think, and the SSD drive and sampling capabilities and to import my own samples, it's worth the price.
My big concern is the quality of reproducing sampled sounds. When I had the Korg Karma a lot of those sounds were sounding like digital copies of real instruments. Korgs synth sounds are always the best & top notch of any workstation. But for bread & butter and acoustic sounds I still have to see how much changed from the quality of the Tritons.
And I never valued Korgs acoustic sounds, they always sucked!
But for the FM & AM analog synth engines, and the Piano sounds I think, and the SSD drive and sampling capabilities and to import my own samples, it's worth the price.
My big concern is the quality of reproducing sampled sounds. When I had the Korg Karma a lot of those sounds were sounding like digital copies of real instruments. Korgs synth sounds are always the best & top notch of any workstation. But for bread & butter and acoustic sounds I still have to see how much changed from the quality of the Tritons.
My Kronos will be here Saturday and I am happy that the synth component is hot. As for orchestral and strings, I have those bases covered with Kurzweil so I think Kronos will round out my needs nicely.
Thanks Les for the great but short review! Looking forward to a more detailed review in the coming weeks. It will be fun to compare impressions.
Ahimsa,
Vlad
PS: I am curious Les, are you saying that STR-1 is subpar? I would certainly believe it from the ROMpler HD-1 but STR-1 I would think if I am reading the manual correctly does not use samples and the musician essentially "designs" the strings.
Thanks Les for the great but short review! Looking forward to a more detailed review in the coming weeks. It will be fun to compare impressions.
Ahimsa,
Vlad
PS: I am curious Les, are you saying that STR-1 is subpar? I would certainly believe it from the ROMpler HD-1 but STR-1 I would think if I am reading the manual correctly does not use samples and the musician essentially "designs" the strings.
Current gear: Kronos, Jupiter 80, Kurzweil PC3,Roland Fantom X8, Roland XV-88 (yep, its old, but the ACTION is heaven and those XV-3080 sounds are still wonderful for me), Radias-R, Motif ES (yeah it's older but I love the guitars 
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lesfarrington
- Posts: 24
- Joined: Thu Jun 09, 2011 12:56 am
more on the Kronos
Well, i have been playing with the Kronos since 7pm and about to hit the sack BUT i have more info.
The Pianos.....i am not sure why anyone would say the pianos are thin. they are not. the RHODES and WURLITZERS are AWESOME!
The String Solo Samples are not very good at all but STR-1 Engine sounds fantastic.
THE FM ENGINE IS SIMPLY PERFECTION! i could tool around with that part of the Kronos for HOURS.
one of the coolest things about this instrument is the REAL TIME CONTROL using a combination of the joystick, the Vector joystick and the Ribbon. while the ribbon is short it is very responsive. this Synth has some of the most amazing patches Ive heard on a FIRST RUN RELEASE Ive ever heard.
the sound is best described as SIZZLING MADNESS.
the filters on all of the synths are lightyears ahead of every other Korg Product Ive heard.
I am getting used to the Screen but i wish they had an iPad type of ENLARGE function. it does take a little effort to edit with the Screen at times but overall its functional. I do wish that things like the Filter Graphics could be edited the way things on the iPad can...instead you fingertip the Frequency Box and turn the Dial and you see the Filter Curves adjust accordingly...i just wish you could finger the curve graphic itself and make the change...but hey, its FINE as it is.
I am simply AMAZED By this synth. ESPECIALLY THE FM! OH and the EFFECTS are pretty HIGH up there on the list too.
I have owned an M1, Emax 1 and 2, DW-8000, MiniMoog, Moog PHatty, D-50, Junos, Prophet VS, O1-W, K2000, K2500, Esynth SamplerKeyboard, Motif7, S90es, MS2000, and a few others and the KRONOS is by far the most HI-REZ machine ive owned. the sound is VERY upfront and it doesnt sound Korgish if that makes sense. its a real Leap Forward for Korg. NO NOISE AT ALL....no ZIPPERING....LITTLE IF ANY ALIASING. tomorrow i will connect it to the Mac and see how Logic works with it.
SO FAR I HAVE BOTH THUMBS UP TO THE CEILING. i might ever take my shoes off and Raise my Big Toes too.
NEXT I WILL BE BUYING THE VENOM AND ARTURIA ORIGIN KEYBOARD.
I think the Roland Jupiter 80 will have alot to offer too but right now i am a big Korg Kronos Fan.
The Pianos.....i am not sure why anyone would say the pianos are thin. they are not. the RHODES and WURLITZERS are AWESOME!
The String Solo Samples are not very good at all but STR-1 Engine sounds fantastic.
THE FM ENGINE IS SIMPLY PERFECTION! i could tool around with that part of the Kronos for HOURS.
one of the coolest things about this instrument is the REAL TIME CONTROL using a combination of the joystick, the Vector joystick and the Ribbon. while the ribbon is short it is very responsive. this Synth has some of the most amazing patches Ive heard on a FIRST RUN RELEASE Ive ever heard.
the sound is best described as SIZZLING MADNESS.
the filters on all of the synths are lightyears ahead of every other Korg Product Ive heard.
I am getting used to the Screen but i wish they had an iPad type of ENLARGE function. it does take a little effort to edit with the Screen at times but overall its functional. I do wish that things like the Filter Graphics could be edited the way things on the iPad can...instead you fingertip the Frequency Box and turn the Dial and you see the Filter Curves adjust accordingly...i just wish you could finger the curve graphic itself and make the change...but hey, its FINE as it is.
I am simply AMAZED By this synth. ESPECIALLY THE FM! OH and the EFFECTS are pretty HIGH up there on the list too.
I have owned an M1, Emax 1 and 2, DW-8000, MiniMoog, Moog PHatty, D-50, Junos, Prophet VS, O1-W, K2000, K2500, Esynth SamplerKeyboard, Motif7, S90es, MS2000, and a few others and the KRONOS is by far the most HI-REZ machine ive owned. the sound is VERY upfront and it doesnt sound Korgish if that makes sense. its a real Leap Forward for Korg. NO NOISE AT ALL....no ZIPPERING....LITTLE IF ANY ALIASING. tomorrow i will connect it to the Mac and see how Logic works with it.
SO FAR I HAVE BOTH THUMBS UP TO THE CEILING. i might ever take my shoes off and Raise my Big Toes too.
NEXT I WILL BE BUYING THE VENOM AND ARTURIA ORIGIN KEYBOARD.
I think the Roland Jupiter 80 will have alot to offer too but right now i am a big Korg Kronos Fan.
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Mike Conway
- Approved Merchant
- Posts: 2485
- Joined: Fri Jan 28, 2005 10:44 pm
- Location: Las Vegas, Nevada
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audioird
The more I read about the Kronos the more I think we should buy :
- the Korg Legacy VST suite
(to get the MS20, polysix and others)
- Ableton Live
- Komplete 7
- a controler keybord
and use the computer we already have
this way we save money and get a more powerfull setup
instead of buying this Kronos.
- the Korg Legacy VST suite
(to get the MS20, polysix and others)
- Ableton Live
- Komplete 7
- a controler keybord
and use the computer we already have
this way we save money and get a more powerfull setup
instead of buying this Kronos.
actually I do have the above mentioned software plus some more VST's I bought over last few years, still all in one workstations gives you instant gratification which helps with the creative flow..audioird wrote:The more I read about the Kronos the more I think we should buy :
- the Korg Legacy VST suite
(to get the MS20, polysix and others)
- Ableton Live
- Komplete 7
- a controler keybord
and use the computer we already have
this way we save money and get a more powerfull setup
instead of buying this Kronos.
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Flash & The Pan
audioird wrote:The more I read about the Kronos the more I think we should buy :
- the Korg Legacy VST suite
(to get the MS20, polysix and others)
- Ableton Live
- Komplete 7
- a controler keybord
and use the computer we already have
this way we save money and get a more powerfull setup
instead of buying this Kronos.
Finally, One SMART guy around the corner! 100% agree, the problem is ...some guys here don't know how to use a computer and connect the MIDI controller to the PC or MAC...and that's allright, they are musicians, not technicians.
"Kronos" is a nice Synth, no a doubt, but maybe is not for US... Lol!
What I do not understand is that you sir Flash & the Pan have had no interest in the Kronos for weeks. You yourself do not have on now, and from what I gather you do not intend to. Why bother this forum? What you are doing at this point is trolling. Period. I am an understanding guy so tell me: What did Korg do to you to spark such a vendetta?
Korg Kronos 61::Kurzweil PC3X::Alesis Fusion 8HD::Korg Microstation::DSI Prophet 08:::Korg Polysix::2X Oberheim Matrix 1000
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Flash & The Pan
Operaman...Operaman, what are you listening tonight...? Pavarotti??, I like Korg "Kronos", but is too much for you my friend...turn on your Moviola Grandpa'...Lol!operaman wrote:What I do not understand is that you sir Flash & the Pan have had no interest in the Kronos for weeks. You yourself do not have on now, and from what I gather you do not intend to. Why bother this forum? What you are doing at this point is trolling. Period. I am an understanding guy so tell me: What did Korg do to you to spark such a vendetta?
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lesfarrington
- Posts: 24
- Joined: Thu Jun 09, 2011 12:56 am
GO AHEAD, GET SOFTWARE INSTEAD.
Hey Flash, have you PLAYED THE KRONOS? tell us what you think! give us your PERSONAL HANDS ON EXPERIENCE HERE MR FLASH! i have all those programs on my computer as well. i have a controller. i also have a KRONOS. so it would appear that i have an advantage in this debate.
IT IS BEST TO SAY NOTHING AND HAVE PEOPLE WONDER IF YOUR AN IDIOT THAN TO OPEN YOUR MOUTH AND PROVE IT....or in this case TYPE IT ON YOUR KEYBOARD.
I have a feeling that you are a home studio inthusiast with little to no stage experience. I HAVE YEARS UPON YEARS OF STUDIO AND STAGE EXPERIENCE AND BELIEVE ME YOU CAN DO ALL THAT STUFF WITH THIS ONE UNIT. why dont you go pick the lint out of your navel and do something constructive for a change.
IT IS BEST TO SAY NOTHING AND HAVE PEOPLE WONDER IF YOUR AN IDIOT THAN TO OPEN YOUR MOUTH AND PROVE IT....or in this case TYPE IT ON YOUR KEYBOARD.
I have a feeling that you are a home studio inthusiast with little to no stage experience. I HAVE YEARS UPON YEARS OF STUDIO AND STAGE EXPERIENCE AND BELIEVE ME YOU CAN DO ALL THAT STUFF WITH THIS ONE UNIT. why dont you go pick the lint out of your navel and do something constructive for a change.