KRONOS discontinued!

Bald Eagle · Post by **Bald Eagle** » Tue Sep 09, 2014 1:41 am

If the Knonos model is in fact being discontinued we should not look at in that way. It would be more of a natural evolution into something with even more functionality whatever that might be.

Discontinued is a harsh statement signifying an end. Evolving is more fitting of Korg's style. The Kronos has been a never ending evolution since the days of the M1 and I'm sure Korg will continue this strategy. I'm looking forward to it.

GregC · Post by **GregC** » Tue Sep 09, 2014 2:42 am

Bald Eagle wrote:If the Knonos model is in fact being discontinued we should not look at in that way. It would be more of a natural evolution into something with even more functionality whatever that might be.

Discontinued is a harsh statement signifying an end. Evolving is more fitting of Korg's style. The Kronos has been a never ending evolution since the days of the M1 and I'm sure Korg will continue this strategy. I'm looking forward to it.

I agree with you. Experienced owners of complex workstations realize that 3 yrs is about the average placement at retail. The X , by itself has been available for 2 yrs.

Potential buyers have ample opportunities to discover the Kronos over the past 2 or 3 yrs. And make their buy before the 3 yr cycle has hit.

Heck, even 3 yrs is an incredible run, with the way technology forces obsolescence every 6 months or so.

If i was in the market for the Kronos, at the over 3 yr mark, I would try to cut a sharp deal on a 61/73, used or otherwise, vs being picky at retail new for the X. The US market is quite large, so there are usually some decent choices.

If I could not do that, waiting until January NAMM is not a bad move either.

Everything has a way of working out, if a buyer can be flexible

Scott · Post by **Scott** » Tue Sep 09, 2014 2:56 am

Bald Eagle wrote:Korg does not make official statements that a product has been discontinued until they are well prepared to launch a follow-up product.

Close. From my observation, Korg (along with Yamaha, Roland, Kurzweil) basically never makes official statements per se that a product has been discontinued. The closest they come is that, eventually, products are removed from the web site or are moved to a "legacy products" section, or a line is added to their web page saying they are no longer available... and this basically never happens until long after the product has gone out of production. I think what it comes down to is, as long as there may still be a quantity of unsold units in the distribution channel, the mfrs will show something as an active product, even if the item is no longer being manufactured, because showing something as discontinued will make it harder to move the remaining inventory. Even today, you can see the original (pre-X) Kronos and the Microstation presented as active products on the Korg web site, and it's a pretty safe bet that they have been out of production for some time. I doubt they made any more Kronos after the X came out, even though they still co-exist on the site.

On a related topic, in general, Dave has a good point about parts being able to sourced elsewhere, but as I understand it, Kronos uses a complete pre-maufactured Intel board. If Intel stops making that board (or even if they just temporarily run out of inventory), there is nowhere else to source it. So that is something that could lead to a production hiatus, either until the part is available, or until a replacement part is properly integrated into the design and tested.

GregC · Post by **GregC** » Tue Sep 09, 2014 5:22 am

Davd C. Polich wrote:Regardless of what the status of Kronos parts is, there

If there's a supply problem, Korg will remedy that…it's not like there's nowhere else in the world they can look for replacement parts, including
CPU's and touch screens.

.

This is exactly right. A fairly informed source has told me as much.

For example, there are substitutions for the Mobo. But that level of detail is not available for us at the consumer level.

Since folks can't get answers for that substitution by their internet posts, they assume there is no substitution. It's best to talk to the correct parties for these type of issues.

Broadwave · Post by **Broadwave** » Tue Sep 09, 2014 5:44 am

It really irks me when someone says something is "out of date". I've had my K61 since July 2011, and I still feel like I've barely scratched the surface of what it can do.

Fine... If all you want is a bunch of the latest presets, then get the Kronos Z or whatever the next generation is called. But as a serious programmer, all I can say is this keyboard (certainly the best and most complex I've had the pleasure to own) will keep me going for years to come.

I honestly can't say the same about the other synths I own.

karmathanever · Post by **karmathanever** » Tue Sep 09, 2014 6:02 am

Any comment/response media-igor???

slowtrain · Post by **slowtrain** » Tue Sep 09, 2014 6:35 am

Kronik wrote:It really irks me when someone says something is "out of date". I've had my K61 since July 2011, and I still feel like I've barely scratched the surface of what it can do.

Fine... If all you want is a bunch of the latest presets, then get the Kronos Z or whatever the next generation is called. But as a serious programmer, all I can say is this keyboard (certainly the best and most complex I've had the pleasure to own) will keep me going for years to come.

I honestly can't say the same about the other synths I own.

What he said.. except the part about owning other synths. I had a Roland XP 10 a long time ago, but I spilled a huge glass of red kool-aid into it.

jimknopf · Post by **jimknopf** » Tue Sep 09, 2014 8:27 am

If a production hiatus occured due to missing components, like MoBos out of production, this is as much an opporuinity as a problem for Korg.

They might just give the Kronos another facelift and a new version name to refresh interest, without leaving the basic Oasys OS design. This way they could present a new Kronos variation in 2015.

I doubt that in these times it would make ANY sense for them to take the successful Kronos concept as a whole out of production. And they also have no sufficient r&d resources any more, to develop a comparably new concept again, as the Oasys OS once was. Even Yamaha doesn't dare investing that much into a new classic workstation concept.

So all relax and don't believe in the end of the Kronos life circle for a minute. Maybe the present version runs out, but then the Kronos concppt will just be updated, not finished IMO.

vladsu · Post by **vladsu** » Tue Sep 09, 2014 4:04 pm

It is interesting, there will be in the in the "New Kronos" analog part? (the integration of real analog as into Volca, Monotribe etc)

phil55 · Post by **phil55** » Wed Sep 10, 2014 11:43 am

I would love a redesigned Kronos, that exhibited none of the issues the discontinued Kronos currently exhibits as reported in these Korg forums threads, since it's inception.

jeremykeys · Post by **jeremykeys** » Wed Sep 10, 2014 11:57 am

I just think demand has outstripped the supply. Not discontinued at all.

geoelectro · Post by **geoelectro** » Wed Sep 10, 2014 12:53 pm

I work repairing organs so I'm in a lot of churches. The vast majority of keyboards are Yamaha Motifs. When I start talking about the Kronos the musicians seem surprised of its capabilities and had little knowledge of what it is. Many are aware of computer synthesis using Logic etc. and are intrigued that the Kronos works like the computer.

I've made some converts along the way but the Motifs still way out number all others.

When churches have conventions I learned Yamaha fills the rooms up with loaned out Motifs, just like Hammond Suzuki does. I suspect that is where it gets started.

Geo

mm-pro · Post by **mm-pro** » Wed Sep 10, 2014 8:57 pm

My Guitar Center store has the Kronos 88 X on clearance. This has been historically a pretty accurate indicator that something new is coming.

danmusician · Post by **danmusician** » Wed Sep 10, 2014 11:35 pm

mm-pro wrote:My Guitar Center store has the Kronos 88 X on clearance. This has been historically a pretty accurate indicator that something new is coming.

The Guitar Center Website lists the original Kronos on clearance, not the X. The X is still listed at regular price.

http://www.guitarcenter.com/Korg-Kronos ... 3869430.gc

However, B&H Photo has the X88 an unavailable. They still sell the X73 and X61.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/8 ... ation.html

phil55 · Post by **phil55** » Thu Sep 11, 2014 10:54 am

Clicked the link above for KRONOS X. It is listed at $1000 below list. It's discounted for sure...