Atom processor inside Kronos...what the heck ??

Stipes Vigilo · Post by **Stipes Vigilo** » Mon Mar 04, 2013 5:51 am

BTW, Previous keyboards I've own include (but not limited to):
*Memorymoog
*Yamaha DX7 & DX7IIs
*Korg M1
*EMU MPS+
*Kawai K4
*Alesis S4; S4+; QSR
*Peavey DPM V3's and V2's
*Korg N5 & N1R
*Korg Triton EXtreme (x2)
*Korg M3 Expanded w/Radias
*Roland V-Synth GT
*Korg Radias Rack
*Yamaha Motif rack (ES&XS)
*Korg Kronos

At this point, nothing surpasses the Kronos.
And the VsynthGT seems to be a perfect compliment to it because of the AP Engine.
The Motif's are background parts.

IAA · Post by **IAA** » Tue Mar 05, 2013 9:03 pm

HI,

I have had a studio full of gear (still have a bit - Moog, Prophet and even Arturia Origin) I have had the Kronos for three weeks, got some samples on it and built some programmes and I am seriously impressed with its capabilities and its ability to not feel like I programming a computer. In that sense it is like the Origin. The analogue sounds are very, well, analogue sounding. Against the Moog - I bet few could tell in a mix which was which.

And I can write sketches without booting up my DAW and get pretty far down the composition road when inspiration strikes.

Very impressed and there's laods more to explore!

Broadwave · Post by **Broadwave** » Tue Mar 05, 2013 11:34 pm

JPWC wrote: it takes 5-10 minutes before the tuning starts to become stable, how analog is that?

And some people complain about the Kronos' 2 minute boot

I've got 9 VCO's in my modular, I always give it 20 mins (the PSU heat in the cabinet helps to stabilise the overall temp), I daren't touch it otherwise!

Stipes Vigilo · Post by **Stipes Vigilo** » Wed Mar 06, 2013 7:58 pm

I think the two minute boot seems longer when you sit and watch it,
struggling to keep an idea/inspiration in head...

I have to admit, I keep my little Korg N5 around just for that
'Seven Second' boot.

(I'm also a little sentimental about it since I've carried it around with me for the last 15 years).

You know how people selling their boards will say
"Kept in smoke-free/pet free environment" ?
My N5 is NOT that board!

alfredokiwi · Post by **alfredokiwi** » Sun Sep 04, 2016 4:34 pm

Korg Kronos series use for its sound engine ITX motherboards also know as "IPC industrial PC" with an Atom processor. Such motherboards are useful in many applications and devices for example ATMs. KIOSKs, surveillance, signage, retail point of sale POS, industrial machines, Casino gaming devices, etc.

The diversity of applications using a low power consumption embedded processor like the Atom CPU is amazing. At the same time for the frontend user panel Kronos use the ARM family of devices that runs today Android the most used OS for mobile devices such cell phones, tablets, etc.

Everyone should be glad to have in their studio the Kronos because is the most successful workstation with very low latency and a lot of internal sounds and plugins.

19naia · Post by **19naia** » Mon Sep 05, 2016 4:02 am

I have to admit that Kronos has note stealing issues when you try to layer sounds from all the engines and the Korg specifications sheet lists the polyphony for each engine and the HD-1 engine seems to be the coup de gras for the low polyphony engines like STR-1. HD-1 lets you do good quality sample based programs to simulate any of the synth engines and then those can layer into wide stacks of sounds and patches.
So many work-arounds and the way everything integrate is amazing.

Any way, when i got sour about the polyphony or note stealing issues, i had to learn the engine specs more closely to inteligently ration my sound use along side optimal settings for thinning out the unneeded load on the CPU.
Also while i was sour about it, i looked at the impressive keyboards that come much cheaper, like roland FA series which still has the traditional 128 polyphony. Last MOfx i looked at showed only 4 layers of patches possible unless i didn't look close enough but it just didnt appeal to me for a closer look.
Kronos has varied polyphony as low as 40 in some engines but HD-1 is 200 polyphony or 400 in mono mode.. HD-1 is where every thing can be done to replace all other engines or simulate what Yamaha and Roland do. I havent found VST synths yet with 200 polyphony despite being made to run on computers with dual core i7. The research i did showed 64 polyphony being more common average.
So why even have the other engines in Kronos if they are so low polyphony and HD-1 can do the job with high polyphony? There are qualities to those engines like SGX that can't be beat by the other brands. The Patch panel outfitted engines with touch screen features that go beyond just touch to change settings or page view. Piano lids that open and close in motion picture as the sound corresponds to the act. Moving actual wires around in motion picture by touch interaction.
You arent getting that elswhere unless you pay what you obviously aren't paying. And still there are so many other features.

What keyboard out there is doing more than Kronos any way? Open Labs? and at what price?

None of the mentioned other brands run a huge touch screen which just helps make so much of a broader view and the added choice aside from the buttons and sliders. I hardly ever touch the hardware controls for sound changes and edits. All on screen. Volume, mode changes and real time performance controls are all i really use the hard panel controls for. Some say its faster to use the hardware panel but i am comfortable otherwise and must have a thing for the touch screen. Tap, touch and drag is so nice man.

Sure we can Knock Kronos puny Atom and run... But where are you running to? How big is the other brands biggest? Montage doesn't even muster in the sequencer department.

Those who were looking for bigger and better, stayed with kronos and did what this guy did -assuming your brain function is big enough to figure out how to do it yourself. Or pocket big enough to pay someone to do it for you.
Here, this video on Youtube where some one claims to have upgraded his motherboard or whatever the video says he did.
Probably cost a bit more and a lot of labor plus sorting out delicate details.
Come join us in kronos land and maybe this guy will come on forum to guide you to get a bigger core.

https://youtu.be/BKCTpfgH3dA

GregC · Post by **GregC** » Mon Sep 05, 2016 4:13 am

19naia wrote:I have to admit that Kronos has note stealing issues when you try to layer sounds from all the engines and the Korg specifications sheet lists the polyphony for each engine and the HD-1 engine seems to be the coup de gras for the low polyphony engines like STR-1. HD-1 lets you do good quality sample based programs to simulate any of the synth engines and then those can layer into wide stacks of sounds and patches.
So many work-arounds and the way everything integrate is amazing.

3dA

is it note stealing or really note borrowing ?

I can t think of more than 2 times when I ran into an issue. Heavy SEQ user here.

19naia · Post by **19naia** » Mon Sep 05, 2016 7:15 am

GregC wrote:
19naia wrote:I have to admit that Kronos has note stealing issues when you try to layer sounds from all the engines and the Korg specifications sheet lists the polyphony for each engine and the HD-1 engine seems to be the coup de gras for the low polyphony engines like STR-1. HD-1 lets you do good quality sample based programs to simulate any of the synth engines and then those can layer into wide stacks of sounds and patches.
So many work-arounds and the way everything integrate is amazing.

3dA
is it note stealing or really note borrowing ?

I can t think of more than 2 times when I ran into an issue. Heavy SEQ user here.

Well i am not trying to get my kronos convicted and charged of a crime, i will do and say whatever to get her off the hook and keep her home with me. So "note borrowing" it is.

I have had the issue on three combis that i built. Just me pushing the boundries trying out 5 or more timbre with no offset zoning either. Still its more sound satisfaction than i got out of anything else at the music store or wherever.
Honestly, I found easy ways around it in every case and STR-1 has been the main culprit 2 out of 3 times, but the specs say it plain and clear, STR-1 has the least polyphony of all at 40. The other 1 out of 3 times is the combi using MS-20 in 2 timbres among 7 timbres. MS-20 sure enough is same polyphony as STR-1. 40.
Learning the hard way starting from the bottom up. Its all been uphill progress and still being blown away by it every week a new awe.

GregC · Post by **GregC** » Mon Sep 05, 2016 2:32 pm

19naia wrote:
GregC wrote:
19naia wrote:I have to admit that Kronos has note stealing issues when you try to layer sounds from all the engines and the Korg specifications sheet lists the polyphony for each engine and the HD-1 engine seems to be the coup de gras for the low polyphony engines like STR-1. HD-1 lets you do good quality sample based programs to simulate any of the synth engines and then those can layer into wide stacks of sounds and patches.
So many work-arounds and the way everything integrate is amazing.

3dA
is it note stealing or really note borrowing ?

I can t think of more than 2 times when I ran into an issue. Heavy SEQ user here.
Well i am not trying to get my kronos convicted and charged of a crime, i will do and say whatever to get her off the hook and keep her home with me. So "note borrowing" it is.
I have had the issue on three combis that i built. Just me pushing the boundries trying out 5 or more timbre with no offset zoning either. Still its more sound satisfaction than i got out of anything else at the music store or wherever.
Honestly, I found easy ways around it in every case and STR-1 has been the main culprit 2 out of 3 times, but the specs say it plain and clear, STR-1 has the least polyphony of all at 40. The other 1 out of 3 times is the combi using MS-20 in 2 timbres among 7 timbres. MS-20 sure enough is same polyphony as STR-1. 40.
Learning the hard way starting from the bottom up. Its all been uphill progress and still being blown away by it every week a new awe.

I have a friend who tries to create 6 unison AP's in his custom combi. so sure, he runs into polyphony limits. I think many of complaints about clipping, overload, what have you, are with custom combis.