How many of you use Kronos as your main board?which are the secondary board you use along with kronos?
I travel between two cities every month, and so managing with just a Kronos 88 would be a hassle,and I m not interested in buying the 61/76 instead of the 88.I love that Kronos 88 has a graded hammer unlike yamaha workstations.
My choice would be the 1)yamaha moxf6 2)roland jdxa
Looking forward to hearing from you guys so that I have more choices to ponder on
I actually use Kronos exclusively - I have a 73 key for when I travel and I have an 88 for larger shows.
The big festival/large stage shows I'll bring both and load my sounds into both so if for some reason one fails, I have a backup with every sound I use in the right order ready to go.
Korg Kronos 88 2, Korg Kronos 73, Kurzweil K2600S
Sound developer, custom sound designer and trainer/Kronos support - www.audora.ca for details!
Roland Integra 7 + 61 key MIDI controller w/ aftertouch
I've found using a 61 key MIDI controller works well with my Kronos. It's lightweight and portable, and only needs one USB cable direct to the Kronos for both power and MIDI. I've set my controller to split on MIDI channel 2 and 3, and create all my combis with this setup in mind. This gives me more "keyboard real estate", kinda like using 2 desktop monitors instead of one.
But for tonal variety and backup in case the Kronos goes down (which has never happened, esp since I always use a UPS), I got a Roland Integra 7. This gives me much more polyphony, and I've programmed several studio sets to double up on my Kronos set lists. The Kronos and the Integra are great sound sources in themselves, but when combined you get a bigger sound. The Integra is very portable and sits nicely on the right side on the blank surface of my MIDI controller for easy setup and front panel accessibility.
I researched for a few months and was torn between the MOXF6 and the Roland FA-06. I really wanted more acoustic instruments with the alternative expression capabilities like growls, falls, and more natural legato techniques, as found in Yamaha's expanded articulation or Roland's supernatural engine. But the keybeds of both of those lack aftertouch, while the Integra is more than enough sound module to fill my needs. HTH
If you were to ask which new MIDI controller to get, I would recommend the Roland A-800 Pro. It looks to pair up quite nicely with the Integra 7. But even without being paired up with an Integra, it has a premium keybed with aftertouch, and plenty of onboard knobs, sliders, buttons, and velocity-sensitive pads with polyphonic aftertouch. It's a great deal at around $400 USD imho.
