Korg Kronos additional sounds

[jimknopf]

Just to add a few cents in my own opinion:

The weakest part of the Kronos is definitely the electric guitar sounds. It's not so much the original sample however but it's actually the effects; I've run my actual guitar through the Kronos effects, and none of the tweaking I did would get a decent amp tone. At the end of the day, it's not that there are weak effects, so much as they're weak as a guitar effect.

At any rate, the electric guitar distortion sounds I blame on the effects section. When I run the guitar sounds through a proper guitar modeller and such though, it sounds quite good and I think that's where roland and yamaha have the advantage: Roland has the COSM effects and Yamaha has had more realistic guitar effects for a while too.

+1
Couldn't agree more.
The complete overdrive modelling (especially tube amp modelling) in the Kronos is working significantly below the high quality level of most of it's other effects.

The consequences are massive throughout many instrument categories:
- overdrive guitars in all variations, from blues tone to rectifier, simply never sound like they should. No ever so fine fine sample can cure that.
- overdriven lead synth sounds have a digital harsh note instead of getting some warm tube drive
- you NEVER come close to Fender Reverb or Fender Twin sound character with slight drive for EPs - where it is almost constantly(!!!) needed
- you don't get that warm AMPEG tube bass sound for electric bass
- you don't get convicing overdrive for TB303 style bass and many modern EDM sounds.

I know this all can be handled with some tweaking and workarounds for most of the examples except overdriven guitar. But after Korg has delivered so many fine updates for the Kronos, I wonder why nobody from the Korg team has ever cared about this essential, really important key effect zone. One of the few really weak sides of the Kronos remaining to be adressed.


*****

@stevomuzo2
Your agressive comment is completely misleading.

The Kronos with it's different engines is vastly superior over the Montage concerning several basic sound areas (like VA synth sounds, B3 sounds etc.) and functionality (like plenty of additional sample space for libraries and user sample streaming).

Whenever Kronos factory sounds don't deliver what someone wants, there is a HUGE amount of free and paid libraries available, for about any possible demand. It is not comparably easy to fix Yamaha Montage sound holes (due to missing engines), or to replace missing functionality, like user sample streaming, sequencer functionality, well working master keyboard midi etc. etc. The very last thing a Montage can be, is a replacement for the vast Kronos possibilities!

[Derek Cook]

The Kronos with it's different engines is vastly superior over the Montage concerning several basic sound areas (like VA synth sounds, B3 sounds etc.) and functionality (like plenty of additional sample space for libraries and user sample streaming).

Whenever Kronos factory sounds don't deliver what someone wants, there is a HUGE amount of free and paid libraries available, for about any possible demand. It is not comparably easy to fix Yamaha Montage sound holes (due to missing engines), or to replace missing functionality, like user sample streaming, sequencer functionality, well working master keyboard midi etc. etc. The very last thing a Montage can be, is a replacement for the vast Kronos possibilities!

+1 as well, from a long time Yamaha stalwart who went to the Korg dark side 2 years ago (on the basis that no Kronos equivalent was forthcoming from Yamaha).

I am sure that the Montage is a nice synth, but it is based on dated AWM2, and FM-X is essentially 50% of an FS1r (a 20 year old design).

I have in terms of Yamaha gear: AN1x, EX5 (2 off), SY99, TG77, FS1r and then a Motif Rack ES with PLG150-AN and PLG150-VL. As much as I need to replace my EX5 for stage use (due to age and failing power supplies), I am interested in the Montage but not "gagging for it" because of all the (older) Yamaha tech in my studio - the Montage has not advanced on any of that in terms of capability (not that I can see). And then there is the Kronos.

I am seriously thinking that my need for a second "board" to complement the Kronos is now better met by a very good controller keyboard and a PC loaded with all of my soft synths.

But there are rumours that Yamaha are doing updates to the Montage, so I will reserve my judgement until then!

[engineerjoel]

Just to add a few cents in my own opinion:

The weakest part of the Kronos is definitely the electric guitar sounds. It's not so much the original sample however but it's actually the effects; I've run my actual guitar through the Kronos effects, and none of the tweaking I did would get a decent amp tone. At the end of the day, it's not that there are weak effects, so much as they're weak as a guitar effect.

At any rate, the electric guitar distortion sounds I blame on the effects section. When I run the guitar sounds through a proper guitar modeller and such though, it sounds quite good and I think that's where roland and yamaha have the advantage: Roland has the COSM effects and Yamaha has had more realistic guitar effects for a while too.

+1
Couldn't agree more.
The complete overdrive modelling (especially tube amp modelling) in the Kronos is working significantly below the high quality level of most of it's other effects.

The consequences are massive throughout many instrument categories:
- overdrive guitars in all variations, from blues tone to rectifier, simply never sound like they should. No ever so fine fine sample can cure that.
- overdriven lead synth sounds have a digital harsh note instead of getting some warm tube drive
- you NEVER come close to Fender Reverb or Fender Twin sound character with slight drive for EPs - where it is almost constantly(!!!) needed
- you don't get that warm AMPEG tube bass sound for electric bass
- you don't get convicing overdrive for TB303 style bass and many modern EDM sounds.

I know this all can be handled with some tweaking and workarounds for most of the examples except overdriven guitar. But after Korg has delivered so many fine updates for the Kronos, I wonder why nobody from the Korg team has ever cared about this essential, really important key effect zone. One of the few really weak sides of the Kronos remaining to be adressed.


*****

@stevomuzo2
Your agressive comment is completely misleading.

The Kronos with it's different engines is vastly superior over the Montage concerning several basic sound areas (like VA synth sounds, B3 sounds etc.) and functionality (like plenty of additional sample space for libraries and user sample streaming).

Whenever Kronos factory sounds don't deliver what someone wants, there is a HUGE amount of free and paid libraries available, for about any possible demand. It is not comparably easy to fix Yamaha Montage sound holes (due to missing engines), or to replace missing functionality, like user sample streaming, sequencer functionality, well working master keyboard midi etc. etc. The very last thing a Montage can be, is a replacement for the vast Kronos possibilities!

Korg and Yamaha are like chocolate and vanilla ice cream. When layered together, they make an excellent sounding swirl.

[Vlad_77]

The Kronos with it's different engines is vastly superior over the Montage concerning several basic sound areas (like VA synth sounds, B3 sounds etc.) and functionality (like plenty of additional sample space for libraries and user sample streaming).

Whenever Kronos factory sounds don't deliver what someone wants, there is a HUGE amount of free and paid libraries available, for about any possible demand. It is not comparably easy to fix Yamaha Montage sound holes (due to missing engines), or to replace missing functionality, like user sample streaming, sequencer functionality, well working master keyboard midi etc. etc. The very last thing a Montage can be, is a replacement for the vast Kronos possibilities!

+1 as well, from a long time Yamaha stalwart who went to the Korg dark side 2 years ago (on the basis that no Kronos equivalent was forthcoming from Yamaha).

I am sure that the Montage is a nice synth, but it is based on dated AWM2, and FM-X is essentially 50% of an FS1r (a 20 year old design).

I have in terms of Yamaha gear: AN1x, EX5 (2 off), SY99, TG77, FS1r and then a Motif Rack ES with PLG150-AN and PLG150-VL. As much as I need to replace my EX5 for stage use (due to age and failing power supplies), I am interested in the Montage but not "gagging for it" because of all the (older) Yamaha tech in my studio - the Montage has not advanced on any of that in terms of capability (not that I can see). And then there is the Kronos.

I am seriously thinking that my need for a second "board" to complement the Kronos is now better met by a very good controller keyboard and a PC loaded with all of my soft synths.

But there are rumours that Yamaha are doing updates to the Montage, so I will reserve my judgement until then!

Have you considered a Jupiter 80? For me at least and I suspect other musicians, Kronos and Jupiter 80 are a perfect match.

[Scott]

Just to add a few cents in my own opinion:

The weakest part of the Kronos is definitely the electric guitar sounds. It's not so much the original sample however but it's actually the effects; I've run my actual guitar through the Kronos effects, and none of the tweaking I did would get a decent amp tone. At the end of the day, it's not that there are weak effects, so much as they're weak as a guitar effect.

At any rate, the electric guitar distortion sounds I blame on the effects section. When I run the guitar sounds through a proper guitar modeller and such though, it sounds quite good and I think that's where roland and yamaha have the advantage: Roland has the COSM effects and Yamaha has had more realistic guitar effects for a while too.

+1
Couldn't agree more.
The complete overdrive modelling (especially tube amp modelling) in the Kronos is working significantly below the high quality level of most of it's other effects.

The consequences are massive throughout many instrument categories:
- overdrive guitars in all variations, from blues tone to rectifier, simply never sound like they should. No ever so fine fine sample can cure that.
- overdriven lead synth sounds have a digital harsh note instead of getting some warm tube drive
- you NEVER come close to Fender Reverb or Fender Twin sound character with slight drive for EPs - where it is almost constantly(!!!) needed
- you don't get that warm AMPEG tube bass sound for electric bass
- you don't get convicing overdrive for TB303 style bass and many modern EDM sounds.

I know this all can be handled with some tweaking and workarounds for most of the examples except overdriven guitar. But after Korg has delivered so many fine updates for the Kronos, I wonder why nobody from the Korg team has ever cared about this essential, really important key effect zone. One of the few really weak sides of the Kronos remaining to be adressed.

There are some great pedals available to guitarists to give them all kinds of cool overdrive sounds (even some pedals with tubes)... Maybe the simplest way to fix the guitar overdrive of the Kronos is the same way a guitarist does. You could just send the guitar patch out one of the aux outs and route that output into a pedal. Back in the 80s, I got great elec guitar out of my DX7 by running it through a Boss overdrive pedal. Gave me simulated feedback and everything.