Lets discuss Kronos BUILD QUALITY:

EvilDragon · Post by **EvilDragon** » Tue Jun 21, 2011 5:51 pm

My Kurzweil PC3K8 is built like a motherfucking tank. I'm happy.

ScoobyDoo555 · Post by **ScoobyDoo555** » Tue Jun 21, 2011 5:59 pm

My current kit, the worst built is actually my Kurz K2000v3. Very poorly built.

My Yamaha stuff (KX, SY & DX) are all very well built - they feel indestructible (although I'm not prepared to test this theory out!!

)

My Roland XP is well-built and has withstood 18months of hard-gigging.
My A80? not too sure.....

Zeroesque · Post by **Zeroesque** » Tue Jun 21, 2011 6:00 pm

EvilDragon wrote:My Kurzweil PC3K8 is built like a motherfucking tank. I'm happy.

Funny, out of all the keyboards that I've shipped over the years, the PC3X was the only one that showed up with a smashed end cap. I assumed that it took a ridiculously large fall while in the hands of the shipper, however. I wonder if the wood caps that you have would've done better.

kron · Post by **kron** » Tue Jun 21, 2011 6:10 pm

Folks,

Kronos build quality is absolutely superb. There is nothing in it that makes me feel it is not good. Don't fool yourself and try and compare that with Oasys, but even otherwise it is as good as other similarly priced workstations.

Just ignore this thread and get back to enjoying your Kronos friends.. If we live with 'let me find a fault' attitude, everything appears flawed. In case anyone is dissatisfied with the build quality or with defects in the keyboard, you probably have a choice to return the keyboard? But please hold on to _unnecessary_ negative posts which spoil the environment unless that gives anyone an odd pleasure of bashing KORG for what they have delivered.

EvilDragon · Post by **EvilDragon** » Tue Jun 21, 2011 6:14 pm

Zeroesque wrote:
EvilDragon wrote:My Kurzweil PC3K8 is built like a motherfucking tank. I'm happy.
Funny, out of all the keyboards that I've shipped over the years, the PC3X was the only one that showed up with a smashed end cap. I assumed that it took a ridiculously large fall while in the hands of the shipper, however. I wonder if the wood caps that you have would've done better.

Sorry to hear that!

Mine has arrived in absolutely PRISTINE condition. And I cherish it - it's extremely sturdy, the faders feel great, and the DATA WHEEL IS HUMONGOUS AND AWESOME (learn the lesson, Korg

)!

Bruce Lychee · Post by **Bruce Lychee** » Tue Jun 21, 2011 6:27 pm

This will be my first Korg product. I think at the price point some compromise had to be made and that compromise resulted in a few items being made of cheaper grade materials. I noticed it right away on the dial, knobs and end caps when I checked it out at Guitar Center. I don't think build quality was an issue. It looked well constructed. I also don't think the use of a lower grade plastics on a few parts is really an issue unless you plan on subjecting the Kronos to some physical stress test.

aron · Post by **aron** » Tue Jun 21, 2011 6:29 pm

The PC3 OUTSIDE is built like a tank - except for the end caps which cracked on mine. That's why it's so heavy.

The inside is not built like a tank. Don't believe me? Open it up. There are lots of ribbon cables - I mean heavy cables (for the connector size) inside just waiting to be loosened up by travel. Some have ferrite cores on them to add more weight.

Then there is the very nice "channels" used to hold the heaviest part - the transformer in. Not screw holes, but channels. The transformer rips itself out - and has done so on mine.

Oh, and then there is a matter of fidelity. After you play the Kronos, the PC3 sounds like it has a blanket on the tweeter.

But it does have a good polyphonic algorithm, and that really bright blue LED!

EvilDragon · Post by **EvilDragon** » Tue Jun 21, 2011 6:33 pm

aron wrote:Oh, and then there is a matter of fidelity. After you play the Kronos, the PC3 sounds like it has a blanket on the tweeter.

I'll take that as a very subjective comment. PC3 provides very clean output for me. Nothing "blankety" about it at all. Having heard OASYS in person too, I will say that they are on par in audio fidelity (judging the quality of output, NOT the samples!), and you weren't bothered enough to set the PC3's master effects comp/EQ to suit your taste.

Barbenzinc · Post by **Barbenzinc** » Tue Jun 21, 2011 6:34 pm

I suppose no one can make a general point of view,
The Kronos61 at RC-IA's studio was well built, nothing was about to fall, everything was in place, but, some units may have construction problems.
My PC3 was well built too but i saw in some forums that some people had different problems on their Kurz.

So you can't say the Kronos is poor quality construction, maybe you would have expect less plastic parts, but the construction is good.
At least the one i tried....

Barbenzinc · Post by **Barbenzinc** » Tue Jun 21, 2011 6:36 pm

Oh, and then there is a matter of fidelity. After you play the Kronos, the PC3 sounds like it has a blanket on the tweeter.

I suppose your unit is 100 % broken....

RonF · Post by **RonF** » Tue Jun 21, 2011 6:38 pm

IMO, there is a big difference between "build quality" and "quality control". Also there is a difference between "build quality" and "durability"

first...As a KRONOS 61 owner for over a week, and as the owner of a slew of other high end keyboards, I would say the build quality of the KRONOS is excellent, and on par with other $3000 keyboards I own. That is....the product which was designed and implemented by Korg has a high quality feel, look, form, and function. However, when I hear others talk about fader caps being not fully "seated" out of the box...this refers to a Quality Control issue at the factory.....not the build quality. The KRONOS is designed and built to be a premium $3000+ product. And first hand...it absolutely reflects that. But when your fader caps are loose or your data wheel is coming off....then this speaks to a QC issue, which almost always indicates a periodic event. ie: some units have the problem....others (most) don't. However......without the appearance of a QC irregularity....the standard of practice for the KRONOS is high...and worthy of its premium price tag, and similar to its competition in its build quality.

I know that if YOU are so unfortunate to have randomly received a unit which contains Q.C. irregularities.....then your experience and therefore your perspective is going to be that the build quality is poor. I would encourage you to look beyond your personal experience, to the bigger picture. If you were then given a unit which had no such irregularities....as it is intended and produced to be....then you would likely be thrilled with the build quality of this premium flagship product.

Having said all that....none of this refers to the durability of the product. Clearly, some keyboards are more durable for the "road", or other abuse, than others. While the build quality of the K is excellent, in my view....its likely durability is lower than others I have owned and seen. Of course, only time will tell on this issue. Perhaps it will hold up much better than we estimate. But when I look at the plastic gloss end caps, which look marvelous and sexy out of the box, I imagine they will look like s**t after months of gigging. But I could be wrong.

All in all, I think my KRONOS, which I consider myself blessed that it arrived with no Q.C. issues, stands up shoulder to shoulder against my Voyager, or Virus TI, or Fantom G, and especially M3, to name a few. In fact in that group, the most "feeble" appears to me to be the M3. Yet it has stood up over time including gigging, just fine. Even with its plastic housing, etc.

So when we talk about build quality, do we really refer to Quality Control?...and then the question is, are the QC irregularities of this product more common, or worse, than other competing products? In my view, its probably too soon to tell...because not enough people even have these yet. ALL PRODUCTS have a certain percentage of QC issues. Do we really know that KRONOS is beyond the expected norm in this regard.....just because a few people report a loose data wheel, or loose fader caps? Bottom line, assuming you get a unit which is free from QC deficiencies, as it is intended to be, the build quality of the K is excellent and worthy of a premium flagship workstation.

aron · Post by **aron** » Tue Jun 21, 2011 6:39 pm

I never said it was dirty. It's clean, but dull. Are you really going to tell me that the PC3 programs have sparkle like the Kronos? I'm not saying the Kronos is not exaggerated - it might be, but it is very apparent that my Kurzweil is very dull sounding compared to most keyboards. It is very noticeable live. I EQ'ed mine to sound better, but overall the keyboard is a dull sounding keyboard. I still like it - just wish the insides were built better.

I would bet that the new Kurzweil, with new samples, will be considerably brighter overall.

aron · Post by **aron** » Tue Jun 21, 2011 6:40 pm

>I suppose your unit is 100 % broken....

OK right. Except it's my second one.

EvilDragon · Post by **EvilDragon** » Tue Jun 21, 2011 6:43 pm

aron wrote:I never said it was dirty. It's clean, but dull. Are you really going to tell me that the PC3 programs have sparkle like the Kronos? I'm not saying the Kronos is not exaggerated - it might be, but it is very apparent that my Kurzweil is very dull sounding compared to most keyboards. It is very noticeable live. I EQ'ed mine to sound better, but overall the keyboard is a dull sounding keyboard. I still like it - just wish the insides were built better.

I would bet that the new Kurzweil, with new samples, will be considerably brighter overall.

Korg keyboards are renown for having pumped high freqs in the output. Which is good to cut through heavily distorted guitars, that's why a helluva lot metal bands use Korgs. A LOT.

To me, Kurzweil sounds much more natural (and personally I don't care much about the "sparkle", that is all the matter of EQ), just because they don't hype the output. Again, that's pure subjectivity at work. I like stuff sounding neutral out of the box, which was never the case with ANY Korg that I tried. They ALWAYS had pumped up high freqs. That's why you could always hear comments that Korgs sound too "metallish" and "tinny".

aron · Post by **aron** » Tue Jun 21, 2011 6:44 pm

Here's what I worry about the Kronos when traveling on the road:

LCD screen can get cracked - since it's so large and the SKB cases tend to flex. My CS6X keys got cracked from travel - in the case - so if it can flex like that, the LCD is a prime target.

Knobs are too high and even so, the pot shafts are plastic. I can see the knobs being cracked off along with the shafts.

Finish is not durable. That's where the PC3 has it down - the finish on the Kronos looks like it will scratch easily. Yamaha seems to have something like powder coating and even those scratch.

Vector joystick looks like it will be damaged in the case - maybe not - but it looks that way.