Show us your Kronos!!!

RonF · Post by **RonF** » Sun Jul 10, 2011 1:43 am

McHale wrote:I took a quick dirty shot just to get one logged in the thread. I'm building a new studio soon and will give appropriate pics then. There are a few things missing (non-Korg stuff mainly - Fender Rhodes, a couple accordions, a couple controllers, and guitars). To stay with the spirit of the thread, I will not be taking pics of all my guitars...

McHale....how are you using the Radias keybed now that you mounted your Radias module in your M3? Is it a controller now? Or just filling in space?

McHale · Post by **McHale** » Sun Jul 10, 2011 2:49 am

RonF wrote:McHale....how are you using the Radias keybed now that you mounted your Radias module in your M3? Is it a controller now? Or just filling in space?

I got tired of how shitty Korg implemented the modules in the Komponent system so I have the RADIAS plugged into it's 49 key keyboard while being mounted to the M3. I like the controls being handy and it looks cool being mounted to the M3. But it sucks to use that way. I was going to mount a couple toggle switches on the M3 keybed to turn local on/off for the M3 and RADIAS but since I'm hoping to sell the M3, decided not to.

jamsire · Post by **jamsire** » Sun Jul 10, 2011 11:36 am

McHale wrote:
jamsire wrote:"To stay with the spirit of the thread, I will not be taking pics of all my guitars..."

Daaaaaaaaaag. Didn't mean offend! I guess my RADIAS, Legacy Collection, and pre-88 key KRONOS wasn't received well. I'm just a geetar man with a a few cool synths that I wanted to share. I'll post pictures of my KRONOS when I receive it.

Dag...
Nah, it wasn't that. I have like 30ish and it would technically be off topic unless I could find a way to cram them all the pic with the Kronos.

I appreciate that! That will be my next quest - to fit as many as I can in my studio room when the KRONOS arrives.

In your HONEST opinion, should I keep the Keystation Pro 88, or remove it from the setup? I've had it for years and I plan on using the KRONOS' on board sound to move away from the many plugins I have.

jeebustrain · Post by **jeebustrain** » Sun Jul 10, 2011 1:02 pm

EnjoyRC wrote:Seeing your composing setups, gives me incentive to get my music room done. That way I can connect all my hardware at the same time. That way it's all available for compositions when needed.

and available for neato pictures like above...

Bertotti · Post by **Bertotti** » Sun Jul 10, 2011 1:57 pm

Doh! I should not have opened this thread!

Man these are some great setups, more then I can ever hope to have! But fun to look at!

LyonsT · Post by **LyonsT** » Sun Jul 10, 2011 2:22 pm

Is there a reason you need so many keyboards?

EXer · Post by **EXer** » Sun Jul 10, 2011 2:41 pm

What I don't understand is why redundant keybds, e.g. M50 and M3...

McHale · Post by **McHale** » Sun Jul 10, 2011 3:20 pm

EXer wrote:What I don't understand is why redundant keybds, e.g. M50 and M3...

The M3 and M50 share the same soundset and it's easy to copy patches back and forth (and ironically since the M3 is a mini OASYS, it's easy to recreate M3 patches on the KRONOS).

I originally bought the M3 to replace my Triton for gigging. I started using it in the studio quite extensively so I picked up the M50 for live use. I don't use samples live and I could care less about aftertouch. The weight savings was huge. Now that the Kronos is here, I'll be selling the M3 and keeping the M50 (crazy, I know). Taking the M50 to practice (instead of the M3 and triton) is awesome. I have to go down a flight of stairs that's a revolving staircase surrounded by drywall.

The Kronos is my new live board though... at least it will be when I finish creating all my patches.

RonF · Post by **RonF** » Sun Jul 10, 2011 3:36 pm

LyonsT wrote:Is there a reason you need so many keyboards?

RonF · Post by **RonF** » Sun Jul 10, 2011 3:49 pm

EXer wrote:What I don't understand is why redundant keybds, e.g. M50 and M3...

I own similar Korg keyboards to McHale (Kronos, M50, M3, Triton Studio)

First of all.....you acquire keyboards over time, usually, rather than buying them all at once. So I have made my purchases over the years, based on the feature set, or my needs, and I rarely sell my gear second hand. The money I have spent on music gear is a good investment for my passion. Its a BAD investment as money goes....but its a fantastic investment for my soul. So I do not buy what I cannot afford, and I don't sell my gear at 50%-ish off what I paid for it, which seems like an act of desperation to me (IMO), and makes the already "bad" investment a truly horrible one. Besides, I am always surprised how at some point in time, having a piece of old gear becomes useful again, or how a piece of gear comes back into fashion, or is suddenly worth a bunch of money again. Or how you can think of fresh creative ideas by midi-ing up some gear that you would otherwise not even think of.

Secondly, You would be surprised how having some redundant gear can be fantastic if you are a live performer. If something breaks, I have a back up, essentially the same sound set. Also, when syncing some of these boards together, I can get a live groove or jam going with so much more immediacy and ease than all on-board the same keyboard. You know how it is on the Kronos, lets say. You love a combi or two (plus maybe a program or two as well, and maybe a drum beat or two also.....all at the same time!!!), and think these would work really well together...but to get them "together" in the sequencer mode is going to take some work, copying, assigning tracks and midi channels, effects routing, KARMA assignments, etc. With a Kronos, M3, M50, and Triton Studio.....its instant jam session, all in sync, all with dedicated effects, KARMA assignments and manipulations the way YOU want it. Very seamless and creative.

food for thought........

McHale · Post by **McHale** » Sun Jul 10, 2011 4:13 pm

I'm glad I didn't post a picture in January before I started selling things off when the Kronos was announced.

I had two Triton Pro's (one for live, one for studio and as a backup for live) - This has been my main synth for over 10 years.
I had two DW-8000's
Korg DSS-1
Plus the M3 & M50
CX-3 (II)
Roland D-20
EMU Vintage Keys Plus
and other misc. stuff.

ALL AT THE SAME TIME plus the other stuff in my sig.

As RonF said, you accumulate stuff over time. Selling it usually means you take a huge loss on it and it's usually worth it just to hang on to. And when you play live it's pretty critical to have a backup of the gear you use. Sometimes it gets broken or lost and you have a show the very next day. You don't have time to buy more stuff and get it set up.

Kontrol49 · Post by **Kontrol49** » Sun Jul 10, 2011 4:53 pm

Trust me,if any one manufacturer ever built an instrument which gave me everything I needed in one unit To cover all the working methods and sound synthesis capabilities of what I have in the studio,I'd be the first to sign up...

my setup in the pics,is a minimal setup to what I have actually passed through my studio over the past 25 years,and an accumulation of the best synths I wanted to use and keep at this moment.

I have owned and had so much hardware over the years I would need a warehouse to keep them in if I still had everything I ever bought,and beleive me I'm still debating about slimming it down even further,(I still have several synths and other bits and pieces in storage that are not in the Pictures)but the synths I have chosen to stay at this time in the studio each time i think about selling some equipment to cut down the amount they make it harder and harder everytime to choose something to be made redundant because they all have there place and reasons why I chose to purchase them in the first place,I have regretted selling on certain machines and spent more time and money getting another one back again that I choose really carfeully if I ever come to sell anything.

For me its not about selling stuff to purchase new machines,as I normally buy new machines first and only then will it be clear if anything is redundant,I certainly never trade anything in just to get a better deal on new price,especially if its something bought from new thats being traded in.

Thankfully I have a very good paid job and a very understanding wife so I'm not restricted by sacrifices of space or what I can and can't have or afford,I don't drink or smoke so this is what I choose to spend my money on,and much of the money I have earnt from gigs over the years has gone back into investing in new synths and stuff anyhow,all of the synths and stuff in the studio pics as of now have been brought from new with the exception of the Nord Lead and Z1 and Yamaha 02R,So I'm always reluctant to sell things on as its such a financial loss,and its just far better to keep them rather than trade in or sell secondhand.

I have since sold on the Moog Phatty,as it was being used less and less everyday,and given the price of the Phatty now being skyhigh I only lost very little on it to what I paid for it originally 3 years ago

I have since gained an Fantom G,so although I have done away with another Moog synth that the Voyager can cater for in every other area the actual unit count is still the same,plus the Fantom is going to be the main gigging instrument to replace the Triton Extreme,which I eventually plan to phase out of action completely like I did with the 3 other tritons i used for gigs and replace much of the sounds utilised from it on the Oasys.

Take it from me I envy those who have minimal equipment,and can get exactly what they need from that I wish I could.....,I'm lucky in that I can purchase these machines and own such a well equipped studio but do look forward to the day I could get everything I need,that is all the synthesis,and sounds,sequencing,audio recording,mixing and mastering and sampling capabilities in one single workstation or at least 2 synths at most.,sadly I don't think I will ever see it in my lifetime.

shap · Post by **shap** » Sun Jul 10, 2011 5:13 pm

jamsire wrote:"To stay with the spirit of the thread, I will not be taking pics of all my guitars..."

Daaaaaaaaaag. Didn't mean offend! I guess my RADIAS, Legacy Collection, and pre-88 key KRONOS wasn't received well. I'm just a geetar man with a a few cool synths that I wanted to share. I'll post pictures of my KRONOS when I receive it.

Dag...

I liked seeing the guitars! And those funny electrified thingies too.

All jokes aside, it's really nice to see that quite a number of people here have broad playing skills and interests.

RonF · Post by **RonF** » Sun Jul 10, 2011 5:18 pm

Kontrol49 wrote: Thankfully I have a very good paid job and a very understanding wife so I'm not restricted by sacrifices of space or what I can and can't have or afford,all of the synths and stuff in the studio pics as of now have been brought from new with the exception of the Nord Lead and Z1 and Yamaha 02R,So I'm always reluctant to sell things on as its such a financial loss,and its just far better to keep them rather than trade in or sell secondhand.

Similarly, the Money and the Wife are not a factor in my purchase decisions. The SPACE is ALWAYS a huge factor. This is good, however, because it forces me to be more diligent in my purchase decisions.

I almost always buy retail new (though I get some pretty good 'deals" from my dealers, who know me well over the years). But sometimes I have discovered some great deals second hand. Examples: My Emu Command Station...the best hardware sequencer...bar none. Got it for $150. Ensoniq SQ80....this was my very first keyboard in the 80's...long since gone...had to get one back into my set up. Paid a lot for it new in the early 80's, barely could afford it. Got a second hand one a year or so ago for $200...flawless! Love that thing. Also got a Tascam SX-1 recording DAW/Mixer in fantastic condition for $800.....they were $4000+ new. Amazing!

shap · Post by **shap** » Sun Jul 10, 2011 5:23 pm

jamsire wrote:In your HONEST opinion, should I keep the Keystation Pro 88, or remove it from the setup? I've had it for years and I plan on using the KRONOS' on board sound to move away from the many plugins I have.

In my honest opinion, you should take the time to get to know the KRONOS before you make this decision. Use it long enough to see if it's the tool you wanted and hoped for. More importantly, whether after putting in some focused time with it you still think it's the tool you want now.

My personal opinion is that (like every keyboard) it's got some warts in the design of the physical controls. Others have noted that the display is unreadable; I agree. The sounds are impressive, and there is lots to like about them. I won't be giving up my Motif XF, but that's not a negative comment on the KRONOS.

If you decide the KRONOS is a tool you want to have, I wouldn't hesitate to adopt it as your main controller and ditch the KeyStation. I've been playing the XF and the KRONOS side by side to compare them. I'd give the nod slightly to the XF keybed, but only slightly, and it may just be a matter of habit. Either of these keybeds beats the KeyStation action hands down.