Just got my new Kronos 2 88!

[cabasner]

Hi all,

Newly minted member of this fine group of people... I just got my new Kronos via UPS this afternoon. I have been reading a lot and watching videos about the Kronos, but I honestly had no idea what to do when starting it up for the first time. It opened into Combi mode, and I just started picking various combis from the screen, and playing some chords, just to hear some sounds. It's going to be a long haul to figure out even the basics, but it's beautiful!!!

I got an On-Stage Heavy Duty Folding Z Stand KS7350 for it, and I was wondering if there are any issues with the points at which the keyboard sits on the stand being the black metal parts that curve around under the front and back of the board, rather than the keyboard sitting on its own little rubber feet. I'm guessing the answer is no, especially since I put the little rubber strips on the bar where the Kronos makes contact. But any thoughts from those who have this keyboard and that stand. It feels really solid and 'safe'. Thanks for any thoughts. I had an M3 88 that I used on the same model stand, and can't recall where that board sat on the stand (I sold it to a coworker's son who is in a band). I don't gig...the Kronos will stay in my home in my music room.

[KK]

Hi there,

Congrats on the new K2, it's the best instrument I've ever owned myself as well (and I've had many of them, including Hammond organs, Mellotron, Korg WS A/D, Jupiter, etc.).

It's interesting you bought the same KS7350 stand I did too. As opposed to you though, it is now holding my 85 lbs Kurzweil MIDIboard, as I wanted the K2 to be on my custom "desk" which includes several pedals, etc.

You did the right thing using the soft rubber strips to protect your new machine. I install them as well. And I can tell you this stand is indeed very solid. It doesn't shake a bit even if I play fff classical stuff.

So again, enjoy your new K2, it's an incredible instrument. Oh and if you still haven't, make sure to install the latest update with the quick split/layer features.

[psionic311]

Welcome and congratz!

Everyone has their preferences, but the Z stand is a good solid option for supporting 88 keys. A couple things to consider:

1) Perform regular backups. I try do one monthly, or after a session of programming making new combis and programs. I've installed a 2nd hard disk, and make a new directory / folder ("2015, 2016, 2017"), then make another within that one for the month (Jan, Feb, Mar...), and save regularly to the folder. (DISK mode, Save All).

2) Get a backup UPS. Doubling as a power line conditioner and surge protector, this will also keep the Kronos from rebooting if there are any power issues. Especially useful if you plan on using the Kronos outside the studio.

Good luck!

[SanderXpander]

Regarding backups - that is solid advice. The first thing to learn is to make a PCG backup from disk mode, this saves all of your Programs, Combinations and Global settings to a single file of roughly 40MB. Once you start modifying your own sounds, or loading sounds from the vast number of sounds available online, this will be a lifesaver. It's easy to overwrite and lose stuff when you're starting out with that stuff. Make a habit of creating a backup after heavy editing or before loading a new PCG file.

[cabasner]

Thanks for the nice welcome, guys. I was exhausted last night after a long day of work, and then then putting the stand together and getting the new Kronos out of the box, onto the stand, and hooking everything up. I was absolutely drenched in sweat... probably more from nerves and excitement than from effort! By the way, I am using KRK Rokit 8 nearfield monitors and a KRK 10s subwoofer for sound for my keyboard. Regarding backups, can I use an external USB hard drive instead of installing a second SSD internally? Thanks in advance!

[Derek Cook]

Congratulations, and you have a monster synth. As a long time Yamaha user, the Kronos is my first Korg and I see it as the modern day successor to the integrated engine concept of the Yamaha EX5. I have had my Kronos since 2014 and still feel I have barely scratched the surface of what it can do.

Some good advice above re backups and UPS above. I now would not gig without a UPS; it saves the pain of a two minute reboot on stage due to a brown out and it also protects your expensive investment!

Have fun!

[SanderXpander]

Yeah an external disk or USB stick work fine. Ideally it would be otherwise empty so you can format it on the Kronos but honestly for me any USB stick I've tried worked.

[psionic311]

You can also just backup to the normal hard disk in your Kronos. Getting a second hard drive is completely optional, and most would not need one.

[Derek Cook]

You can also just backup to the normal hard disk in your Kronos. Getting a second hard drive is completely optional, and most would not need one.

Data doesn't exist until it is in 3 places!

Still recommend external backup as well which you carry with you to gigs.

[JPROBERTLA]

Out of the gate you should backup in at least 3 different places everything you do on the Kronos. I use the Kronos internal SSD for while I'm working, but I also use at least 2 thumb drives and then put in on my Mac. As a full-time sequence user I can't tell you how many times that process has saved literally hours of work. I also highly recommend a UPS at all times (for a couple of reason) and suggest thinking about an organized filing system. If you start now it will be easier than doing it later. Otherwise enjoy the best keyboard I have ever owned and visit this forum frequently, as a lot can be learned by looking up a subject or just asking a question. It is the best forum I have ever been associated with and has saved me countless hours of experimentation and figuring staff out.

[Derek Cook]

Out of the gate you should backup in at least 3 different places everything you do on the Kronos. I use the Kronos internal SSD for while I'm working, but I also use at least 2 thumb drives and then put in on my Mac. As a full-time sequence user I can't tell you how many times that process has saved literally hours of work. I also highly recommend a UPS at all times (for a couple of reason) and suggest thinking about an organized filing system. If you start now it will be easier than doing it later. Otherwise enjoy the best keyboard I have ever owned and visit this forum frequently, as a lot can be learned by looking up a subject or just asking a question. It is the best forum I have ever been associated with and has saved me countless hours of experimentation and figuring staff out.

Completely agree. I have the data on the Kronos SSD as the main source. I gig with a PC for backing tracks and light show (soon to also include VSTis) and the Kronos data (along with configs for my EX5 and FC300) is also stored on that. It is also on the spare laptop, and a thumb drive. I also carry the Kronos restore DVDs and OS updates (and portable DVD drive). Oh, and when in the studio the Kronos is also backed up on my music PC which is imaged regularly, and Carbonite provides an offsite backup. Oh, and the laptops are also imaged and I carry Boot media and the images so I can restore them.

Is that sensible or OTT paranoia? It depends on how valuable your data is to you in terms of effort of replacing/recreating it! And the importance of ensuring that the show goes on. Even on a small pub gig, you will not be popular if you can't do the show if something has gone down. Scale that up to doing theatres and hundreds of people having paid to see you....

How did I end up with that number of backups? Well, I was gigging until recently in Welsh Floyd doing theatres, where not doing a show due to failures was NOT an option (the show must go on), so I went through a series of "what if this fails" scenarios and figuring out how I would recover from them.There was one show I did a few years ago (before the theatres) where I had a problem with the backing tracks on the laptop, and I lost the configuration and had to reprogram it because I had no backup with me at the gig. That was a hard lesson learnt, and a lot of stress in getting everything back together just in time for the show.

The Kronos so far has been seemingly 100% reliable, but no piece of kit is actually 100% reliable...... So, do you feel lucky, or are you going to have a backup plan?

[Derek Cook]

Out of the gate you should backup in at least 3 different places everything you do on the Kronos. I use the Kronos internal SSD for while I'm working, but I also use at least 2 thumb drives and then put in on my Mac. As a full-time sequence user I can't tell you how many times that process has saved literally hours of work. I also highly recommend a UPS at all times (for a couple of reason) and suggest thinking about an organized filing system. If you start now it will be easier than doing it later. Otherwise enjoy the best keyboard I have ever owned and visit this forum frequently, as a lot can be learned by looking up a subject or just asking a question. It is the best forum I have ever been associated with and has saved me countless hours of experimentation and figuring staff out.

Completely agree. I have the data on the Kronos SSD as the main source. I gig with a PC for backing tracks and light show (soon to also include VSTis) and the Kronos data (along with configs for my EX5 and FC300) is also stored on that. It is also on the spare laptop, and a thumb drive. I also carry the Kronos restore DVDs and OS updates (and portable DVD drive). Oh, and when in the studio the Kronos is also backed up on my music PC which is imaged regularly, and Carbonite provides an offsite backup. Oh, and the laptops are also imaged and I carry Boot media and the images so I can restore them.

Is that sensible or OTT paranoia? It depends on how valuable your data is to you in terms of effort of replacing/recreating it! And the importance of ensuring that the show goes on. Even on a small pub gig, you will not be popular if you can't do the show if something has gone down. Scale that up to doing theatres and hundreds of people having paid to see you....

How did I end up with that number of backups? Well, I was gigging until recently in Welsh Floyd doing theatres, where not doing a show due to failures was NOT an option (the show must go on), so I went through a series of "what if this fails" scenarios and figuring out how I would recover from them.There was one show I did a few years ago (before the theatres) where I had a problem with the backing tracks on the laptop, and I lost the configuration and had to reprogram it because I had no backup with me at the gig - one n the studio is no good when it is a 100 miles away! That was a hard lesson learnt, and a lot of stress in getting everything back together just in time for the show.

The Kronos so far has been seemingly 100% reliable, but no piece of kit is actually 100% reliable...... So, do you feel lucky, or are you going to have a backup plan?

[Kronos2ison]

Krk 8 rokits are not exactly near field monitors but they kick ass with beats. Plus a sub? Lol dra dra dra, dra dra dra drop that bass. Yeahhhh boyyy.

Thanks for the nice welcome, guys. I was exhausted last night after a long day of work, and then then putting the stand together and getting the new Kronos out of the box, onto the stand, and hooking everything up. I was absolutely drenched in sweat... probably more from nerves and excitement than from effort! By the way, I am using KRK Rokit 8 nearfield monitors and a KRK 10s subwoofer for sound for my keyboard. Regarding backups, can I use an external USB hard drive instead of installing a second SSD internally? Thanks in advance!

[cabasner]

Krk 8 rokits are not exactly near field monitors but they kick ass with beats. Plus a sub? Lol dra dra dra, dra dra dra drop that bass. Yeahhhh boyyy.

Well, let's just say that I don't worry a whole lot about whether I have enough low end to get everything I want out of the keyboard!

[Kronos2ison]

I really like the KRK Rokit 8 also. They sounded great. Boost treble and bass to the max.