Korg Grandstage (Released)

[burningbusch]

Intro Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpSmZkr01i8

Six APs: Berlin, Heidelberg, Austria, Japan, as well as a newly sampled Italian grand piano, Upright.

"Responding to the requests of numerous professional players, the Grandstage also provides monaural piano sounds for all of these acoustic piano programs. These monaural piano sounds were voiced not from a mono mix of stereo samples but from monaurally recorded sources, and will shine clearly even within a band's mix."

Eight velocity layer clavs (all pickups), Looks like new Pianet sample as well.

Examples:
Main PIano
https://soundcloud.com/korg/dimensions? ... tage-sgx-2

German Grand (Mono)
https://soundcloud.com/korg/grand-islan ... tage-sgx-2

Italian Grand
https://soundcloud.com/korg/bedtime?in= ... tage-sgx-2

Upright
https://soundcloud.com/korg/blues-feeli ... tage-sgx-2

All APs on Soundcloud
https://soundcloud.com/korg/sets/grandstage-sgx-2

Engines: SGX-2, EP-1, CX3, Vox, Compact, AL-1, HD-1

Weight: 88: 44 lbs; 73: 37.5 lbs

Stand included

Price: 88=$2499; 73=$2299

Busch.

[Bachus]

There is also a demo from Kraft..

https://youtu.be/yLR8C80C1zs

[xp50player]

I would like to see the new engines and piano samples ported to the Kronos, even if it is a paid upgrade. I wonder if this GrandStage has any of the EPs from the SV-1, which I much prefer over the Kronos EP-1 stuff.

[GregC]

Intro Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpSmZkr01i8

Six APs: Berlin, Heidelberg, Austria, Japan, as well as a newly sampled Italian grand piano, Upright.

"Responding to the requests of numerous professional players, the Grandstage also provides monaural piano sounds for all of these acoustic piano programs. These monaural piano sounds were voiced not from a mono mix of stereo samples but from monaurally recorded sources, and will shine clearly even within a band's mix."



Busch.

is the Italian a Faz ? It sounds great

[Bachus]

Intro Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpSmZkr01i8

Six APs: Berlin, Heidelberg, Austria, Japan, as well as a newly sampled Italian grand piano, Upright.

"Responding to the requests of numerous professional players, the Grandstage also provides monaural piano sounds for all of these acoustic piano programs. These monaural piano sounds were voiced not from a mono mix of stereo samples but from monaurally recorded sources, and will shine clearly even within a band's mix."



Busch.

is the Italian a Faz ? It sounds great

If its the same sample set as they used on the pa4x update this week, then it is...

[GregC]

Intro Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpSmZkr01i8

Six APs: Berlin, Heidelberg, Austria, Japan, as well as a newly sampled Italian grand piano, Upright.

"Responding to the requests of numerous professional players, the Grandstage also provides monaural piano sounds for all of these acoustic piano programs. These monaural piano sounds were voiced not from a mono mix of stereo samples but from monaurally recorded sources, and will shine clearly even within a band's mix."


Busch.

is the Italian a Faz ? It sounds great

If its the same sample set as they used on the pa4x update this week, then it is...

I hope they did a superb job on sampling the Faz. It would be nice if they make
the Italian Grand available for sale.

[Bachus]

is the Italian a Faz ? It sounds great

If its the same sample set as they used on the pa4x update this week, then it is...

I hope they did a superb job on sampling the Faz. It would be nice if they make
the Italian Grand available for sale.

That would be nice..

Also the 2 new organ engines are looking promissing... and there is some new improved effects inside.

[Broadwave]

Also the 2 new organ engines are looking promising... and there is some new improved effects inside.

It would be great if these were available for the Kronos - I use the Arturia Vox quite a bit, but having them both immediately on hand would be a great bonus.

[Derek Cook]

Agreed. The existing organ models in the Kronos would be sweet. Happily pay an upgrade fee.

[Scott]

I wonder if this GrandStage has any of the EPs from the SV-1, which I much prefer over the Kronos EP-1 stuff.

Well, it doesn't have the same drive/amp emulations with the tube, so at least that much will be different. Also, the "Japanese" and the "Italian" Korgs generally differ in their underlying technologies (i.e. the SV1/PAx sound engine is different from its Kronos or other workstation equivalents), so I think that would be another source of difference. Maybe I missed something, but I haven't seen any indication that the Grandstage includes any EP sounds/functions that were not in the Kronos.

[phattbuzz]

I wonder if this is meant to replace the SV-1. It has a similar set up with the effects section but no tube. I'm also surprised they only went for a damper instead of a three pedal system. The ability to change to different engines is cool, but once you are there it doesn't appear that you can do much to change the sound. If I am playing Hammond I want to be able to fiddle with the drawbars and change the Leslie speed. The addition of the Vox and Farfisa modelling is great and I hope that it can be transferred to the Kronos, while, of course, being able to access all the controls on the original instruments.

If I had to choose between the SV-1 and this, it would come down to a price point and weight issue. It is very cool that they have more than one sampled piano (yes, I know that the SGX-2 is not just a sample player, but that's where it's sounds start). If they could bring down the price far below the SV-1 and cut the weight as well, I might think about it just for the pianos (If I didn't already have an SV-1).

Between the Kronos and this: Not a Kronos Killer.

[Scott]

I wonder if this is meant to replace the SV-1.

No... much higher price.

It has a similar set up with the effects section but no tube.

It's actually much more limited than the SV-1 in its effects section. But it does have a lot of advantages over the SV1 as well. Many more sounds (500 vs. 44), splits/layers, mod/pitch wheel, more "favorite" locations (64 vs , smooth sound transition (held/sustaining sounds don't cut off when you change sounds), wider range of sampled pianos (and much larger sets of sample data for those pianos).

If I am playing Hammond I want to be able to fiddle with the drawbars and change the Leslie speed.

The pitch bend wheel alters rotary speed on the Hammond patches. No drawbar fiddling. Though each program has 4 editable parameters, which vary with the program. It's possible that Korg may have assigned drawbar control to some of those. Obviously, you won't get all 9, but you might have some control. We'll see...

If I had to choose between the SV-1 and this, it would come down to a price point and weight issue.

Price is more, weight is close.

It is very cool that they have more than one sampled piano

In case you didn't know, the SV1 does have two... I believe a Steinway and a Yamaha. I think the alternate piano is in one of the soundpacks, you have to install it.

Between the Kronos and this: Not a Kronos Killer.

And not designed to be. This is a far more limited board. But it's also a lot less money (over a grand less), and noticeably smaller/lighter (with comparable action), and with much simpler overall operation. It's for a different customer. And besides, I don't think Korg is looking for the Kronos to be killed yet.

For reference, 73key/88key...
SV1 = 1499/1699
GS = 2299/2499
Kronos = 3399/3699

[Kevin Nolan]

So it's essentially a Kronos without the screen, some synth engines and workstation features.

All fine but - RH3??

On a - _Digital Piano_ ??

[Scott]

So it's essentially a Kronos without the screen, some synth engines and workstation features.

It's missing lots of other stuff... aftertouch, ribbon, ability to load your own samples, ability to edit all the parameters of the sounds, most MIDI controller functions, ability to save more than 64 of your own sounds, ability to split/layer more than two sounds at a time...

but - RH3??

On a - _Digital Piano_ ??

It's the best hammer action Korg has.

[SanderXpander]

I don't really get the point of launching two new organ engines without drawbar control. They might as well have been sample sets. Other than that I kinda like it!