Should one buy a 2nd Kronos 2 now discontinued? Or a Fantom?

[Space Girl]

Considering Kronos is now discontinued, I have been wondering if I should buy another one new while they are still available as they won't be soon.
I'd probably have to store it as I have no room for another one right now, but at least then i'd have one spare. It's a huge amount of money to buy another new one though, is it worth it?

I assume that used ones will just go up in price as they will become rare. There does not seem to be many pre-owned ones available at the moment.

My Kronos 2 is still mint and only 16 months old but I wonder how long might it last before needeing repair and since parts are hard for Korg to get now, will I be able to get it repaired in future? How long do screens last in them and internal components?

I have the chance to buy one now before they dissapear in stores but I could just wait and look for a pre-owned one, just unsure how much they might cost by next year, maybe more than buying a new one now perhaps? What do you think?

I could just play till my Kronos dies, hopefully that won't be for years.... then I'd have to settle for a Nautilus, Fantom or Montage instead perhaps. I still like the idea of owning a Fantom alongside my Kronos, so should I use the money to buy a Fantom instead I wonder? All this wondering is now doing my head in and I still can't decide & time is running out.

I'm sure the Nautilus has some good points too but will it be good enough as a replacement for those of us that love the Kronos 2?

Will Korg make the Nautilus into a better version? Hoping for aftertouch, more GB's for future samples, ribbon etc. and one thats built to last?

Sorry I'm rambling.....ramble ON!

Happy Xmas everyone!

[Falcon2e]

You have a lot of the same thoughts and questions that I share. I’m not sure if the Kronos is discontinued, although some models seem to be unavailable in certain areas. Will yours need repairs soon? Will parts be available? I don’t think anyone can answer your questions for sure. I think if you treat your K with care, my guess is it will last for a long time. At one time I had a 16 year old Triton that was still working great when I sold it. I’m hoping for the same reliability with the Kronos.

I did purchase a second K2 a couple years ago for the same reasons you mentioned, I’m a little paranoid though. I don’t want to take a chance of missing a gig if one goes down. If you can find one for a reasonable price…..well, that’s your call.

Meanwhile, keep in mind that nothing stays the same. Do frequent backups and enjoy your Kronos

[Xenophile]

Korg's USA website still shows Kronos, Kronos Titanium and Kronos LS as being available. Though now they've got the snazzy-looking "Vox Continental 73 BK" stage keyboard featured up front.

https://www.korg.com/us/products/synthe ... ntal_73bk/

https://www.korg.com/us/products/synthesizers/

[spottingjonah]

The struggle is real. My solution was to sell my Kronos 2 61 and buy a new one since the old one, bought in 2015 at the release, had seen a lot of gigs and a lot of travel time. The new one has never left my house. So It's good to go.

In addition, I did purchase a Fantom 7 in early 2020. It's been a fantastic addition for what I prefer. The Fantom and Kronos are very different in workflow (Learning Curve!!), but sound wise they complement where they don't overlap, although they do overlap quite a bit, as is expected.

Combined with an MP11SE, the setup is pretty much complete for what I do.

Best wishes, and Merry Christmas!!

[Space Girl]

Thanks for the quick replies. I am still pondering this morning on what to do. I would definitely wait if I knew for sure Korg was going to bring out a Nautilus 2, with after touch, more RAM, room for all the samples you want...etc...

I am temped to get a Fantom and sure I will love it too.
Bit unsure about the samples on the Roland Cloud, when compared to buying Korg samples which is for life, seems you have to buy a yearly membership with Roland so could cost more in long run. Unsure if Roland samples still work if you don't keep up the cloud membership, anyone know?

May take xmas to think it over a bit more before my decision. Maybe I should treat myself to a new Kronos 2 and Fantom 6 for my xmas present! Just wish I had a big studio to surround myself with multiple keyboards. I have 5 already, but want more. Synth addiction/ Obsession?

Found this today, others pondering about Nautilus and Kronos.
https://forums.musicplayer.com/ubbthrea ... /3093224/3

[Mr_SamDoogie]

Korg's USA website still shows Kronos, Kronos Titanium and Kronos LS as being available. Though now they've got the snazzy-looking "Vox Continental 73 BK" stage keyboard featured up front.

https://www.korg.com/us/products/synthe ... ntal_73bk/

https://www.korg.com/us/products/synthesizers/

Oohwee that Vox looking very slick.

[blazerunner]

Korg is having a manufacturing problem at the moment.

The Prologues, MS20 Fullsize, and Kronos just to name a few haven't been out of stock or in short availability at a lot of places.

Other brands are also having similar issues. Part of the reason for the price hike on music gear.

[tunaman]

I’d watch for a mint used K2… there are a lot of them out there, and they pop up from time to time for sale at very decent prices - you can likely buy one lightly used for half the cost of a new unit.

Most of the users never get close to touching the potential, and many seem to get frustrated with the complexity.

[mwiik]

Ok. Let me give my experience here.

I have a Kronos 2 88. Before that I had an Oasys 88. Both are just amazing in my opinion.

Now I wanted a second keyboard in my "home studio" and I bought a Fantom 8. I wanted to try something different and it is sure a nice keyboard but the sounds are from the 90's. Also I didn't like the keybed and V-piano. But it is personal things.

So, I switched it for a Nautilus 88. And so far I am very happy with that. Sounds just amazing as the Kronos and it is quite fast to navigate even if you have to press the Page button. Only thing so far I am missing is to have both volume and mute buttons on the screen at the same time. And also Chord Pads. Am I missing Karma ? No, actually not. Arpeggio and drum tracks is more easy to understand and is good enough for me.


As said, I still have my Kronos 2, but Nautilus is really nice for me as well, Korg has done a great job in my opinion, nice package for a very decent price.

I will buy Kronos 3 if there ever will be such a thing, but I believe so far that Nautilus is one of the best keyboards on the market, no doubts. I did choose actually between a Kronos SE and the Nautilius... And money was not really an issue.

[Mike Conway]

My Kronos 2 is still mint and only 16 months old but I wonder how long might it last before needeing repair and since parts are hard for Korg to get now, will I be able to get it repaired in future? How long do screens last in them and internal components?

I use my Korg OASYS, along side the Kronos, a few days per week. I got the OASYS in 2005. The screen has had no problems. I got my Kronos X in 2012. My son actually broke the screen, but I got it replaced in 2013. I do a lot of projects with the Kronos and it has never failed me.

I would not worry about a Kronos in the home or studio, but if you are gigging that is a different story. If you treat it with care, it should last well over a decade.

I still like the idea of owning a Fantom alongside my Kronos, so should I use the money to buy a Fantom instead I wonder?

The Fantom is a different workflow, but it has that analog filter and the UI is very sexy. I think your question boils down to whether you are looking to extend the life of your Kronos or want to have a different keyboard. I do so much work on my Kronos, I would probably go with the Nautilus, for continuity's sake. If you want to have some different sounds, go for the Fantom.

Price would be a factor for me. Nautilus 61 key is $2299, at Sweetwater. Fantom 6 is $3399.

I'm sure the Nautilus has some good points too but will it be good enough as a replacement for those of us that love the Kronos 2?

Nautilus is essentially a Kronos. Instead of KARMA, it has some nifty arppegiators. I love the physical sliders/buttons that the Kronos has, but I wouldn't hesitate using a Nautilus as a backup.

I'm aware that the Nautilus internal samples (ROM) are in a different order, so Kronos programs won't all port over the same. I wonder why that is? I'm guessing it was to present the Nautilus as something different, even though it has most, or all of the Kronos' waves. There are some new ones.

[rickster1]

My 1st gen Kronos 73 will be 10 yrs old on presidents day, 2022. I've replaced the power supply twice, the first time it only lasted 6 months. This time around, it seems to be holding up. It's a great machine & I love it. Love the SEQ too.

I understand that the Kronos is now out of production, & if you want one, you must buy it from somebody that still has a few in stock - like maybe Sweetwater. New successor will be revealed at NAMM in June. ??

I'll buy the Kronos successor if it's a continuation of the great Kronos engineering. I had a Fantom X about 15 yrs ago - too heavy at 75 lbs. Also, not as user friendly as the K is.

The Nautilus is not a successor to Kronos.

Nautilus is to Kronos as MODX is to Motif.

[Mike Conway]

Nautilus is to Kronos as MODX is to Motif.

MODX is Montage light. I would take a MODX over a Motif 7 days a week. Motif has no FM engine, except for the optional plug, which worked only on the original Motif, 2001 model.

[rickster1]

Sorry, you're right Mike. I meant MODX is to Montage, not Motif.

[JonSolo]

I don't believe the Kronos is out of production...I believe Korg is out of parts.

Hopefully, Korg will clarify this soon.

[SeedyLee]

I do wonder if a genuine Kronos replacement is on the way. It seems foolish on Korg’s part to let their significant investment in the Kronos software and architecture wither away, particularly when it can run so easily on commodity hardware. I’ve also been wondering if the recent announcement that Kronos sound libraries can be activated on up to three devices might be pre-emoting existing Kronos owners migrating to a newer model?