King Korg with a Kronos

[Bertotti]

Curious for those of you using it with a Kronos do you midi them together or run them as two separate synths with no connection between them?

[Bald Eagle]

In addition I would also like to know if KK paired with a Kronos really brings enough to the table to be worth it. Now I can see adding a Prophet 12 or something equivalent to the mix but don't the engines on Kronos take care of most of what KK has to offer?

[xp50player]

I tried this out in the store yesterday and I think the KK is good addition to a Krome or SV-1 but not a Kronos. The keybed is not up to par with the Kronos and the synth engine does not bring enough to the table to improve on the Kronos' VA engines. It does sound great however, and the controls are sweet and smooth. I like how the octave-shift buttons blink at +/- 1 octave and stay lit at +/- 2 octaves. They are not SW1/2 buttons though, and I kept also reaching for the ribbon controller that is not there. I would have preferred the portamento button be near the joystick and not in the middle cluster of buttons.

[michelkeijzers]

I did not try the KingKorg yet, however, I think it would be better in combination with a Krome than a Kronos, because the Krome has 'only' EDS (sampling based), while the Kronos has already a lot of synth modeling engines.

[MortenJ]

In addition I would also like to know if KK paired with a Kronos really brings enough to the table to be worth it. Now I can see adding a Prophet 12 or something equivalent to the mix but don't the engines on Kronos take care of most of what KK has to offer?

I am just coming from Musikmesse and kingkorg still is my next synth to my Kronos and Virus TI.
I just love the sound of Kingkorg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cfzp08_V1EM

[Bald Eagle]

In addition I would also like to know if KK paired with a Kronos really brings enough to the table to be worth it. Now I can see adding a Prophet 12 or something equivalent to the mix but don't the engines on Kronos take care of most of what KK has to offer?

I am just coming from Musikmesse and kingkorg still is my next synth to my Kronos and Virus TI.
I just love the sound of Kingkorg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cfzp08_V1EM

Just watched the demo and I have briefly played KK myself and I agree that he KK sounds very nice. But what would be your thought on adding a JP80 or Prophet 12 instead of a KK? So far that's where I'm leaning to.

[jimknopf]

I play the Kingkorg on top of my Kronos 73.

With a Kronos with weighted keys (73 or 88 ), the KK keybed works well together. It's a well useable synth action keybed which can be used for Organ stuff as well.

Concerning sounds: the Kronos VAs are great for what they are, my favorite being the simple Polysix, and then the MS-20. I don't get any intuitive connection to prgramming the somethwat dry sounding AL-1, though I see how powerful it is.

With the KK, you get a lot of synth sound, fun and flexibility, which even the Kronos VAs don't deliver:
- the KK sounds definitely more analog-like, juicy and vivid than about any other hardware VA I know.
- The filters modelling is really a big step towards the various analog originals, and it allows the KK to fit into many different contexts with sounds reminding a lot of these originals: no Kronos VA can sound so much like a Moog or Oberheim or Prophet 5.
- the KK UI, though in a somewhat weird left-right design, is absoulutely hands on: you can program and change synth sounds on the fly anytime. It's easy to program and easy to use live
- The valve does a fantastic job in the KK: from my view it is even better fine-tuned within the KK signal flow, than in any other Korg device before: it ranges from smooth analog saturation up to a natural boost growl: fantastic options! In comparison overdrive modelling in the Kronos belongs to the weakest effects there: they are not well programmed (perhaps with the exception of the preamp effect) and sound quite harsh and digital. That makes it very hard to get natrual overdrive in Kronos sounds with Organs, EPs, Synth Sounds, EGuitar-Sounds etc. The KK is massively(!) superior here. And a better overdrive modelling stays one of the most important Kronos OS tasks for the time being from my view.

So all in all:
- it makes EVERY sense to put a KK on top of a Kronos (and not just on a Krome)! It does so soundwise anyway, and all the more on top of a Kronos with weighted keys.

Concerning the JP-comparison
- the KK is a MUCH more practical and performance oriented VA synth than any Jupiter 50 or 80 can ever be, with their absolutely poor UI: I can't and won't ever play a live VA synth with something of that ridiculous control level.
Another problems with the JPs is that up to now they don't have a librarian (something you definitely need to manage your synth sound libraries) up to now, and Roland said they have no such plans. I hope for the few JP users, that they still can change Rolands mind, but I doubt it after my own time with Roland.

You have to decide about the sound character you want: the JPs offer some really nice warm classical Roland sounds. The KK is great at anything reminiscent of Moog, Oberheim, Prophet 5, MS20 or Acid, and it offers a ten times more direct hands on approach both for programming and live play.

Concerning the Prophet 12:
I like Dave Smith a lot and was really fascinated by the design of the new Prophet 12. I laso don't care if the oscs are digital there, as long as the result sounds good.
But a close listen to the demos has disappointed me: when the filters of this are openend step by step, they reveal a for my ears very harsh and dry basic tone of this synth: this does certainly not remind me of the Prophet V in a convincing way. But anyone can make up their own mind about that.

The funny thing is:
After checking all the other options, I always love coming back to the KK. I hate the name, but this little polyphonic VA synth does a wonderful job for me.

[MortenJ]

In addition I would also like to know if KK paired with a Kronos really brings enough to the table to be worth it. Now I can see adding a Prophet 12 or something equivalent to the mix but don't the engines on Kronos take care of most of what KK has to offer?

I am just coming from Musikmesse and kingkorg still is my next synth to my Kronos and Virus TI.
I just love the sound of Kingkorg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cfzp08_V1EM

Just watched the demo and I have briefly played KK myself and I agree that he KK sounds very nice. But what would be your thought on adding a JP80 or Prophet 12 instead of a KK? So far that's where I'm leaning to.

Prophet 12 was sadly not on Musikmesse so could not try it
Jupiter 80 is great alot of great sounds ,but have my eye on Integra 7 that will also get the synth legends sounds an editor for pc and mac soon

[MortenJ]

I play the Kingkorg on top of my Kronos 73.

With a Kronos with weighted keys (73 or 88 ), the KK keybed works well together. It's a well useable synth action keybed which can be used for Organ stuff as well.

Concerning sounds: the Kronos VAs are great for what they are, my favorite being the simple Polysix, and then the MS-20. I don't get any intuitive connection to prgramming the somethwat dry sounding AL-1, though I see how powerful it is.

With the KK, you get a lot of synth sound, fun and flexibility, which even the Kronos VAs don't deliver:
- the KK sounds definitely more analog-like, juicy and vivid than about any other hardware VA I know.
- The filters modelling is really a big step towards the various analog originals, and it allows the KK to fit into many different contexts with sounds reminding a lot of these originals: no Kronos VA can sound so much like a Moog or Oberheim or Prophet 5.
- the KK UI, though in a somewhat weird left-right design, is absoulutely hands on: you can program and change synth sounds on the fly anytime. It's easy to program and easy to use live
- The valve does a fantastic job in the KK: from my view it is even better fine-tuned within the KK signal flow, than in any other Korg device before: it ranges from smooth analog saturation up to a natural boost growl: fantastic options! In comparison overdrive modelling in the Kronos belongs to the weakest effects there: they are not well programmed (perhaps with the exception of the preamp effect) and sound quite harsh and digital. That makes it very hard to get natrual overdrive in Kronos sounds with Organs, EPs, Synth Sounds, EGuitar-Sounds etc. The KK is massively(!) superior here. And a better overdrive modelling stays one of the most important Kronos OS tasks for the time being from my view.

So all in all:
- it makes EVERY sense to put a KK on top of a Kronos (and not just on a Krome)! It does so soundwise anyway, and all the more on top of a Kronos with weighted keys.

Concerning the JP-comparison
- the KK is a MUCH more practical and performance oriented VA synth than any Jupiter 50 or 80 can ever be, with their absolutely poor UI: I can't and won't ever play a live VA synth with something of that ridiculous control level.
Another problems with the JPs is that up to now they don't have a librarian (something you definitely need to manage your synth sound libraries) up to now, and Roland said they have no such plans. I hope for the few JP users, that they still can change Rolands mind, but I doubt it after my own time with Roland.

You have to decide about the sound character you want: the JPs offer some really nice warm classical Roland sounds. The KK is great at anything reminiscent of Moog, Oberheim, Prophet 5, MS20 or Acid, and it offers a ten times more direct hands on approach both for programming and live play.

and the effects on KK like the smallstone phaser model that is from SV1 are also great.

[JPWC]

I use the KingKorg independently with the Kronos. It's great having the extra set of keys ready to lead or fill in while playing Kronos.

[Dniss]

I play the Kingkorg on top of my Kronos 73.I hate the name, but this little polyphonic VA synth does a wonderful job for me.

Thanks for such a good review.

I must admit the KK is growing on me. I also have a Kronos 73 and have been giving this little synth quite some considerations.

[Phabius]

That's what I'm using now, Kronos 61 and KK (and waiting for the MS-20 Mini). The filters in KK are the great spot, and you can recreate lots of classic synth sounds with them, sounds which are impossible to be obtained in Kronos due to the different filter characters.

And both are great controllers for my iPad units