New sound libraries: Kelfar EXs95 and KARO EXs66 & EXs69

danatkorg · Post by **danatkorg** » Fri May 24, 2013 6:45 pm

Mail announcement sent last night - some cool stuff here!

- Dan

* * *

Dear KRONOS user,

Korg is pleased to welcome a new sound developer to the KRONOS: Kelfar Technologies! Today sees the introduction of their first library to the Korg online store, as well as two new libraries from veteran sound developers KARO. There are so many new sounds that we can only give you a taste in this email; for full details, including audio demos, please check out the KRONOS Sound Libraries site:

http://www.korg.com/kronos/SoundLibraries

Kelfar Technologies: EXs95 Melodia

The Melodia sound library is unique in its combination of exquisite sound reproduction, selection of instruments, and customer ease-of-use. Melodia offers the sounds of the Middle East - Lebanese, Syrian, Greek, Armenian, Assyrian, and Iraqi, Sha3bi, *Gypsy style from the Desert*, and many more - as well as standard Western music sound options (including an extensive guitar sound collection). This melodic flavor encompasses such instruments as the Zourna, Kanon, Oud, Arabic Guitars, Arabic Orchestra Strings, Gypsy Guitar, Nay, Bouzoki, and many more. Melodia includes approximately 580 MB of PCM samples, 253 Programs [UG & UGG] and 9 Combinations [UG]. All sounds were sampled and programmed by music scholar Karim El-Far of Kelfar Technologies. Melodia is available at a discounted price of $199 until June 30, and $249 thereafter.

KARO: EXs66 Vintage Synth Explorer II and EXs69 Auf geht's Buam!

KARO's EXs66 Vintage Synth Explorer II ($149), produced in cooperation with Klaus P. Rausch, provides the sounds of ten classic Korg vintage keyboards:

DL-50 Delta Strings Synthesizer
ES-50 Lambda Polyphonic Ensemble
PE-1000 Polyphonic Ensemble P
PE-2000 Polyphonic Ensemble S
Poly-800 Programmable Polyphonic Synthesizer
PS-3100 Semi-Modular Polyphonic Synthesizer
PS-3200 Programmable Semi-Modular Polyphonic Synthesizer
SG-1D Sampling Grand
EPS-1 Electronic Piano & Strings
Symphony O3 Orchestra Module

In all, there are 90+ carefully produced multisample instruments and 128 Programs - an amazing 420 MB Sample Library for all fans of Korg instruments from the 70s and 80s!

KARO's EXs69 Auf geht's Buam! ($249), produced in cooperation with HDS Sound.Power, gives you the authentic sounds of European folk music, from Alpine Oberkrainer to German brass bands: accordions, harmonicas, horns from tubas to trumpets, clarinets, zithers, guitars and more.

Note: All of these new EXs libraries require KRONOS System Version 2.0.2 or later.

EXs demo versions and authorization codes

As always, you can download and try out all EXs libraries for free. Initially, they will work in demo mode. You'll be able to play, edit, and save Programs, Combis, Wave Sequences, and Songs which use the new samples - but until you purchase an authorization code, their sound will fade out periodically. To purchase an authorization code, go to the online shop at http://www.korg.com/kronos/SoundLibraries. Once purchased, entering the authorization code into the KRONOS removes the audio limitations of demo mode - no additional downloads required.

Best regards,
KORG

Saxifraga · Post by **Saxifraga** » Fri May 24, 2013 8:06 pm

Hi Dan.

I really loved the KARO's Vintage Synth Explorer I library of sounds.
So I hope this KARO's EXs66 Vintage Synth Explorer II will be a success.

How about a Kronos without all that workstation (Sequencer etc.) and Karma stuff?
I would love to buy a machine that has AL-1, MOD-7, HD-1 and King Korg filter models on board and could load all these sample based libraries from Kronos onto an internal ssd.
Or maybe an AU version of those engins, or even an iPad version of individual engines? (Your engines are great, it´s only the OS/UI/workflow stuff I don´t like.)

It would also be great to be able to puchase those multisamples and patches for the M3. It´s not necessary to bring all this sounds only for the latest machine. Most Vintage Synth Explorer I multisamples don´t use any capabilities that are Kronos specific.

wkr

Diego5150 · Post by **Diego5150** » Fri May 24, 2013 10:59 pm

Hi Dan,
I did not see any samples to hear any of the sounds. Are there any?

danatkorg · Post by **danatkorg** » Fri May 24, 2013 11:06 pm

Diego5150 wrote:Hi Dan,
I did not see any samples to hear any of the sounds. Are there any?

There are a bunch of audio demos for each of the three libraries, right under the text describing them. Where were you looking?

Diego5150 · Post by **Diego5150** » Fri May 24, 2013 11:10 pm

I opened the link both at work and at home but I did not see any demos

Diego5150 · Post by **Diego5150** » Fri May 24, 2013 11:15 pm

Sorry about that Dan I failed to realize that the sounds were bundled and the individual sounds were under. I did not scroll down enough.

Ojustaboo · Post by **Ojustaboo** » Fri May 24, 2013 11:32 pm

I'm sure these sample packs are worth it to many, but part of me cant help wondering that if they sold it at one 5th of the cost, whether they would sell 10 times more (meaning as it's a digital download they almost double their profits allowing for a few overheads)

I appreciate the work that goes into these, and I appreciate top end studios and the rich amongst us could well jump at these and other samples on your site.

I would love to know the actual figures for existing expensive libraries compared to Kronos owners, I suspect the amount sold is very small in comparison.

If I told my wife I wanted to spend $249 on some extra sounds, she'd have a heart attack,

The two new Karo would cost me $400, the Kelfar $200.

For $100 less I can buy Komplete 9

I could be 100% wrong (have been many times) but I'm sure for example if Korg sold their legendary strings for $60 rather than $240 they would make far far far more money.

For example I only need a couple of really good string sounds and for personal use, the Kronos was a massive one off buy, to spend that sort of money on a set of strings when I just want a couple, well it's not going to happen.

It seems that for the home user who isn't made of money, most of these sample packs are priced completely out of our reach.

Again I do appreciate the time and effort etc that's gone into these, but I do wonder whether it's almost a status thing, where the company would rather make less money and think themselves exclusive/superior, working on what I think is the wrong theory that if they were priced at £50, while they would sell loads more, their reputation would be damaged?

I have bought a few sound packs from the likes of Que. Never over £50
At that price point it's worth the occasional spend even if I might not make a lot of use for it, for example, I'm buying steinbergs retrolouge Vintage Classics this weekend, 400 patches for 30 Euros. I realise no samplings been done for this package, but it sounds awesome to me.

And to be honest whether it included samples or not, under £50 I would have bought it, over £50 I wouldn't have and I'm sure many many people must be like me?

I'm not complaining, just wishing some of these things were more affordable to the average user whose Kronos purchase is their main keyboard purchase for the next 5+ years.

I bought Komplete 8 and what I get for the money is amazing. I upgraded to Komplete 8 ultimate in one of their sales, and when I compare all I got, all the samples etc, then the price of a lot of the sound packs on the Korg site simply don't add up.

I'm sure an argument against what I think will be the cheaper ones on the korg site not selling any more than the expensive ones. But something like legendary strings I suspect most people would love to buy if only they could warrant the cost.

or to put it another way, if companies think one of their sound packs are worth $100 - 250 while others are worth $50, then it stands to reason that they are pricing the ones they think most people would really want at the highest cost. But are they doing that due to the cost involved in producing them, or just because they think they can get away with a high price as they know those are the most popular packs.

Sell the popular most sought after packs at a rate the average band member (who splashed out for a Kronos) can afford and I'm totally convinced sound producers would make more money.

(Edited to correct my bad typing)

Diego5150 · Post by **Diego5150** » Fri May 24, 2013 11:46 pm

I agree with you 100% Joe that the prices for these are quite steep. And I can say for myself that is why have not purchased one yet from Korg.
I would also like I am sure many others would Love to see the cost get more competitively priced.

pedro5 · Post by **pedro5** » Sat May 25, 2013 12:05 am

The ideal for me would be to have a means to purchase individual samples,rather than the whole selection.
I realize the package is meant to be a collection of similar sounds,but not all are suitable for everyone.

An example,in my case, being the Karo samples,I bought the Exs 51 collection and only use a small number of the total,but had to buy the complete set.
I'm fairly happy with what I use, would prefer to have a couple from another Exs set as a matter of preference.....but can't justify buying another just for the few.

Oh well,it's the way things are,I suppose........unless someone in marketing can realize there may well be a demand for such choices.....

By the way,all new sounds are always welcomed and the work involved is appreciated in providing Kronos owners additional material to work with.

Best Wishes.

Ojustaboo · Post by **Ojustaboo** » Sat May 25, 2013 12:40 am

Agree totally. Maybe if a pro studio is working on a particular project, film score etc, these packages might be ideal, but the average user is going to pick a handful that appeals to them and the others will rarely be touched.

Spectrasonics Symphony of voices is a good example for me, I would love to have one really good choir sound from that set, it would get used occasionally purely for my fun. But $500 (for a legacy product) it's simply never going to happen.

But knowing marketing departments, if they did change how they did things, they would still do it in a way to make things totally unaffordable for most of us

To me its common sense which is why. I must be missing something.

For example, 10 people willing to spend to spend $240 on korgs legendary strings means korg (obviously not all profit) takes $2400

If there's 70 people who would love it but can't warrant more than $50 - $60 then korg have lost 70 sales, 70 word of mouth reviews etc.

But if it was $60, then you now have 80 people who are able to buy it meaning instead of taking $2400 korg have taken $4800

Now up those figures to 100 buying at $240 and 800 buying at $60 and you have korg taking $24000 more by selling at $60

SanderXpander · Post by **SanderXpander** » Sat May 25, 2013 1:03 am

Sadly I agree too. I've bought a couple of Maschine expansions for 50 bucks a piece before the big sale last week. I wouldn't have bought a single one if they'd been 100 bucks or more.

MoonMusic · Post by **MoonMusic** » Sat May 25, 2013 1:25 am

Yep, Way too expensive for me too....I'll just enjoy the vast sounds I already have....I wouldn't mind having the drum exi but until they make it $100, I ain't buying....Seriously, I got Steven Slate Drums on sale for less than West Coast's asking price and it has HUNDREDS of top notch high quality drums....I'm sure there is a market for someone out there but they are out of my range......moon

Bertotti · Post by **Bertotti** » Sat May 25, 2013 1:30 am

First thing Indid was check the price. I love the demo of legendary strings but there is so much more I need before a sound library that the odds of me putting anything towards it are slim to nothing, same goes for the new expansions. I won't even try the demos and have considered trying to remove the current demo from the Kronos be ause the are a constant reminder of what I can't have.

Lou · Post by **Lou** » Sat May 25, 2013 5:31 am

If this thread is any indication of sales success for these packages I have to say they are in for a very rocky road.
With this economy and the quality of plugins that can be purchased I believe they are making a huge mistake.
My rig (as well as many here) is packed with some of the best plugs/samples and I'm more than satisfied with what I have and can create from.
It's too bad because I'm sure a lot of work goes into this but like an earlier poster said they would probably do much better in quantity sales.
JMO, but the saying of create once and sell many times over just don't cut here anymore and the equation is either greed or stupidity wrong. Times are a changing..

theshinenz · Post by **theshinenz** » Sat May 25, 2013 7:54 am

I have to also agree, Im happy to pay 50-60 dollars for extra sounds, but no way am I going to spend $250 for samples. By the time I bought all the ones I liked I may aswell buy another module or synth. Also agree it would be nice if we could buy single sounds, theres not enough demos to of different sounds to know exactly what you are buying. Be ok if you could group buy and share sounds but Korg has not allowed that for different Kronos'

:-/

Ill be keeping an eye on Qui's expanding library of sounds. Also be great if people could review the cheaper Karo banks so we could all get some more opinions before purchasing. Couldnt see any demos at all for KRS56.