Fantastic workstation

I have wanted this keyboard ever since it was announced at last winter's NAMM show. I finally was able to purchase and have not been disappointed. I have owned it for about a month and so far it has lived up to all of my expectations. Excellent range of sounds and great controls for live performance.

In-depth user review: IN A CLASS ALL ITS OWN!!!

As a KORG user since 1982, and one among hundreds of synthesists who contributed to the development of the original MIDI standard in the early 80s, I have had the pleasure of watching the evolution of music workstations in general, and KORG’s contributions to this class of instrument in particular, from its infancy. Over the years, I have produced music on many legendary KORG models, including T-1, O1w/fd, i-3, Triton ProX, KARMA, PA2xPro and now Kronos, as well as on numerous software platforms from many different manufacturers.

That said, I prefer working with dedicated music workstations, hands engaged with a piano keyboard rather than a QWERTY keyboard.

When KORG introduced Kronos as the “game changer,” I was highly skeptical. After working with this instrument for the past month, I have no doubt that the dedicated music workstation game has, indeed, been changed...and, for me at least, much for the better!

There are many considerations inherent in the choice of the ideal tool for personal music production. Everyone has their own unique preferences but, by and large, sound generally tops the list, with quality, authenticity (primarily in the case of physical instrument emulations), playability and range of available sounds that suit their individual needs (the “bread and butter” sounds) the defining criteria, with sound design and development capability (i.e. “programmability”) close behind.

Feature-rich onboard sequencing/sampling capacity is great, but without a formidable arsenal of high-quality sound-generation engines (Kronos has 9), one would be better off working with the GM “rompler” module resident in computer sound cards.

For me, Kronos delivers in the sound category like no other, with the best (for the most part), highest-quality, most performable (controllable) sounds of any workstation in its class (with no fewer than 50 buttons, switches, knobs, sliders, joysticks, ribbons etc. that may be used to impact performance)...which is really an easier feat to accomplish than it may seem, as I am unaware of any other existent workstation in this class, other than perhaps Oasys.

To clarify the parenthetical “for the most part” comment above, there seem to be some general categories of Kronos sounds that could benefit from improved manufacturer’s programming, primarily in the areas of electric guitar emulation, orchestral ensemble performances and small horn section performances, but most of these are really non-issues, as anyone experienced with sound design can easily tweak the on-board sounds to meet their own requirements. I’m just sometimes a bit lazy and prefer to have everything I want, right out of the box...and with Kronos, I do...again, for the most part. Korg’s primary weakness for me has always been implementation of electric guitar emulations.

In all fairness, I’ve not found a better acoustic guitar in any other workstation and, with KARMA implementation available in every patch, Kronos is capable of producing some of the most authentic acoustic rhythmic guitar emulations I have ever heard, and with great ease. The STR-1 engine on this unit is unsurpassed.

I would like to take a moment to address some information about this instrument that I've found in reviews here, and online in some of the forums that, in my experience, seems misleading, misinformed, somewhat pejorative and, in some cases, just plain wrong.

1) Quality of hardware: As a former touring musician, I can testify that there is nothing about this machine that would suffer any more from a grueling road regimen than any other computer-based keyboard I have used. Obviously, when hard drives are involved, there is much potential for failure if a unit is dropped, but the Kronos hard drive is solid state and, as such, should be much more robust and likely to survive shock than a conventional mechanical hard drive. I would definitely tour with this machine and expect it to perform every time I turned it on.

As far as the control hardware (i.e. top mounted buttons, sliders, knobs, joysticks, ribbon controller), none of these feel at all “cheap” or substandard to me in any way. The knobs provide adequate resistance for playability (they feel a lot like the fluid-action motion-damped knobs on a high-end studio console) helping prevent one from overshooting intended continuous controller adjustments on the fly, etc.

The sliders (there are 10) on the control surface portion of the top panel have been under fire by a couple of people and, yes, there is a bit more sideways play inherent in these than I would prefer, but no more than on any of the other 5 keyboards I just checked in my studio (4 Korg former flagship models and a Yamaha EX5), nor is there more sideways play than is exhibited by the 100mm throw faders on the Mackie mixers in my road rig, which are generally considered “bullet proof.” There is nothing from tactile examination to suggest that there should be any concern of causing weakness of solder joints on underlying pc boards or that the flexibility in the fader shafts could cause connectivity or other problems in the future. As previously stated, I would not hesitate for a moment to tour with this unit and expect that, with proper handling and care (i.e. use an ATA approved road case...not a gig bag), it should be reliable for the next decade, even with roadies throwing the properly-cased instrument into the backs of semi tractor-trailer rigs or airline baggage handlers tossing it into cargo holds nightly.

About speculation on potential fragility of the endcaps and other high-gloss trim parts, I see no basis for the concern. These pieces feel like they are probably constructed of high-impact ABS plastic to me. They are attached to the instrument’s steel chassis, as observed firsthand by a contributor to a forum I belong to, who disassembled his Kronos, wanting to replace them with wood trim parts. He abandoned the effort when he encountered too much difficulty in trying to remove the stock pieces, even by trying to break them off forcibly.

As an aside, professional touring musicians tend to care for their instruments, as reliability and proper performance is essential to their livelihood. They are not, for the most part, reenacting Keith Emerson performance art antics of the 70’s, in which he would on occasion destroy a Hammond console organ on stage just for show. Today’s professional touring keyboardists, particularly those working in back-up capacities for name acts, tend to take great care to handle and transport their instruments properly. These machines, after all, are their life’s blood, so to speak. No play, no pay!

2) Released prematurely? Some people seem to think that Kronos was “rushed to the market.” Kronos is, as are most sophisticated keyboard-based music-production tools, a software-based open-architecture system which is infinitely refinable as the manufacturer (and in some cases, the user) sees fit. As with most software-based products, bugs can be inherent and, as such, planned enhancements (such as the long-awaited editor application) can be delayed until they are addressed, often out of a manufacturer’s desire to get it right the first time (in as much as they can) and avoid quite a few of the inevitable consumer complaints.

It should be noted that KORG addressed the noisy cooling fan issue early on and it is no longer a problem. There is continuing frustration among the user community (including myself) over the absence of the long-awaited editor software, which we're now told should be making an appearance in early 2012, although we expected it in July 2011. Despite that, there are no fewer than two pieces of user-developed editing software available for the Kronos for FREE, available online through the Kronos group at KorgForums, so the absence of KORG’s own editor to date hasn’t slowed us down much.

It is an unfortunate fact of life that the end-users of virtually all electronic music products have become over the years the final Quality Control inspector or, essentially, unintended “beta testers.” Despite all of the wonderful capabilities of these sophisticated machines, no manufacturer can fully foresee everything we are all going to be doing with them and, frequently, we discover unintended operational glitches that may occur from executing commands in some particular order or by inadvertently implementing some process that reveals an unexpected pattern of code-execution. In reality, no matter how well-tested a new product is, it is virtually impossible for a manufacturer to discover all of these bugs and uncover all of the “what if’s” of any product prior to release in an os controlled world. This is true of every brand of electronic musical instrument on the planet. Still, manufacturers have to give themselves deadlines for new product releases, and meet those deadlines to the best of their ability if they want to remain in business. They also have an obligation to address user concerns, issuing bug fixes and repairing hardware issues by issuing updates, recalls, etc. as the situation demands.

Over nearly 30 years as a KORG user, I have never known them to do anything other than the next right thing when it comes to support of their products and consumers. I have never had a major issue with any of their products, although I know colleagues who have. In each case, KORG has addressed all concerns to the customer’s satisfaction. In reality, it doesn’t get much better than that!

Part of what you’re buying with Kronos is KORG’s legendary, world-class reputation, which is well-earned through decades of manufacturing some of the best products on the market and standing behind those products with unsurpassed service and support.

Is Kronos for everyone? Of course not.

Some folks will have issues with the sequencer, which does not reflect significant evolution over M3 or even Triton...others will love it because of the similarities, which will reduce their learning curve. Many serious composers and musicians who regularly work with sequencers will most likely prefer a DAW-based solution for sequencing and audio recording, which provides more flexibility coupled with a computer workstation’s larger-scale interface. While the Kronos’ touch-screen interface is very good, it is still an 8” touch-screen, whose relative lack of size may not be optimal for some. Still, for a workstation sequencer, it is robust, feature-rich and will allow most people to do much more than what they need.

Other people may have issues with the RH3 keybed on Kronos 73 and 88 key models. I have not personally encountered issues with the RH3 action that have been reported in the forums, but my Kronos is a 61, which I control with an SV-1 88 (via MIDI), using this same keybed. Not everyone with the 73 or 88 RH3 has these issues, and Korg is working to address them, ceasing Chinese manufacture of the RH3 keybed in favor of producing this action in their own Japanese plant, and I have not heard of any complaints from those who have the Japanese RH3 action.

I do have to say, I absolutely LOVE the RH3 keybed and consider it a vast improvement over the 88-note keybeds in my Triton ProX, SG ProEx and, obviously, my old T-1. It is a wonderful (and tactilely natural) interface for playing acoustic and electric piano sounds, although not exactly authentic for the latter.

I suppose it should be noted that piano-weighted keyboard interfaces may not be optimal for performance of non-piano sounds. I bought the 61 because the Natural Touch semi-weighted keyboard works better for me in emulating most orchestral sounds, guitars, tonewheel organs, combo organs, etc. I already had an 88-note piano-weighted keyboard for pianos and frequently use a Yamaha WX5 wind controller for inputting wind instrument emulations, a technique I highly recommend to anyone who has some degree of proficiency on a reed instrument.

I suppose you could characterize Kronos as a bit of a “Swiss Army Knife,” allowing you to do just about anything you need in the realm of music production...right down to producing a mastered final product to be burned to CD. It is quite simply the best “most-in-one” solution I have encountered to date. Still, if you don’t need all of the tools, this is a board that you will want to buy for the SOUNDS! I’ve found nothing that can match it, although consensus seems to be that Roland’s new Jupiter 80 is capable of giving Kronos a good run for its money in this department. Key differences: the new Roland unit is NOT a workstation. It also does not offer Korg’s 9 synthesis types for sound development.

Most folks would probably consider me to be a music workstation “power user,” although in reality I’m pretty much in the middle of the range when it comes to exploiting their capabilities. Kronos is much more keyboard than most folks will ever need...but I’ve always been of the persuasion that I’d rather have capabilities I don't need than need capabilities I don't have...and, sooner or later, I generally find myself needing some of the more esoteric editing functions offered by my workstations.

Bottom line: I LOVE my Kronos, highly recommend it without reservation to anyone looking for a world-class music workstation and would not hesitate to buy Kronos again!

As always, Your Mileage May Vary...

Great ws!

Stunning sounds, incredible and realistic pianos, great analogue sounds.
With 9 different sound engines, it's the best ws! Brava Korg!!

5 STARS

The Korg Kronos is an amazing keyboard workstaion you can run your audio threw a usb cable and it sounds amazing! I really love the Grand Pianos section and also the combi's overall this is a really great workstation! You can hook it up to your favorite DAW and come up with some amazing new ideas. The kronos is durable and stable, operating system is fast aswell, The toch screen sometimes you have to double click but that can be calibrated and fixed to your needs. The ambient drums are amazing they sound like live drums, Korg did a great job with this one!

Hardware Lacking

I played this hoping to love it and buy it from Sweetwater the next day.. but I was VERY disappointed in the hardware. Honestly, the sounds are the best I've ever heard in a workstation of any brand or price, but I doubt a touring musician would get a year out of this thing before breaking knobs, sliders, joysticks, and ESPECIALLY the end caps and piece under the key bed.

I wanted to love this machine, because I was looking to upgrade from my Triton Studio.. but I can't suggest this to anyone since the hardware is totally crap.

I will be purchasing the Nord Stage 88 I think.

Rushed to the market

The sounds are typical high end Korg. However, workmanship is mediocre at best and due to the crammed screen the user interface can be frustrating. The cooling fan is loud and Korg hasn't released the plug-in editor yet, making the Kronos difficult to use with a DAW compared with other synths/workstations.