Korg Kronos 73-key Synthesizer Workstation Reviews
Loaded with amazing sounds, powerful performance tools, and everything you need to create master-quality tracks, there's little wonder why Korg's second-edition Kronos is the keyboard workstation of choice for A-list artists like Jordan Rudess and Derek Sherinian. Among its nine pro-quality sound engines, you'll find everything from premium piano models, classic EPs and organs, and a plethora of synths cultivated over decades of development. Between its tactile controls and oversized touchscreen, you couldn't ask for an easier system to navigate, and since it's all housed in a sleek aluminum body with classy wood ends, your Kronos is ready to travel wherever you next gig may be.
Highest Rated Reviews
1st generation kronos
I have a 1st gen Kronos 73 I bought on President's Day, 2012. The keyboard is a BEAST.. the best on the market. I've used it for gigs & I've used its sequencer for recording for 10 years and love it
A Nightmare to a Dream ( NOTE! Please post this corrected review)
I purchased my Kronos x88 back in 2013 from Sweetwater. I used it 8 hours a day everyday for 8 years. I began getting start up crashes that just got worse and I need a reliable Workstation for my Professional Music Production. I contacted my account rep, Ryan W. and told him my story. We decided together to move to the new 73 key Hammer Action Keyboard. It arrived, in just 2 days and my Birthday was the next day. It turned out to be the best Birthday I have ever had. I love the keyboard action much more than the weighted Kronos X88 keyboard. It just feel's more like a real piano. The sides now being wood instead of black "pexiplastic lucite, remind's me of my first synthesizer, the Mini Moog, I purchased back in 1973! The sounds have been revamped from the Kronos X88 and because the EXS 17/18, KRS7 was built into the Kronos 2, I don't have to load these anymore as additional EXs and KRS files. That makes the memory load much more efficient and quicker. I like the new setup for the programs contained in the Kronos 2. They are more logical and now having my EXS 17/18 in the internal A & B banks, I have programming space in banks CC/DD, I know the Kronos pretty well, so the change over was very simple. I do love the easy "press a button for a combination Layer or Split program", in seconds. Ryan W., is a friend, not only a sale's rep. He knew I was taking a hit and he helped me take care of a problem by moving me into a new Kronos 2. The new Kronos 2 is slimmer. It is easier to get close in and hands on that wonderful touch screen display which is unmatched. I have 6 albums out at this time with another two to be completed this year. Certainly, the Kronos 2 is a "Partner" on each one.
jbm
John M.
Filmless Soundtracks
One BADASS Board!
I have had the MOST DIFFICULT TIME finding a digital piano/ Vintage Emulator/ETC over the past 8 months!
I own a Rhodes and a Vintage Vibe Tine Piano, neither of which go out of the house except for extra special shocases, so, as a Vintage keyboard player, I needed something to fit the bill as well as to keep up my Acoustic Piano Chops.
So after trying out virtually EVERY professional grade DP, I walked into a nearby music store and saw a Korg Kronos 88.
I sat down and didn"t get up for close to an hour and a half. I only got to the Acoustic and Electric Pianos.
My spirit SOARED! Believe me when I tell you I have played, toured and recorded with EVERYTHING !
I haven"t felt like this since I first touched a Fender Rhodes running thru a Twin Reverb back in Jr HS!
I had played earlier iterations of the Kronos and SV1 and have roundly criticized the RH3 action, but the action on the New Kronos is NOTHING LIKE THE EARLIER VERSIONS! I stand corrected!
So, when I got back to my apartment, I called my Sales Engineer and told him I didn"t want the keyboard whose release date I have been waiting patiently for, but that I wanted to cancel my backorder and get a Kronos overnighted to me!
I can"t wait to dig into the other engines and program the crap outta this baby!
WOW!
My new Kronos
Really loving the Kronos. Takes awhile to get acquainted with and still researching numerous videos but it is worth it. Always great working with Paul, he's always taken care of my equipment needs.
Korg Kronos 73
What a friggin' beast! There's a substantial learning curve for this board but with all the tutorials on youtube, Korg Forums, online & my man Derek Senestraro at Sweetwater you'll navigate the complex waters of the KK73 with hard earned time & money well spent. There are several boards out there that are amazing but the Korg Kronos 73 sounds & feels more authentic than the rest... definitely a "hand to key" connection. Thanks Derek for your professional help on everything, you're better than a salesman... you're a good friend. :)
Korg Kronos 2
It's hard to describe the Korg Kronos 2 in just a few paragraphs. Imagine not one, but nine top quality synthesizers all packaged together. Now, connect them to a high quality keyboard with a really great action, weighted just enough to satisfy a pianist, but light enough to allow organists and synthesists to riff with relative ease.
Blend this "computer" (that's truly what the Kronos is) with a 16 channel mixer, (complete with faders) allowing the keyboardist to layer pianos, organs, strings, guitars, and basses, with every conceivable orchestral instrument (many in preset groups), plus an amazing array of synthesizer tones and pads. It's a live performers dream!
Add the ability to not only split and layer programs (up to 16 zones, overlapping if desired) but to assign 'velocity' to the various tones so that certain ones are only triggered when you strike the keys harder.
There is a downloadable PDF manual for going deeper into the sounds, and deep is an understatement. For example, dozens of onboard effects are provided, each with numerous variables.
Online tutorials make getting the basics down a breeze. Once you understand how to break down mixes or "combis" into their constituent parts, and how to store your edited sounds into memory, creating "lists" of tones (your own quick-access banks), you are off and running.
I haven't even touched on KARMA, sequencing, the onboard 16 track recorder, the drum sets, the drum patterns, or the ability to pipe external audio, including live sampling (want to record your child's voice and make your own choir?) this is truly a remarkable keyboard!
I also want to compliment the great people at Sweetwater, including my representative, Jim Watson and the CEO, Chuck Surack, for taking the extra time to answer my many questions, for going the extra mile in helping me put together the right accessories, and for helping me acquire a financing package that would work for me. As always, they made the whole experience great.
Kronos 2
OK, if you want a do everything keyboard with style and the best sounds possible then you've arrived at your new home base. Yes the Kronos can be a bit to take in during the first three or four month but after that things really start to come together. The more you learn about this fabulous machines data base and onboard sound library the more you'll love it. I got the 73 weighted key action and it's great for me. I had the Nord 5D 73 and it was an in creditable instrument in it's own right. But the Kronos comes extremely close to it's piano and organs but can go so much further. The only fault that I can lay at the feet of the Kronos is that their drum tracks are set too loud. Again with a little research I now know how to adjust them and make the overall experience soooooo much better. If you're considering this type of Keyboard drop the hammer, you won't be sorry.
A Must Have
Well, this is a must have for keyboard players. Almost seems like an alien intelligence brought it to this planet. It's that amazing.
Things I love / don't love about it:
The action plays fantastic. But, the action is pretty loud. If you are on a headset, people will definitely be hearing the action if they're near the room. But the response is nonetheless fantastic. You can set up all kinds of intricate piano aspects - soft pedal, etc. The piano sounds are not up to Synthogy standards, in my opinion. The pianos are a bit tricky to modify on a live gig, when you want to make quick adjustments for acoustics. (In split mode.)
I love that you can move from one sound to the next without the sound output stopping.
But, this is not true when you transpose the keyboard.
Say you are 4 bars into a song and the singer needs you to transpose it -When you transpose the keyboard, all sound output stops. This is a bit of a problem. When all sound stops you tend to appear to not know what you're doing.
Not true of the Motif XF. Transpose away. But there are the gaps between patch changes. (Darn.)
So don't get rid of your Motif XF just yet as many of the sounds are much better than those in the Kronos. But funny enough, they seem to compliment each other very well. For example, I'm not very happy with the Hammond organs and Electric Basses on the Motif's overall, but they are really great on the Kronos. On the other hand most of the horns, orchestra's, sitars, etc. are much nicer on the Motif. The Motif Rhodes are far better than the Kronos. (in my opinion - the Motif XF Chick Rhodes sounds blow me away.)
The Set List Feature on the Kronos is brilliant. But the sound output stops as you change patches between set lists.
What bothers me most about the Kronos is the design of basic functions that have been made very awkward to access quickly. Primarily, the way reverb is added.
For example, bring up a piano patch, and go to split mode. The bass comes up on the left hand. Very nice. Now, quickly add some reverb onto that dry piano, without adding it to the bass. Now don't save the patch and come back to the keyboard the next day and repeat the process. Change the right hand patch. Notice what happens to your reverb. It takes a bit of finagling, and is not very intuitive. Why is adding reverb to a sound such a big deal? Why not put a reverb slot in the channel strips.
So I guess presently you should set up your splits and assignments in an orderly manner so effects or whatever are controlled by the same knobs / sliders.
On the downside, a lot of the joystick access movements have been totally neglected.
On the Korg 01/W when you pulled the joystick back on say a lead guitar sound, it would add crazy guitar effects. The lead guitar sounds were much better and more fun to play on the O1/W. Definitely a lot more thought had gone into them. I have to check into the 3rd party libraries still.
Speaking of which, the software to integrate the Kronos into sampling between your Mac and the Library editing seems pretty wonky. I couldn't get it to work very well. Seems like a interface similar to the Melas Motif editor, or Mach 5 would be a welcome addition.
What I like most about the Kronos:
The display is very easy to see and navigate. Once your sounds are set up, you are rock solid. It's a beautiful keyboard, with the wood sides, etc.. My Kronos 73 is much lighter than my Motif XF88 (with the firewire card, additional memory installed and all.) I can stick the Kronos in the KORG hardshell case and set it in the front passenger seat of my Mazda6 for a quick gig, one that I just couldn't justify the effort it would have taken to drag the Motif XF88 to.
The Kronos 73 is a lot for the money, and I'm very grateful to Korg for it's existence.
There is so, so much great stuff about it that I have not even mentioned. (Sorry!)
I am extremely pleased with it.
Thank you Sweetwater!
Versatile, great for live performance
This replaced two keyboards in my live rig, which now consists of only the Kronos and a MIDI keyboard controller that plugs into it. The separate keyboard is for organ and synth leads, which are clumsy on the K73's weighted piano-style keybed.
They call this a "workstation", which makes it sound as though its intended application is composing and recording. But it's actually a superb live instrument, due to the Set List feature and bright 8" color LCD display. No more futzing in the dark trying to bring up the right patch between songs. Brilliant.
If your main instrument is piano, you'll love the Kronos for that. Lots of pianos to choose from, for any musical style from classical to classic rock. Samples are not looped and have between 8 and 12 velocity layers. The keyboard action is quite nice. OK, it's not a Steinway. But for a 40-lb piano alternative, it's quite nice.
It's also a good lead synth. Strings and guitars are usable but not jaw-dropping. Pads and horns are good. BTW, I am basing my evaluations on Kontakt-based sample libraries and VSTi's, not on other ROMplers. Kronos' factory sound sets are as good as or at least comparable to anything from Roland or Yamaha, in every category.
Organs are based on the CX-3 engine, which is OK, but without dedicated drawbars and switches it's not as ergonomic as a standalone organ. The Leslie sim is weak, so I use an external unit (Neo Instruments Ventilator) for that. And, as noted above, a separate light-action keyboard for playing organ.
It's hard to think of many negatives. Add-on libraries are rather expensive (compared to Nord libraries, which are typically free downloads). It lacks traditional mod and pitch wheels (uses a joystick), which can be disconcerting if you've spent decades mastering those modulators for expressive playing. It takes more than 2 minutes to boot up (don't trip over the power cable during a gig!).
At the time of this writing, there is no official carrying case for the K73 available in North America, and Sweetwater does not carry any generic cases that fit it well. I ultimately had one custom made, which was less-expensive and just the right size.
This instrument is extraordinarily versatile. That can be a plus or a minus depending on your expectations. If you want a simple ROMpler for bread 'n butter sounds, there are less-expensive alternatives that might suit you better. Kronos' versatility necessarily means it's complex to navigate if you want to go beyond factory presets. It has 9 synth engines, and each one has its own unique UI to learn. Navigation can be confusing. Plan on spending some time studying the manual and watching videos. I've been at it for a month now and I'm just starting to feel comfortable in Kronos' O/S.
Versatility extends to the hardware. You have no fewer than SIX audio outputs and two audio inputs. It can be used as an audio interface or an effects unit (150+ effects!). It has a 32-track sequencer (16 MIDI + 16 audio tracks). Three USB ports, and you can plug in an external display or laptop. External modulation sources are fully programmable, e.g. using an expression pedal for string swells while not affecting a piano in the foreground. Stack voices and route them to different destinations. Real surround if you want. No wall-wart (yay!), it has a proper internal power supply.
Unlimited keyboard splits means you can program a patch for each song in your band's set list that includes every sound effect, every rhythm and lead voice you'll need in that song. Say you need a few sound effects, an organ and a synth lead - assign them to different ranges on the keyboard and eliminate the need for patch changes on the fly. If you can't fit everything into key splits, stack them and enable/disable/mix them as needed via the control surface (tip: choose "Live" mode in the Global settings for optimal polyphony and RAM usage).
And yes, you can use it as a workstation, too. The built-in drum machine is OK for practicing, but I wouldn't use it for recording or live performance. The sequencer is easy to use but no substitute for a DAW. Polyphony is far greater than most digital keyboards, up to 200 voices, but it's not a fixed number (depends on which synth engines and which patches are in use) and not inexhaustible. In live performance you will probably never exceed its polyphony limits, but as a sequencer it's likely you will. Latency is never a problem, but dropouts can be.
So all in all it's not perfect. But it's as close to perfect as I could hope for.
Love it but!!
This keyboard is one of the finest sounding, playable, weighted keybeds for a semi-professional as myself. It is all you "may" ever need!, Only reason for not a perfect 5 is the weight, IF you want to go portable! At 46+ lbs. then plus the weight of your carry bag. It is NOT very portable. As a studio machine it is perfect. I really wish Korg would consider making the 73 and LS option. Should bring the weight down to about 32,,ish, light lbs.! You can do it KORG!!!
Greatest synth I've ever had,,just some room.
Once again a keyboardist that is 80% synth player, the rest legacy type keyboards, Piano, wurli, etc. Korg should seriously look into a 73 semi-weighted Keybed such as the LS 88. Would purchase in a heartbeat and leave my 73 RH3 Keybed Kronos at home to use as a stationary studio machine. Would love to see an LS 73 for live performance. And? Was Purchased from Sweetwater.
Rich D.
The elephant in the room
All the positives others have written here and in all the video reviews available are all true to my own experience with this synthesizer so I won't waste time repeating them. The sound quality from all the different onboard engines is mind-blowing. The live performance controls - both the touch-screen and physical knobs/sliders - are game-changing.
But what I found missing from all those other reviews is any hint of the one major flaw in the Kronos 73 -
The RH3 Graded Hammer Action Keybed is rubbish. We bought one for our church about 5 weeks ago and we're now on our *second* replacement. Both the original and the first replacements had several keys that would snag or hang up in the at-rest position. It would take extra down-force and a brief extra moment to break free the key which both threw off timing and caused unintended extra velocity to be applied every time those notes were played. The problem seemed worse when the keyboard was mounted on a keyboard stand at a 3 to 4 degree angle (not an uncommon or unreasonable configuration at all) leading me to believe the root cause is some slop in the counterweights on some keys.
But even on the keys that didn't exhibit this tendency to snag the action is muddy and heavy. We're into taste and preference now but I've played electronic hammer-action keyboards from early 80s (T8 and Synclavier) through 2000s era Yamaha P200/250 and Roland digitals plus a number of Steinway, Kawai, Yamaha and Bosendorfer acoustic pianos and the RH3 in my opinion is not even a good "heavy" action. Play a fast trill and the keys just don't come back up fast enough. Glissandos just skip along the surface.
I would really like to see Korg knock a few hundred off the 73-key price and offer a semi-weighted option like the 61-key model has. It's a shame to have to put up with the RH3 to have 70+ keys available for all the split/layer configurations that are so useful in performance.
Again, it's not that I have only bad things to say about this synth, but there's no shortage of all-positive reviews. The elephant in the room has a name - "RH3"
Finally I must say a big "Thank you" to the staff at Sweetwater for supporting us as we dealt these issues. Replacements were fast and completely hassle free. Both the sales and technical support departments really stepped up even though the cause of the issues were not their fault and totally outside their control.