Korg Forums

[NavidSyed]

Hello everyone like most other korg forum members I am waiting for korg KRONOS and debating do I even need a KRONOS or any other workstation for that matter? My current setup include sonar x1 with ni komplete 7, nexus, and few other vst's controlled by yamaha KX 49 I can make multiple sound combinations using Kore 2, I don't gig at all just play for fun at home, I recently sold my M3 and now can't decide should I buy a new workstation? What benefits would I have with a dedicated hardware workstation, not hungry for sounds as I have thousands or even more

[tpantano]

[billbaker]

+1 -- Live use.

Reliability and stability are central to playing live.

I've had keyboards go down, usually because of power issues, but 99.99% of the time they're reliable in their performance where a computer that may give you an "I'm thinking about it..." message often enough for you to recognize and be irritated by it.

If power is interrupted to a hardware keyboard it will (usually) come up again instantly, and depending on model and programming it may even come up on the same patch you were on when power went off. Computers, again depending on model (many but not all) usually have a boot up time longer than 10 seconds and bring you to the desktop rather than into the last program being played.

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There are other issues, MIDI latency, dependence on I/O interfaces with their own quirks, complexity and time required for set-up, sound quality.

Most all of these are non-issues in a studio where "don't touch my gear" is a by-word. But a smokey bar, or outdoor gig, or even a wedding is not the same as being in a studio -- hardware is just a better option in environments that would be torturous for computers.

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I jut picked up Komplete-7 and Logic and I am looking forward to setting up a home studio after many years of playing out. You could argue, probably with some conviction, that Komplete-7 is a software version of Kronos or vice versa -- that's one of the main reasons why I got it.

But even if I get really good on Komplete and fall in love with many of the sounds I'll also be keeping enough hardware around to be able to do any gig in any genre without the requirement of bringing my laptop out of the "Daddy Cave".

Hopefully, there will be a great deal of synergy between the software synths and sequencer and the EMU Command Stations I'm keeping as hardware sequencers and my Tritons. And I'm anticipating that it will be even greater once I free up enough dough to get a Kronos into the picture too.


BB
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billbaker

Triton Extreme 88, Triton Classic Pro, Trinity V3 Pro
+E-mu, Alesis, Korg, Kawai, Yamaha, Line-6, TC Elecronics, Behringer, Lexicon...

[billbaker]

To answer the OP Question -

No, you probably don't need a hardware workstation with what you've got in-studio -- provided you stay there. Hey, things change, y'know?

It'd be nice to have Kronos's 9 engines in addition to Komplete's arsenal of sounds, but for you not necessary. In your case I think the money could be better used for beefing up computing capability and better / updated interfaces, back-up memory devices, and maybe even additional synths in soft versions.

$3500+ you don't spend on Kronos could buy a Macbook pro, Komplete7 (soft-equivalent Kronos) and you'd have a computer for other use and still have better than a grand in your pocket.

BB
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billbaker

Triton Extreme 88, Triton Classic Pro, Trinity V3 Pro
+E-mu, Alesis, Korg, Kawai, Yamaha, Line-6, TC Elecronics, Behringer, Lexicon...

[michelkeijzers]

The reason hardware synths are so expensive and also a bit behind technology mostly is because it takes an enormous amount of test/development time.

The pro is that everything works together well and it's mobile and maybe most important for live gigging: it's reliable. I wouldn't dare to use a pc/mac/software synth on stage.
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Developer of the free PCG file managing application for most Korg workstations: PCG Tools, see http://pcgtools.mkspace.nl