Korg Forums

[RMW]

In the fall of 2019 I purchased my Korg Kronos online, I really wish I had tried out the Keybed feel before purchasing… I had been a triton and triton studio user exclusively since they came out and absolutely loved the Keybed feel/action! I mistakenly thought that the Kronos being the upgrade of the triton line would also use the same Yamaha FS Keybed, logical right? I knew that the marketing language said “semi-weighted” but these keyboard manufacturers have interchangeably been using these terms “synth action/semi-weighted action for years, so I assumed Korg wouldn’t change one of the most critical aspects of the triton line as so many users we’re professionals, but I was wrong. But I kept my Kronos because it is such a wonderful beast, but to this day I still don’t like the Kronos Keybed feel/action. I kept using my triton studio as my main board in my double keyboard setup. Now I need to replace my triton studio and I’m looking at the Yamaha Montage to get a different manufacturers tones for more sonic options, but mainly for that same Yamaha solid, smooth and fast FS or FSX Keybed. Why would one keyboard manufacturer use another manufacturer’s Keybed in their flagship if it wasn’t that good? It’s it’s a synth, it needs to have “synth action”. Thanks for letting me rant!

[Xenophile]

I'm very happy with the "synth" action on my Kronos 2-61 purchased in 2017.
I connect a Studiologic SL88 Grand via a single USB cable for pianos, and play most all the organ/synth/sampler stuff on the Kronos keyboard.

My only complaints would be my constant worry that the Kronos is going to throw an error message on a gig, and the weight of the SL88 Grand.

I tried the lighter-weight SL88 Studio and didn't like the "spongy" action at all. It was like trying to play a memory-foam mattress. Exhausting.

[RMW]

I’m glad you enjoy the Kronos Keybed. I guess for me, I grew up playing a hammond b3 and not much acoustic piano, then I moved right into the wurly, clavinet, Roland 101, crumar orchestrated, XP80, etc as they came out, so I bypassed the acoustic and never got accustomed to the weighted feel. The synths even up through the 90’s all had truesynth action. When they started making those little 49’er keys more as controllers for studios they introduced that cheap plastic, then when they started putting large piano samples into synths, they had to add a “semi-weighted” feel for those sample pianos to feel/sound right. After that they just shoving the semi-weighted into synths. The exceptions were only certain high end synths, and that’s where I find myself today have to spend the extra $ to get the lush fat sounds AND the true “synth” action together. Anyhoo just really disappointed that they put “SEMI-weighted keys on the flagship 6 & 7. Why not just leave the weighted for the 88’s? Just my thoughts.

[pete.m]

Interesting to read, RMW. Good rant.

I'm happy with the Kronos keyboard, having also come to it after the Triton (and the Trinity before that), and I've generally been happy with any of the numerous synths I own (or have owned).

Even if I haven't initially been that happy with a new synth, I think I've overcome it because I quickly become fully engaged with the sounds themselves. In other words, it's just a tool to get to what I want, rather than a playing experience. In fact, in some ways, I think it can help to have all the different keybeds because they cause me to play slightly differently. The most extreme example of that - and it's the set-up that I'm naturally least drawn to - is the capacitative 'keyboard' of the Microfreak. But I can at least say that it's made me approach musicmaking in a new way, and I could always hook up a traditional keyboard if I was that desperate.

I experience far greater variations with piano keybeds, which are so individual that each instrument (each key sometimes) really is a one-off, and again I think that's good because playing differently will make me produce new and different ideas.

The reason I'm rambling on like this is to ask you whether or not your first experience of keyboards was a prolonged period of formal piano training on one piano that might have got you accustomed to a certain feel. With me, I missed out on all that education, and so I approach things in a very loose way. I'm just interested in any possible influence such an experience might have had on you.

[geoelectro]

I was also disappointed with the Kronos 61 initially. Now, I'm fine with it. You're right about the Yamaha FS keybed. Likely the best action for synths ever made. Sadly, Yamaha stopped making it some time ago. Likely too expensive. I wish it could be an option. This price for the competitive keybed or this higher price for the better keybed. But, if it isn't made any longer what can you do.
I service Yamaha products and over the years accumulated several of those keybeds. I built two MIDI controllers using them. I always knew the value and held onto them just for that reason. I still have a 76 note keybed hoping to finally use it in a newer controller.

Geo
_________________
Kronos 61 : 3GB RAM 120GB 2nd Drv.
Kronos 2 61
Synthesizers.com Custom Modular
N.I. Komplete 11, Omnisphere 2, VB-3.
HP i7 8GB Win 10
Yamaha P-80 Weighted Keyboard. NanoPad2

[Falcon2e]

I played a Triton for years and was used to the keyboard action too, also played Hammonds. In 2012 I ordered a Nord Stage 2 without having touched one, it also has semi weighted keys. At first I thought, oh no what have I done? But after a bit of time it became very playable. When I ordered my K I knew what I was getting, another semi weighted keyboard. After playing semi weighted keyboards for many years, I don’t even give it a thought, but there’s no way I could ever deal with fully weighted keyboards for the style of music I play. Hang in there 😎
_________________
Kronos2-61..(2) Triton Classic, Nord Stage 2, Previously owned lots of other gear dating back to the 70’s.

[Xenophile]

The only keybed that I really disliked and couldn't adapt to was the Studiologic SL88 Studio that I mentioned earlier.

I've got a Yamaha Motif ES8 that lives in my studio at home, and I really like that one for piano. But now I've gotten used to the Studiologic SL88 Grand that I'm gigging with, and it has a somewhat heavier action, and it takes me a while to adjust when switching between the ES8 and the SL88.

I have a little Roland A800-Pro 61-key controller that has a nice synth action that I like for playing organ and synth parts. But the whole unit is so light-weight that I've nearly sent it flying off the stand when I got a little too physical playing rock organ stuff. When I gig with it now I use some Gorilla tape to secure it to the stand.

[RMW]

[pete.m]

Thanks for sharing that, RMW.

Wow - what an interesting story that is, and what a musical education to have had. You'll have really picked up on the energy of the playing in ways that a conventional musical upbringing might not have provided and, having come up playing that particular instrument, I totally get why you felt the need to say what you did about the Kronos keybed.

Interesting too, that a significant part of your playing was shaped by the drawbars and Leslie speaker and not just the keys themselves - kind of opening you up to the possibilties of electronic music further along the road, perhaps, in a way that just playing piano possibly wouldn't have done.

Thanks again for such a fascinating post.

[RMW]

[RMW]

[RMW]

[KingKronos]

Hi RMW, thanks for sharing your story.
Awesome sitting next to a variety of organists for 9 years!

It's great to hear you're happy with Kronos CX-3 organ.
It's been a point of contention on other forums on just how good it is.
Generally the consensus is fair to middlin', does the job but not the best.

You must have a fairly well trained organ ear by now.
So it's heartening to hear you've dialed in the Kronos to taste.
Would you be willing to share your organ patches with the community?

Also, when you enter a solo, what do you do?
I imagine you kick up your volume pedal and switch on the drive.
Do you grab certain faders and bump them up too?
Thanks in advance for any insights you could share.

[geoelectro]

4 Octave FS keybed with controls. Used with my modular synthesizer.
(Never been able to upload an image here...probably just me)

https://www.dropbox.com/s/vfu88fnvabl2uca/Modular%20kybd.jpg?dl=0[url][/url]
_________________
Kronos 61 : 3GB RAM 120GB 2nd Drv.
Kronos 2 61
Synthesizers.com Custom Modular
N.I. Komplete 11, Omnisphere 2, VB-3.
HP i7 8GB Win 10
Yamaha P-80 Weighted Keyboard. NanoPad2

[RMW]