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What should I do first with my "new" Kronos?
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abinning



Joined: 08 Aug 2018
Posts: 4

PostPosted: Wed Aug 08, 2018 11:46 pm    Post subject: What should I do first with my "new" Kronos? Reply with quote

I'm new here (hi!) and really just looking for some advice on how to ensure that I haven't just bought a dud and what first steps I should take having clicked 'buy it now' on a Kronos X (88 note)...

Short back story... I started playing piano at the age of 5, was classically trained, got into jazz and music technology in my teens and did a spot of gigging through my 20's, lost my mojo in my 30's and pretty much stopped playing and shut music out. I do tinkle away on the piano now and then mostly getting frustrated that my fingers no longer do what my brain tells them (hardly unexpected) and had a failed re-boot 6 years ago when asked to play in a jazz combo because I felt I wasn't good enough. I'm now in my mid-40's and have been struggling with anxiety and depression for the past 2 years (officially at least, as it's been a problem for much longer than that) but I just about manage to keep my head above water. For a while I've felt that something is missing and I can hear and feel so much music stuck inside me that I need to get it out, not for the world to hear, or for fame and adulation, but for me. That connection to sound and making, creating music.

So I clicked 'buy it now' on a Kronos. I'm hoping to be inspired by it and that it will help me reconnect to my music and allow me to get some of what's stuck inside, out. It's being delivered on Friday and I'm far more excited about it than I should be. Coming late to the Kronos party, I'm finding there's so much information and opinion out there that I'm getting a little overwhelmed by it all... if you've read this far, I'm worried about setting off on the wrong foot with Kronos, so first and foremost I'd like to be able to confirm what I've bought is what it should be and that there are no issues, then factory reset everything and probably update it to the latest OS so I can start from scratch.

I've watched the official tutorial videos and downloaded the manuals from Korg which talk a familiar language having previously owned a Trinity Plus, but that was a long time ago and I'm wary that the Kronos is an entirely different beast... I'm not looking for "how to do x or y" with the Kronos, rather "have I got all my x's and y's?"...

I can easily check the physical stuff (screen, keys, buttons etc), but I don't know what to do to check that everything under the hood is in good order and the Kronos PC heart is running smoothly, or what files and sound libraries should be on the internal SSD drive and how would I go about checking? I've come across the word "Authorize" and stories of 'samples not loaded' which scares me slightly. I know from the listing that the Kronos is currently running OS 2.0.7 and will come with original install DVDs, so is updating really as simple as downloading the new software from Korg and following some instructions? Does the OS update come with sound libraries that need to be installed too, and/or linked, activated somehow?

Sorry if these are silly questions... any advice would be greatly appreciated, thanks!
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19naia
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 09, 2018 12:27 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Don’t do anything to it as far as deleteong files or factory reset after you get it.
You need to first find out what factory content and 3rd party content it has.

The previous owner could have loaded it up with $1000 of extra sound sets bought from korg website, and if you wipe the system clean without the previous owner’s content noted, then you lose extras that do not come with a factory stock Kronos.

Did the seller say anything about Extra sound packs added? That would best come with the authorization codes given to you to store for use later.
A korg website account will be needed for authorization codes and you will need to registier the device as yours under a korg website account.
I wonder if korg automatically tranfers any authorization codes with the device(kronos) to any new acccount created with the same device trading hands? You will have to use a purchase receipt to register the device as yours, on the korg owner account.
The account is later used to send and store any future authorization codes for extra sound sets. I doubt the previous owner can just hand you over their account sepeciqlky if it is tied to their personal email and name.

Is it a Kronos X, or Kronos 2 ,or Original Kronos?

Global mode “sample management” page will have a sum total of RAM listed on the screen. Used and available portions of RAM.

Disk mode will have “Media info” to show how much SSD space you have.

You can easily retrieve the Factory set portion of Recovery DVD ROM, on our computer if you can store the contents on the computer and transfer the Factory files to your kronos USB stick.
That will make sure you at least have an intact Factory set to work with.
A kronos 2 will be authrorized for a few free bonus sound packs that you can get authorized for as long as owner transfer is settled on the korg website after uploading a proof of purchase.

You can load the Factory set files into kronos without deletng what is already stored in Kronos as it is when it arrives. Try not to delete anything.

If it arrives the RAM maxed out on Boot up, then you need to start looking through Auto load to see what is there and then sort through sample management to see what you have there.
It can be tedious and messy if you get a board from a prolific customizer, who added all kinds of sound packs and custom samples that could be a treasure trove to you.
Simplest thing is that it is just the factory file and then you graft out from the restore DVD ,the factory file set in there and load it into Kronos just to be sure you have an intact Factory file.
Just because it comes with the factory file stored, does not mean some one has not altered it. Recover DVDs give you a sure backup of non-altered Factory files and more.

Don’t erase or delete anything that comes with the device.
Get back to the forum with what you find after you boot it up and look through it.
It would really be a waste to delete custom samples that are great or delete 3rd party sound sets that were installed but no record of what they were before you deleted them, and thus no way to know what exactly to look for to replace them.
Imagine being authorized for $1000 worth of sound sets but not knowing which because you deleted them before seeing what they were.

Used Kronos sound sets is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re gonna get.
It could come like a treasure chest -or a butchered up mess best replaced with a factory set that is grafted out of the recovery DVD ROM.

Physical performance and system operation is also a mystery until you boot up and start operating. But nothing that cannot be repaired as long as parts are available.
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GregC
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 09, 2018 12:28 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I am guessing +10,000 Kronus' have sold in the past +7 yrs.

With that #. there is a good bunch of folks that know their way around the K.

I don't know what country you are in- my suggestion is to find a local K owner that can do a thorough check up on your used " X"

Thats the best way to confirm you made a wise , defect free purchase .
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abinning



Joined: 08 Aug 2018
Posts: 4

PostPosted: Thu Aug 09, 2018 8:10 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

19naia wrote:
Don’t do anything to it as far as deleteong files or factory reset after you get it.
You need to first find out what factory content and 3rd party content it has. The previous owner could have loaded it up with $1000 of extra sound sets bought from korg website, and if you wipe the system clean without the previous owner’s content noted, then you lose extras that do not come with a factory stock Kronos......


Thank you 19naia for taking the time to reply... all most helpful indeed Smile

The seller made no mention of any additional sound banks so I'm not expecting anything extra, but your advice not to delete anything until I'm sure there's no useful extra stuff stored on the internal drive is exactly what I was looking for, and it's comforting to know that I will be able to restore just the original factory presets from the recovery DVDs. I'm sure the process will become crystal clear once I actually have the Kronos in front of me.

Quote:
Used Kronos sound sets is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re gonna get. It could come like a treasure chest -or a butchered up mess best replaced with a factory set that is grafted out of the recovery DVD ROM. Physical performance and system operation is also a mystery until you boot up and start operating. But nothing that cannot be repaired as long as parts are available.


I like the Forrest Gump reference and yes, you're right, hence my reason for coming here for some advice (and I'm quite sure I'll have further questions!!)

It's a Kronos X 88 by the way – apologies if that was lost in my rambling initial post – so hopefully won't have any of physical keybed issues which I only read about after buying (something which would have made me reconsider buying an original one via eBay). I'm a little nervous obviously that what will arrive is what I'm expecting – a virtually pristine, home use only unit – but I'll find out very soon... all the evidence so far suggests that it has had an easy life, unlike some very battered and bruised examples that I've seen listed. Fingers crossed.
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abinning



Joined: 08 Aug 2018
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 09, 2018 8:20 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

GregC wrote:
I am guessing +10,000 Kronus' have sold in the past +7 yrs.

With that #. there is a good bunch of folks that know their way around the K.

I don't know what country you are in- my suggestion is to find a local K owner that can do a thorough check up on your used " X"

Thats the best way to confirm you made a wise , defect free purchase .


Thanks GregC – that's good advice but wouldn't work for me at the moment (despite the fact that there are probably loads of Kronos owners here in Central Scotland). I feel more comfortable starting my journey back to music and into the Kronos world here.
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mm-pro
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 09, 2018 11:12 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Get a regulated AC power filter/battery back up device and use it with the Kronos. Treat it like a PC in a keyboard shaped chassis, because that’s what it is. Enjoy!
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GregC
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 09, 2018 12:11 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

abinning wrote:
GregC wrote:
I am guessing +10,000 Kronus' have sold in the past +7 yrs.

With that #. there is a good bunch of folks that know their way around the K.

I don't know what country you are in- my suggestion is to find a local K owner that can do a thorough check up on your used " X"

Thats the best way to confirm you made a wise , defect free purchase .


Thanks GregC – that's good advice but wouldn't work for me at the moment (despite the fact that there are probably loads of Kronos owners here in Central Scotland). I feel more comfortable starting my journey back to music and into the Kronos world here.


ok, I get that. I am a cautious person when reading about folks picking up a used Kronos on eBay, etc.

There are problematic K's floating around.

Potential problems won't jump out to you, since you are getting into territory I define as " you don't know what you don't know " .

Another suggestion is to locate an authorized Korg service center- see if they can provide a fair diagnosis.

I think your return or dispute process on eBay is 30 days. Thats not much time
to diagnose your used Kronos X.
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runningman67
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 09, 2018 8:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The best all in one box hardware synth ever made.

I would say, learn the sequencer. Don't let it beat you, it's actually going to be your best friend.

Hardware sequencers are a rare thing nowadays, yet the Kronos has a 16 track studio at your finger tips.
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GregC
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 09, 2018 8:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

runningman67 wrote:
The best all in one box hardware synth ever made.

I would say, learn the sequencer. Don't let it beat you, it's actually going to be your best friend.

Hardware sequencers are a rare thing nowadays, yet the Kronos has a 16 track studio at your finger tips.


we are on the same page.

Its very possible to get a good mix using the SEQ.

Musicians ( non keyboard types) are surprised at how we can get a good recording using the Seq. Of course, Kronos has many great sounds to work with.
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KK
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 09, 2018 9:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi abinning,

Lots of good advice given already. Once you know the Kronos starts fine and all hardware works as it should (screen, controls, all keys, etc.), don't wait and buy a little UPS to protect your machine. A pseudo-sine wave UPS will be just fine and they don't cost much compared to repairs caused by unstable AC power (and this can happen anywhere, big cities or small villages).

My advice is don't worry if the software/interface part looks complicated at first. It is intimidating, until you experiment with it. Once you know how to save your samples and everything, then it is safe to experiment modifying and moving programs/combis, etc.

The Kronos is an incredible machine. Many here find it all kinds of imperfections, but to me it is the best synth I have ever owned (and I saw quite a few of them in all those years).

Once you are ready, know that there are also some good external software like PCG Tools and TidyKronos to rearrange your programs and combis, etc. And of course there is the Kronos Editor freeware from Korg. I use them all often. You can also connect your Kronos using FTP, etc.

Let us know how your unit goes once you receive it.
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pete.m
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PostPosted: Fri Aug 10, 2018 8:35 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I agree with the advice about getting stuck into the sequencer menu, especially if you have those musical ideas kicking around inside you. Try altering some of the presets to create your own, too - you'll gradually start to produce sounds that are more personal to you, and that will inspire you in unexpected ways.

I just wanted to add that, if you are a past owner of a Trinity Plus, you won't feel completely lost. Things changed when the Triton took over from the Trinity, and there was another great leap from the Triton to the Kronos, but the basic framework is still recognisable - the difference is that the Kronos has everything that Trinity and Triton owners could ever have wanted...and then a bit more on top.

Final bit of advice - enjoy it. You've made a good choice.
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Rigel
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PostPosted: Fri Aug 10, 2018 11:05 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Cover the touch display with a screen protector used for iPads. Then you can aggresivelly poke at the virtual knobs and faders, without fearing the scratches.
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voip
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PostPosted: Fri Aug 10, 2018 1:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The good thing about the Kronos is that it works at many levels. The sounds are of excellent quality and, even at the most "basic" level of playing the factory Programs and Combis, as supplied, the Kronos is capable of giving many, many hours of fabulously good moments, often overwhelmingly so. The therapeutic benefits of owning the Kronos should not be underestimated. It's an excellent choice of instrument. As for what to do first, just play it and enjoy it, and get some regular practice into those fingers.

Beyond the "basic", the Kronos allows widely scoped sound design and crafting options, compositional tools, control and connectivity capabilities that should cater for most tastes, interests, and ambitions. There really is enough there for a lifetime's worth of use. That's probably why the Kronos has been around in its present form, and its precedent, the Oasys, for so many years.

The basic xs and ys really needed are a decent stand or table, sustain pedal, and some means of listening to the instrument; headphones and/or an amplfier/speaker system. Of course, after that, there comes the risk of getting a dose of GAS. We can advise on how to deal with that, if and when it comes!! ;-)

Provided the hardware works, which should be fairly easy to verify, the factory restore disks should be capable of getting back to a "clean" state, if all else fails. Updating is a simple and straightforward process, provided the instructions are followed. None of the updates come with sound libraries, as such, though Korg offer a free set of CX3 organ Programs, which is a separate download. If the keyboard comes with authorised sound libraries installed, their presence can be checked using the Global menus. Transfer of the licences is possible, though if there are additional libraries installed, they ought to have been mentioned in the listing, or at least via direct contact with the seller. Even if there aren't any, the "stock" Kronos comes with a very useful collection.

.


Last edited by voip on Fri Aug 10, 2018 8:27 pm; edited 1 time in total
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SLR
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PostPosted: Fri Aug 10, 2018 7:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Congrats on your purchase. I was watching that one with interest and I would have pulled the trigger myself but I snagged a Kronos 2 88 a couple of weeks back. You got that for a great price.

Like yourself, I'm just scratching the surface of this thing. However, I find that having previously owned a few Korg workstations, navigating the Kronos is quite familiar.

I recently had a Juno DS88 and a Yamaha MOXF8. The Juno was easy to work with but I found the MOXF8 extremely complicated. They both sounded rather good but the Kronos has replaced them both and I haven't lost any of the sounds I created, because they are all relatively easy to emulate on the Kronos. It's just awe inspiring.

When I purchased mine, the original owner signed the registration over to me, so in the event of a disk failure, I can recover all the sets they purchased via Korg downloads.

Might be worth an ask to your seller?

Good luck on your musical rediscovery Very Happy
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abinning



Joined: 08 Aug 2018
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 13, 2018 10:47 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks everyone, really appreciated your input.

Just a quick update to say that my Kronos X arrived safely late on Friday night, with the seller literally going the extra mile and delivering personally (~900 mile round trip I believe!). I'm very happy with my purchase... it's in near mint condition and has clearly been well looked after, supplied in the original packaging including printed manual and discs. The previous owner(s) would appear not to have been prolific editors (or it may have been reset for me) and there were no additional files or expansion libraries installed on the SSD other than four demo EXs that I suspect have been there since new, evidenced by the glossy A4 sheet with the manual the mentions them inviting you to try them and then buy them from Korg!

I couldn't resist checking it out on Friday despite the very late hour and just enjoyed playing the thing for a bit... didn't get much past the German grand and electric pianos to be honest, but I'm looking forward to getting completely engrossed in what the Kronos can do. Unfortunately I quite quickly became conscious of the fan hum (around E-flat below middle C) that whilst clearly normal, was something that I just knew I would find distracting. So on Saturday morning I threw caution to the wind and updated to v3.1.2 – which was as suggested a simple process – and after selecting 'slow' from the newly available fan speed options the Kronos fell completely silent... smiley, happy feeling restored, with extra string resonance Smile

Next steps will be I think to focus on finding 'my sound' from within the Kronos beast and getting a grip on the sequencer as suggested... no doubt I'll be back with further questions!
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