Korg Forums

[Track 7]

For six years I've been using the Kronos for home recording in place of a computer-based DAW. I write mostly orchestral music with lots of live guitar and bass parts added to the Kronos sounds.

Now I'm getting tired of tracking so many audio parts that I think could be done with good virtual instruments (Orange Tree guitars, Native Instruments). I haven't found any guitar samples I like for the Kronos, so I'm wondering if it's time to move on.

I never perform on keyboards, so I don't need the portability. Mainly I just love having everything in one unit without having to mess with computers and peripherals. This is the main reason I bought the Kronos.

Am I suffering from greener-grass syndrome? The endless universe of virtual instruments is alluring, but it also seems like it could be a can of worms.

I'm not unhappy with the Kronos and know I could always come back to it. Just trying to do things as efficiently as possible and pondering whether the Kronos is the best tool for the job.

Any thoughts or advice?

[Sam CA]

I'm also a home player, and rarely play anywhere. I do use Kronos as my main board and midi controller as well. I do use a DAW as my primary sequencer. There's no reason for me to work any other way.

Yes, soft libraries are very good, but not for quick sketching. Playing around with too many sounds and articulations for orchestral music in particular, it's just a waste of time and inspiration. It'd be much faster to use Kronos or any other good sounding synth to sketch the composition...and then replace or layer things with more dedicated libraries suitable for the purpose.
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Sam

[19naia]

Time to add to Kronos a computer with what you need on it.
Kronos was made to have at least one external device working together with it.
Adding a Computer with what you need, is as compact as it gets.
And the Computer is flexible in case you get tired of what it brings and need to replace or add to what’s on the computer.

Every Kronos owner has to have at least one external to add to Kronos.
iPad is what i have for now and that is almost as compact as it gets.
Some keep it as compact as iPhone.
I also have one other external and both are compact enought to sit on Kronos and keep my foot print the same.
I plan to replace the iPad with a computer some day but that can wait while i spend on things that aren’t just extras to enhace my toying around experience. I don’t do shows or music for income and hardly use much of the capabilities i have.
So -nearly $5000 for a laptop stocked with what i want, can wait and wait and wait while i buy things that aren’t going to sit there most of the time until the little bit of time i spare just to play with, for fun.

Another thing about waiting, is every year i don’t buy the laptop, new more powerful and more compact laptops come out. My delayed options only get better.
If i am not careful. iPad will end up powerful enough to do the Laptop job by the time i decide to take the long delayed jump into getting a laptop. If iPad will ever make USB file transfer possible and allow iOS to be optioned out with MacOS or at least iOS update that makes it able to do what MacOS does today.

[GregC]

[rpowell01]

Take it from somebody who uses Kontakt, Omnisphere 2 and REFX Nexus 2 you will not find much better in those with Orchestra that I've found in the Kronos.

Just the past week I been demo'ing KaPro Orche and strings stuff. Let me tell you, one of the best if not the best.

But yes the Kronos lacks guitars and Kontakt does have some great patches out there. There was one that was just awesome but I cannot recall the name of the library; Aura or Auro or something like that if I recall correctly.

Do not get like I have the past month and give up on your Kronos, I've found new love demo'ing KaPros stuff and well instead of buying more VSTis I'm going to start purchasing them great sounds he has and others once I get around to them...haha

[benny ray]

Agree Kapro has some really good libraries a cut above the rest IMO.
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K2 Kronos 88, Mojo 61, Korg CX3, Roland FANTOM 7

[karmathanever]

[Track 7]

Thank you all for you replies. Each one has been very helpful with much good food for thought. What a great community.

Yes, greener grass and G.A.S. I have suffered from all of it. Thank you for reminding me how good I have it with the Kronos.

I'm encouraged to hear that the Kronos holds its own with Kontakt, Omnisphere, etc. Komplete 12 is so alluring, but do I really want to plow through all those articulations and do all that editing? No!

GregC, great question about goals, priorities, requirements.

Quite frankly, when it comes to technology, I am really lazy and want the easiest, most basic way to do things. A tangle of cables and gizmos trips me up fast and makes me want to write a novel instead of music.

I write my scores the old-fashioned way, by hand, in pencil on yellow score paper (amazingly, this paper can still be ordered over the phone from North Hollywood).

When the whole score is done, say 100 pages and 45 minutes' worth of music, I sit down at the Kronos and start sight-reading all the parts into the sequencer.

Then I add the live audio parts. Then mix. Then someone else does the mastering.

Tracking the audio is the most tedious part, and if I could use VSTs and just sequence them, that would be easier than playing all the parts live.

But I don't know. Maybe that is a necessary process that I am lazily trying to avoid. I must say that live audio makes for an organic sound with more dimension than any VSTs. If only I weren't so grumpy about doing it.

Anyway, you guys have inspired me to revisit and refresh my Kronos. My OS is years out of date (3.0.2), and thanks to this forum I've learned how to unload unused programs to make room for other sounds.

My only added library so far is EXs-51, Karo Unison Orchestra. I think I'll check out some KApro sounds next.

I'm still not ruling out a DAW, but first I'm going to revisit the Kronos, maybe add some fresh sounds and even stop writing so many guitar parts to minimize the audio tracking.

Thanks again for all your thoughts.

[Galf2]

My Korg Kronos doesn't have a year old. And I'm very satisfied. But we must recognize the three great shortcomings in the monster.

1. Few banks. (need at least 32 free User Banks)
2. No support VST 64-bit.
3. No piano roll.

Therefore, I will leave here my lonely cry in the desert

Hey, Korg Engineers!
Awww?
Where are you?
You hear me?
Be good guys, make it finally!!!

[Liviou2004]

[GregC]

[Track 7]

Yes, Liviou, thanks for posting those Seaboard links. This looks to me like learning a whole new instrument, which makes tracking guitars seem like not such a hassle after all.

These Orange Tree samples are very attractive, but who knows what kind of controller it would take to get these results:

https://youtu.be/jL3aaBUkKpM

Probably at least synth action instead of weighted as on my Kronos 73.

[Bachus]

Its been said by others..
The kronos is not just a master piece
But also a masterfull controller..

I dont think you have a better choice for controlling vst’s then the kronos..
And it comes with all the musicallity inside..

The only real thing irritating me on th K is the boot time...
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Korg Kronos 2/88 , Genos, Mainstage3 +VSTsu, ipad pro, GSi Gemini, Roland Integra 7, Jupiter Xm, Yamaha motif XS rack, Ketron SD90.
www.keyszone.boards.net

[Mike Conway]

[Track 7]

Mike, thanks for reading my mind. I was thinking of starting another thread to ask about other orchestral libraries. Your videos make me appreciate the Kronos more. After the holidays I will sit down and figure out sample management to make room for other sounds. I don't use that many, maybe a few dozen. Would be great to streamline my auto loads for max RAM and efficiency.