Korg Forums

[carlosriosmd]

Hi everyone!

I purchased a Motif XS8 because I was really sold on the piano and some of the accoustic sounds plus the amount of arpeggios, however its sequencer SUCKED and the learning curve was too steep. I found myself spending more time programing it than composing with similar results with its Cubase AI companion. At the time the Fantom G looked like a good choice. I specially liked its sequencer simplicity, and I used it to record SMF's and audio thru its RCA either the Motif or my VG-99. I was so excited to see the kronos. I am a pianist at heart and its sound quality appear to be quite good plus all the goodies will keep me busy for a while. I have tried to find out if its sequencer would be somehow similar and graphic to the G6 I have (you can see the tracks, copy and paste etc). I really hate to carry 2 keyboards with me or a keyboad and a computer which im tryng to avoid. Anyone has any idea?

[Kevin Nolan]

The Kronos Sequencer, as shipped, is identical to the OASYS one. This gives you 16 MIDI tracks and 16 Audio tracks (HD Recording at 24 bit). It is very well specified in terms of MIDI resolution, Audio quality; and has a fair complement of editing facilities. You can record multitrack MIDI, and indeed multitrack Audio

'Set up' facilities are also very capable - capacity to sync to a DAW via MIDI, EQ on all 32 channels, mix automation (MIDI 7-bit resolution only) significant true-professional effects with hundreds of effects presets including multiband compression and other excellent mastering effects; and overb among the very best reverbs you're likely to come across. All latency free and without having to question resource allocation; and integrated fabulously with the rest of the instrument.

Mixing down within the OASYS / Kronos yields recording of truly astounding quality. I don't say that likely. Noise is nonexistent. From mixing capabilities to the absolute and completely pristine audio paths from recording to master, OASYS/Kronos feels like a totally different proposition to any other workstation recording wise. I recently completed an entire commercial job on only the OASYS (as an experiment to see if it could be done) and though I pushed the OASYS to the absolute limit (it hung during bouncing, about 10 minutes before the 'absolute deadline' for delivery of the WAV master (I nearly had a heart attack) and had to learn a lot about how to organise numerous takes and versions on HD - for example if you create subdirectories too 'deep' the OASYS can't cope and doesn't save the audio tracks but doesn't tell you it's not saving them!), - but, once dealing with all that - it delivered a complex job admirably.

So Kronos will feel like a quite professional and complete sequencer. However, while it offers very goog graphical pages for setup, EQ, midi routing, effects routings and manipulation and even MIDI and Audio track viewing, there is no graphical editing of MIDI or Audio data per-say. So you do not get DAW type editing of Audio and MIDI regions. So it's not a graphically editable environment. But it does provide the full compliment of standard editing features so you don't really loose out on standard editing capabilities.

Given that the M3 has superior graphical features added to its sequencer, there might be cause for optimism that those added features will be added to the Kronos at a future date. If the case, it really will be a quite complete alternative to a DAW environment. But in terms of delivering superlative recordings - you have absolutely nothing to fear - Korg have dug _very_ deep in delivering a highly sophisticated recording, mixing, effects and mastering environment to readily match / compete with dedicated hardware, software and plugins.

Kevin.

[billbaker]

Kevin,

Any chance you could post excerpts from your "All-on-OASYS" job online? I'd be very interested in hearing what you've been able to wring out of the sequencer.

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...

[Slovenec]

I find it hard to understand how Korg can bring out the 'next big thing' workstation to replace the M3 and it's excellent hardware sequencer with a sequencer where it's midi side has gone back to the 1990s! From what I gather, even cue lists aren't included???? Can someone please confirm or deny this?

If Korg were able to include a piano roll editor and the like in the V2 M3 sequencer, then why oh why do they have to omit these features in the new and vastly superior Kronos????

The 16 track HDR is welcome but one has to wonder why Korg hasn't included tempo based time stretching so the audio can be adjusted to easily fit with the song tempo.

One can only hope that these features (amongst others) will be included in a subsequent update (like Kronos V2 perhaps?).

I know that it's pointless to criticise an instrument that one hasn't played yet but reducing sequencer features in a 'do it all' workstation simply doesn't make sense to me? Of course I could be wrong in my opinion????
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MIDITEK MUSIC PRODUCTION RECORDING & TUITION- albums, demos, jingles. Recording, arranging & mixing.

[Gargamel314]

[MartinHines]

[carlosriosmd]

Thanks Kevin and everyone else for the reply. Kevin, it reads great on paper. I did play a little bit with the M3 and Oasys virtual GUI and... Oh my god, its is just plain ridiculus. I mean, I know that there must be a lot of geniuses out there and here that could lay the tracks on their first take, but even after 25 years of playing, I still need to edit the songs once in a while. Anyway probably in this category, it will go like Fantom G, Motif XF, and at the bottom hehehe Kronos... Hey wait, isn't this supposed to be a top of the line brand new keyboard?

P.S. It sounds great in paper, It looks great on youtube :p I hope Korg gets it soon tata

[Slovenec]

The Kronos' sequencer midi resolution will be 480ppqn.
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MIDITEK MUSIC PRODUCTION RECORDING & TUITION- albums, demos, jingles. Recording, arranging & mixing.

[Sina172]

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[Kevin Nolan]

[Slovenec]

Kevin I really appreciate your comments and you make some very valid points.

However, lets remember that most of Kronos' technology isn't exactly new as it was around in 2005 when the much more expensive Oasys was released. You'd think that in 6+ years, Korg would have worked on the sequencer's GUI and at least incorporated what the M3 already had in it's V2 sequencer into the V1.0 Kronos OS.

It's been commented that those buying a Kronos often won't need to use the built in sequencer/HDR as they'll already have a DAW. However, to me, this means that Korg should have ditched the sequencer altogether.

Instruments such as the Korg M3 and Roland Fantom G have shown that a powerful hardware sequencer can be implemented. I've no doubt that those not inclined to use software sequencers will be able to produce fantastic music using the onboard Kronos sequencer. Korg have marketed the Kronos/Oasys/M3/Triton/Trinity etc etc as being instruments where you can complete your whole song idea from start to finish. Now, lets hope that the Kronos sequencer will continue to be developed in such a way that it will become a powerful hardware alternative to software for all those times when we're holidaying on that special desert island!
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MIDITEK MUSIC PRODUCTION RECORDING & TUITION- albums, demos, jingles. Recording, arranging & mixing.

[Shakil]

[Sina172]

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[apex]

[apex]