Korg Forums

[JPROBERTLA]

The New Orleans GC just got an K88 and a K61. They have them stacked for demonstration, so only one person can play at a time (?), but as luck would have it, I had some time to kill yesterday afternoon, so I got about an hour of undisturbed access. Understand I am a long time and loyal Korg user, and have been waiting patiently to upgrade/replace my Triton Studio. So here is what I found:

(1) The sounds are absolutely great except for most of the guitars, which really aren't that much better than those on my Triton. The Kronos guitars have been beaten to death, so I will leave it at that. The overall sonic clarity and quality (no matter which engine) are the best I have heard in similar class workstations. The factory programming is very well done.

(2) The screen font and format is smallish, but definitely readable and usable. The user interface (in general) is excellent, especially if you are familiar with Korg keyboards. I had no problem with the touch screen on either keyboard and did not have to calibrate them to my touch. This is not an issue for me because I have used a stylus since the Trinity; using a stylus is more accurate and faster on Korg touch screens.

(3) The overall build quality is good except for the data wheel (which does seem delicate) and the RH3 key bed on the 88. I went through all of the switches, knobs, sliders and controllers on both keyboards. I even tapped around the vector joy-stick while playing and it did not move or alter the sound. For those who have complained about the RH3 key bed, you have every right to do so based on what I saw. It's playable, but the inconsistency of the key heights and spaces between the keys is simply unacceptable to me for a keyboard workstation of this stature.

My original plan was to get the Kronos 88 to replace my Triton Studio 88. For what I do it was the next logical step, But after following this forum since it started, I became apprehensive. After seeing and playing, I will definitely go with the K61. Besides not having to deal with the RH3 issues, I actually like the RH2 action on the Triton more, and now I will have both weighted and synth actions.

Thanks to all who have shared their experiences and opinions. It kept me from acting too quickly and created just enough doubt to make me wait and experience them for myself. For me, the result was a much better decision.
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JP
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Kronos2-88, Behringer XR18, Turbosound IP2000 (x2), dbx DriveRack 260, KRK Rokit 8s, Mackie CFX16, Mackie SRM450(x2), Mackie SRS1500 (x2), BBE processors (x4), Roland VSR 880 (x2), Alto TS210, Alto TX10 (x3) and SoundForge

[Synthoid]

Thanks for the info/review.

We're still waiting for a Kronos to show up here.


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M3, Triton Classic, Radias, Motif XS, Alesis Ion

[michelkeijzers]

Thanks for the review. I only have tried the 73 version myself but I'm not a piano player so I hope the 61 is good too. However, probably I will test it before I really going to order it. But it's always nice to hear different opinions.
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Developer of the free PCG file managing application for most Korg workstations: PCG Tools, see https://www.kronoshaven.com/pcgtools/