What's the reason you DIDN'T buy a Kronos?

Zeroesque · Post by **Zeroesque** » Fri Jul 22, 2011 4:55 pm

realtrance wrote:Very simple: like almost everything else these days, totally overpriced for what it is.

Very simple: like most forum posts these days, totally overstated for what it is.

I'm sure you've convinced yourself that some mishmash of existing gear/software is more capable, usable, sounds better and costs less than the Kronos. That's awesome for you. Ignorance is bliss.

madbeatzyo111 · Post by **madbeatzyo111** » Fri Jul 22, 2011 5:38 pm

I think the Europeans have good reason to believe it's over-priced since they are paying 30% more vs State-side. I'm not entirely sure why Korg prices it that way. It could be that the dealers are marking them up due to high demand/low supply--which means after a few more months, the prices should come down there, hopefully.

Chriskk · Post by **Chriskk** » Fri Jul 22, 2011 5:38 pm

I haven't bought a Kronos because (1) I can't work on the crammed screen for more than 10 minutes, (2) Korg hasn't delivered what they promised yet (editor), (3) the fan is rather loud, and (4) I'd like a 73 but I don't like the RH3 keybed.

ix studio · Post by **ix studio** » Fri Jul 22, 2011 8:12 pm

1./ to expensive in uk vs us

2. / in a few years it will be superseded

3. / seriously flawed where user sample memory goes etc

4. / basically a port of oasys minus the m3 updates and to my mind another cheap move really.

5. / piss poor build quality for the money

clipnotic · Post by **clipnotic** » Fri Jul 22, 2011 8:14 pm

... It is apparent that he is a DAW user through and through, while I am a hardware guy. I'm not trying to change that, which is why I said, "you don't need any specific synth to make music."

For a long time I was a hardware / workstation user, too because at this time, hardware were the best developed tools available! And I would like to change my PC with a big hardware workstation because it has soul and nice colorful lights

But today hardware and workstations offers poorer workflow, poorer features and not the same creative posibilities like software! And the difference is too much!

And that's the reason I like this thread because I hope that the Korg developers read this and think about that!

I think it's no use if people praise "oh Kronos is so nice" ... " I love it" ... "thank you for this fantastic workstation" ... Yes there are many Korg fans here in this forum and they love every Korg workstation and are happy to collect them since years and pay for all what they develop ...

But if Korg would create a workstation which convince a fault-finder like me and some others here, too, to buy this workstation - then they would develop a really great machine and would make much more money with it!

And the reason, I write this especially here in a Korg Forum is, that I think Korg has the brain and the possibility to create a really great machine!

Look at EMX SD or the M3. On this both machines you can find some very creative features which are not available at the Kronos - WHY??? Is that a special managment strategy? Then they should think about that, too!

If they would put some of the great sequencer features from this devices into the Kronos and some nice and standardised features from current DAWs ...

THEN WE WOULD TALK ABOUT A REALLY GREAT HARDWARE WORKSTATION!

And then I would praise, too!

But in this condition the Kronos is the next new workstation with better sounds and nothing more! And in some months, the next new workstation from Roland offers better sounds and then Yamaha follows again ...

How long do we have to put up with that? Are 15 (or more) years not enough!?

And yes, the European price is a dirty trick!

And 1000 hours with a Kronos at this condition is lost time of your life if you'll find out after that time, that it's better to sell the Kronos!

Chriskk · Post by **Chriskk** » Fri Jul 22, 2011 8:40 pm

Wait for the M5 to be debuted in 2012 or 2013.

It'll have the SGX-1, EP-1, HD-1 & sampling of the Kronos and retain most of the nice features of the M3. It'll sell for around $2,300 for a 73/76 key version.

Korg needs a workstation at that price point to stay afloat.

Korg will also release the 8 voice polyphony AL-3 or something like that as a replacement for the R3 at the retail price of $599.

P.S. Well, the VST's stability nowadays rivals that of hardware synths. I saw Eddie Jobson playing live with two controllers and a Macbook. He could get marvelous sounds. The days of so-called all-in-one workstations are numbered.

clipnotic · Post by **clipnotic** » Fri Jul 22, 2011 8:50 pm

double!

clipnotic · Post by **clipnotic** » Fri Jul 22, 2011 9:31 pm

Yes and on that M5, they will exclude some other features to create the next semi-finished technical marvel!

And you are right "The days of so-called all-in-one workstations are numbered BECAUSE all workstation developers think they can repeat that strategy on and on!

And I can say I know quite a lot of musicians and all of them will NOT buy the Kronos - Really! So nowadays in germany it's not good enough to create only a big hype and a very fat marketing strategy to squeeze money out of us

OK there are many live keyboarders, too and they probably will buy it ... i don't know ... Perhaps the strategy of Korg is to sell the Kronos only for them? But then they should be truthful about that!

Nowadays not only the technics are advanced but also the knowledge of the musicians!

sani · Post by **sani** » Fri Jul 22, 2011 10:06 pm

I'm not buying the Kronos yet because I have a keyboard that gives me everything I need right now.
However, I'm shaking my had about how ridiculous some of the reasons are that are here mentioned.

You can't work on that crammed screen for ten minutes? Have you ever seen another workstation display? Or do you mean that every screen should have no more than 5 parameters on display? You think that pushing cursor buttons like crazy is more natural then directly selecting it from the screen even if the fonts seems to be somehow small? You may hit a press on the screen. So what. You have to press 8 times a cursor button on a workstation without a touchscreen. And that is Ok for you. But missing a hit and a response from the screen here and there suddenly becomes a problem.

Korg hasn't delivered the editor yet? What a disaster! There are workstations on the market which are hardwired to one software DAW or that support DAW's two versions ago.
Just give Korg the time to deliver it. Some companies like Roland needed more than a year to give you some basic functionality back on their workstations and they don't even communicate with their customers at all.

I have nothing against an argumented criticism and complain. But some reasons are really completely out of this world.

clipnotic · Post by **clipnotic** » Fri Jul 22, 2011 10:18 pm

yes you are right but I have a question:

Why do manufacturers today this:

1. Big marketing strategy
2. Sell an unfinished product
3. and then finish the product later

They may rest assured that the customer complains!

If they would do it like this:

1. Finish the product
2. Big marketing strategy
3. Sell a finished product

The customer has no reason to complain!

But I know, like the first way the most manufacturers work today - Why ??? And that's not only with workstations ... this happens with software, pc, mac ...., too!

(Sorry my english is not the best!)

sani · Post by **sani** » Fri Jul 22, 2011 10:39 pm

clipnotic wrote:yes you are righ but I have a question:

Why do manufacturers today this:

1. Big marketing strategy
2. Sell an unfinished product
3. and then finished the product

They may rest assured that the customer complains!

We are talking about Korg here. How is the Kronos unfinished?
Could we agree that the hardware is finished? The software may have some glitches. Ok, but it happens to far bigger companies which makes billions of $ and have thousands of employees and beta testers. So, what is unfinished on the Kronos?
Just curious.

A f..king vst editor? If that is a reason not to buy the kronos, for christ sake, buy cubase/sonar/logic and vst instruments.

clipnotic · Post by **clipnotic** » Fri Jul 22, 2011 10:45 pm

You answered this by yourself!

Korg Kronos is hardware and software, this is what you buy and what you need!

And finish means:

Finished hardware

AND

Finished software

For me finish means, I can use ALL promised and purchased features!

And the editor / plugin is not finish!

And i said that, too. That's a problem the most manufacturers have today not only Korg and all of them do this because the customers put up with that and some customers like you defend them, too???!

And yes, this f******g editor and plugin you need to work with Kronos optimal on your PC / in your DAW - and the reason for that is, that in Kronos you can't do that optimal!

But don't get me wrong! I could live with that but not with the rest of missing features!

And if you are only a live keyboarder, you don't need that but the Kronos is sold as a production tool!

RonF · Post by **RonF** » Fri Jul 22, 2011 10:57 pm

clipnotic wrote: For me finish means, I can use ALL promised and purchased features!

And the editor / plugin is not finish!

That's the best you got? A PC software editor? Ok...I'll give it to you, its not finished. But the Kronos is effectively as mature of a product as I have seen in this biz, if not due solely to its lineage.

It will be great when the PC editor comes out....but if THAT is what is holding you up from making music on and exploiting the power of the Kronos...then something else is wrong entirely. JMO....

clipnotic · Post by **clipnotic** » Fri Jul 22, 2011 11:00 pm

Come on - if you would read all my replies, you would see which problems are holding me up to buy Kronos! It's not only the editor and the plugin!

But you need the the plugin for example because the Kronos sequencer is terrible and has not enough features to work professional with it! Did you ever work with Cubase, Ableton or FL Studio ?

AND YES IF YOU COMPARE WITH OTHER WORKSTATIONS, KRONOS IS THE BEST LIVE KEYBOARD BUT THERE ARE OTHER MUSICIANS AND POSSIBILITIES, TOO IN THIS WORLD !

And for me the sequencer is not finished, too!

Chriskk · Post by **Chriskk** » Fri Jul 22, 2011 11:10 pm

However, I'm shaking my had about how ridiculous some of the reasons are that are here mentioned.

You can't work on that crammed screen for ten minutes? Have you ever seen another workstation display?

I could not comfortably read the Kornos screen for more than 10 minutes. You may have eagle vision. I don't. Keep in mind that not everyone in the world has vision like yours. So, tell me why my reason is ridiculous.

Korg hasn't delivered the editor yet? What a disaster!

I need the editor so that I could comfortably edit parameters on a huge screen. I need to see how the editor works.