Kronos or Motif XF..which to pick???

[QuiRobinez]

one thing on the Motif i really think is much better then the one on the Kronos is the sequencer. I always use the Sequencer on the Motif because you can record 'patterns' and connect them to buttons on the motif. It's so easy to quickly create a verse, a chorus, a bridge, outro, etc and activate them at will during play. (much like a mpc sequencer).

Kronos has something similar to this. It's called RPPR.

i know, but that's not the same. A RPPR is just one pattern with one sound connected to a note on the keyboard.

In the motif i have 1 pattern that consist of 16 midi channels connected to a button on the keyboard. By activating that button i hear the pattern in a loop which gives the possibility to jam over my previous pattern recording. Whenever i want to go to the bridge in the song i just have to press the next button and the pattern changes to the recording (16 channels) i've made earlier. It's really a big difference compared to the Kronos sequencer which is much more song based. (I know that you can loop sections on the Kronos, but it's not easy to change on the fly when the band wants to go to the next section of the song). So for jamming purposes i prefer the Motif sequencer.

So when creating new songs i just press record and play 8 measures in performance mode (same as combi mode), then i add that sequence to button A (let's say that's the verse), then i press record and play something different in the next 4 measures and add that sequence to button B. Then press record again and play the chores in the next 8 measures and add that one to button C, etc.

When i'm done i jam over that parts and build up the songs during the jam session by pressing the buttons. Very quick workflow this way.

And when i'm done i copy the sequence to usb stick and import the sequence in Cubase and everything is ready for post production (patterns, sounds, etc).

[balfi]

I posted the same question on the motifator forum and so far the replies have all recommended the Kronos. Rather telling!

[michelkeijzers]

I posted the same question on the motifator forum and so far the replies have all recommended the Kronos. Rather telling!

Also on Motifator? Than Yamaha must certainly do something wrong (or Korg something very good).

[apex]

I posted the same question on the motifator forum and so far the replies have all recommended the Kronos. Rather telling!

Also on Motifator? Than Yamaha must certainly do something wrong (or Korg something very good).

I was one of them... (on motifator)

[Scott]

You really don't think Stevie is sitting there pressing all those buttons and programming, do you?

This does bring up another point... for the visually impaired (or just playing a gig in bright sunlight, for that matter), hard button navigation for patch selection and such beats touch screen... and one of the common Kronos criticisms is that much of the touch screen type is small and hard to read to begin with.

[Scott]

User Sampling: Motif Wins. Has more Ram available with the flash option if you're really into that. However it's EXPENSIVE!

Once the RAM upgrade for Kronos is officially supported ("any day now..."), it will be able to have more available RAM then Motif. Moreover, you can also quickly swap different sets of samples into and out of that RAM off the SSD. For example, if you wanted a different gigabyte of samples in your second set than in your first, you could load them in in the break in under 5 minutes. Loading a different gig of samples into the Yamaha takes hours, and requires that you bring a computer with you. So unless I'm wrong about some of this, Kronos is stronger for sampling all the way around.

As for which has better sounds in which category, it's often a judgment call. I agree that the Kronos has the strong EPs, but I'm not sure about the pianos. I don't love the ones I've heard, but I haven't heard all (32?) variations. For organ, the Kronos gives you full clonewheel functionality, the Yamaha doesn't. Kronos also has all the VA synthesis, etc.

Of course, one could get most of the Motif sounds by attaching a Motif Rack XS to a Kronos. And since the Kronos is such a capable MIDI controller, that would work very nicely.

Other than that, there are a variety of differences that could sway someone besides sounds... just the way the interfaces work, the feel of the keys, the fact that the 70-something action is weighted on the Korg and unweighted on the Yamaha (there are plenty of people who prefer each design over the other)...

[NuSkoolTone]

Once the RAM upgrade for Kronos is officially supported ("any day now..."), it will be able to have more available RAM then Motif. Moreover, you can also quickly swap different sets of samples into and out of that RAM off the SSD. For example, if you wanted a different gigabyte of samples in your second set than in your first, you could load them in in the break in under 5 minutes. Loading a different gig of samples into the Yamaha takes hours, and requires that you bring a computer with you. So unless I'm wrong about some of this, Kronos is stronger for sampling all the way around.

Depends on how you look at it. Because of OS limitations, Korg's "4GB" of RAM actually becomes 3.25GB. That's 3/4 of a GIG you can't use! So in Reality we can add 1.25GB of USABLE RAM to the Factory 2GB. On top of that the Kronos uses a large portion of that for the OS and the Factory Samples leaving 148 mb free. So assuming you want to keep the factory sounds (I know I DO, and want to load the rest of EX3) you have say 1.4GB of RAM to play with where the Motif has a TRUE 2GB of Flash RAM on top of its factory data AFAIK. There's zero load time and you can treat it like ROM. Korg's load times are fast so that helps negate the "ROM like" advantage and the Motif load times are SLOW, however not intended to be changed at the gig. So they both have their compromises. From a storage point of view Motif wins IMO. Though usability and preference is up to the individual obviously. Now if we ever get user streaming, THEN I'd say Kronos wins.

[meshax]

I posted the same question on the motifator forum and so far the replies have all recommended the Kronos. Rather telling!

I'm trying to choose my next board too, so I'm reading posts on both forums to get more info, and I didn't see these recommendations you wrote about ?

Is this a correct link ?

http://www.motifator.com/index.php/foru ... ad/457203/

meshax

[Sina172]

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[michelkeijzers]

I posted the same question on the motifator forum and so far the replies have all recommended the Kronos. Rather telling!

Also on Motifator? Than Yamaha must certainly do something wrong (or Korg something very good).

I was one of them... (on motifator)

People like you are the best to compare since you have both. I hope Yamaha will come with something new soon, although I'm not going to buy a new synth soon. Buth a bit of competition is always good.

[apex]

Also on Motifator? Than Yamaha must certainly do something wrong (or Korg something very good).

I was one of them... (on motifator)

People like you are the best to compare since you have both. I hope Yamaha will come with something new soon, although I'm not going to buy a new synth soon. Buth a bit of competition is always good.

my friend michel, I have both, but my Motif XF is not opened. I decided not to keep it. It's still sealed in the box. It's for sale on eBay. For like $2450. BRAND NEW SEALED IN THE BOX W/warranty.

[balfi]

You are right Meshax..that was sloppy of me. I hadn't read the Motifator replies myself and a friend told me that they were all recommending the Kronos. Having read them now, I can see there are variable views...interesting never the less

[michelkeijzers]

I was one of them... (on motifator)

People like you are the best to compare since you have both. I hope Yamaha will come with something new soon, although I'm not going to buy a new synth soon. Buth a bit of competition is always good.

my friend michel, I have both, but my Motif XF is not opened. I decided not to keep it. It's still sealed in the box. It's for sale on eBay. For like $2450. BRAND NEW SEALED IN THE BOX W/warranty.

Ok well in that case you probably have good reasons to choose the Kronos above the Motif. You must have probably good reasons to sell the Yamaha.

[iixorbiusii]

Whatever you do, don't rush the decision

I faced a similar dilemma 3~4 years ago when the M3 / Motif XS / Fantom G were the big three everyone was talking about, and the 61 key versions were all around the same price back then.

I initially rejected the M3; quirky looks and an interface all to similar to my Trinity put me off and I wanted something completely different. The Fantom G was my front runner, thanks to it's gorgeous screen. I was about to buy one but (luckily) the store had run out.

I went to each forum (here, Motifator and Roland Clan) and asked the question"why did you buy the "x" and not the "y" or the "z"

To cut a long story short, I made a mature buying decision which took a month or more to deliberate the pros and cons of each option; I ended up with the M3 and Motif....and subsequently returned the Motif and kept the M3... I am 100% convinced this was the right choice for me, at that time. If I'd have made an impulse purchase, I'd have had the Fantom G; not a bad choice, but not the right one either.

Good luck,

iix.

[michelkeijzers]

Normally I think about 4 months per 1000 euro about buying a new synth. The Kronos was an exception since it will not go down in price probably and I wanted to avoid waiting lists.

But for me a synth is not 'needed' and I don't really get money out of it (just a bit, not enough to cover the price).