How to chose a good Kronos?
Moderators: Sharp, X-Trade, Pepperpotty, karmathanever
trotz, are you returning the Kronos, or taking it to a service center for the replacement keybed? I don't think it's known yet whether supplies with the new keybed have made it to stores yet - you might be better off getting the repair since everyone who's done it thus far knows what they are getting versus taking a chance you -might- end up with another board with the problem.trotz wrote:
Now I'm officially the THIRD GUY WITH A DEFECTIVE KRONOS.
Tomorrow I'm going to the local dealer (one lost morning) to replace it for another one. If it also develops the same problem after a few weeks I will consider a refund or getting any other product. I will not recommend the Kronos to anyone.
Conclusion: TESTING THE KRONOS AT THE SHOP WILL NOT BE ENOUGH. Don't buy without a compromise of full return - no questions asked - because you may find a nasty surprise weeks - or even months - afterwards.
Yamaha S80, Kronos 61.
trotz wrote:
Now I'm officially the THIRD GUY WITH A DEFECTIVE KRONOS.
Tomorrow I'm going to the local dealer (one lost morning) to replace it for another one. If it also develops the same problem after a few weeks I will consider a refund or getting any other product. I will not recommend the Kronos to anyone.
Conclusion: TESTING THE KRONOS AT THE SHOP WILL NOT BE ENOUGH. Don't buy without a compromise of full return - no questions asked - because you may find a nasty surprise weeks - or even months - afterwards.
Hello Trotz, l would advise you to have your keybed replaced instead of getting a new Kronos,l received my Kronos 88 in July last year and l thought l had a good unit, l then started having trouble with cut of notes about a month ago.l then contacted the music store were l purchased my Kronos From and intern they contacted the local distributor for Korg. Korg did offer to replace my unit but l then thought about it and realised that it took 6 months for the problem to arise, l only have 6 months warranty left so if it takes another 6 months for the problem to arise in the replacement Kronos l will be out of warranty. So l am waiting for the new keybed to arrive in Australia so they can fit it, and l also know of 2 other people in Australia who are waiting as well.
Cheers
Robert
Now I'm officially the THIRD GUY WITH A DEFECTIVE KRONOS.
Tomorrow I'm going to the local dealer (one lost morning) to replace it for another one. If it also develops the same problem after a few weeks I will consider a refund or getting any other product. I will not recommend the Kronos to anyone.
Conclusion: TESTING THE KRONOS AT THE SHOP WILL NOT BE ENOUGH. Don't buy without a compromise of full return - no questions asked - because you may find a nasty surprise weeks - or even months - afterwards.
Hello Trotz, l would advise you to have your keybed replaced instead of getting a new Kronos,l received my Kronos 88 in July last year and l thought l had a good unit, l then started having trouble with cut of notes about a month ago.l then contacted the music store were l purchased my Kronos From and intern they contacted the local distributor for Korg. Korg did offer to replace my unit but l then thought about it and realised that it took 6 months for the problem to arise, l only have 6 months warranty left so if it takes another 6 months for the problem to arise in the replacement Kronos l will be out of warranty. So l am waiting for the new keybed to arrive in Australia so they can fit it, and l also know of 2 other people in Australia who are waiting as well.
Cheers
Robert
Korg Kronos 88,Korg T2EX, Korg Wavestation,Korg i5m, Kawai MP10,Yamaha VL1, Roland D550, Roland RS09
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orangefunk
- Full Member
- Posts: 110
- Joined: Thu Feb 23, 2012 12:39 pm
I am a new owner of a Kronos (SN is above 003800). I initially had doubts due to the problems told by others and was a bit put off with images of knobs fallling off held on by tape. Was the problem exaggerated? Hmm... I think not. It was enough for Korg to make a fix and issue a public statement. So Korg were good enough to be honest about this.... fair play to them.
I think there are two basic problems I find.\
1. Negative people who just concentrate on negative aspects like its their job to be that (probably they are not even Kronos owners!). I get the feeling these people are often just frustrated by other things and let their feelings get the better of them (I can relate and I'm sure we all have these moments!).
2. Fan boys who go over the top to call these people out which serve to undermine the community because they make all kinds of excuses.
As a Kronos owner I am neither, I just want to use a machine and am thankful my Kronos has no problems (so far). Build wise I think those issues are not really a problem at all as I think its very substantial. I do think the main rotary knob could have been better (the Roland one on the RD700gx and V-Synth GT is awesome). I also wish the touch screen was more like my iPad but we can't have everything eh.
But overall the Kronos is the best music workstation that the world has ever seen...
I think there are two basic problems I find.\
1. Negative people who just concentrate on negative aspects like its their job to be that (probably they are not even Kronos owners!). I get the feeling these people are often just frustrated by other things and let their feelings get the better of them (I can relate and I'm sure we all have these moments!).
2. Fan boys who go over the top to call these people out which serve to undermine the community because they make all kinds of excuses.
As a Kronos owner I am neither, I just want to use a machine and am thankful my Kronos has no problems (so far). Build wise I think those issues are not really a problem at all as I think its very substantial. I do think the main rotary knob could have been better (the Roland one on the RD700gx and V-Synth GT is awesome). I also wish the touch screen was more like my iPad but we can't have everything eh.
But overall the Kronos is the best music workstation that the world has ever seen...
Today I went to my local dealer and they took my Kronos 73 sn 1684 for a repair. They don't have an estimated day of repair since they won't replace the keybed themselves.
They have been so kind to provide me with a brand new boxed Kronos sn 28xx that was shipped to them just a week ago. My kind dealer (Thanks Musicasa!) agreed with me that we couldn't open the new Kronos just to make sure it had one of the new keybeds so I have been given the option to keep the new one or get the original back one once it comes from repair.
But... since Korg is not providing any info on which serial numbers have the new keybed (and this replacement unit came with OS 1.0.8 ) I have reason to believe that the old units are still being shipped at this time. Until there is official confirmation that *all* new units ship with the new keybed I think it is a good advice to get a special confirmation from your dealer that a repair or a full return won't be a problem.
Following the advice in this thread I have opted for keeping my original Kronos once it comes back from repair.
Thanks to everyone who helped!
They have been so kind to provide me with a brand new boxed Kronos sn 28xx that was shipped to them just a week ago. My kind dealer (Thanks Musicasa!) agreed with me that we couldn't open the new Kronos just to make sure it had one of the new keybeds so I have been given the option to keep the new one or get the original back one once it comes from repair.
But... since Korg is not providing any info on which serial numbers have the new keybed (and this replacement unit came with OS 1.0.8 ) I have reason to believe that the old units are still being shipped at this time. Until there is official confirmation that *all* new units ship with the new keybed I think it is a good advice to get a special confirmation from your dealer that a repair or a full return won't be a problem.
Following the advice in this thread I have opted for keeping my original Kronos once it comes back from repair.
Thanks to everyone who helped!
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orangefunk
- Full Member
- Posts: 110
- Joined: Thu Feb 23, 2012 12:39 pm
Sounds like a good plan! I totally agree it woul be nice to know which units are thought defective.trotz wrote:
But... since Korg is not providing any info on which serial numbers have the new keybed (and this replacement unit came with OS 1.0.8 ) I have reason to believe that the old units are still being shipped at this time. Until there is official confirmation that *all* new units ship with the new keybed I think it is a good advice to get a special confirmation from your dealer that a repair or a full return won't be
!
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jeremykeys
- Platinum Member
- Posts: 3093
- Joined: Sun Jun 19, 2011 11:06 pm
- Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
anyone have any idea how many Kronos' have been sold to date? I'd be a little curious to know the percentage of defective ones went out. Not that we'll ever know.
If music is the food of love, play on and play loud!
Gear: Kronos 73, Wavestation EX, Polysix, King Korg, Monotron and Monotron Duo, Minikorg, Moog Grandmother, my very old MiniKorg, 4 acoustic and 9 electric guitars, 1 Ibanez 5 string bass, a Steel guitar, a bunch of microphones, 2 pairs of studio monitors and other very cool toys, 1 wife and 4 cats and a lava lamp!
Gear: Kronos 73, Wavestation EX, Polysix, King Korg, Monotron and Monotron Duo, Minikorg, Moog Grandmother, my very old MiniKorg, 4 acoustic and 9 electric guitars, 1 Ibanez 5 string bass, a Steel guitar, a bunch of microphones, 2 pairs of studio monitors and other very cool toys, 1 wife and 4 cats and a lava lamp!
Tomorrow I'm going to the local dealer (one lost morning) to replace it for another one. If it also develops the same problem after a few weeks I will consider a refund or getting any other product. I will not recommend the Kronos to anyone.
Conclusion: TESTING THE KRONOS AT THE SHOP WILL NOT BE ENOUGH. Don't buy without a compromise of full return - no questions asked - because you may find a nasty surprise weeks - or even months - afterwards.
Yes. There are many peple here that can testify that changing the unit and order for a new one results in another faulty keybed unit,so, as stated, it´s a good advise to try the unit at the store before take it home with you, otherwise you *can have* an inmediate defective keyboard again.
Unfortunately, even then... You spotted it: the fault could be no inmediate nor evident from the first moment.
Thats what lead us to think that the pecentage of units defective less than 1% that Korg stated is, to be polite, not very accurate.
Agreed, a full refund compromise is the way to go, or keep a defective unit and ask for a new keybed repair ( Yeah, Not the best scenario, of course...
)Regards.
D.
D.
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orangefunk
- Full Member
- Posts: 110
- Joined: Thu Feb 23, 2012 12:39 pm
To the original poster:
You can not tell for sure at the store if you're getting a good unit. Period.
But, if you like the Kronos and want one, just buy it. Talk to your dealer first and make sure you're covered. Replacements, fixes, downtime considered, etc.
These defective units will probably be around until they are all sold and sent back to Korg Japan or wherever they go.
I'm on my second unit. First one had serious note cut-off from the moment I opened the box and set it up.
I'm now on week two with my replacement and it too has the problem, though not as severe. I opened the box in the store, set it up and played it for at least an hour trying to produce a note cut-off or double strike and could not.
I played the piano's where the note cut-off is most prevalent... nothing. I played the organs where the double strike is most obvious... nothing. I played through other voices... nothing. Played some with Karma... nothing.
Oh, and by the way. Note cut off and double trigger is a serious problem when you're using Karma. To have a G major karma pattern playing for another bar or two after you've physically played and intended Dm is nearly show stopping. I can not use Karma functions at all currently.
So, I'm on the gig and my left hand bass note just poops on me. Then it does it again a few bars later. Not as bad as my first unit, but it is happening and it disturbs my performance. Then I'm playing a piano solo line in the right hand and a note just cuts off. Crap!
No, it's not the end of the world, and yes after playing my first board for a coupe months waiting for a replacement, I've learned to play through the problem. And yes, I know the problems will be fixed and Korg will make it right.
But, why are we still getting defective units? That kinda ticks me off.
The 1% nonsense? I don't know. Like I said, I'm on my second board. I was the first to buy a Kronos from my dealer. My first board had the problem, my second board has the problem. My dealer has sold 3 more since mine, post NAMM. One is already in for a new keybed. My second unit now has a new keybed ordered. So even if we assume the other 2 units are good, that is still a 60% failure rate from this one store.
There are kind of 2 fanatical sides to this issue:
The first are the trolls. They say Korg is terrible, the devil incarnate basically. Most of these folks don't even own the Kronos. These folks are easy to ignore.
The other side are the few who have perfect weighted action boards. Never a problem and seem to think that those of us who do experience problems are somehow just making it up? We should just do the repair that Korg has offered and feel intimidated to ever mention that we've experienced a problem at all on this forum. These folks are harder to ignore, and make me not want to participate in the forum so much. Much more so than the Korg haters.
An interesting aside that I've noted. Most of these "perfect boards" seem to be of early serial numbers.
OK, I'm done ranting.
Final Draft:
I don't think there is a better Pro board on the market at this time. Workstation functions, sequencing, sampling, Karma, etc.... or just using as a solo piano or rhodes, this thing is stunning.
I use mine 5 to 6 nights a week (even in it's in-perfect state) to make my living. I would not want to replace it with anything else on the market today. Really.
In fact, I am now setting aside funds to purchase a second unit for backup, repairs, and convenience. It's just part of the job.
So, if you really like the Kronos and can afford it, just buy one. But, do so with some knowledge. If you use it live, make sure you can afford some downtime (just in case). Or can arrange the fix with your dealer or tech to coincide with your off days.
If your livelihood does not depend on it, then don't worry about it. If you get a bum unit it will get fixed.
You can not tell for sure at the store if you're getting a good unit. Period.
But, if you like the Kronos and want one, just buy it. Talk to your dealer first and make sure you're covered. Replacements, fixes, downtime considered, etc.
These defective units will probably be around until they are all sold and sent back to Korg Japan or wherever they go.
I'm on my second unit. First one had serious note cut-off from the moment I opened the box and set it up.
I'm now on week two with my replacement and it too has the problem, though not as severe. I opened the box in the store, set it up and played it for at least an hour trying to produce a note cut-off or double strike and could not.
I played the piano's where the note cut-off is most prevalent... nothing. I played the organs where the double strike is most obvious... nothing. I played through other voices... nothing. Played some with Karma... nothing.
Oh, and by the way. Note cut off and double trigger is a serious problem when you're using Karma. To have a G major karma pattern playing for another bar or two after you've physically played and intended Dm is nearly show stopping. I can not use Karma functions at all currently.
So, I'm on the gig and my left hand bass note just poops on me. Then it does it again a few bars later. Not as bad as my first unit, but it is happening and it disturbs my performance. Then I'm playing a piano solo line in the right hand and a note just cuts off. Crap!
No, it's not the end of the world, and yes after playing my first board for a coupe months waiting for a replacement, I've learned to play through the problem. And yes, I know the problems will be fixed and Korg will make it right.
But, why are we still getting defective units? That kinda ticks me off.
The 1% nonsense? I don't know. Like I said, I'm on my second board. I was the first to buy a Kronos from my dealer. My first board had the problem, my second board has the problem. My dealer has sold 3 more since mine, post NAMM. One is already in for a new keybed. My second unit now has a new keybed ordered. So even if we assume the other 2 units are good, that is still a 60% failure rate from this one store.
There are kind of 2 fanatical sides to this issue:
The first are the trolls. They say Korg is terrible, the devil incarnate basically. Most of these folks don't even own the Kronos. These folks are easy to ignore.
The other side are the few who have perfect weighted action boards. Never a problem and seem to think that those of us who do experience problems are somehow just making it up? We should just do the repair that Korg has offered and feel intimidated to ever mention that we've experienced a problem at all on this forum. These folks are harder to ignore, and make me not want to participate in the forum so much. Much more so than the Korg haters.
An interesting aside that I've noted. Most of these "perfect boards" seem to be of early serial numbers.
OK, I'm done ranting.
Final Draft:
I don't think there is a better Pro board on the market at this time. Workstation functions, sequencing, sampling, Karma, etc.... or just using as a solo piano or rhodes, this thing is stunning.
I use mine 5 to 6 nights a week (even in it's in-perfect state) to make my living. I would not want to replace it with anything else on the market today. Really.
In fact, I am now setting aside funds to purchase a second unit for backup, repairs, and convenience. It's just part of the job.
So, if you really like the Kronos and can afford it, just buy one. But, do so with some knowledge. If you use it live, make sure you can afford some downtime (just in case). Or can arrange the fix with your dealer or tech to coincide with your off days.
If your livelihood does not depend on it, then don't worry about it. If you get a bum unit it will get fixed.
Kronos 73
Well said. I can forgive Korg for a manufacturing mistake. What I find unacceptable is defective units (1%? no, no...) still being shipped around months after the problem has been acknowledged.theo73 wrote:You can not tell for sure at the store if you're getting a good unit. Period.
...//...
These defective units will probably be around until they are all sold and sent back to Korg Japan or wherever they go.
To the original poster: YOU will be in charge of Quality Control for your Kronos because Korg is trying to sell all the old units in stock and is not providing any clear info on what serial numbers will be, finally and once for all, unaffected. It will be your time and money that will be put to that task.