Rhodes library for Kronos

burningbusch · Post by **burningbusch** » Fri Jul 13, 2012 7:45 pm

Yeah, maybe, just maybe

I'll make my Mark V sampleset available for the Kronos now that we can do user streaming. With 16 velocity layers it should be very smooth and feel very responsive. Of course it will be free. I think it will make a nice alternative to the EP-1 which I also dig.

Busch.

danatkorg · Post by **danatkorg** » Fri Jul 13, 2012 8:07 pm

1jordyzzz wrote:i thought that kronos EP's are more advanced than SV-1 (even though using same engine)..

The SV-1 uses sample playback. The EP-1 uses very different technology. Not the same engine at all. Which one any given player prefers is a different question, of course!

xp50player · Post by **xp50player** » Sat Jul 14, 2012 3:57 pm

I much prefer the EPs in the SV-1. At low dynamics they sound similar, with the mechanical noises and grunge, but the Kronos presets do not reproduce the left hand fart and right hand hammer presence of the sample set on the SV-1. People say the sample switching and multisampling is not smooth on the SV-1, but it still makes me lose hours playing it. When I turn off the preamp on the SV, they sound a lot more similar, so maybe the tube preamp is a big part of the sound that will never exist on the Kronos.

jimknopf · Post by **jimknopf** » Sat Jul 14, 2012 6:06 pm

I never liked the SV-1 Rhodes very much: too much thin bell tone in the upper range, along with nasty velocity jumps. One reason I never bought an SV-1.

Modelling (up to now) always keeps a little rest of artificial sounding content, that can't be denied. It's a trade in, and it depends on how little that content influences the overall impression (especially in band context or a mix). EP-1 is the by far best effort so far concerning mixed sampling/modelling efforts, much better than the old Roland ARX or the software Lounge Lizard modeling, and other efforts of that kind.
On the other hand, what you get from the sample/modeling approach is a lot: high dynamics from soft to agressive, absolutely zero velocity jumps. Both are at least, if not more important charcteristics of the original Rhodes, as other factors of fine sampling are.

I dare to say that I can cover almost any Rhodes sound much better with the Kronos than with other hardware. The only thing I am missing is the more dry Stage Mk I sound I mentioned, between the Kronos suitcase sound and the Mk II. But that can be be overcome to a big degree by hybrid programming (suitcase Mk I in the lower range, Mk II in the upper range, and then some amp modelling and sound shaping tweaks).

I prefer my Kronos Rhodes sounds by far over the SV-1 sounds I know so far. So tastes (and personal tweaking) may vary a lot.

iluvchiclets · Post by **iluvchiclets** » Sun Jul 15, 2012 12:58 pm

I'll tell you what,

I played a real MkII Seventy-Three recently, and I forgot how awful it was! (ha-ha). Sure, it gave me a nostalgic vibe, but I suddenly remember how all the keys are misaligned and every note sounded a bit different in timbre. It was always hard to balance the sound.

I recall various hours tweaking with mine to make sure each tine sounded identical. And if I was enthusiastic while playing, once in a while I would "whap" a lower key only to find it didn't return. The worn rubber hammer would have gotten stuck on the tine. (Being a 20 yr old in Ontario in the 80s, no one cared or knew a Rhodes distributor back then - how would I get parts before the internet!?!?) Man, those were dark times!

Now we have all these lovely Rhodes models to choose from, I think we should be happy! No huge wooden suitcase to lug around. The Kronos Rhodes' are a big improvement over the Oasys. And I simply love the Clavia Rhodes models as well. (although their Phaser model on the new Electro 3 is poor)

What a great age to be playing keys!

synthguy · Post by **synthguy** » Sun Jul 15, 2012 4:13 pm

Just to "chime" in a bit on this subject...

You guys shouldn't be surprised that a few die hard physical instrument folk find shortcomings with any digital recreation. No one plays any instrument the same way, even keyboards, which basically only offer one dynamic to shape sound, and that's velocity. Because of this, you will find people who approach or dare I say it, attack a keyboard in a unique way. If they're old hands who have spent many years growing intimately familiar with real keyboards, something may well sound a little off to them in certain playing regions and dynamics on a digital instrument. Even the best.

Now, I have yet to even SEE a Kronos, but I've watched enough high quality videos and listened to enough mp3/wav demos that I'm more than sold on one. And I'm almost as juiced as the jazz-fusion-prog guys who banged around on the EP-1 model. I'm more into the other engines, but darn, that EP-1 sounds delicious...

Just take it as a serious complement that in a world of keyboardists who have cut their teeth on one keyboard or another for ages, that the number of picky diehards who find some flaw with the Kronos pianos of all types are very few. That says it all.

orangefunk · Post by **orangefunk** » Mon Jul 16, 2012 12:25 pm

burningbusch wrote:Yeah, maybe, just maybe I'll make my Mark V sampleset available for the Kronos now that we can do user streaming. With 16 velocity layers it should be very smooth and feel very responsive. Of course it will be free. I think it will make a nice alternative to the EP-1 which I also dig.

Busch.

Thanks Busch!

orangefunk · Post by **orangefunk** » Mon Jul 16, 2012 12:29 pm

synthguy wrote:Just to "chime" in a bit on this subject...

You guys shouldn't be surprised that a few die hard physical instrument folk find shortcomings with any digital recreation. No one plays any instrument the same way, even keyboards, which basically only offer one dynamic to shape sound, and that's velocity. Because of this, you will find people who approach or dare I say it, attack a keyboard in a unique way. If they're old hands who have spent many years growing intimately familiar with real keyboards, something may well sound a little off to them in certain playing regions and dynamics on a digital instrument. Even the best.

Now, I have yet to even SEE a Kronos, but I've watched enough high quality videos and listened to enough mp3/wav demos that I'm more than sold on one. And I'm almost as juiced as the jazz-fusion-prog guys who banged around on the EP-1 model. I'm more into the other engines, but darn, that EP-1 sounds delicious...

Just take it as a serious complement that in a world of keyboardists who have cut their teeth on one keyboard or another for ages, that the number of picky diehards who find some flaw with the Kronos pianos of all types are very few. That says it all.

Good post bro!

The Kronos is indeed a great board and the EP1 is among the best out there. But I love, my Mk2 and the difference is night and day for me... Can't say any more than that...

orangefunk · Post by **orangefunk** » Mon Jul 16, 2012 12:41 pm

iluvchiclets wrote:I'll tell you what,

I played a real MkII Seventy-Three recently, and I forgot how awful it was! (ha-ha). Sure, it gave me a nostalgic vibe, but I suddenly remember how all the keys are misaligned and every note sounded a bit different in timbre. It was always hard to balance the sound.

True that many are like that, but if the player is able to maintain the instrument and adjust then those problems are solved. Moving a Rhodes is another issue of course...

. I take out my SV-1 most times...

Ernie Applelips · Post by **Ernie Applelips** » Mon Jul 16, 2012 1:11 pm

orangefunk wrote: But I love, my Mk2 and the difference is night and day for me... Can't say any more than that...

I think you have your answer there in your own conclusion, why do you want to replace something that you already have and love, with an emulation on the Kronos?

orangefunk · Post by **orangefunk** » Mon Jul 16, 2012 3:03 pm

Because I have started to gig with the Kronos and the Mk2 is a bit too much for some situations... esp when all I have is a hand cart and the metro

jimknopf · Post by **jimknopf** » Mon Jul 16, 2012 3:13 pm

orangefunk, to treat it constructive:

you could pm me a link with a few audio examples of your present favorite MkII sound(s). That way I could check if some of my Kronos patches (which keep developing all the time) are closer than the factory patches to what you are after, and perhaps send you one or two settings I use.

orangefunk · Post by **orangefunk** » Mon Jul 16, 2012 3:23 pm

Appreciated.

I'll look into that Jim, my front room is littered with keyboards and wires atm and the rhodes is packed away... just got evicted from my shared studio and so everything is chaotic at home (which I also have to leave soon)...

Here is a pic

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Ernie Applelips · Post by **Ernie Applelips** » Mon Jul 16, 2012 3:27 pm

orangefunk wrote:Because I have started to gig with the Kronos and the Mk2 is a bit too much for some situations... esp when all I have is a hand cart and the metro

Fair enough. I had a feeling that would be your answer, but I guess sometimes in a one stop shop, compromises have to be made.
The Kronos 88 is a big enough backbreaker for me, but remembering back to the early 80s, the rhodes was an absolute brute to move around.

orangefunk · Post by **orangefunk** » Mon Jul 16, 2012 3:31 pm

Ernie Applelips wrote:
orangefunk wrote:Because I have started to gig with the Kronos and the Mk2 is a bit too much for some situations... esp when all I have is a hand cart and the metro
Fair enough. I had a feeling that would be your answer, but I guess sometimes in a one stop shop, compromises have to be made.
The Kronos 88 is a big enough backbreaker for me, but remembering back to the early 80s, the rhodes was an absolute brute to move around.

Yep thats why I got the 61. I can MIDI it up to my RD700GX for piano duties at home and play gigs on it in a pinch... I do still take out my SV-1 though as I like the vibe of that board i.e. nice looks, simple, own stand etc....