Krome 73 Review

[KapnKrunch]

Hello all -

I just received my new Krome 73, and wanted to share my experience with you. I also own a Kronos 88 and M50 so I have some basis of comparison.

1) Sounds:
Acoustic piano - The main reason I bought this was the acoustic piano. The Kronos pianos are brilliant, and Korg managed to do an excellent transplant of the German grand to the Krome. No loops, very dynamic, full, rich and realistic. It is FAR superior to the M50, and not quite as good as the Kronos. The Kronos uses higher audio components, accounting for some of the difference, but it's certainly not noticeable in a combo setting. Note that the Krome piano isn't quite as "tweakable" as the Kronos, but the fundamentals are certainly there. Grade: A+

Everything else - The Rhodes and organ samples appear to be upgraded, and do sound better. Again, not as good as the Kronos, but better than the M50. Most other samples are carried over from the M50, and sound identical. Grade: A-

2) Keybed:
Some have complained about the 73 keybed, but frankly it's not a show stopper for me. Yes, I've played better. It's a BIT better than the M50. Yes, it's acoustically noisy, and the build quality could be better, but it's ultimately very playable and it doesn't get in the way of my performance. Your mileage may vary, so try before you buy. Grade: B-

3) TouchView Display:
I LOVE the TouchView interface. If you're used to the Korg software architecture, you'll feel right at home. They've made major improvements in the readability, responsiveness, and navigation. It's a clean, clear bright display. I only hope that Korg sees fit to make this level of improvement to the Kronos. This UI is THE flagship interface in Korg's product line. Grade: A+

4) Other:
Power - They are still using the outboard AC power brick (presumably for easier international standards compliance) and it appears to be the same as the M50. The power connector also appears to be the same as the M50, which is to say, adequate. I've gigged with my M50 for over a year and haven't had an issue, but I always worry about it. Grade: C-

Buttons/knobs/switches - All feel solid and responsive. Some are backlit, which is very helpful, especially on dark stages. The joystick appears to be the same as on the Kronos and M50, which is to say, very good. The knobs are solid, and don't exhibit much wiggle. They offer a good amount of resistance, so they're not bumped accidentally. The knobs are "pointed" (versus the round knobs on the M50), so you have an immediate visual/tactile feedback of their position. For my taste, the knobs should have been a bit bigger, and spaced further apart. Grade: A-

Build quality - The Krome is blissfully light (but about 1 pound heaver than the M50 73). The chassis feels solid, and there's no indication of flex. The aluminum accents are very classy. This definitely looks and feels like a pro keyboard. Grade: A

Labeling: My biggest gripe is the silkscreening. While the lettering/numbering is improved from the M50, it is still a challenge to read, even in good light. Korg uses an off-white paint, and smallish font. I'd rather see SUBSTANCE over style. Grade: C-

Compatibility: I created an entire bank of custom combos for my band on the M50, and a simple SD card save and load was all it took to transfer over the patches. Some tweaking was in order, especially to take advantage of the German grand, but it was minimal. Ultimately, everything sounded identical or better, based upon whether or not upgraded samples were used in the Krome. This is a natural upgrade for M50 owners. Grade: A

Features:
Trigger pads: The trigger pads are gone on the Krome. I never used them on the M50, so I don't miss them.

External sample loading and playback????: I've seen contentious discussions on this forum concerning the unadvertised "external sample playback" capability of the Krome. It appears to be real, but may or may not be "really" supported. My bet is the cat is out of the bag and this will come to other markets, especially since the Peruvian market can actually purchase this capability today. I'm withholding the grade on this one, but it could be a HUGE advantage if Korg decides to capitalize on this feature.

Bottom line, if you're an M50 61 or 73 user, the Krome 61 or 73 is a slam-dunk upgrade, based alone on the piano. That was my situation, and I am quite pleased with my purchase. This is an excellent value.

[russd1977]

Great review, thanks - I agree with all your points

[lezard]

Hello,
KapnKrunch, Could you share your combos M50 for Krome?
Cordially

[cjj]

4) Other:
Power - They are still using the outboard AC power brick (presumably for easier international standards compliance) and it appears to be the same as the M50.
...
Grade: C-

Great review!

I'll add another bit of info here, having worked in the electronics industry for 30 some years.

While an internal supply that just takes a cord is a bit more convenient, it does add significant cost to a product. Why? International compliance is right, but many may not understand this. It's not just different mains voltages here, but the compliance testing that costs money.

If the device itself just runs at a low voltage such as 12V DC, it qualifies as "SELV" - Separated or Safety Extra Low Voltage, and can bypass numerous standards safety testing procedures, which must be done by qualified testing facilities and are therefore quite expensive.

Using the external supply means that only the supply has to be tested, and it is almost always manufactured by a company that specializes in power supplies and therefore can spread the certification costs over all of their products, and since they do it all the time, are probably qualified to "self certify" which makes testing even cheaper.

Another advantage to having an external supply is, if it should fail, it's cheap to replace and does not require servicing the entire keyboard. And yes, the power supply is one of the most failure-prone components since they have to operate at high voltages.

[russd1977]

Another advantage to having an external supply is, if it should fail, it's cheap to replace and does not require servicing the entire keyboard. And yes, the power supply is one of the most failure-prone components since they have to operate at high voltages.

True, but is there a reason why the socket on the keyboard itself has to be so flimsy allowing the input lead to wobble about? My N5 had a sturdy plug, shame this doesn't.

[Tomtejaeveln]

Good review!
I had my Krome 73 for one week and then it stopped working so I had to send it back to Germany and waiting for a new one (see my post about it).

Anyway, some things I would have wanted:
A set list for setting up sounds and combos for live performances. With maybe around 6-8 sounds on the screen for easy and quick navigation. Not like now when it's like 16 sounds and you have to find your sound very quickly.

Smooth sound transition. This is a big minus in my book. Really cuts off the sound and it is nearly impossible to quickly change between sounds live and making it sound natural.

Sampler(?)

But, you get what you pay for, and in this case, you get A LOT for the money.

[KapnKrunch]

4) Other:
Power - They are still using the outboard AC power brick (presumably for easier international standards compliance) and it appears to be the same as the M50.
...
Grade: C-

Great review!

I'll add another bit of info here, having worked in the electronics industry for 30 some years.

While an internal supply that just takes a cord is a bit more convenient, it does add significant cost to a product. Why? International compliance is right, but many may not understand this. It's not just different mains voltages here, but the compliance testing that costs money.

If the device itself just runs at a low voltage such as 12V DC, it qualifies as "SELV" - Separated or Safety Extra Low Voltage, and can bypass numerous standards safety testing procedures, which must be done by qualified testing facilities and are therefore quite expensive.

Using the external supply means that only the supply has to be tested, and it is almost always manufactured by a company that specializes in power supplies and therefore can spread the certification costs over all of their products, and since they do it all the time, are probably qualified to "self certify" which makes testing even cheaper.

Another advantage to having an external supply is, if it should fail, it's cheap to replace and does not require servicing the entire keyboard. And yes, the power supply is one of the most failure-prone components since they have to operate at high voltages.

Hi Tomtejaeveln - excellent observations. My beef really isn't with the external wall wart (in fact, that appears to be a very good quality piece) - it's the flimsy power connector on the Krome itself. The plug/socket connection feels loose and wobbly; just like the M50.

[KapnKrunch]

Good review!
I had my Krome 73 for one week and then it stopped working so I had to send it back to Germany and waiting for a new one (see my post about it).

Anyway, some things I would have wanted:
A set list for setting up sounds and combos for live performances. With maybe around 6-8 sounds on the screen for easy and quick navigation. Not like now when it's like 16 sounds and you have to find your sound very quickly.

Smooth sound transition. This is a big minus in my book. Really cuts off the sound and it is nearly impossible to quickly change between sounds live and making it sound natural.

Sampler(?)

But, you get what you pay for, and in this case, you get A LOT for the money.

I love your idea for a "set list" page. The Kronos has that, and it's super handy for live performance. There's nothing that should prevent Korg from implementing this, since it's simply an index page to a list of programs or combis. Korg, are you listening?

With regard to the smooth sound transition (like the Kronos), that may not be so simple. That's where processing horsepower comes into play, and the Krome may simply not have the compute cojones to handle it.

And I certainly agree - the Krome is a bargain considering it's sound and capabilities.

[cjj]

Yeah, the DC power plug in the back of the keyboard is kind of flimsy. That's kind of the nature of those sorts of plugs, which are a fairly standard type for DC power. I have seen ones that are better though. So, no, there's really no reason it has to be so flimsy. I guess they made the little wire hook to try to get around this, but that doesn't make it very convenient/usable for a gigging musician.

The idea of a set list page to save commonly used patches would be a great addition...

[russd1977]

Yeah it always makes me laugh when they build these things so well, really nice, no creaking, sturdy and then they stick the flimsiest power adaptor socket on there - its sure to be the weakest link.

[gnbutt]

That's a realistic review, I am looking at buying a Krome 73 for live gigging with my M3 and Omnisphere VST keyboard. I like the fact that the Krome has some great features for the price and more particularly, fairly lightweight. I read about some keybed issues but my particular use is a few gigs a month at best. Thanks so much for outlining some pro's and con's. I still think it's a terrific keyboard for the price from what I have read. GNB

[joshhuntnm]

The idea of a set list page to save commonly used patches would be a great addition...


)

I too want this!!!!