korg krome 88 keybed complaints

[jnaut]

Ive seen a few complaints about the 88 keybed in another forum has anyone on this site tried the 88 version... mine is on order:(

My Korg Krome 88 just arrived on my door yesterday.

Disclaimer 1: I am not a piano player, but have been around full sized grand pianos all my life.

Disclaimer 2: I have very little experience with electronic keyboards except for inexpensive Casios and the like.

I had read complaints about Korg Keybeds after I made the decision to purchase my Korg and began to get seriously nervous. Especially considering I purchased the Korg sight unseen-- and bought it mainly for its capabilities-- not its playability.

I had seen a couple of videos complaining about the 61 and 73 key versions in regards to build and quality.

So far, I'm impressed with the build on the 88 key version--particularly in respect to weight and heft. The keyweight seems quite heavy, but I can't say it's heavier than the key action on my parent's high quality and very expensive full sized grand piano I grew up with.

There was a complaint about the 61 key version being hinged incorrectly. Hinged at the top of the keys, not inside the keyboard, allowing players to press down on keys near the top of the keybed. This is not the case on the 88. It's hinged inside the keyboard allowing for keypress at the very top of the key.

I've also read that some people have said the krome 88 is "unplayable". My guess is that is highly dependent on what you're used to, and also likely your playing style.

I do think there are major differences between the 61/73 and 88 key versions and I get a little aggravated when someone complains about the keybed but doesn't specify the model they're using.

As for noise, I don't find the 88 key version to be clicky, noisy or distracting, with our without headphones.

Of course in my case, time will tell on aspects of build quality. If the keybed physically fails on me in the next few months, then my opinion may change.

[tonycooper88]

I spent a couple of hours on one and had no issue with the playability of it. It is a strong controller. If you can't get it done with 16 zones, you need a second keyboard player. The samples really worked for me. Every sample I listened to worked quite well. If you have to transport your own gear, 28 pounds works for me..... Enjoy..... Keep us posted on how fast you wear it out.......

[HowardK]

I have a Krome 61 but- own a SP280 which has the same action as the Krome 88. Reason I brought both was it was $480 more (had a 20% coupon) to go from the 61 to the 88 and I was able to get a SP280 for $560.

A few of the keys on the SP280 make a clicking noise but respond the same as the other ones. On a side note the nes that click are close to the same volume of my Casio PX 130

However, I notice some sort of gel like or glue like substance in between several white keys. Does anyone else have this?

I did not return the piano 5 months ago over this as if would not see it, it does not affect playing.

I returned 2 PX-350's and 2 P-105's and feel as though the Korg is a superior product.

[ferchis]

So you would say the key action and overall keybed on the korg280 is better than the casio 350??

I must say I'd be surprised if you can confirm this...

[tonycooper88]

Howard K wrote:

'However, I notice some sort of gel like or glue like substance in between several white keys. Does anyone else have this?'

My experience with older Korg keybeds would make me think it is lithium grease. They use to put it on some of the guide posts as a lubrication. Over a few years it made the return up very slow and unresponsive. I took it apart and cleaned the old grease and put new and less grease and it fixed my problem. I think it was my DW8000. I haven't spent any time in the new action.

[HowardK]

Howard K wrote:

'However, I notice some sort of gel like or glue like substance in between several white keys. Does anyone else have this?'

My experience with older Korg keybeds would make me think it is lithium grease. They use to put it on some of the guide posts as a lubrication. Over a few years it made the return up very slow and unresponsive. I took it apart and cleaned the old grease and put new and less grease and it fixed my problem. I think it was my DW8000. I haven't spent any time in the new action.

Thanks for posting this- never knew that. I really like the board so far after 5-6 months;

[HowardK]

So you would say the key action and overall keybed on the korg280 is better than the casio 350??

I must say I'd be surprised if you can confirm this...

As a whole I prefer the Korg. The speakers on the px350 were too soft- and in fact my casio px130 is louder.

I prefer the Korg piano sound as well- it is more natural.
I find the difference between Korg and Casio is that Korg does not need to brag where as Casio does

Also- i see more pros playing Korgs

[jnaut]

Howard K wrote:

'However, I notice some sort of gel like or glue like substance in between several white keys. Does anyone else have this?'

My experience with older Korg keybeds would make me think it is lithium grease. They use to put it on some of the guide posts as a lubrication. Over a few years it made the return up very slow and unresponsive. I took it apart and cleaned the old grease and put new and less grease and it fixed my problem. I think it was my DW8000. I haven't spent any time in the new action.

Interesting. My first guess was it was some kind of dielectric grease because most of the lithium grease I'd worked with was white where this seemed slightly translucent. Either way, this seems to be normal on the keyboard. When I first saw it, it almost looked like scratches on the white keys, and I seem to remember another post of someone complaining about what looked like scratches on the keys. I now believe that person was seeing this grease.

[cjj]

White lithium grease is white due to the addition of zinc oxide. The actual lithium soaps, used as the thickening agent for the oils, don't add much actual color to the grease...

[HowardK]

Is there some benefit to the action from having this substance? Or is it more for the assembly of the unit?

[levis]

RD-700NX

[fede92]

Hi guys!!

I'm having a problem with one key: sometimes I play the F sharp (the one in the range of the middle C octave) and it sounds as if I was playing with full intensity when in fact I'm not and the bar in the display raises to the top. The curious thing is that it only happens with that key. It's really annoying and frustrating to play the krome with that s*** going on, makes it hard to focus on the performance when a key sounds much more louder than the others

Has anyone come up with the same problem and know how to fix it??

PLEASE HELP!!!![/b]

[WDMcM]

Hi guys!!

I'm having a problem with one key: sometimes I play the F sharp (the one in the range of the middle C octave) and it sounds as if I was playing with full intensity when in fact I'm not and the bar in the display raises to the top. The curious thing is that it only happens with that key. It's really annoying and frustrating to play the krome with that s*** going on, makes it hard to focus on the performance when a key sounds much more louder than the others

Has anyone come up with the same problem and know how to fix it??

PLEASE HELP!!!![/b]

This is more than likely a physical issue with the keyboard contact for that note, i.e. the contact is faulty or dirty. The latter could actually be due to the lubrication mentioned in several post above leaking down and getting under the contact strip. The contacts in this and most keyboards today consist of two small rubber cups per note that are mounted over a circuit board that has exposed traces under each rubber cup. As a key is pressed, the cups are pressed against these traces completing a circuit and triggering the note. They are designed so that one cup touches the circuit before the other. The first contact tells the operating system that the key has been played, and the time it takes for the second contact to be made is translated into the velocity amount. So, your problem is that the second rubber cup contact is either stuck down or there is a foreign substance on the tracing that is making the O/S generate a full velocity amount upon playing that key. Hope this makes sense.

Unfortunately a trip to a service tech is in order.

[pvanderv]

Hi guys!!

I'm having a problem with one key: sometimes I play the F sharp (the one in the range of the middle C octave) and it sounds as if I was playing with full intensity when in fact I'm not and the bar in the display raises to the top. The curious thing is that it only happens with that key. It's really annoying and frustrating to play the krome with that s*** going on, makes it hard to focus on the performance when a key sounds much more louder than the others

Has anyone come up with the same problem and know how to fix it??

PLEASE HELP!!!![/b]

I'm a keyboard repair person. A customer brought in his Krome 88 complaining of the same problem. Some keys are louder than others. I took the keyboard apart, and the key contacts were clean.

The design is really, really bad: for each switch (two switches for each key), the circuit board has two outer raised bare conductors sharing the same electronic net. The other net has a third raised bare conductor in between the other two. The black rubber conductive disc which shorts the two nets must be perfectly flat. If it is slightly concave or slightly convex, then it won't work.

I have no idea why they didn't have two raised bare conductors, one for each net, each equidistant from the center of the black conductive rubber disc. With this design, the downward force would automatically be distributed equally between the two contact points. It would work much, much better.

[WDMcM]

I recently had to replace a contact strip in my Krome 88. What fun it is to disassemble. Put it back together and problem solved...until the following week when another note acted up. After playing that key repeatably several times it straightened out for the night. It does seem like there is some inherent problem with some of these keybeds or contact strips. Incidentally, the contact strips and pcb were both nice and clean.