2nd Kronos...

Joe Gerardi · Post by **Joe Gerardi** » Wed Mar 12, 2014 1:22 pm

Well, after 18 years of retirement from gigging, some friends talked me into joining their band. There's no way I'm taking my Kronos 88 out on gigs: I bought it new, and for once, a keyboard is going to stay dead-nuts mint in my living room.

But, I DO love the sounds of the the thing. I hate like hell spending the money, but I'm thinking a Kronos 61 and a 76-note synth on the bottom, used as a controller, making the Korg my only sound source. (Note: "synth," not "controller" because key feel and things like aftertouch are very important to me, and most of the newer synth-type controllers have crap feel.) I'd LOVE to find a used Yamaha KX76, but it's too heavy for the car. (Leather seats...)

I'm transporting everything in my car, so no 88-note keybeds work, the "Famous Synth Sounds" by BurningBusch pretty much give me all the fancy stuff, and the core sounds will supplement for the bread -and-butter stuff.

I've been doing this a long time-I gigged from '73-'96 for a living, and had pretty much one of everything including Emulators II+, III, a Prophet-10, an Arp 2600 a Hammond C-3, etc.; this is the first time I've ever owned two of anything. Says something pretty strong about the Kronos.

..Joe

runningman67 · Post by **runningman67** » Wed Mar 12, 2014 1:53 pm

So basically, you are going to be having a threesome, with twins, one petite and the other a bit heavier on top.

I like your style

Joe Gerardi · Post by **Joe Gerardi** » Wed Mar 12, 2014 2:06 pm

No, you have that backwards:

Kronos 61 on top, 76 note on bottom.

In a 3-way, you NEVER want to crush the petite one!

..Joe

Ronl · Post by **Ronl** » Wed Mar 12, 2014 4:19 pm

Thinking of adding second board to my gig rig, right now I gig with a cp4 but have a bunch of wedding gigs so would like a second board. I have an x73 at home. So thinking either to get a second Kronos 61 or a motif or fa06 or something. Part of me says get something different for variety, another part says two Kronos means not having to learn new os or buy new sounds.

SanderXpander · Post by **SanderXpander** » Wed Mar 12, 2014 4:45 pm

Having two Kronos means also being able to prepare sounds and splits at home and then bringing a USB stick to the gig. Big thumbs up from me, I did this for a while!

It certainly beat hauling my 88 out of storage and dealing with the stairs in my home.

phattbuzz · Post by **phattbuzz** » Wed Mar 12, 2014 5:13 pm

Ronl wrote:... or buy new sounds.

Just something to keep in mind: If you bought any sounds from the Korg Website for the Kronos. You will still have to purchase them again to use on the new Kronos.

Joe Gerardi · Post by **Joe Gerardi** » Wed Mar 12, 2014 6:02 pm

An FA06 is a non-starter for me. So is any Roland except the Fantoms and the Jupiter-80: I don't buy synths without aftertouch, and everyone is getting extremely niggardly with those keyboards...

If you bought any sounds from the Korg Website...

Really? They're doing it like software? Well if they're applying that copyright law to it. that's not quite true: you can install in on as many instruments as you like, but you can only use one instrument sound on one instrument at a time. If your home Kronos is turned off - or more to the point, is on and simply doesn't have that program dialed up - it is perfectly legal to use it on another machine, just like it's legal to use any program on as many computers as you own, as long as you're only using the copy on one and only one computer at any given time.

..Joe

SanderXpander · Post by **SanderXpander** » Wed Mar 12, 2014 6:05 pm

Legal doesn't mean you can do it; the sample libraries require your Kronos unique ID to be activated. You only get the one activation. Don't know how it is with the ones that are purely PCG based, I don't have any of those.

dfahrner · Post by **dfahrner** » Wed Mar 12, 2014 7:04 pm

Started a couple of years ago with a 61 as a top keyboard but couldn't find a 76- or 88-key controller with a velocity curve that worked well with the KRONOS pianos...got a 73, which solved the problem, and started using it with a small Roland A-300PRO controller as a top board, so I don't have to deal with splits for right-hand solo things, and the KRONOS does left-hand layers (and all the programmable controls on the A-300 come in handy, too)...got tired of having to always move the 73 twice for gigs / rehearsals so got an 88 and another A-300 to leave set up in the music room at home...a lot less packing / moving / setup / teardown time, and as has been said, you can just move new things you come up with on a USB stick...apologies to "financially challenged" players who can't afford two setups, but they're usually younger and stronger than me, and can stay up later too...

df

Mike Conway · Post by **Mike Conway** » Thu Mar 13, 2014 6:25 am

SanderXpander wrote:Legal doesn't mean you can do it; the sample libraries require your Kronos unique ID to be activated. You only get the one activation.

Yep. It's a similar concept to Yamaha wave cards or Roland expansion sample boards, which could only be installed on one unit.

Honestly, I think the policy on a download should be "one library/one user," instead of one "library/one Kronos." It would reward power shoppers like dfahrner, who want to leave their 88 at home and tour with the 61. Korg would sell more Kroni and more sounds, I'm sure.

I'm just grateful that my OASYS libraries work on the Kronos.

dfahrner wrote:a lot less packing / moving / setup / teardown time, and as has been said, you can just move new things you come up with on a USB stickf

The USB stick should work the way you want. We were talking about the sample libraries from Korg's site. Anything else should port over, nicely.

Joe Gerardi · Post by **Joe Gerardi** » Thu Mar 13, 2014 1:19 pm

SanderXpander wrote:Legal doesn't mean you can do it; the sample libraries require your Kronos unique ID to be activated. You only get the one activation. Don't know how it is with the ones that are purely PCG based, I don't have any of those.

Ah. I was unaware of that. Then there are 2 options for me:
1- Crack the encryption, which is easy enough to do, but something I just don't do, or;

B- don't buy any friggin' Korg sounds while they're being idiots. (Which is the route I will take.)

I understand they don't want them given away all over the place, and as a computer engineer by trade agree; I've coded many programs and wouldn't want them handed out either. That said, is Korg so backward-thinking to not get that musicians/studios sometimes have more than one of a particular model? What about a touring musician than has a backup rig, and one night needs to use it? Is he then excluded from using sounds that he paid for?

This, fundamentally, is what is wrong with the keyboard industry in general: they're so quick to tout how advanced they are engineering-wise, then use a 25 year-old model for their IP side.

..Joe

dfahrner · Post by **dfahrner** » Thu Mar 13, 2014 4:15 pm

Joe Gerardi wrote:...if they're applying that copyright law to it...you can install in on as many instruments as you like, but you can only use one instrument sound on one instrument at a time. If your home Kronos is turned off - or more to the point, is on and simply doesn't have that program dialed up - it is perfectly legal to use it on another machine, just like it's legal to use any program on as many computers as you own, as long as you're only using the copy on one and only one computer at any given time.

Mike Conway wrote: Honestly, I think the policy on a download should be "one library/one user," instead of "one library/one Kronos." It would reward power shoppers like dfahrner, who want to leave their 88 at home and tour with the 61. Korg would sell more Kroni and more sounds, I'm sure.

I've contacted Korg USA about this, and all they can say is that "one library/one Kronos" is a policy set at the corporate level (in Japan, presumably) and that Korg USA will pass my request and comments on to them...Mike is right, they'd sell more (at least one more, anyway, I'd like to have the Austrian grand on my machines) if they allowed this...

"Power shopper" ??? I'm just an old retired engineer with only one hobby to support on his pension...

df

ed_f · Post by **ed_f** » Thu Mar 13, 2014 5:01 pm

dfahrner wrote:"Power shopper" ??? I'm just an old retired engineer with only one hobby to support on his pension...df

This makes me think of the insanity of most music stores.
Watch the sales people buzz around the young "musician looking" customer and try and figure out how to help him finance some cheap instrument.

At the same time they ignore the "old engineer" standing in front of the good stuff with the money to buy it and accessories.

LZ · Post by LZ » Thu Mar 13, 2014 6:44 pm

I use a roland A70 for my lower tier - these can be found at a reasonable price, as can the A30/33/37

Mike Conway · Post by **Mike Conway** » Thu Mar 13, 2014 11:42 pm

dfahrner wrote:"Power shopper" ??? I'm just an old retired engineer with only one hobby to support on his pension...

Understood.

To me that makes the point even more so: With limited funds, you and many others are still willing to buy multiple units.

A lot of "serious players" buy 2, 3, 4 or more keyboards. Why discourage that important group of buyers (especially these days) over a "one library/one Kronos" policy? Chances are that those same buyers would buy every library, if they could use them on any unit registered to them.

Same goes for the player whose Kronos gets in an auto accident and he wants to get another one. It should be an easy transfer.

I'm still chaffed over missing my OASYS' credits towards Kronos libraries window. If they were ownable, possessable libraries, I would have had several, but....they are tied to a Kronos ID, which I didn't have until later. I've been on the fence about getting the Korg String library and this one unit policy is thwarting my decision to go forward.

I come from the sample world, where my E-MU samples worked across the range of products. My old Yamaha TX16W samples are compatible with my SY99 and A5000 - and the company stressed that cross-compatibility.

I used the example of Yamaha/Roland Sound Cards? Well, even those can be put in different units, which I've done. The library should be registered to the user, not a single hardware ID. When your Fantom or E-MU dies of old age, you can still sell the library!