should I buy a kross or mox6?!

[botielus]

Man, I love both of them. played a bit at music store. each has some strengths and weaknesses compared to each other.

any constructive opinions welcome, thanx

[SanderXpander]

Nobody can really tell you, only you know what you need. The MOX integrates well into Cubase I think, and many people really like the Motif presets. On the other hand, the Korg program/combi and fx structure is easier to edit/comprehend, all program/combi locations are overwritable, there is a good file management system for backups and you can record audio in its sequencer.

[iluvchiclets]

Interesting -
I own an MOX6 and I am currently looking at the Kross! I am hesitating on buying a Kross because I want to hear what the newer Roland FA is going to offer before committing to one brand or the other.

You are right - the MOX and Kross both have their own strengths. I bought the MOX6 when it was brand new, and I thought I had it all. But after playing it for a year or so, I missed the Korg pianos. The Yamaha pianos in comparison feel a bit sterile, whereas Korg has much more variety and character.

Things I prefer about the MOX:
- USB Audio and Midi - I don't need an ASIO interface when using with a computer
- MOX6 vs. Kross 61 - I prefer the MOX action
- fantastic "motif"s included...very complex arpeggios.
- organs are so-so, but much better than Kross
- Woodwinds and orchestral instruments are beautiful
- Overall sounds appear to be more polished than Kross

Things I like about Kross:
- Weight and, in some degree, the price. It has gone up here in Canada (currently $1149 for 88 key) but it was nice at $999
- 88 key action was initially curious, I have since come to really like it...especially for electric pianos! Very realistic.
- Pianos are varied and have a lot of color.
- Subtle preference for the Electric Pianos over the MOX, but very close tie
- Clavinets are the best out there from any manufacturer.
- Pretty easy to edit and get around on the menu.

Because my main interest is in pianos and EP's, this is why I have paid so much attention to the Kross. I owned the M50 which, in my opinion, sounded much better overall compared to the Kross but suffered from "dated" programming. Some of the sounds needed serious tweaking.

With the progression of the PS60 and Microstation (and now the Kross) it appears Korg has reduced the quality of the EDS samples in some way, but their programming skills have improved quite a bit. If all of the samples were stereo and had the quality of the M50 or Krome, I would already be owning the Kross.

Waiting to see what to purchase over the next few months hopefully...

I hope this is helpful in some way!

[iluvchiclets]

As a point of being thorough, I thought I would add to this post to say that I did finally buy a Kross a couple of days ago.

I finally said Yes, because each time I played it at the store I got completely lost in the pianos and electric pianos. There is a stunning variety there for any type of player...it is continually fascinating to me how wonderful the choices we have as keyboard players are these days. So many great products at relatively cheap prices.

A lot of what the OP poster was asking is personal preference, as I feel almost any modern keyboard today will give you stellar sounds. But I confirmed again after playing the Kross, the acoustic pianos on the Kross have a lot of variety - something the MOX suffers from in my opinion.

One point to make here - since the MOX has been replaced by the MOXF, I seem to be seeing a lot of 2nd hand MOXs on the market. The average selling price where I am in Canada is $799 (about $400 less than new) Might it be possible that you could own both?

If I had to own only one, I might actually go with the MOX only because of how it operates seamlessly with VSTs and a computer. Also sound wise, it might do a bit better job of covering all the bases in an even fashion (the Hammond organ models are little better than the Kross in terms of Chorus/Vibrato options)

But it's really hard to beat the Kross so far...what a lot of fun for not a lot of money!

[hammondcuni]

Kross

[tkarlmann]

As a point of being thorough, I thought I would add to this post to say that I did finally buy a Kross a couple of days ago.

If I had to own only one, I might actually go with the MOX only because of how it operates seamlessly with VSTs and a computer. Also sound wise, it might do a bit better job of covering all the bases in an even fashion (the Hammond organ models are little better than the Kross in terms of Chorus/Vibrato options)

But it's really hard to beat the Kross so far...what a lot of fun for not a lot of money!

Potential new Kross owner here. I'm saturated with all sorts of specs & reviews, but I am unaware of any issues of a Kross operating or not operating smoothly (via MIDI) with VSTs and a computer. Can anyone elaborate?

[SanderXpander]

I don't think there is anything bad about the Kross in this respect. It's just that Yamaha have made some headway and offer VST-based access to their synths from the DAW. That means when your board is connected and you load up your DAW, you can add a "MOXF VST" which lets you edit all sounds, record audio from the MOXF and save everything within the song.

I don't own one so I would recommend looking at Yamaha user forums if you want to know more about this. I think it's VST3 only which currently limits the available DAWs (Cubase and Sonar for sure), and there may be other fine print.

[twstone1983]

I don't think there is anything bad about the Kross in this respect. It's just that Yamaha have made some headway and offer VST-based access to their synths from the DAW. That means when your board is connected and you load up your DAW, you can add a "MOXF VST" which lets you edit all sounds, record audio from the MOXF and save everything within the song...

The Kross is also capable of this. Korg released an editor in both 32 and 64bit that can be used in standalone mode or as a VST plug-in in Cubase. Works pretty well for me using Cubase AI 6.5. Yes the board HAS to be connected to the computer via USB and turned on for it to work. You cant use the VST Editor or Standalone editor with out the Kross attached to the computer.

[SanderXpander]

Does it also transfer audio? If so, I was unaware.

[twstone1983]

Oh no sorry, I should have been more specific. The Kross does not do audio over USB. So you would have to have the audio out on it connected to your audio interface and record a separate audio track. But with the editor you can view and change all the parameters in the Kross and save those changes and you can record MIDI data on the VST track.

Then again a MOXF6 is twice the price of a Kross 61 so that is something to consider.

[castorex]

Then again a MOXF6 is twice the price of a Kross 61 so that is something to consider.

Perhaps in your country ???
But in Europe MOXF6 costs 999€ (average price) and Kross 61 699€... and MOXF6 are far better than the Kross in many aspects... it is better to compare the Kross to the MOX6, considering second hand for both of them.
But the Kross has other good points:
- a better keybed even for the 61 keys
- a better OS with a good IHM for the Kross
- an understandable architecture for Korg
- a very compact keyboard, with batteries for a better mobility
- the kross has a good build with no plastic noise

But it depends what you want ?

[twstone1983]

Here in the US, retailers list the MOXF6 at $1199.99 where as the Kross 61 is listed at $699.99 so thats almost double the price. If you are looking used I am sure you could find either one at a more discounted price.