Hi, there. I'm very new to these forums because I've never owned a Korg. I've used other keyboards (Yamaha, Roland, etc.) for a long time but need a new gigging, 88 key machine. I was very interested in the Krome because it sounded great to me, seemed light enough to haul around and had a lot of cool features, such as the user nobs and whatnot. I went to a local GC to try one out and, while all of the above was confirmed as excellent, I was really surprised by the action/keybed. Specifically, the middle and midd-upper octaves were loose and noisy. They slid around a bit laterally and seemed like they were were 1/2 way between weighted and unweighted. While I'm partial to weighted keys, I'd be open to something a little lighter because I play a lot of organ sounds. However, it really felt like there was something wrong with these octaves. I wondered if it was an anomaly and went to another GC a week later and noticed the same thing in their display model. Sales person said it was from people beating on it, which sounded a little silly: a board should hold up to that. My question is this: is this normal for Kromes? I tried other Korgs and felt nothing like this on other instruments. Is this how it was designed to be? If so, why? If not, why the defect? Is it universal? Thanks for any info: I'my trying to decided between this keyboard, a Yamaha MOX8, Kawai MP7, and a Roland. Many thanks for your help.
Caseous
Help in understanding Krome action
Moderators: Sharp, X-Trade, Pepperpotty, karmathanever
I haven't witnessed exactly what you describe. However in general, I've noticed that the M50 / Kronos / Krome 88 keybeds don't seem to be as high-quality as the offerings from Yamaha. I know the Kronos had issues with gaps between keys, sticky keys, etc.
I have a MOX8 and the weighted keybed is very nice.
I bought a Krome 73 for something to take gigging. I really like it. . . I would rate the sounds above the MOX8 actually. Some people complain about the semi-weighted keybed, and while it's not on-par with the MOTIF / Kronos, I still find playing on it to be enjoyable. Some people make a really big deal out of things that maybe are not such a big issue in reality.
Anyway with the 88-key version, I think Yamaha has the edge but you have to weigh all the details against each other. Each keyboard has its plusses and minuses.
I have a MOX8 and the weighted keybed is very nice.
I bought a Krome 73 for something to take gigging. I really like it. . . I would rate the sounds above the MOX8 actually. Some people complain about the semi-weighted keybed, and while it's not on-par with the MOTIF / Kronos, I still find playing on it to be enjoyable. Some people make a really big deal out of things that maybe are not such a big issue in reality.
Anyway with the 88-key version, I think Yamaha has the edge but you have to weigh all the details against each other. Each keyboard has its plusses and minuses.
Current Gear: Korg Kronos 2 88, Focusrite 18i8, Sonar Platinum, Win 10 64-bit, 8-gig ram
"The graveyards are full of indispensable men" - General Charles De Gaulle
"The graveyards are full of indispensable men" - General Charles De Gaulle
Thanks for your thoughts. I looked around and found this short video on You Tube that describes what I'm seeing pretty well...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4I0n12KyYY
Anyone else notice it?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4I0n12KyYY
Anyone else notice it?
Hi caseous,
I saw your posts at Harmony Central regarding the Krome and responded there.
The problem shown in the video link you provided is not a normal occurrence. I play fairly heavy-handed sometimes and have never had this issue. I do believe there may have been some issues early on since the first Krome 88 I purchased had two keys that had a slight click when played but my local music store spoke with their Korg rep who immediately had a new instrument sent to me. There have been no issues since. The instrument in that video has undoubtedly been beaten to death. I have found it not uncommon at all to see broken keys, knobs, etc. at some of these big chain stores, so I wouldn't take that video into consideration.
In discussing weighted keyboards, everyone has their own very strong opinions on which is the best and worst; usually the best being what the person owns themselves. I started piano lessons at age 5 and continued through music college, and started playing paying gigs at age 14. Over the 40+ years of gigging, I have always had an 88 note weighted action keyboard of some kind. Some I liked better than others for sure. But it takes just a few gigs to become familiar and comfortable with whatever you have to play on. Most recently I moved away from the Roland RD700-GX to the Korg Krome. I will tell you that I liked the action on the Roland better than the Krome (except for those ivory touch keytops, horrible). BUT, I am perfectly comfortable playing the Krome 88, and the fact that the Krome is way, WAY more powerful and capable than the RD far outweighs the difference in keyboard feel. Just my opinion.
I saw your posts at Harmony Central regarding the Krome and responded there.
The problem shown in the video link you provided is not a normal occurrence. I play fairly heavy-handed sometimes and have never had this issue. I do believe there may have been some issues early on since the first Krome 88 I purchased had two keys that had a slight click when played but my local music store spoke with their Korg rep who immediately had a new instrument sent to me. There have been no issues since. The instrument in that video has undoubtedly been beaten to death. I have found it not uncommon at all to see broken keys, knobs, etc. at some of these big chain stores, so I wouldn't take that video into consideration.
In discussing weighted keyboards, everyone has their own very strong opinions on which is the best and worst; usually the best being what the person owns themselves. I started piano lessons at age 5 and continued through music college, and started playing paying gigs at age 14. Over the 40+ years of gigging, I have always had an 88 note weighted action keyboard of some kind. Some I liked better than others for sure. But it takes just a few gigs to become familiar and comfortable with whatever you have to play on. Most recently I moved away from the Roland RD700-GX to the Korg Krome. I will tell you that I liked the action on the Roland better than the Krome (except for those ivory touch keytops, horrible). BUT, I am perfectly comfortable playing the Krome 88, and the fact that the Krome is way, WAY more powerful and capable than the RD far outweighs the difference in keyboard feel. Just my opinion.
Tried a third Krome 88
Still not sure what to make of it. Keys had the same problem. At this point, as much as I wanted the Krome to work, I have to cross it off the list. I can get used to different weighting, but I think this is too much and, more importantly, I worry about lifespan of the board and how this would portend post-warranty problems. This is a shame because, aside from this, I really love the Krome. I'm gigging and would consider the Kronos, but the expense and. especially, weight is too much. Now looking at Roland and Yamaha. I wish it could've worked out. Thanks for your help.
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joshhuntnm
- Posts: 31
- Joined: Sun Jan 13, 2013 2:17 am
The keyboard in the store (I tried several stores) was not near as good as the one I actually got when I bought it. I think they listened to complaints and improved it. The ones in the store were noisy. If you turned the sound down, you could hear the keyboard clicking. They one I bought does not have this problem.