What would you buy as a second board?

djcactus · Post by **djcactus** » Wed Mar 25, 2015 6:51 am

If you have money flying out the rear why not shell out for the 97 key LACHNIT. Say goodbye to transposing keys to get your austrian extended bass.(and money of course)

http://www.flkeys.at/Products.html#Mode ... erial_97:_

beastly61 · Post by **beastly61** » Wed Mar 25, 2015 10:21 am

Thanks all for the replys. I'm looking for as wide a sonic landscape that I can create. The access virus is a great board and under serious contention for upper tier. I'm also considering going for a Kurzweil PC3K6 as it has some massive sounds that I think could complement the Kronos. My last Kurzweil was a K2600 with a Triton as my top tier. Now that my bottom tier is my Kronos, top tier will be solo and pad.

Thoughts?

jeremykeys · Post by **jeremykeys** » Wed Mar 25, 2015 11:40 am

I'm running with a k73 on the bottom and a King korg on the top. I have them midied together with combis on the kronos generally with organ sounds for the kk to drive. I also have it so that I can use the kk for pads and leads. The k73 generally is doing piano type sounds. Rhodes, Wurlitzer, etc. it all depends on the song though, of course. And the gig. Sometimes it's just the k73.

enigmahack · Post by **enigmahack** » Wed Mar 25, 2015 12:18 pm

beastly61 wrote:Thanks all for the replys. I'm looking for as wide a sonic landscape that I can create. The access virus is a great board and under serious contention for upper tier. I'm also considering going for a Kurzweil PC3K6 as it has some massive sounds that I think could complement the Kronos. My last Kurzweil was a K2600 with a Triton as my top tier. Now that my bottom tier is my Kronos, top tier will be solo and pad.

Thoughts?

I'm running the Kurzweil PC3K8 on bottom and Kronos 73 on top, and I'm a HUGE kurzweil fan. Been playing and programming them for over 15 years, so obviously I'm biased.

I'm actually trying to get a hold of a 2600 again though, I had a huge sound library that isn't compatible with the PC3K and I thought it would be.

Anyway, digression aside, I'm a huge fan of Kurzweil as it does have a distinctive character which is quite different than the Kronos, and personally think they compliment each other quite well.

ronnfigg · Post by **ronnfigg** » Wed Mar 25, 2015 5:48 pm

beastly61 wrote:Thanks all for the replys. I'm looking for as wide a sonic landscape that I can create. The access virus is a great board and under serious contention for upper tier. I'm also considering going for a Kurzweil PC3K6 as it has some massive sounds that I think could complement the Kronos. My last Kurzweil was a K2600 with a Triton as my top tier. Now that my bottom tier is my Kronos, top tier will be solo and pad.

Thoughts?

REAL analog? Prophet. Andromeda (if you can find one). Something with exotic synth engines- granular, additive? And why not add a 3rd controller to drive the Kronos?

80salife · Post by **80salife** » Wed Mar 25, 2015 6:50 pm

ronnfigg wrote: And why not add a 3rd controller to drive the Kronos?

I think its unpossible! You have to control 20 soundbanks via MSB/LSB plus Combination... Which modul could this do?

NuSkoolTone · Post by **NuSkoolTone** » Wed Mar 25, 2015 6:52 pm

I currently run a Kronos 73 with a Motif XS7 (My previous main board) on top. I'm looking to replace my top tier as well. I've considered:

Current Production
-Hammond SK1 (If the CX-3 organ leaves you wanting. But no wheels is a bit of a deal breaker)
-Roland FA-06 (strongest contender. The Jupiters are woeful IMO)
-Novation Ultra Nova (only 49 keys! Not multi-timbral. Like what the mininova brings too, but are both TOYS!)
-New Prophet 6 (Yum, but $$$ and low poly. Also 49 key?)

IMO, outside the Kronos there's really not much being made that screams "Awesome" these days. Though two of the same board won't get much sonic variety. Looked at Access stuff, but ever since Kemper it's taken kind of a backseat IMO. Plus maybe it's a bit played? Same goes for Nord/Clavia. All that's left of Waldorf is the Blofeld really. Kurzweil could be cool. Never considered them since they abandoned the K series.

The other option is VSTi stuff and a controller, but still not ready for prime time IMO.

Older stuff:
-Roland V-synth (each version has its own "issues")
-My Kawai K5000s was REALLY cool when I was doing the "prog thing". Definitely its own sound!

I'd also wait to see what becomes of the Roland JD-XA. Might be great, might be hype!

FWIW I feel your struggle!

ronnfigg · Post by **ronnfigg** » Wed Mar 25, 2015 7:54 pm

80salife wrote:
ronnfigg wrote: And why not add a 3rd controller to drive the Kronos?
I think its unpossible! You have to control 20 soundbanks via MSB/LSB plus Combination... Which modul could this do?

I do it all the time. Not sure what you are asking? It is easy to MIDI up a keyboard controller set it to a separate MIDI channel and play that timbre from the external controller.

80salife · Post by **80salife** » Wed Mar 25, 2015 8:45 pm

ronnfigg wrote: I do it all the time. Not sure what you are asking? It is easy to MIDI up a keyboard controller set it to a separate MIDI channel and play that timbre from the external controller.

hm... clear with Midi CHannel you can choose the KRONOS but changing sounds it will be horrible... How to change from program to combination and bank to bank...

But If you make this please tell us your MSB/LSB Settings

jeebustrain · Post by **jeebustrain** » Wed Mar 25, 2015 9:31 pm

80salife wrote:
ronnfigg wrote: I do it all the time. Not sure what you are asking? It is easy to MIDI up a keyboard controller set it to a separate MIDI channel and play that timbre from the external controller.

hm... clear with Midi CHannel you can choose the KRONOS but changing sounds it will be horrible... How to change from program to combination and bank to bank...

But If you make this please tell us your MSB/LSB Settings

It's actually really easy. I use the Kronos88 to control patch changes live on 3 rack synths, an effects unit (GSI Burn), and a Prophet 12 (which also doubles as a controller for Kronos sounds). Everything is wrapped up in combis and it's absolutely seamless live.

Basically you just need to set up each external piece of gear to listen on a different channel (I started @ 16 and went backwards) and use the combi slots in EXT2 mode to send the program changes. I can have a 3-way split on the Kronos with 1 internal sound and 2 external sounds and have the Prophet being used as a controller for the CX3 (in fact, I do exactly that in my band for the Tears For Fears song Shout). I have a small label on each piece of gear that reminds me of the channels and I keep a couple "utiltity template" combis around so I can reference in case I ever forget how things are supposed to work.

beastly61 · Post by **beastly61** » Thu Mar 26, 2015 12:31 am

enigmahack wrote:
beastly61 wrote:Thanks all for the replys. I'm looking for as wide a sonic landscape that I can create. The access virus is a great board and under serious contention for upper tier. I'm also considering going for a Kurzweil PC3K6 as it has some massive sounds that I think could complement the Kronos. My last Kurzweil was a K2600 with a Triton as my top tier. Now that my bottom tier is my Kronos, top tier will be solo and pad.

Thoughts?
I'm running the Kurzweil PC3K8 on bottom and Kronos 73 on top, and I'm a HUGE kurzweil fan. Been playing and programming them for over 15 years, so obviously I'm biased.

I'm actually trying to get a hold of a 2600 again though, I had a huge sound library that isn't compatible with the PC3K and I thought it would be.

Anyway, digression aside, I'm a huge fan of Kurzweil as it does have a distinctive character which is quite different than the Kronos, and personally think they compliment each other quite well.

--------------------

Interesting! I've played the K2000 and K2600 for years and for the longest time, a K2600 73 note was my bottom tier with a Triton on tope. It was an amazing stage sound and studio was so much fun with those boards. I think that's the way I'm going to go - with my Kronos on the bottom and a 61 note Kurz PC3K6 on top. I'll upload pic's once my Kurz arrives!

McHale · Post by **McHale** » Thu Mar 26, 2015 2:36 am

Kronos as a top tier. A Good keyboard controller for the bottom tear. Let the Kronos be your sound engines. When playing live, I do a lot of splits and layers but have found setting the controller to MIDI channel 2 gives me tons of flexibility. Whatever I play on the Kronos (or M3 or M50 or Triton) is MIDI channel 1.

HIGHLY recommend this.

AnyMeans · Post by **AnyMeans** » Thu Mar 26, 2015 2:46 am

ronnfigg wrote:
beastly61 wrote:Thanks all for the replys. I'm looking for as wide a sonic landscape that I can create. The access virus is a great board and under serious contention for upper tier. I'm also considering going for a Kurzweil PC3K6 as it has some massive sounds that I think could complement the Kronos. My last Kurzweil was a K2600 with a Triton as my top tier. Now that my bottom tier is my Kronos, top tier will be solo and pad.

Thoughts?
REAL analog? Prophet. Andromeda (if you can find one). Something with exotic synth engines- granular, additive? And why not add a 3rd controller to drive the Kronos?

Would you please elaborate on the compatibility issue with the PC3K and K2600 sample library. I currently have a K2600X and was considering selling it to purchase the new PC3K to compliment my Kronos X. One of the PC3K8 demos specifically state that the PC3K will load sound libraries from the K2500 & K2600. Is that not the case? Or perhaps it will load certain legacy sample libraries.

Thanks,
Larry

enigmahack · Post by **enigmahack** » Thu Mar 26, 2015 3:01 am

AnyMeans wrote:
ronnfigg wrote:
beastly61 wrote:Thanks all for the replys. I'm looking for as wide a sonic landscape that I can create. The access virus is a great board and under serious contention for upper tier. I'm also considering going for a Kurzweil PC3K6 as it has some massive sounds that I think could complement the Kronos. My last Kurzweil was a K2600 with a Triton as my top tier. Now that my bottom tier is my Kronos, top tier will be solo and pad.

Thoughts?
REAL analog? Prophet. Andromeda (if you can find one). Something with exotic synth engines- granular, additive? And why not add a 3rd controller to drive the Kronos?
Would you please elaborate on the compatibility issue with the PC3K and K2600 sample library. I currently have a K2600X and was considering selling it to purchase the new PC3K to compliment my Kronos X. One of the PC3K8 demos specifically state that the PC3K will load sound libraries from the K2500 & K2600. Is that not the case? Or perhaps it will load certain legacy sample libraries.

Thanks,
Larry

The short version:
Samples are compatible yes. Anything that is manually programmed AT ALL is mostly incompatible due to how VAST renders files.

That said, is your 2600x fully loaded? I'm looking to get rid of my PC3K8 to buy a 2600x lol

AnyMeans · Post by **AnyMeans** » Thu Mar 26, 2015 5:38 am

enigmahack wrote:
AnyMeans wrote:
ronnfigg wrote: REAL analog? Prophet. Andromeda (if you can find one). Something with exotic synth engines- granular, additive? And why not add a 3rd controller to drive the Kronos?
Would you please elaborate on the compatibility issue with the PC3K and K2600 sample library. I currently have a K2600X and was considering selling it to purchase the new PC3K to compliment my Kronos X. One of the PC3K8 demos specifically state that the PC3K will load sound libraries from the K2500 & K2600. Is that not the case? Or perhaps it will load certain legacy sample libraries.

Thanks,
Larry
The short version:
Samples are compatible yes. Anything that is manually programmed AT ALL is mostly incompatible due to how VAST renders files.

That said, is your 2600x fully loaded? I'm looking to get rid of my PC3K8 to buy a 2600x lol

Yep, it's maxed out but you just confirmed what I suspected. If I sold my K2600X as I had planned, I would have no way to play the large sample library accumulated over the last 12+ years. I guess that means it's a keeper.

Best Regards,
Larry