Official Korg Poll for KRONOS users

[Ottawa58]

Let's suppose that the poll is true for a moment, and has no survey bias.

When you look at Korg's marketing and promo pieces, often what you see is the Rudess-type material: famous performers stating how the Kronos is their go-to board for gigs. Yet, no videos of old farts like me, saying, "Gee this is great in my home studio." Yet, the poll indicates that's exactly who buys it. Is there a senior's discount?

I guess it's the same as an ad for a new Corvette. It's the handsome guy with the girl --- yet when you actually see one on the street, it's an old guy who drives it on Sundays.

[GregC]

Let's suppose that the poll is true for a moment, and has no survey bias.

When you look at Korg's marketing and promo pieces, often what you see is the Rudess-type material: famous performers stating how the Kronos is their go-to board for gigs. Yet, no videos of old farts like me, saying, "Gee this is great in my home studio." Yet, the poll indicates that's exactly who buys it. Is there a senior's discount?

I guess it's the same as an ad for a new Corvette. It's the handsome guy with the girl --- yet when you actually see one on the street, it's an old guy who drives it on Sundays.

Loyal Korg keyboard owner here. It makes absolutely no diff to me if the promoters are Rudess type shredders or an old timer working on a 60's pop tune.

I see the incredible capability of the Kronos. I have said this 500 times. IMO, the Kronos is a bargain for what it does. 4 years in the marketplace has also increased my regard. But my perspective goes back 55 years not 5 or 10 years. So that frame of reference might be a differentiator.

[Ottawa58]

Couldn't agree more. In my view, I have no argument at all over the Kronos value to price ratio. This is one of my very rare consumer experiences where my customer satisfaction is actually rising over time.

[karmathanever]

I see the incredible capability of the Kronos. I have said this 500 times. IMO, the Kronos is a bargain for what it does. 4 years in the marketplace has also increased my regard.

+100

[jimknopf]

[

So this poll mirrors the forum visitors, but these do not represent the typical age and use of Kronos players.

according to the poll 63% of Kronos owners are 45 and older.

IOW , 37% of owners are under 45

This is interesting, I think. But you feel this is not accurate ? Is it way off ?
If so, how ?

Greg, I obviously can't have a statistical overview.

BUT: among the gigging keyboarders aged ~20-40 which I know, whenever I talk with one of them about gear forums, they usually tell me they spend very limited time there, and if so, rather for reading (search for a specific topic) than for writing. One of them, who casually writes for online music platforms, was surprised to meet me, the amateur player he knew, in such a forum with regular posts. He just put a hint and a link there - once in that year!

When I thought about it, it made perfect sense to me: if I were busy in music making all day long (and music business is a hard job far from just being creative and enjoying music!), the very last thing I would want to do, would be hanging around in forums in my free time, talking exactly about what belongs to my hard everyday business. Of course there are some nice and communicative persons out there who are exceptions to that rule of thumb!

But most of them, IF they go online, they rather do so to promote their music, or use social media, where follower hits are useful for them.

From this background I am absolutely sure, even without statistics, that this forum isn't representing overall age and overall use statistics: the part time and amateur musicians (who are a big buyer group and certainly important for Korg!) are probably over-represented here, as are those above the age of 40.

Not to be misunderstood. I see nothing wrong with that or the poll, just the opposite: it's a very nice, friendly and informative forum here, which has helped me a lot to make full use of my Kronos! I'm just enjoying another vacation in Southern France / Cote d'Azur with this great keyboard again, preparing my next project with friends for a limited number of fun gigs, along with enjoying vacation.

[GregC]

[

So this poll mirrors the forum visitors, but these do not represent the typical age and use of Kronos players.

according to the poll 63% of Kronos owners are 45 and older.

IOW , 37% of owners are under 45

This is interesting, I think. But you feel this is not accurate ? Is it way off ?
If so, how ?

Greg, I obviously can't have a statistical overview.

BUT: among the gigging keyboarders aged ~20-40 which I know, whenever I talk with one of them about gear forums, they usually tell me they spend very limited time there, and if so, rather for reading (search for a specific topic) than for writing. One of them, who casually writes for online music platforms, was surprised to meet me, the amateur player he knew, in such a forum with regular posts. He just put a hint and a link there - once in that year!

When I thought about it, it made perfect sense to me: if I were busy in music making all day long (and music business is a hard job far from just being creative and enjoying music!), the very last thing I would want to do, would be hanging around in forums in my free time, talking exactly about what belongs to my hard everyday business. Of course there are some nice and communicative persons out there who are exceptions to that rule of thumb!

But most of them, IF they go online, they rather do so to promote their music, or use social media, where follower hits are useful for them.

From this background I am absolutely sure, even without statistics, that this forum isn't representing overall age and overall use statistics: the part time and amateur musicians (who are a big buyer group and certainly important for Korg!) are probably over-represented here, as are those above the age of 40.

.

Hi Jim, wonderful sounding vacation. I have spent some time in Nice and Monte Carlo and it is quite wonderful.

Your answers have some logic. The Musicplayer forum sort of mirrors the keyboard gigging community. It would be interesting if they did some kind of poll.

[SanderXpander]

I don't mean to disrespect, but that sounds like a lot of conjecture to me. At least it doesn't go for me at all. While it's true I know a few younger Kronos players who don't come to Korgforums, I wouldn't presume to estimate their use of forums in general. And I also know another older user who doesn't come here. I don't think it's fair to extrapolate generalities from these numbers, in either direction.

I'm a fulltime musician. I don't really get to talk about synths a lot with my bandmates though, let alone get any tips on how to create a sound, or get info and free sounds for my synths, all of which I find here. I don't know how it is for you guys, but other than the occasional drink or subbing situation, I don't actually deal with other keyboard players a whole lot, from a work perspective.

[Derek Cook]

I'm a fulltime musician. I don't really get to talk about synths a lot with my bandmates though....

None of my bandmates have got a clue about the technology side of what I do, and that's not just the synths, but the DMX light show as well!

No disrespect intended, they are all brilliant at what they do, but to a person (apart from one) they are technophobes).

So forums are good for me.

When it comes to surveys and statistics, two points (in addition to my comment about the choices being too black and white as both a studio and gigging amateur musician):

1) Think how badly wrong the recent UK election polls (amongst others) have been
2) Beware the statistician who died in tragic circumstances: He drowned crossing a river of three foot average depth....

[danatkorg]

I guess it's the same as an ad for a new Corvette. It's the handsome guy with the girl --- yet when you actually see one on the street, it's an old guy who drives it on Sundays.

Actually, many of the most successful working musicians I know (including people who play with some of the biggest bands on the planet) are over 55, too!

[jmol]

If I remember correctly, this poll was done on facebook as well. It would be interesting to see the results and differences, but I guess this is up to R&D and marketing at Korg.
Anyway, given the results and the discussions on this forum on DAW integration versus workstation enhancement (or both), I'm very curious what the next major step from Korg will be.

[LexCan]

Mark me down as "45-54, Studio or Home".

Would *love* to be playing live with the Kronos, playing all the covers I used to play back in the 80s - could do a great job now, with this keyboard - but the economics just don't work anymore (if they ever did!).

So - I invite other like-minded old farts over to my basement music room, and we just play for our own enjoyment. I still really enjoy getting the sounds as close as possible to the original recordings, covering a bunch of parts, etc.

[spaceman3]

I am 49, use my KRONOS for songwriting.
My KRONOS is for home studio use only.

[Derek Cook]

Would *love* to be playing live with the Kronos, playing all the covers I used to play back in the 80s - could do a great job now, with this keyboard - but the economics just don't work anymore (if they ever did!).

I know what you mean. It's a good job that I play live in "Welsh Floyd" as a labour of love, and that I have a reasonably well paid job to pay the bills. So long as I don't make a loss I enjoy paying live. And with gigs, you win some you lose some.... Any band earnings go towards toys.

[evimidiman]

I used to work retail musical instrument sales and I have tried to stay "up" on technologies and I must say I am more than thrilled with my new Kronos 2. I chose it over any other new "workstation", and even if it did not have a sequencer in it, I would have purchased it anyway because of the multiple technologies in it and the sound creation possibilities....I love this instrument!

It will be interesting to see how this poll develops, but I think it is pretty indicative of the current economy and who really has enough cash or credit to purchase a keyboard in this price range.

I also think a lot of the younger players are making use of soft synths and DAWs....

[DH56]

I see the incredible capability of the Kronos. I have said this 500 times. IMO, the Kronos is a bargain for what it does. 4 years in the marketplace has also increased my regard. But my perspective goes back 55 years not 5 or 10 years. So that frame of reference might be a differentiator.

Yeah man. Just think...a lucky few threw down 8 large plus for an OASYS a few years ago. I don't regret it for an instant (it is still my main board!) but salute KORG in developing an upgraded OASYS-like instrument at a price point more suitable for the masses.

Even though I am approaching 60, my synth perspective goes back to the early 90's when I first got into electronic music. I cut my teeth on the first wave of digital synths and modules and can say without doubt that we have a dizzying array of sounds that we could only dream about in those early years.

Anyone remember what a Fairlight cost?