Korg Please make a 73 key KRONOS with NON - Weighted keys

[plutohall]

Korg please release a LIMITED EDITION Korg Kronos 73 key with quality non-weighted key action I think you would not regret it.

I do respectfully think that Korg is missing out on a large demographic of keyboard players who are not "Pianists" but rather "Keyboard Players" who don't want weighted keys. For us the 73 (or 76) key non weighted keyboard is essential. 88 keys being too big to drag around and 61 keys is too limiting - not allowing one to play piano and or really split the board efficiently.

We don't want to drag 2 keyboards out night after night to gigs in order to have a non- weighted action keyboard along to play things that cannot easily be played on the weighted Kronos keyboard - ie. organ, fast runs and synth solos . ...... Importantly, I understand there are a lot of professional keyboard players like me who have ALWAYS played non-weighted keys and cannot afford the pain associated with weighted keys - leading to carpel tunnel. (Also I imagine that a lot of beginner keyboard players might choose an easier action keyboard if given a choice also). (76 or 73 keys makes no difference).

For many years I have been a loyal Korg keyboard player (last owned Triton series) I am going to have to sell my 73 key Korg Kronos and switch over to one of the other Major Companies who continue to offer a 73 -76 synth action - non-weighted premium keyboard. Companies that also cater to "Keyboard Players" and not just "Pianists" - UNLESS Korg hears us.

I respectfully submit that Korg will not regret releasing a Korg Kronos 73 key non weighted edition. I think sales would pick up dramatically.

[GregC]

For many years I have been a loyal Korg keyboard player (last owned Triton series) I am going to have to sell my 73 key Korg Kronos and switch over to one of the other Major Companies who continue to offer a 73 -76 synth action - non-weighted premium keyboard. .

I understand what you are saying. But the Kronos is still a great board.

If you only feel hampered by synth and/or organ parts, maybe a simple 49 key midi controller will suffice.

If its much more than that for you, consider the A-50/A70 controllers. You could also downsize to a Kronos 61.

realistically, Korg might not do as you request. Give it some thought.

[plutohall]

Thank you for your replay but You are missing my whole point. Please carefully re-read what I wrote.

Yes in my opinion Korg Kronos is the best out there at the moment - it is a great board- EXCEPT like the other major companies and we all know who they are - ARE releasing 73 - 76 key with non weighted action. Why? There are a lot of us who want this.

I am one of MANY professional keyboard players who have ALWAYS played non weighted keys. I know MANY others.That is what we want and there are keyboard companies catering to us (as Korg recently did with the Triton series). While we do play some piano we are not "Pianists". (Personally I CANNOT play this board at all without getting in Pain - can't risk carpal tunnel to continue playing the Kronos night after night). There are a LOT of us who WANT and prefer non-weighted keys. (I could go into more depth on this demographic and will if you request it)

KORG will either hear this OR they will lose a huge demographic to other major companies who cater to "keyboardsts" in addition to "Pianists"

[GregC]

Thank you for your replay but You are missing my whole point. Please carefully re-read what I wrote.

Yes in my opinion Korg Kronos is the best out there at the moment - it is a great board- EXCEPT like the other major companies and we all know who they are - ARE releasing 73 - 76 key with non weighted action. Why? There are a lot of us who want this.

I am one of MANY professional keyboard players who have ALWAYS played non weighted keys. I know MANY others.That is what we want and there are keyboard companies catering to us (as Korg recently did with the Triton series). While we do play some piano we are not "Pianists". (Personally I CANNOT play this board at all without getting in Pain - can't risk carpal tunnel to continue playing the Kronos night after night). There are a LOT of us who WANT and prefer non-weighted keys. (I could go into more depth on this demographic and will if you request it)

KORG will either hear this OR they will lose a huge demographic to other major companies who cater to "keyboardsts" in addition to "Pianists"

Well, I hear you better now . BTW, I struggle with arthritis and tendon ( hand) pain.

In a perfect world, I would not disagree with you. But I look at the past 6 years of what Korg has done with the Kronos for the model selection.

I think that speaks for itself. Hopefully, they concur with your demographic analysis.

[geoelectro]

I originally looked at the 73 thinking it was non-weighted like the Triton. I was very surprised that it was weighted. That said, I intended on having both, weighted and non-weighted keyboards regardless. I just hoped the non-weighted could be 73/76 notes...like my Triton. I bought the 61 note and it hasn't been a problem at all. I map sounds across the 61 note Kronos and an 88 note Yamaha P-80. If I do a simple gig I can get along with just the K61. I've always played with two keyboards since the days of workstations so I can have weighted and non-weighted.

Pre-workstations I had a Hammond organ, Fender Rhodes piano, Arp string ensemble, Arp Odessey and Mini Moog. Whew!

Geo

[Purpleibby]

Agreed! I'm limited to getting the 61 key because of this. I like the way Korg always did it before, offering weighted keys on only the 88.

[Bald Eagle]

I would love a non weighted Kronos 73 but I don't think there is much chance of it happening at this stage of the products life cycle. Maybe they will consider it for their next flagship keyboard.

[steeve76]

The same for me: I would like a 73/76 keys Kronos but without weighted keys. I solved with a 61 keys and a Roland A88 if I need an hammer action keyboard, or a Novation Remote 61 if I need more keys/split. I know, it's a second keyboard, but IMHO two different 61 keyboard is better than one 73/76 keyboard.

[uhura]

Yes, please 73 or better 76 semi weighted keys for the next model

[aron]

I would put in a vote for a 76 version non-weighted.
Yes, there are many people that played non-weighted, but I don't think it was necessarily due to not being able to play the weighted keys but more like not much was available and for a reasonable weight.

The last 76 note keyboard I played was the SY99 and although I loved it, it was heavy for what it was.

I like the new generation keyboards that are lighter like the Kross and the Casio PX-5S. Nice to have great sounds and have it be really light.

[DeltaJockey]

Well, like many I have pondered the same question. Interesting though, any of the manufacturers appear to offer only one or the other option in 73/76, that is either weighted or unweighted, but not both as an option.
I have spent most of my life on weighted piano keys, and for pianos, that's what I prefer, but with such a vast variety of sounds on one keyboard nowadays, I do find myself in the dilemma of wanting to switch as needed.
I love the Korg RH3 for pianos, but I prefer my K61 for many synth or orchestral string sounds, as I can manipulate the sounds with a lot more ease on the unweighted keys.

I realise carrying 2 boards is a compromise, but I do find my combo of Kronos 61 with my Nektar semi weighted 88, works great to cover all bases, with a total weight of slightly less than a single Kronos 73. It at least gives me the piano 88 range, and synth feel for everything else.

[EvilDragon]

Huge demographic? Perhaps in your locality. Over here pretty much everyone prefers weighted boards...

So yeah in grand scale of things I don't think 73/76 non-weighted is THAT huge a demographic. Consequently, I think Korg already thought this through years ago and went with what sells better. And it turns out that it's the weighted 73 key for them.

[richforman]

I'm with plutohall, that's been my #1 Kronos wish-list item forever. I finally, very recently, broke down and bought a K2 61, I love it it is the most powerful and best-sounding workstation keyboard I've ever owned, and will probably be my sole sound source for all my gigs for the forseeable future; but I really miss the extra keys I enjoyed on my Fantom X7 (while still getting the light lugging weight and synth/organ playability of unweighted keys). Resigned myself that for most gigs I will need to midi up a second board in order to get the keyboard real estate needed for so many songs. Weighted keys are way better for piano patches of course, but for me, unweighted can fill in for those better than weighted can fill in for playing synth or organ sounds.

[drama1]

Put out a 76/73 semi-weighted Kronos and I'll order one TODAY. Nuff said.

[Bitflipper]

I, too, enjoy a non-weighted keyboard -- just not all the time.

I hate it for piano, for instance. And piano accounts for 50% of my time on the Kronos. Much of the other half of the time is spent on organ and synths, where I have a nearly equal distaste for weighted keyboards.

My solution: a separate 49-key unweighted controller above and offset to the right (so as to not obscure the Kronos' set list display). I play organ and synth leads on that. Best of both worlds, cheaply.