KRONOS Successor?

[Kevbo]

So I was ready to pull the trigger on my first Kronos, and go with the SE, though I am not fond of that color, and the more and more I do research, it appears nothing has changed for years with the new Kronos. I am still very disappointed with the lackluster user interface of the Kronos. Looks like something out of the 80s.

I was looking to get speculations on a time frame when the Kronos successor may come out. I have read where some people state Korg always gives a line an "EX" which signifies the end of that line, and if that's true, I guess we have a least another two years yet, assuming next year we may see a Kronos EX.

I use a lot of VSTs, so I am fine right now, but I would love an all-in-one board for when I start gigging again. I just hope they put some time and effort into the interface. The piano seems to be the only one they spent any time on.

[GregC]

For the past 2 years, there was a speculation post every 2 weeks with lots of guess work.

Shouldn't be difficult to find them.

If you don't care for the red color, that a reason to not buy the SE

[Rigel]

I am still very disappointed with the lackluster user interface of the Kronos. Looks like something out of the 80s.

Judging with your nonexistent experience with the Kronos is ridiculous.

[voip]

To the OP, try googling 80s computers, then consider how the Kronos compares!

Then look at other keyboards/workstations and find a better interface!!

.

[pete.m]

With respect, you're reminding me of a mate of mine who told me he was selling a synth he had had for four years because he wanted one with a vocoder instead. I didn't say anything to him - I just pointed out the button marked 'Vocoder' in the centre of the front panel.

I encourage you to explore the Kronos, rather than shell out on whatever else there is around. It may turn out to be the synth you actually want, after all. If not, and you prefer VSTs anyway, that's fine too.

[leonh]

We may have successor but not because current Kronos is underpowered so if you think that buying current model will hamper your music then no need to worry in most cases only limitation is musician.

[Liviou2004]

So I was ready to pull the trigger on my first Kronos, and go with the SE, though I am not fond of that color, and the more and more I do research, it appears nothing has changed for years with the new Kronos. I am still very disappointed with the lackluster user interface of the Kronos. Looks like something out of the 80s.

I was looking to get speculations on a time frame when the Kronos successor may come out. I have read where some people state Korg always gives a line an "EX" which signifies the end of that line, and if that's true, I guess we have a least another two years yet, assuming next year we may see a Kronos EX.

I use a lot of VSTs, so I am fine right now, but I would love an all-in-one board for when I start gigging again. I just hope they put some time and effort into the interface. The piano seems to be the only one they spent any time on.

One thing is sure, many here have been playing on Kronos for years and keep saying they have things to discover, again. That's my case.

So if you don't enjoy the Kronos, just go and see for another brand ! It's very simple

[JPROBERTLA]

Kronos replacement has been discussed many times on this forum. While no one but Korg knows what that is, the Kronos is still the best hardware workstation by far. I you need a keyboard right now, compare whats out there and get the one you like the best. I am waiting for Kronos replacement because I've had my Kronos' since they came out and have been Korg user since M1.

[19naia]

User interface on kronos is all in the touch screen. It needs only “80’s” style buttons, dials, sliders and knobs to do old fashioned work and call up the screen pages which contain worlds of finger touch user interface.

And if you look at all the flagship workstation brands out there, you will find that Korg is at the top of the synthesizer touch screen game.
It all moved to touch screen in the 2000’s.
Even my old man’s car is touch screen operated and my old man does not even internet. Long the live the old man anyway and may he go far in his car.

I digress.

Also the tactile part of kronos user interface has been creatively multi tasked depending on what control mode you enter.
Sliders have various control modes, and so do the coresponding switches.
Knobs as well.
Not just control modes, but assignability of various functions to the controls.

But you would never see all of that if you never lit up the touch screen and tapped into it with your fingers. Worlds of user interface in there, enough to make Kronos easily one of the most complex perfromance rigs out there.
And still holding that status after years of not much being added to it.

[Grambambuli]

To be honest, I don't need a new platform. I'm still amazed by it's potential.

Software- or sample wise there's still room for improvements. Why don't add some SGX-2 upright pianos? Update the CX-3 samples?

[janrhansen]

I think that what is making some people posting so much on that Kronos is "old" and it lacks this, and that .. etc. is because they do not understand it. I have always been fairly good myself at learning tech stuff by just experimenting and only if I have a very specific issue I can't figure out by pressing buttons, I take out the refference guides, but I gotta admit the Kronos is by far the most complex piece of hardware and software I have ever had (Only had my Kronos for about a month) so just scratching the surface, and I think the complexity of the kronos overwhelms many people, and hence they start bitching just because they either havn't gotten far enough into the machine to see what it can do, or they just don't have the time or want to use the time it takes to learn this monster of a machine.

I do agree tho that a more flat aproach of the UI would benefit some things and its normally the way computer programs move today making stuff easier and simpler to overlook. But then again with all the things you have in the Kronos, you would end up with having maybe somwhere between double to maybe 4 times as many top tier menu items to choose from.

The problem is even the Kronos price have dropped a bit since launch 8 years ago, its still a premium priced piece of hardware, and I highly doubt that the bosses at KORG would set aside the money to develope a "Kronos 2020" with eg a premium mobile i7/i9, 64gb Ram .. more sound engines .. even maybe vst's .. a full fledged daw that could be shown on an external monitor... etc....
It would end up in a price range where many of the more "normal" users propably wouldn't go anyway. Its most likely not feasable to make enough income from it. The current iteration of the Kronos runs on hardware that is extremely cheap to buy. The Chassis, Keybed,buttons, faders and touch screen is what is costing money. not the cpu or the 3gb ram or the 60gb ssd .. actually it cant be long before it will come with a 240gb ssd .. can't be many 60gb sata ssd's left on the market today.

But seriously Korg ... use some engineer money to port the system from the Atom to just a mobile i3 or i5 processor.... Just a modern i3 is like 5-10 times as powerfull as any of the latest Atom cpu's. Its a dead-end series of tech only used for cheap crap in embedded systems that don't need any real processing power, but just need to be able to talk to the world to send and recieve some data, like a petrol pump that verifies a credit card.

[GregC]

But seriously Korg ... use some engineer money to port the system from the Atom to just a mobile i3 or i5 processor.... Just a modern i3 is like 5-10 times as powerfull as any of the latest Atom cpu's. Its a dead-end series of tech only used for cheap crap in embedded systems that don't need any real processing power, but just need to be able to talk to the world to send and recieve some data, like a petrol pump that verifies a credit card.

Seriously, write to Korgs CEO and Chairman[Korg Japan]. That what some serious minded Kronos owners have done .

I am of the opinion that posting on here , will not motivate Korg. The CEO and Chairman are the top 2 decision makers. Thats the direct approach.

[leonh]

Any part of old hardware on Kronos Atom processor motherboard ect can be made to order by manufacturers so Korg won't run out of parts
Yes hardware is old but it does the job and that all it matters to musicians .

[GregC]

Any part of old hardware on Kronos Atom processor motherboard ect can be made to order by manufacturers so Korg won't run out of parts
Yes hardware is old but it does the job and that all it matters to musicians .

that is a solid point.

I often think that many large tech cos have convinced consumers that they must have the 'latest greatest better best shiniest newest thing'.

And if somehow, you don't acquire the 'latest greatest better best shiniest newest thing', you are somehow missing out , or missing something that might be cool.

And it seems to be a priority to be cool, on the cutting edge of tech because blah blah blah.

Bottom line, having a shiny new thing is often not my priority. Its the priority of tech co's.

Thats the way I see it

[Kevbo]

Correct, I don’t have a KRONOS, but I still have right to complain when I think some of their tech is lacking. I have other Korg products and like them as a company, overall. But I think back to Roland’s Fantom G series and the beautiful interface IT had. Almost like when you load VSTs in Kontakt. A pretty sleek look. Korg has the same interface since the TRITON, maybe even predating that, too.

Yes, I know there is way more to owning a synthesizer than just it’s GUI, but there is also no reason Korg can’t put a little more effort into their FLAGSHIP boards. After all, a Kronos costs just as much today as it did what, seven, eight years ago?!!! That’s unacceptable.