KRONOS Successor?

[GregC]

The least we can say is that the musical instrument stores do not jostle for the Kronos SE, nor the Montage in their stores. ! Why ?

1)Many sellers explain that the days of workstations are now counted ... A keyboard, a small computer and you immediately at your door thousands of musical instruments all more breathtaking than each other. I really believe that workstations will continue to exist but they are going through hard times.
And still : even not a word from Korg

yes. this argument/debate has raged for +10 years.

Without a doubt, one can buy a cheap lap top, a cheap feeling midi controller, install MainStage and make some music. If my budget was under $1000, and I simply wanted to mess around, this would be perfectly ok for the short term.

But spec creep will occur soon. The cheap laptop has too much latency, and is limiting, the midi controller feels cheap because it is cheaply made, and all those VST' s start to add up. Before you realize it, there goes another $1000-$1500.

There is nothing wrong with building a custom system, but if one is demanding of instrument quality and wants versatility, its not going to be cheap. And bringing all that on stage for a gig ? I am not sure. It seems
that one would have to have a redundant backup system. Assuming one is concerned about being reliable 100% at a gig.

Folks are free to disagree with me. I don't keep up with all the options and my estimated figures might be dated.

[ponkine]

I'd LOVE a Kronos 3 with a worth UI at last!. Everybody knows that, while it's a great machine, the user interface is a mess. It takes ages to learn. And it can be quite frustrating and time-consuming.

Also, better quality of sounds. Currently Montage surfaces Kronos in that department

And finally, with 2 versions (as the current productions): fully weighed keys (hopefully NOT RH3 action), and LS, for those ones who really need a keybed that can plays organs, synths, etc

You can see the Gearslutz guys aren't big fans of Kronos

https://www.gearslutz.com/board/electro ... nions.html

https://www.gearslutz.com/board/electro ... s-2-a.html

[GregC]

I'd LOVE a Kronos 3 with a worth UI at last!. Everybody knows that, while it's a great machine, the user interface is a mess. It takes ages to learn. And it can be quite frustrating and time-consuming.

Also, better quality of sounds. Currently Montage surfaces Kronos in that department

And finally, with 2 versions (as the current productions): fully weighed keys (hopefully NOT RH3 action), and LS, for those ones who really need a keybed that can plays organs, synths, etc

You can see the Gearslutz guys aren't big fans of Kronos

tml

this is what I call " everyone has an opinion ".

I would assert that there are many folks that should not buy a Kronos.

If it does not fit their 'requirements' and they dislike RH3, definitely forget about Kronos and move on to whatever. No one here is trying to sell Korg.
Buy a Montage if thats your preference. Etc etc

[ponkine]

Nah

Organs are dreadful on Montage. And it's really expensive

I'm hoping for a Kronos 3 in the near future. After all, it's been more than 4 years since Kronos 2.

[GregC]

Nah

Organs are dreadful on Montage. And it's really expensive

I'm hoping for a Kronos 3 in the near future. After all, it's been more than 4 years since Kronos 2.

It will be $5000 and many will not like it

[kronoSphere]

Greg, 10 years ago the market of the virtual instruments and the technology of the laptop was not what they are now in 2019.
But did you know that : many years ago Adobe had let go and accepted without saying it the piracy of their fetish software Photoshop. Why ? Simply because they already knew that this was the best publicity for their product, but most of all they also knew that many and many more students in art would become aware of photoshop and the more they will use it and the more in their professional life they will finally buy it.
It would be nice if Korg, one day or another, keep less their secrets within their safe. It will give the opportunity to many creators to build add ons

[GregC]

Greg, 10 years ago the market of the virtual instruments and the technology of the laptop was not what they are now in 2019.

It would be nice if Korg, one day or another, keep less their secrets within their safe. It will give the opportunity to many creators to build add ons

m

I am not a wishful thinker. We can see what korg s priorities are with their new products every year.

I recall 8 years ago when Kronos came out many folks asserted they could get the same quality with there desktops and whatever sound libraries. For much less $

[ITguy54]

This is just a placeholder to allow the “every other post” thing to keep going. Ready...set...GO!

[Hedegaard]

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.

Makes sense though.
The user interface leaves MUCH to be desired.

and the small size adds to that frustration.

It was designed by people that for some reason ignored that iPads existed - something that is tried and tested a number of years now.

Am also waiting for a Kronos 3 - I had the Oasys and the screen was better and could tilt, but the user interface is designed by engineers unable to fathom what "usability" means.

[Hedegaard]

Thank you for your thoughts. I guess one of my "issues" is that if I drop $4,000 on the KRONOS now, part of me will think...man, this is the same KRONOS from yesterday, and I could have had it EIGHT years ago. I almost feel like I would be buying some old parts just to have some fun, and then the new and shiny thing comes out, and all the former KRONOS owners jump ship for the new flagship.

As an ex-Oasys user - I paid about 10.000USD in 2008 (not counting inflation)
and a few years later the Kronos arrived at half price!
Made it difficult to sell mine for a decent amount of money and took ages to finally sell.

I feel bitter by the experience, Korg just suddenly dropped support for Oasys - and even a copy&paste real letter in the post from Korg president himself - about the EX instruments now being free (gee, thanks, since I bought them at full price a year earlier) didn't add any kind of sweetener to that bitter taste.
Been reluctant ever since to get a Kronos, but perhaps I feel that soon is the time - except that the Kronos 2 is now quite old.
And the joke that is the Kronos LS, is just Kronos 2 in new skin.

So am patiently waiting for Kronos 3 and see what type of machine it is before to spend the money.
Thankfully probably nothing will ever be as expensive as the Oasys again. It was a fantastic machine at the time - only complaint - incredibly dubious user interface made by random people off the streets without any concept of design or usability.

[GregC]

what I often read here is that folks want the strengths of Oasys + Kronos + stronger processing + newly thought UI + color contrast LCD + more/improved sound engines.

The problem is price. I am skeptical this can be done for $3000. Quality components have to be paid for. Thus $4000 seems close.

And this should have been done 2-4 yrs ago, call it a Kronos 3.

Doing the above general spec in 2021 for $4000 makes some sense assuming the sound programming is Korg genius level.

Don't expect a new native version of Karma.

So thats 1 possible ' new keyboard '.

The 2nd possible premium ' new keyboard' is a Korg secret weapon, something very exciting, lets say $3000.

[Hedegaard]

Thanks greg, $4000 is also "ok" if the machine is really something new, enlightening and a killer keyboard.
If its a rehash ---cough cough--- wavestation thing, then no thanks.

Same goes for Karma, Karma and Sequencer parts seem to have run their course. They are old school.
Leave those things for an arranger keyboard. Like the PA-whatever series of keyboards.

Kronos 3 should go more outboard - i.e. better integration with DAW's, INTUITIVE user interface but keeping the complexity.
How? A larger screen will already help - can add more things on one screen than doing ridiculous page-flips.
Why not have it with 2 screens? Why are we always stuck with 1 screen. Theres enough physical space.

Oh well, am sure whatever it will be - will be a good machine, no synth is perfect.

[GregC]

Thanks greg, $4000 is also "ok" if the machine is really something new, enlightening and a killer keyboard.
If its a rehash ---cough cough--- wavestation thing, then no thanks.

Same goes for Karma, Karma and Sequencer parts seem to have run their course. They are old school.
Leave those things for an arranger keyboard. Like the PA-whatever series of keyboards.

Kronos 3 should go more outboard - i.e. better integration with DAW's, INTUITIVE user interface but keeping the complexity.
How? A larger screen will already help - can add more things on one screen than doing ridiculous page-flips.
Why not have it with 2 screens? Why are we always stuck with 1 screen. Theres enough physical space.

Oh well, am sure whatever it will be - will be a good machine, no synth is perfect.

I agree with you. We are inclined to want near perfection for $4000.
I know these specialized LCD's are expensive. Two flip up color LCD's sounds ideal and pricey.

I am a heavy SEQ user. My 70 songs on SoundCloud are 100% SEQ. I put up with its limits since I love the work flow and get very good sound quality.
I enjoy Karma just as much and use it frequently. Familiar with most of the 2000 GE's.

Like you mention, there is a strong herd to not include both features or tools.
Since both cost some money, I don't expect to see them again.

Not interested in arrangers. Even with stellar acoustic sounds, I am not interested.
I am convinced that VST's are the best way to deliver specialized acoustic instruments, thus the need for a DAW.

I don't see/hear stellar acoustic instruments in Fantom. MODX/Montage is the best at this, IMO. But I hesitate to spend $2000 just to get ' very good '.

To extend your good point, Korg might place stellar acoustic instruments in an arranger. Just the same, no thanks for $4000 arranger.

[ acoustic= guitars, brass, strings, woodwinds, orchestra, bells]

I don't expect Korg to suddenly get serious about stellar acoustic instruments
in Kronos 3 or in some highly innovative Korg performance synth of the future.

The above possibilities seems like a tidy way to shoe horn or insert certain features and tools based on how 'most ' owners are using them.

[wpostma]

Another NAMM has come and gone, and no real Kronos level news.

Okay another color. bleh.

My secret reason for wanting the Kronos replacement to ship is so someone will sell me a Kronos cheap.

I can't afford one.

[Liviou2004]

I don't see/hear stellar acoustic instruments in Fantom. MODX/Montage is the best at this, IMO. But I hesitate to spend $2000 just to get ' very good '.

Hi Greg,

In the US, I think you can get the Yamaha MODX 6 for about $ 1,400 : https://www.guitarcenter.com/Yamaha/MOD ... x6&index=1