New Korg NAUTILUS !!

Liviou2004 · Post by **Liviou2004** » Sat Nov 14, 2020 9:23 am

We'll have to wait some times before knowing how the Nautilus has been designed. What motherboard, what RAM board, and,very important, what D/A converters. The sound quality and the possibility to compare with Kronos depends on these informations. For the moment, we don't have them.
But we can suppose that the same internal parts are used. Indeed, many hoped a better boot time on the Nautilius but that's not the case. Intersting to watch, the Loopop video : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nkw0nladyLI

- FlyingPhilUK: What's the boot time? Still 2+ mins?
- Loopop: Unfortunately yes

As both have the same sound engines, if D/A converter have been improved, the Nautilus sound quality will be better. If both are the same, the sound quality will be the same.

Years ago, when I worked on film music, my central unit synth was a Korg T1. At that time, it was a very good keyboard but with a unique slider, Data slider. I worked on cubase. But sound design was not very easy because of the tiny display. At that times, the number of editable parameters was so small comparing to the present synths.

Today, I'm not a professionnal musician anymore. I'm playing music for fun only.
Playing on the Kronos, with all its controllers (buttons, sliders, ...) is a so huge leap forward compared to all these past synths (M1, T1, Wavestation, 01W,....) and comparing to the recent Korg synths (Wavestate, Opsix, ...) with all their surface controllers, and the immediate and easy control on parameters ; that I can't undestand this huge step backwards on an ergonomic point of view.
But, it's only a matter of taste.

SKung · Post by **SKung** » Sat Nov 14, 2020 3:27 pm

Liviou2004 wrote:What motherboard, what RAM board...

This would be a quite interesting point. If the Nautilus uses a newer motherboard with a stronger CPU as the Kronos, that board could be a replacement for the Kronos' own motherboard.
Since they use (mostly) the same basis for their operating systems the chance for a Kronos upgrade looks promising to me...

Liviou2004 · Post by **Liviou2004** » Sat Nov 14, 2020 3:40 pm

SKung wrote:
Liviou2004 wrote:What motherboard, what RAM board...
This would be a quite interesting point. If the Nautilus uses a newer motherboard with a stronger CPU as the Kronos, that board could be a replacement for the Kronos' own motherboard.
Since they use (mostly) the same basis for their operating systems the chance for a Kronos upgrade looks promising to me...

I hope you're right but I'm quite skeptical. Because the boot time is the same as the Kronos boot time. So, I'm afraid the processor is not more powerful. But wait and see....

entonio · Post by **entonio** » Sat Nov 14, 2020 4:33 pm

The boot time may very well be mostly I/O bound.
What suggests the processor is the same is that noticeable UI lag.
I find it amusing that people assume it is better than the Kronos in some invisible way, such as processo power or sound quality. We've seen zero evidence of that. It has some minor improvements to the UI and for the rest it's worse in everything. Get that into your heads.

GregC · Post by **GregC** » Sat Nov 14, 2020 4:44 pm

entonio wrote:
I find it amusing that people assume it is better than the Kronos in some invisible way, such as processo power or sound quality.

We've seen zero evidence of that. It has some minor improvements to the UI and for the rest it's worse in everything. Get that into your heads.

LOL. Your opinion is ok, and opinions can change.

I can hear the program sound improvement. I trust my ears.

Its not a huge diff, but when I listen closely and A/B to my Kronos, I notice it.

jimknopf · Post by **jimknopf** » Sat Nov 14, 2020 11:45 pm

The only difference I hear from Youtube Videos between Kronos and Nautilus are some new sounds and well done patch programming. These minimal engine and significant more program and combi updates, including some new sound content, would all just sound equally well on any Kronos from my view.

I also doubt that the Nauilus has much new hardware to offer, and it's basically the same old 32bit OS with it's well known limitations, as we know it from the Kronos. And the Kronos sound engine with it's D/A converters has always been quality beyond doubt.

Could it be that you are desperate for some (any) kind of "new Kronos" and try to see/hear something in the overall downgrade version?

GregC · Post by **GregC** » Sun Nov 15, 2020 12:08 am

jimknopf wrote:
Could it be that you are desperate for some (any) kind of "new Kronos" and try to see/hear something in the overall downgrade version?

LOL, howsit going, Jim ?

I don't believe my ears are desperate

I prefer audio on SoundCloud

pollytronman · Post by **pollytronman** » Sun Nov 15, 2020 10:18 am

entonio wrote:I didn't even know they made 60GB SSDs anymore. Not o lot it's troubling, it gets worse when it's called 'huge' somewhere.

I totally get no aftertouch... in an 'essentials' model.
I'm more and more convinced the Kronos is about to be updated with the improvements Nautilus has, and there won't be a new flagship for quite a while more. Which would after all be better than just keep changing the colours.

indeed, main ssd manufacturers definitely aren't making 60GB SSD since some years ago. This SSD units are for sure very old stock units or from 3rd party assemblers with dubious quality (endurance). Its harder to fit a 60GB now than to fit a 128GB or 256GB standard common model.

bpoodoo · Post by **bpoodoo** » Sun Nov 15, 2020 8:15 pm

GregC wrote:disclaimer- I have no insider info or secret sources.

2021 trends with Kronos and Nautilus:

- 'early adopters ' are pre-ordering Nautilus now
- the Korg marketing machine will kick in, JR and pro's will rave/gush over
Nautilus
- there will be a herd of buyers as Nautilus sells out and is back ordered in Spring/2021.

- 80% of potential new Korg buyers will choose Nautilus over new Kronos
- Half of Kronos owners will keep their K's, buy a Nautilus and have an " all about Korg " rig
- Other half of Kronos owners will offer their K's on eBay and Reverb, as they receive their Nautilus, thus there will be a large used quantity of K's to buy
- increased supply of used K's online ='s reduced used used price
- Korg will eventually EOL Kronos, possibly late 2021 or 2022

- Nautilus will be the new King of work stations

A peek into my crystal ball also reveals:

2023: Nautilus 2 adds physical slider controls, numeric keypad, dedicated mode and sequencer transport buttons, and drum pads.
2027: Nautilus 2 now available in Limited Edition, overlaid in gold glitter, includes new Russian Piano.

jimknopf · Post by **jimknopf** » Sun Nov 15, 2020 11:39 pm

GregC wrote:
jimknopf wrote:
Could it be that you are desperate for some (any) kind of "new Kronos" and try to see/hear something in the overall downgrade version?
LOL, howsit going, Jim ?

I don't believe my ears are desperate

I prefer audio on SoundCloud

Soundcloud demos change nothing of my perception concerning mutual audio quality. I guess the perception of new quality comes from the added sample content and some well done patches, not more and not less. In due time people will be ablke to compare identical patches from both, and I bet people would fail in blind tests to name which is which.

And how could the Nautilus even remotely be called a "workstation" with a controller interface so close to unuseable for professional live play? It's nice for enjoying great presets in the living room, but it can't hold a candle to a (any) Kronos and is anything but a useable successor.

Have I said that I really DO like some of the new sound content a lot? Just to name some common ground

GregC · Post by **GregC** » Mon Nov 16, 2020 12:54 am

jimknopf wrote:[

And how could the Nautilus even remotely be called a "workstation" with a controller interface so close to unuseable for professional live play? It's nice for enjoying great presets in the living room, but it can't hold a candle to a (any) Kronos and is anything but a useable successor.

Have I said that I really DO like some of the new sound content a lot? Just to name some common ground

we are making slight progress, I see

I think its possible some/many keyboard musicians[ who gig or will gig], can learn new finger muscle memory.

Sure, if you don't want to, or can not vision the extra work, the adapting is a time investment. I get that.

kronoSphere · Post by **kronoSphere** » Mon Nov 16, 2020 9:42 am

The term "workstation" induces more a use at home or in a studio rather than live.

And I still think that there will be a big Kronos 3

levioter · Post by **levioter** » Mon Nov 16, 2020 1:29 pm

This machine could certainly more suit in an expansion module !
This could be more interresting and more usable with a midi controller (with all sliders and all the buttons) keyboard

To be followed.

entonio · Post by **entonio** » Mon Nov 16, 2020 3:00 pm

I can't say that anyone would be complaining if this were a rack version.

GregC · Post by **GregC** » Mon Nov 16, 2020 6:23 pm

entonio wrote:I can't say that anyone would be complaining if this were a rack version.

racks have been discussed/requested for +10 years. The last workstation type rack from Korg was the M3M, if my memory is correct.

even Korg said at a NAMM 5 yrs ago, a Kronos rack wasn't going to happen.

Safe to state, no w/s type rack.

Many reasons why. Lots of prior historical discussion somewhere if you want to dig for it.