Korg Krome EX is discontinued.

[Max_Jack]

https://www.algameko.com/it/productsFT.php?str=Krome

[Stargazer]

It literally says, "out of production".

Yay! It's getting hot. I can hardly wait what will Korg bring out. Probably in a short time, for the Christmas sale.

I dream of the Nautilus ROM section with full sequencer and half of the sample RAM or Flash capabilities or even quarter would do, 512MB for say, 1200 USD/EUR. Even with sampling as an option (like for Trion Le/TR) for some 129 USD/EUR option. That would be just perfect.

[Scott]

It literally says, "out of production".

Yay! It's getting hot. I can hardly wait what will Korg bring out. Probably in a short time, for the Christmas sale.

I dream of the Nautilus ROM section with full sequencer and half of the sample RAM or Flash capabilities or even quarter would do, 512MB for say, 1200 USD/EUR. Even with sampling as an option (like for Trion Le/TR) for some 129 USD/EUR option. That would be just perfect.

Looking at the previous ways they have brought out lower end boards with Kronos sound engines (Grandstage, Vox Continental), I would guess that any Kronos-derived board below Nautilus would lose the rewritable SSD aspect (i.e. the ability to add new sample libraries, or at least streaming ones, and also eliminate existing pre-installed expansion libraries). They could reduce keyboard-playable parts to 8 instead of 16 (matching MODX+, and Fantom-0 when its seamless sound switching is enabled). Reduced number of effects. Maybe scaled-down rear-panel connectivity, external power supply. So yeah, I can see a "lower end Nautilus" as one possible way to go.

[Koekepan]

If they did any of that but lost what made the Krome special and different, it would be a big net loss.

Pianoroll.

So important.

[Stargazer]

Looking at the previous ways they have brought out lower end boards with Kronos sound engines (Grandstage, Vox Continental), I would guess that any Kronos-derived board below Nautilus would lose the rewritable SSD aspect (i.e. the ability to add new sample libraries, or at least streaming ones, and also eliminate existing pre-installed expansion libraries). They could reduce keyboard-playable parts to 8 instead of 16 (matching MODX+, and Fantom-0 when its seamless sound switching is enabled). Reduced number of effects. Maybe scaled-down rear-panel connectivity, external power supply. So yeah, I can see a "lower end Nautilus" as one possible way to go.

One major thing where Krome successor needs resolute improvement is the insert effect section. Yamaha introduced 5 insert effects in 1989 with their SY77 workstations, Korg still sells (albeit middle class workstation) with the same spec in 2022. It was by far the weakest workstation in the class when it comes to this single parameter.

[bpoodoo]

I would guess that any Kronos-derived board below Nautilus would lose the rewritable SSD aspect (i.e. the ability to add new sample libraries, or at least streaming ones, and also eliminate existing pre-installed expansion libraries).

I hope any follow on to Krome (or Nautilus LE), if it omits the SSD, would not use an internal SD card to store the built-in PCM samples. Those were prone to corruption in the Krome.

[Scott]

I hope any follow on to Krome (or Nautilus LE), if it omits the SSD, would not use an internal SD card to store the built-in PCM samples. Those were prone to corruption in the Krome.

I wonder how they stored the large sample sets in the Grandstage and Vox Continental.

[hans1966]

It would be very interesting if it included an audio recorder with at least four channels.

Memory with enough space for external samples at least 2GB

and load samples via USB device
Of high speed

Improvement in the quality of piano and orchestra sounds (brass, Wood, and strings)

are just my thoughts

Cheers

[bpoodoo]

I hope any follow on to Krome (or Nautilus LE), if it omits the SSD, would not use an internal SD card to store the built-in PCM samples. Those were prone to corruption in the Krome.

I wonder how they stored the large sample sets in the Grandstage and Vox Continental.

Good question. Given the 10-20 Gbytes in the sample sets, respectively, it is unlikely to be flash ROM chips which would be very expensive. It is also unlikely to be SD card due to the relatively slow read rate (10Mb/s) for the class 10 SD cards from a few years ago.

The most likely answer is SSD, especially if Korg reused the core architecture of Kronos for Grandstage and Vox Continental. Low level I/O can be very device-specific, and it would make sense to leverage the Kronos I/O implementation. But the definitive answer whether it is indeed an SSD drive would come from a service manual, a Korg technician, or a savvy owner - and I am none of the above.

[Stargazer]

Thomann does not have any Krome anymore. I am waiting for some interesting development concerning the successor.

[SeedyLee]

I hope any follow on to Krome (or Nautilus LE), if it omits the SSD, would not use an internal SD card to store the built-in PCM samples. Those were prone to corruption in the Krome.

I wonder how they stored the large sample sets in the Grandstage and Vox Continental.

Good question. Given the 10-20 Gbytes in the sample sets, respectively, it is unlikely to be flash ROM chips which would be very expensive. It is also unlikely to be SD card due to the relatively slow read rate (10Mb/s) for the class 10 SD cards from a few years ago.

The most likely answer is SSD, especially if Korg reused the core architecture of Kronos for Grandstage and Vox Continental. Low level I/O can be very device-specific, and it would make sense to leverage the Kronos I/O implementation. But the definitive answer whether it is indeed an SSD drive would come from a service manual, a Korg technician, or a savvy owner - and I am none of the above.

Interesting questions indeed. I would be surprised if it was SSD, as that would increase the implementation complexity significantly by requiring a SATA controller. Like the Krome, I wouldn't be surprised it it is in fact SD card with a custom controller or buffering in RAM. Korg seem to have moved a lot of their models to using Raspberry Pi Zeros as well, so I suppose one of those with samples either on an SD card or a USB to SATA adaptor are all possible.

[StephenKay]

Did you have any issues making that last reply? I keep getting errors trying to post a new topic.

[drama1]

Did you have any issues making that last reply? I keep getting errors trying to post a new topic.

Yeah, there's something going on with this site. The dates are all messed up on the latest posts. Hopefully Sharp corrects whats going on.

[Koekepan]

I would hope that KORG would replace the Krome with something in the form factor of the MicroStation or the Kross, i.e. small, lightweight and very portable. In fact, the carry handle from the original Kross can come back.

It doesn't even need to compete with the Kronos/Nautilus multi-engine line to be worthwhile. Just last night I picked up my Kross to participate in a time-limited friendly compo, and the audience were very favourably impressed by the sound. There are powerful legs in the old rompler engine, and if it were to add some kind of automated multi-sampling approach for sound design import the way that modern MPCs do, that would just make it so much tastier. Add a few more effects options, raise the rompler game, keep the piano roll and we have a contender for the next ten years.

Alternatively, the synthier aspects of the Krome could come through by incorporating engines from the MicroKORG, the MicroKORG XL, and maybe an FM/PD engine. There's so much room for useful studio and stage weapons at the low end, that aren't just single-purpose devices (without throwing shade at the MiniLog and its family here - there's room for everyone) that KORG is really just leaving money on the table by not addressing it.

This should be KORG's answer to the MPC One: a MicroStation for 2023. Linear sequencing, a pianoroll for editing, inputs for multisampling, an electribe-style step sequencer kind of like the Kross, MIDI and USB, and a three digit price.

The only place where I feel the pinch on the Kross is its restricted effects list, and that can be updated with modern CPUs.

[bpoodoo]

New Krome keyboards are no longer available at U.S. stores either (guitar center, kraftmusic, sweetwater). https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail ... orkstation

For now Krome still shows up as "on sale" not "discontinued" at https://www.korg.com/us/support/download/