KRONOS Relaunched!

[fomalhaut]

Perhaps the code is no longer maintainable?

No codebase that old is ever maintainable.

Agree, that lapse of time means a significant part of the original team is now retired. It's obvious Korg keeps the capability of doing or contracting surgical changes like the necessary adaptations to the new Kronos 3 hardware, but a significant OS upgrade... they would probably prefer to begin from scratch with a totally new platform.

[bpoodoo]

I could make changes to code I wrote 30 years ago. But the trick is I'd also need the original or compatible development environment - software and hardware that can compile, link, and genererate new libraries and executables.

If the Kronos 3 uses EOL'ed OS and firmware with zero chance of future releases, Korg should be transparent about it. Spin it as "mature and stable software" with no need for updates. WYSIWYG.

[ChrisDuncan]

Code I wrote 30 years ago? Sure, I suppose.

Code a cast of thousands wrote over the past 30 years? I'd rather be drug across carpet tacks and dipped in rubbing alcohol.

[GerardH69]

Code I wrote 30 years ago? Sure, I suppose.

Code a cast of thousands wrote over the past 30 years? I'd rather be drug across carpet tacks and dipped in rubbing alcohol.

I do not believe there were many developers working on it. And sure not thousands. As we see that there is no software development going on for the last years that says something about how many developers they have.

If the new K3 dvd’s(?) still can not format a ssd of let’s say 500Gb than we know enough.

[Gargamel314]

Code I wrote 30 years ago? Sure, I suppose.

Code a cast of thousands wrote over the past 30 years? I'd rather be drug across carpet tacks and dipped in rubbing alcohol.

I do not believe there were many developers working on it. And sure not thousands. As we see that there is no software development going on for the last years that says something about how many developers they have.

If the new K3 dvd’s(?) still can not format a ssd of let’s say 500Gb than we know enough.

That's a good point. 128GB SSD - you really have to search hard for those these days, and sometimes they are more expensive than 512GB SSDs just because they're not made often anymore.

[dshore]

I just imagine a Kronos 3 is what we would have anticipated being an updated/upgraded Kronos that solved some of the problems a lot of us ran into with the previous versions. Most of our complaints were just about the Kronos Workflow.

I think a big part of the problem is that to a certain degree, the Kronos is actually the Triton on steroids. I could be wrong, but I believe that our OS is basically the Triton OS modified for the Oasys and then modified for the Kronos. We're tied to an OS architecture that was released in 1999.

I know there are a lot of software devs here, so I'm sure you can understand what it's like to have to maintain a 25 year old codebase. Everything in the UI is dependent on the architecture of the OS, and I would imagine that a lot of things we'd like to see would be a pain in the posterior based on how things currently work. This is the curse of software devs everywhere.

To really revolutionize the functionality, they'd need to do a major rewrite of the OS to see the world in a new way. That's never gonna happen. What it will take is something new like the Triton, where they write the new software from scratch (and for all I know, the Triton may be a modification of its ancestors as well). So, for any major workflow changes, that's going to be an extreme limitation.

That said, I would imagine there are lots of smaller things in the feature requests that wouldn't be require a massive overhaul to implement. It would just require Korg to listen to its customers. The odds of that happening are also not encouraging.

AGREED! Korg Triton Extreme user here. I recently got back into recording and decided to use the TEX for initial sequencing and then transfer to Pro Tools after song is almost there. Was researching the Kronos 2 for consideration--faster drive, no storage worries, etc. But as I dug into the manual, I could see no major changes in workflow from the TEX. Audio tracks and Karma are nice but what about 16-track pattern sequencing (instead of 1 track) and an easier sampling process (i.e. ASR-10)? TEX is a deep machine and I'm really learning the arpeggiator, real-time changes that can be made (a lot) and other items this time. Going to stick with it for now, until I need more..

[kday]

The Kronos 4, the real upgrade to this Kronos 2+ Extended won't come along until another 4-5 years from now. The slow chip market basically slowed down the process and limited high tech innovation in many musical products and companies. After the global economy picks back up and the American chip maker completes their chip factory many product innovation will pick back up and newer more sophisticated workstations will appear and more sophisticated musical products will continue development. You'll begin to see Ai incorporated into some high end workstations in the future when the chip factories are back running at full capacity. That next level workstation blueprint, research and development may already be in the process with parts to the new workstations already being designed completed or built, as it takes many many years and even a decade to build a workstation on Kronos level from scratch.

[Xenomorph]

I for one, am thrilled it's returning. When time and $ permitted me to start buying boards again, the kronos got discontinued
So I got the og Nautilus at release, and the pa5x last year. B4 even knowing about the kronos 3, I had a guy that really wanted a Nautilus 61, and I was using the pa5x more often. So I got 90% of what I originally paid for the Nautilus, couldn't pass up an easy local sale like that. But we keyboard players are a fickle bunch, and I missed the Nautilus just a few days after the sale. Along comes Namm and the Kronos info, and I'm definitely a buyer come June or July. I'm also treating myself to the new kurzweil k2061. Mid life crisis isn't so bad if it means I'm buying more workstations

[ChrisDuncan]

When I was in my 40s, I told my boss I thought I might be having a midlife crisis. He said you can't have a midlife crisis until you grow up.

I bought the red sports car anyway.

Of course, back in those days I was a guitarist. Today I'd just buy another keyboard!

[rpowell01]

STILL 32bit. I refuse to buy anything from Korg because they are being left behind!

Sorry Korg but you lost all my business!! I purchased two boards from you but after seeing how you have yet to keep with today's technology I realize this is all about gouging us consumers and using overstock 32bit hardware!

Wake up people, Korg IMHO is spiraling downhill!!

[voip]

Whilst going to 64 bit architecture would convey some advantages, the Kronos still sounds awesome, as it is.

.

[Dan Stesco]

STILL 32bit. I refuse to buy anything from Korg because they are being left behind!

Grandstage X is on 64 bit.

[rpowell01]

STILL 32bit. I refuse to buy anything from Korg because they are being left behind!

Grandstage X is on 64 bit.

I am going to take a jab at this again but this time as a retired Management Information System's Special/Network Administrator..After I wrote the post above, I had already decided to never buy any other board from Korg because of these 32 bit releases. I moved over to soft synth and waiting to hopefully buy the Genos 2 maybe in a year or two. From a coding perspective don't believe for one second that there is any "coding obstacles" Korg has to do in order to move its LINUX OS to 64bit. That is NOT an issue. There are plenty of Linux coders they could hire to create any 64bit OS. So what appears to be the issue with releasing a full 64bit Kronos? Could be a few things, one being motherboard, CPU and RAM are more expensive which means Korg makes less money. I am willing to fork over an extra $500 if Korg is willing to take some of the impact. Second, I believe the biggest issue, I am just guessing here, but I believe the biggest issue moving to 64bit just might be the SECURITY CHIP inside. I haven't researched into the chip but maybe it doesn't work on 64bit? Anybody know this? I could ask the one person who would know since he has went all through the OS of the Kronos more than anybody else. I cannot recall his name but I've watched a lot of his videos on youtube. If I had the money I would go in with him to create to board that does everything Kronos does PLUS more and it would be 64bit..

Other than those TWO things, I cannot figure out for the life of me why Korg is sticking with 32bit...One thing is for sure with 32bit you are STUCK IN THE RUCK with NOT being able to have more BANKS.

I have read a lot of forums about the Kronos 3 release and I say 98% of the people that posted stated they wouldn't be buying it due to no 64bit..

[BlackForest]

I rather think Korg is not ready to release a completely new system as yet. But to keep the Kronos-folks happy, they revived the Kronos in the meantime.
If you look at the Pa5x with its round robin and whatever else it can offer, also Roland with its cloud based system, Korg will have to catch up, or better - exceed this approach.
And this is just not ready yet.

So, not to lose the last workstation fans altogether, they did what they did with the least costs involved...

[randwing]

32 bit doesn't bother me. I have had a Kronos since 2012, so have invested a lot of time learning the synth engines and creating sounds. I have never been a fan if its sequencer and hard disk recording, but the sounds and combinations are excellent. Its synth engines and polyphony still compare well with other synths/workstations. Its user interface takes some learning, especially for sound design, but is good once you know what you are doing.

Keeping the same basic hardware and OS has doubtless helped keep the cost down, which is good. The improvements are all welcome, no fan, faster start up, faster screen, larger disk. Sure, I would have liked to see some development, or even some minor tweaks (dedicated octave up/down buttons on the 61 key, raising the back of the screen to angle it more towards the user), or major tweaks (poly-aftertouch, new synth engines), but compatibility with my expansions and library is a massive plus.

Also, learning to use a new powerful and complicated synth takes time. To have the familiarity of Kronos on brand new updated hardware is great. I'll certainly be looking at buying one, hopefully before my venerable upgraded Mk1 has major problems.