Korg NAUTILUS vs KRONOS. Differences and similarities

[narkosys]

Looking at all the gear that you have listed, you do not need the Nautilus, especially since you just bought the Kronos.

I would say dump the pre-order.

[GregC]

. he Kronos is a workstation synth best used in the studio.

I am a project/studio composer so I do not gig or play live.
Mike

Hi Mike, like you , I am a studio musician.

FYI, Kronos is a big hit with performing musicians, such as Herbie Hancock,
Greg Phillinganes and others.

Per this Livestream: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5guHBTH ... =emb_title

[jeremykeys]

IMHO the Kronos is the best all around keyboard out there. I have a first generation one and since I bought, it has done countless gigs with me and a lot of studio work too. It's just versatile. So very many players use it for live work and also studio work.
Even though I use the 73 key version, if I'm playing organ type parts, I love the fact that the sliders emulate Hammond style drawbars.
Granted, I've never had the opportunity to use other brands' workstations.
Just piping in with my 2 cents worth.

[witmer26]

To me the comparison is as follows to Kronos. While there's a couple pros like:

-Software included, such as the program that lets AI master your music for you.
-I heard the Italian piano is included.
-Price

The negatives seem to be:
New arpeggiator replaces Karma with less features
No aftertouch
Less onboard controls
No second joystick or ribbon
Lower quality touchscreen (Resistant)

If I missed anything major feel free to advise. I watched the comparison video online, but those were my major takeaways. Still nine synth modules, and I think it may have more RAM out of the box than Kronos, meaning one wouldn't have to expand the RAM for recording if I'm right.

Any idea what I should compare this to in the price range of 2k (USD)? Fantom 06, Montage 8?

Thanks.
Mark

[GregC]

To me the comparison is as follows to Kronos. While there's a couple pros like:

-Software included, such as the program that lets AI master your music for you.
-I heard the Italian piano is included.
-Price

The negatives seem to be:
New arpeggiator replaces Karma with less features
No aftertouch
Less onboard controls
No second joystick or ribbon
Lower quality touchscreen (Resistant)

If I missed anything major feel free to advise. I watched the comparison video online, but those were my major takeaways. Still nine synth modules, and I think it may have more RAM out of the box than Kronos, meaning one wouldn't have to expand the RAM for recording if I'm right.

Any idea what I should compare this to in the price range of 2k (USD)? Fantom 06, Montage 8?

Thanks.
Mark

I see it slightly different.

More importantly, the factory SSD is not suitable for long term use, IMO. esp compared to Kronos versatility in swapping out SSD's. Korg is evasive about
swapping out the Nautilus SSD- which tells me something.

The Nautilus display is an improvement, similar to MODX. But almost everyone disagrees with my observation. as the Nautilus finally reaches more owners, this point might resolve. Keep in mind, I am a 10 yr Kronos owner.

If you cycle thru new boards every 2 or 3 yrs old , my comments aren't relevant.

But I see any keyboard over $2k to be a 5-10 year purchase, thus the emphasis.

I think Nautilus is $300 overpriced-- its more in the MODX range.

[mandala music]

No one mentioned the odd case which has rounded sides with no edge to grip when carrying it. This would not make for an ideal keyboard to gig with.

I watched part of a Nautilus review video on You-Tube. The reviewer was first impressed with the design of the case until he thought about the difficulty in moving it witout dropping it.

The front of the case looked normal. As a general comment, I wish that all keyboards had a non-slanted frame that would sit straight against the retaining pins on keyboard stands. Sometimes you need to slant the keyboard more toward yourself for better visibility. You don't want to worry about the keyboard sliding off the stand.

[nitecrawler]

No one mentioned the odd case which has rounded sides with no edge to grip when carrying it. This would not make for an ideal keyboard to gig with.

I watched part of a Nautilus review video on You-Tube. The reviewer was first impressed with the design of the case until he thought about the difficulty in moving it witout dropping it.

The front of the case looked normal. As a general comment, I wish that all keyboards had a non-slanted frame that would sit straight against the retaining pins on keyboard stands. Sometimes you need to slant the keyboard more toward yourself for better visibility. You don't want to worry about the keyboard sliding off the stand.

Rounded at the long ends is fine. I think most people, like me, would naturally grip the keyboard at its width not its length so rounded ends are mute for me. Also, the knobs on the left hand side are "de-pressable" for safer handling; unlike the stationary knobs for the Kronos.

[Hedegaard]

I agree, what Korg Inc did to Oasys owners was outragous.

I compartmentalize[differentiate] ' keyboard love ' from how a co like Korg [ or Roland, etc] treats a customer, esp with a + $3000 keyboard.

I think we have seen 3 substantial changes in Korgs management and their 'priorities ' .

Most keyboard customers do not scrutinize the company over decades but I make an attempt to based on their decisions on products.

After having paid for the extras on my Oasys and then some months later Korg decided to just give them away for free and then ditched all efforts on the Oasys - did indeed leave a bitter taste.

I found myself selling it reluctantly, only because that Pentium CPU and mainboard are going to die and you wouldn't be able to replace them because, thats right, Korg locked the ID's so you couldn replace it anyway.

Furthermore, they brought out the Kronos at half price, which is good for newcomers, but for us original Oasys owners that splurged +$9000 (Europe) it was suddenly reduced considerably on the 2nd hand market.
A non-functioning "Function" button is the humourous part.
Also that Korg promised EX-f and expansion effects to be added - and nothing materialised. The list goes on.

I suppose that was a leason I learned and never repeated that mistake again.

So for Kronos users complaining about Nautilus - been there, done that, best to psychologically prepare yourselves and move on. It is the modern day of "progress".

On a side note - Nautilus, I cannot fathom they would save money on the screen - resistive touch, and so tiny. User interface department are stuck in the 80's honestly - in this modern day of iPads and beautiful big screens, this is worse than stupid. Oh well.

[Lou Sevens]

Hello Lou Sevens here, great posts everyone.

About the M50 replacement- I thought as though the Krome was a M50 replacement- I had it for 8 years and just traded it in for around $340.

I did not get a Kronos as I wasn't going to spend $3k for a 61 key keyboard.
Seems Kronos is actually now $3200 for 61- before any discounts one might get.

I did just get the Nautilus. $1600 for 61. That is a price I am willing to pay- I also just got a Aturia Controller- bunch of vsts etc..

What I am missing for the $960 difference? ($3200-$2000)* 80 percent.

- I don't have the drawbars, screen I am okay with.

What I am waiting for is the update that per Korg will populate additional EX piano sounds.

I like the metal siding on the board- it protects it.
I will see how it fits into my hard shell case with memory foam.

However- to play out I usually just take my Yamaha P125.

[Lou Sevens]

Some additional thoughts- there are less combos in the Nautilus- seems only 2 banks.
However, compared to the Krome the sounds "move" and have some personaility and don't just decay.


Krome had some hype about sounds being "derived" from the Kronos but I didn't find that true.
Honestly, I was happier with my Triton light edition.

[rbox]

Korg Nautilus is already an outdated Product, a cheap and dowgraded Spinoff from the unfinished Oasys. I cannot see any Evolving Development/Progress compare to Spectrasonics Omnisphere or Roland Fantoms.

-Cheap Keys with no Aftertouch
-less Knobs and Controls compare to the Oasys
-no Sequencer Update after 16 Years(that says all)
-thinner and softer Sound compare to the Oasys, because it has a cheaper Outputstage and D/A Converters.
-no Granularsynthesis and Wavetables
-no any Update to the Plugins, no new Synthplugins
-Hd-1 Sampleplayer is completely a joke compare what you can do with Spectrasonics Omnisphere
-Outdated Samplecontent compare to VST Librarys in the PC World
-poor Dynamics when you play Acoustic Instruments compare to Omnisphere
-bad sounding Effects , far behind modern VST Effects

what were they thinking at korg? I do not get it.

[icecoldrocker]

Still a very powerful synth that when I added in 2007 I was globetrotting a bit too much and did not have too much time to really get in-to it. Not like I did with the Korg Trinity Pro... Now FFWD to just this year and I have managed to get time to play it & after grinding for a while with some of my SMF from my KORG Trinity and Triton Extreme days and getting over that homogenized but rather adept however limited drum sounds & drum mapping I must say it is a mighty powerful synth so much that I have been preferring it over the DAWs that I started to gravitate to between 2004-2009

However the M3 is prone to misbehave when starting up
There are times when I turning it on it ceases to finish starting
Or when it does finish and go to the Radias sound bank the sounds will not play So that means no sounds from that sound bank are going to play in SEQ MODE
So that means I have to turn it off and back on
Then couple this with Korg's infinite customer service with product abandonment & de-sign in a obvious sense to get more sales - but hey I am not complaining
I just wish they would not put out such great synths then only abandon it because we will always buy the gear. No need for obsolescence.

Then just not too long ago I walked in-to a synth outlet in Texas since this aluminum side panel on the M-3 has become loose I thought this place would have the plastic fittings (THEY DIDNT & seemed very perplexed) & lo and behold there is a Nautilus there so I thought won't hurt to play some sounds on it.
I was soon to find out that while globetrotting My M3 had become obsolete
I was going to have to get a Nautilus since the Kronos is no longer offered
Should be here :Oct~3,~2022
However with no vector joystick, ribbon controller KARMA with what I see has made the synth affordable but what I am really after is those synth engines.
My fellow Nihonji still amaze and confuse me.