Spacer Cards

[aron]

Bruce,

Assuming they do change out your keybed or keyboard. Make sure that they send you a picture or something before sending it to you. It would be crazy if you get another one that is mis-aligned.

[danatkorg]

Some people on the forum have noted that if they opened their Kronos to expand the memory that they had some uneven keys after that modification.

It wasn't SOME people, it was ONE person. BIG difference. But there is/was no explanation on why it did it or why it was fixed which is a huge problem for me. Merely flipping the Kronos upside down should not cause random keys to do that. Else you could never gig it or ship it.

Perhaps I've missed something. Has someone reported changes to the keybed by turning the instrument upside-down *without* opening up the keyboard and performing unauthorized modifications? If so, please let me know and I'll check it out.

[Bald Eagle]

All of this talk about uneven keys made me take a very close look at my M3-73. The spacing is a little uneven on some keys and the height is just a tiny bit off on others. They also can wiggle from left to right a little and when pressed they go down a lot.

[McHale]

Perhaps I've missed something. Has someone reported changes to the keybed by turning the instrument upside-down *without* opening up the keyboard and performing unauthorized modifications? If so, please let me know and I'll check it out.

Absolutely. In fact, many stated their keybed looked like mine with ZERO modifications, turning it upside down or anything. Mine was also that way out of the box. Did the keybed change from when it left Korg or were all these RH3 keybeds shipped that horribly misaligned?

[rrricky rrrecordo]

Perhaps I've missed something. Has someone reported changes to the keybed by turning the instrument upside-down *without* opening up the keyboard and performing unauthorized modifications? If so, please let me know and I'll check it out.

Absolutely. In fact, many stated their keybed looked like mine with ZERO modifications, turning it upside down or anything. Mine was also that way out of the box. Did the keybed change from when it left Korg or were all these RH3 keybeds shipped that horribly misaligned?

If the keys in these pics are any indication, some RH3s probably shipped that way:

http://korg.com/kronos (bad)
http://korg.com/sp250 (worse)

Zoom in to about real-life size and check out the gaps. They probably picked the best-looking keyboards they could find for the photo shoots to boot

[McHale]

The gaps don't bother me. It's the random heights of all the keys that bothers me. It should be flat across all the keys. It's a basic fundamental of a keyboard. On mine, I have some keys higher than most and some that are lower than most. The fact that the last key is tilted at an angle just baffles the crap out of me. Not that it's like that, but I've seen random pictures of other people's Kronos that are the same way. WOW. Talk about a HUGE fault tolerance...

[Bruce Lychee]

The gaps don't bother me. It's the random heights of all the keys that bothers me. It should be flat across all the keys. It's a basic fundamental of a keyboard. On mine, I have some keys higher than most and some that are lower than most. The fact that the last key is tilted at an angle just baffles the crap out of me. Not that it's like that, but I've seen random pictures of other people's Kronos that are the same way. WOW. Talk about a HUGE fault tolerance...

Yes, the height differences are more egregious than spacing differences in my view. I did not examine it closely when I first got it, so I'm not sure if mine came that way or happened due to 2 months of light use. I'm pretty sure it came that way.

I sent an email to Korg yesterday asking for a keybed fix/replacement. I will see what they have to say about the level differences.

[jorgemncardoso]

Yep, like i said a while back on a thread here, the build quality of the Kronos really worries me a lot, as a potential buyer unless they get the weighted keys sorted out and update the build quality IF i buy the Kronos i'll probably buy the 61 key version and use it mainly like a sound module, using other boards to play the actual keyboard. I honestly thought that the kronos weighted keyboards where built better than the 61, apparently is not the case. Yes i also think that the keyboard imperfections are totally unacceptable for an instrument of this price range and with this potential.
Also if the cards are just added protection for the keys on transport then fine, but it doesn't seems to be the case. Having to use it or else risking damaging the keys if one travels without it is laughable at best. God i miss Korg built quality of my 01W's , where has that quality gone to?

Regarding transporting the keyboards in a case, and this is only my personal opinion i modify my cases so i can protect the joystick and so that nothing touches the keys or knobs or sliders, preferably only keeping the keyboard from moving in the case, never had any problems with anything broken yet. I never put a keyboard is a case without modifying the case for that (or similar) keyboard.

[PianoManChuck]

I really don't think any of these concerns are a problem that would stop a purchase. I've been playing since age 5, so if anyone would have a problem with the keybed, its me! Believe me, everything on my 88-key Kronos is just fine. The spacers take 2 seconds of your life to put in place or to take out, so that's not really a problem. As for the keys... as someone else pointed out... as long as they're all the same heights then that's not a problem either. Sometimes it seems that if some people don't complain about something, then they have nothing to say.

I used to have a Yamaha P120 at one point... it was a fantastic keyboard, every key was perfect - no imperfections or anything to complain about. But I'll take the Kronos anytime over Yamaha's perfect keybed. In fact, I have 5 keyboards right now (including a real baby grand piano) and I'd still choose the Kronos every time.

[Bruce Lychee]

I really don't think any of these concerns are a problem that would stop a purchase. I've been playing since age 5, so if anyone would have a problem with the keybed, its me! Believe me, everything on my 88-key Kronos is just fine. The spacers take 2 seconds of your life to put in place or to take out, so that's not really a problem. As for the keys... as someone else pointed out... as long as they're all the same heights then that's not a problem either. Sometimes it seems that if some people don't complain about something, then they have nothing to say.

I used to have a Yamaha P120 at one point... it was a fantastic keyboard, every key was perfect - no imperfections or anything to complain about. But I'll take the Kronos anytime over Yamaha's perfect keybed. In fact, I have 5 keyboards right now (including a real baby grand piano) and I'd still choose the Kronos every time.

I've been playing since I was 5 too. This has nothing to do with the way the action feels. These are just construction issues. If you find these things acceptable that is fine, but if you are reading the thread, then you know we are indeed talking about the fact that the keys aren't all the same height.

I'm not sure what kind of baby grand you play, but the thought of choosing the RH3 over the action on my Shigeru is almost laughable.

[PinkFloydDudi]

I do think the way the Jupiter topic was handled made me feel that the forum wasn't so interested in hearing anything critical of the Kronos.

Go back and check that thread...and then realize that over 3/4s of the posts had NOTHING to do with the kronos (and I'm being generous in that amount).

People are interested in critique of the Kronos...they aren't interested (in the "Kronos" forum) on discussing the JP80. Not sure why this is so difficult to grasp (or better yet, to just get over).


As for your latest post talking about comparing your baby grand to the action of the Kronos...the kronos IS NOT a stage piano. Try doing some things you can do on a B3 on your baby grand keys and tell me how that works for you.

You have to remember Korg needed to blend the action of many different types of piano-type instruments. I for one would hate the action if it exactly mimic'd a grand piano because I use mine to play e-pianos and organs just as much as the regular piano sounds.


I'm still strugging to see how this is even an issue. You (and others) have admitted the cosmetic defects you see have not impacted your playing ability at all...So then aside from someone else coming up to your kronos, going down to eye-level at the keybed and commenting on how it doesn't look perfect, who cares?

If it was impacting your playing, I could certainly see it as a valid complaint. But if the changes and differences are purely cosmetic for you - that would be very low on my list of things to fix from korg.

(I will try to get pics of mine tonight if I remember).

[Bruce Lychee]

I do think the way the Jupiter topic was handled made me feel that the forum wasn't so interested in hearing anything critical of the Kronos.

Go back and check that thread...and then realize that over 3/4s of the posts had NOTHING to do with the kronos (and I'm being generous in that amount).

People are interested in critique of the Kronos...they aren't interested (in the "Kronos" forum) on discussing the JP80. Not sure why this is so difficult to grasp (or better yet, to just get over).


As for your latest post talking about comparing your baby grand to the action of the Kronos...the kronos IS NOT a stage piano. Try doing some things you can do on a B3 on your baby grand keys and tell me how that works for you.

You have to remember Korg needed to blend the action of many different types of piano-type instruments. I for one would hate the action if it exactly mimic'd a grand piano because I use mine to play e-pianos and organs just as much as the regular piano sounds.


I'm still strugging to see how this is even an issue. You (and others) have admitted the cosmetic defects you see have not impacted your playing ability at all...So then aside from someone else coming up to your kronos, going down to eye-level at the keybed and commenting on how it doesn't look perfect, who cares?

If it was impacting your playing, I could certainly see it as a valid complaint. But if the changes and differences are purely cosmetic for you - that would be very low on my list of things to fix from korg.

(I will try to get pics of mine tonight if I remember).

First of all, why don't you get over it? I think I made some candid remarks about where I might have been at fault and moved on. I sent an email to Korg and thanked Dan for his help here.

If you have no issue with uneven keys because they function properly, I suppose you don't care if you buy a new car with misaligned trim pieces or uneven paint patches. Or when you buy a suit, as long as it fits, you don't care if the pocket is tilted or the hem lines are all jagged?

The action is a fundamental part of the board. Sure it works just fine, but why does it need to be built with such a lack of precision when you can find $800 keyboards at Walmart that don't have that issue? Perhaps it is worth overlooking because of the substance of the Kronos, but I also don't see why it needs to be that way.

The RH3 was introduced on Korg's stage piano. Why is it weighted and graded if it isn't supposed to emulate a piano action? It feels like a piano action to me.

[PinkFloydDudi]

First of all, why don't you get over it? I think I made some candid remarks about where I might have been at fault and moved on. I sent an email to Korg and thanked Dan for his help here.

You've brought up the JP80 thread I think 3 times in this thread alone. You were wrong, drop it?

If you have no issue with uneven keys because they function properly, I suppose you don't care if you buy a new car with misaligned trim pieces or uneven paint patches. Or when you buy a suit, as long as it fits, you don't care if the pocket is tilted or the hem lines are all jagged?

A suit is specifically used for its appearance.

Here is a way to associate things the way you are trying to do - If you play 500 gigs with your kronos, how many people do you think would comment on the keys? How many would even notice?

The action is a fundamental part of the board. Sure it works just fine, but why does it need to be built with such a lack of precision when you can find $800 keyboards at Walmart that don't have that issue? Perhaps it is worth overlooking because of the substance of the Kronos, but I also don't see why it needs to be that way.

The RH3 was introduced on Korg's stage piano. Why is it weighted and graded if it isn't supposed to emulate a piano action? It feels like a piano action to me.

Go play a real Mark V electric piano and then come back and make it like the only thing that is weighted and graded are grand pianos...

Don't bring up the action of the piano, you aren't complaining about that!

I'm not sitting her justifying Korg's poor precision on yours (and a couple other's) Kronoi. What is the continuous point of complaining if you haven't brought it in to be replaced yet?

[DavyP]

I have been reading this thread and would like to make a few points.

1. It certainly looks like the keybed on Bruces Kronos is faulted and shouldn't look like it does in his pictures. Bruce should take this up with Korg as I believe he has.

2. Bruce is used with playing a $50,000 - $75,000 (i THINK THIS IS CORRECT?) grand piano which obviously is built to exacting standards. He is obviously a piano player and would easily notice any slight differences in action. I started playing guitar and moved into synths, MIDI and programming and have NEVER played a piano action keyboard. I probably couldn't tell the difference if i am honest.

3. Surely you cannot compare a $50,000-$70,000 piano action with a $3000 piece of equipment?? It is obviously not going to be of the same quality and standard. If it was I would be complaining to KAWAI and not to KORG!

4. $3000+ is still a lot of money for some people and a reasonable standard of quality should be expected by all purchasers. Most seem happy with the RH3 action so maybe there are only a few isolated incidents???

5. Anybody want to start a poll about the action to find out what the majority of users think??

[madbeatzyo111]

You have to remember Korg needed to blend the action of many different types of piano-type instruments. I for one would hate the action if it exactly mimic'd a grand piano because I use mine to play e-pianos and organs just as much as the regular piano sounds.

Korg uses RH3 on their digital piano (SP250), so I think it's designed to emulate the action of an acoustic piano first and foremost. However, I've found the RH3 to be "softer" and have less vertical travel than Roland's PHAIII for example, so that may explain why the RH3 feels good for e-piano and organ playing as well.