I finally put my hands on the kronos

[StephenKay]

The "fingernail" thing is a bit far-fetched: I keep my nails short for professional reasons, but the average non-chinese-mandarin male would have to keep his fingers bent (hence the menus hidden below the knuckles) in order NOT to touch the screen with the fingertips but only with the nails.

I use my short fingernails on a routine basis with both the KRONOS and the OASYS, and it works quite well, no contortions necessary. Others at Korg take this approach, and most of us are also keyboard players. For best results, I'd strongly recommend giving this a try.

I concur; I use my (short) fingernail edge all the time.

I would say that one person's opinion is one person's opinion. Everyone's fingers are different, I've never really had any issues with Korg touch screens, the Kronos is no different. Just because one person says "I think the screen was difficult to use, everything was so tiny, blah blah etc." doesn't mean you should buy into that without trying it yourself.

I'm working with a Motif XS and Motif XF here as well at the moment, and I can tell you, I much prefer the touch screen interface.

[Melodialworks Music]

Pretty similar to each other, and each about the same height as the iPhone's "swipe to unlock" slider.

I find that the touch-screens on all the Korg instruments (OASYS, M3, KRONOS etc.) work best when used with a fingernail, rather than a fingertip. This allows for a more precise touch.

Thanks, Dan. The iPhone "swipe to unlock" is large enough.

I also experimented with my iPhone, using finger tip, and "clicking" with finger nail. Either technique seems to work (on the iPhone), but you do in fact have to bend the finger a little more to use the fingernail technique. (I keep my fingernails very short, as I suspect most keyboard players do). Few like the clicky-clack.

I'm encouraged by your comments, and yes, touch screens do require a bit of technique and "getting used to".

[Melodialworks Music]

I'm working with a Motif XS and Motif XF here as well at the moment, and I can tell you, I much prefer the touch screen interface.

Probably gets frustrating when you touch the Motif screen and nothing happens!

[sparkie]

it looks like he doesnt have a problem selecting programs? Maybe Ozy can be more specific about the pads...

now, here's the point: I had problems selecting the patches.

You know oasys or m3, right?

you go to the patch name in program mode, open the category, scroll tabs and patch names? ok.

well: on the kronos, engaging the "category" is a matter of putting your fingers on a 2mm link.

TWO MMs!

KRONOS category button height: 6.5mm
OASYS category button height: 8mm

Pretty similar to each other, and each about the same height as the iPhone's "swipe to unlock" slider.

Then the list opens, the tabs are ok but the names are again very narrow, I made bad choices several times.

Sounds like one of several things might have been happening:

1. The touch-screen was not calibrated for you. I find that it's good to calibrate the touch-screen for the specific angle of view; for instance, standing up vs. sitting down. Two people of different height would do best with different calibrations, as well. This is noted prominently in the manuals, including the introduction to the touch-screen UI in the Quick Start guide.

2. I find that the touch-screens on all the Korg instruments (OASYS, M3, KRONOS etc.) work best when used with a fingernail, rather than a fingertip. This allows for a more precise touch.

I'm very sorry that your demonstrator did not explain this to you; it sounds like it would have saved you a lot of frustration.

The response at the touch is not immediate (you know, hitting "ok" a couple of time? That unnerving feeling?).

That means that OK wasn't actually pressed, presumably due to the reasons discussed above.

Hope this helps,

Dan

Good news! Thanks for the update, Dan! So what you are saying is the touchscreen can be calibrated to resolution and size etc.??

[StephenKay]

I'm working with a Motif XS and Motif XF here as well at the moment, and I can tell you, I much prefer the touch screen interface.

Probably gets frustrating when you touch the Motif screen and nothing happens!

Tell me about it...

[Citizen Klaus]

I also experimented with my iPhone, using finger tip, and "clicking" with finger nail. Either technique seems to work (on the iPhone), but you do in fact have to bend the finger a little more to use the fingernail technique. (I keep my fingernails very short, as I suspect most keyboard players do). Few like the clicky-clack.

I'm encouraged by your comments, and yes, touch screens do require a bit of technique and "getting used to".

Note also that the iPhone screen and the Korg's TouchView screen are very different from one another -- they use different technologies to sense the touch input. You'll have the physically press into the TouchView screen in order to register a response, where you can just lightly brush the iPhone screen.

[StephenKay]

I also experimented with my iPhone, using finger tip, and "clicking" with finger nail. Either technique seems to work (on the iPhone), but you do in fact have to bend the finger a little more to use the fingernail technique. (I keep my fingernails very short, as I suspect most keyboard players do). Few like the clicky-clack.

I'm encouraged by your comments, and yes, touch screens do require a bit of technique and "getting used to".

Note also that the iPhone screen and the Korg's TouchView screen are very different from one another -- they use different technologies to sense the touch input. You'll have the physically press into the TouchView screen in order to register a response, where you can just lightly brush the iPhone screen.

What's also interesting is, the iPhone does not respond to a stylus at all, of any sort. Whereas, the Korg touch screens do...

[dokido]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0PmCz3m ... re=related

every company nowadays do an ipad controller to their synths, why not kronos (with karma3 remote ) and a nice sequenser wouldnt be wrong

[Citizen Klaus]

Note also that the iPhone screen and the Korg's TouchView screen are very different from one another -- they use different technologies to sense the touch input. You'll have the physically press into the TouchView screen in order to register a response, where you can just lightly brush the iPhone screen.

What's also interesting is, the iPhone does not respond to a stylus at all, of any sort. Whereas, the Korg touch screens do...

The iPhone/iPod/iPad don't work well with gloves, either. They need an electrical conductor (like a human finger) to do the touching in order to work properly. Hence why nonconductive plastic styli don't register.

There are some setups that let you use a stylus with that sort of screen, though. I'm an animator by training, so I spend a lot of time with Wacom tablets. My laptop actually has a Wacom-compatible capacitative touchscreen, complete with a specially-designed pen. It responds just like an iPhone if you use your fingers, but has the pen for fine control. Those sorts of systems add a great deal of cost and complexity to the final design, though, and an iPhone probably doesn't need that level of input precision.

For anyone keeping score: Korg uses a much simpler technology for their TouchView screen, and that technology is the reason why it works with any old stylus, or anything else that one feels compelled to press against the screen.

[Bertotti]

Funny my ipod touch doesn't even work with my more heavily callused fingertips. I suppose the Kronos is more like the BB storm or storm 2 touch screen whefe you have to click it?

[Rosen Sound]

Ill stick with thinking that the Oasys was the ultimate board in the first place, now theres something better.
for way cheaper
Im getting it, it will sound boss!
Sure some things couldve been added...
But bottom line.. Im sure the Kronos will prevail in sonic awesomeness.
Butt-hurt oasys owners arent gonna convince me this thing isnt amazing...

[StephenKay]

For anyone keeping score: Korg uses a much simpler technology for their TouchView screen, and that technology is the reason why it works with any old stylus, or anything else that one feels compelled to press against the screen.

I actually like that. There are times I have a pen in my hand and don't feel like putting it down, and I can navigate with the reverse end of the pen. Not to mention, if a piano roll editor were to ever appear in the Kronos sequencer (one can hope), a stylus could come in handy...

[Unicorn]

Hi Ozy...

How would you rank the orchestra sounds, strings, winds, brass e.tc compared to the PC3?

If I may, being the owner of PC3X in the past...
(10 being the best)

Strings and Brass: Kurz = 8, Oasys = 3
Winds: Kurz = 5, Oasys = 7

[Unicorn]

As far as I'm concerned, you can't get sounds like the above out of any current workstation or arranger.

I'm not disrespecting your opinion, but you should really demo Yamaha Tyros 4 (if not alread) which is set to change your opinion to a large extent. Also listen to KARO library demos which they designed some 3-4 years ago. Not only the sounds, but the playability and ease of use is what left me amazed.

KRONOS - doesn't amaze me anymore except for Pianos and EPs, especially after listening to some more demos. HD1 sounds way too much out dated and unrealistic. KORG needs fresh ground-up perspective. The simple trick was to license / partner/ profit share KARO libraries to begin with.

[Akos Janca]

I don't know the new Tyros but I believe it's good (as usual from Yamaha). My point still is:

For wind section sounds samples are already very good, often usable. (Not always, of course.) For really serious wind solo sounds machines are imperfect.

In some cases - good machine like VL-1 with a breath controller in a special musical context - solo wind instruments can be imitated and listeners can be cheated. But as soon as we compare the polished result (even edited for long) directly with the real thing (played live), the difference will be like heaven and earth.

PS. Playing wind instruments is a bit like singing. Solo wind instrument emulation is a bit like singing software. Very interesting and advanced technology. Amazing. But not good enough.

We still need musicians with soul to play using their breath, lips and whole body controlled by the heart and the mind.