Massively improving in Korg Kronos

[tand]

Hello guys. Does anyone knows anything about this post? Is it real? Has anyone tried that?

https://marcan.st/2016/06/hacking-and-u ... rg-kronos/

[BobTheDog]

looks reasonable, not sure I would try it though!

[ando727]

Looks like you have to be a freaking computer genius to do it. Can't see it catching on unless somebody starts a business and sells the complete package including easy software conversion. There's no way a normal person is going to do this using the steps outlined in that article. Sounds like there are some unresolved problems too. In some ways it might work less well than the slower version.

[SanderXpander]

What it does do is give us hope that Korg can bring out a massively more powerful Kronos with relatively little trouble on their end. If a lone guy can reverse engineer this and make it work (or mostly work), surely Korg and the team of developers can do it better and easier.

[SanderXpander]

What it does do is give us hope that Korg can bring out a massively more powerful Kronos with relatively little trouble on their end. If a lone guy can reverse engineer this and make it work (or mostly work), surely Korg and the team of developers can do it better and easier.

[GregC]

not an improvement here;

"However, there is one disappointment: with the new hardware, the Kronos has (slightly) less available sample memory than with the old one."

and the original design hacker is anonymous.

[Bachus]

Looks like you have to be a freaking computer genius to do it. Can't see it catching on unless somebody starts a business and sells the complete package including easy software conversion. There's no way a normal person is going to do this using the steps outlined in that article. Sounds like there are some unresolved problems too. In some ways it might work less well than the slower version.

Not really a computer genius, just some extended Linux knowledge...

As far as i could verify, all claims are logical and seem legit, however if Korg reads this, the vulnerabillity used can be quite easilly patched the next OS upgrade... (Just let the securrity file check also check grub.conf)

But what does hacking my kronos bring me?

Now if they could hack into the Ui so one could add more engines.. Or other stuff... Then it would be interesting, but right now, it does not boost any extra functionallity and might actually give stabillity issues... My Kronos works top knotch as it is...


Also Korg does not have to worry about hackers building their very own Kronos, as the I/O board is Korg specific and cant be bought anywhere...


In the emd i need to say, nice try tough so far, interessting topic.



The only thing that should worry Korg is that the hacker prooved Korg didnt keep to the GPL license that comes with any version of Linux, which is in most countries way more illegal then hacking a device you own yourself..

[Bachus]

What it does do is give us hope that Korg can bring out a massively more powerful Kronos with relatively little trouble on their end. If a lone guy can reverse engineer this and make it work (or mostly work), surely Korg and the team of developers can do it better and easier.

Thats what i allways said, its basic Linux, if they want to advance they need to upgrade the Kernel to 64 bit, and find some working 64 bit realtime AI stuff, which are quite readilly available as opensource...

With their current structure, as described by the hacker, they can about add any VST that runs under Linux to their OS.. I just need to point you to the receptor website to find out which ones...

A quad core i7 running a 64 bit kernel with 16GB memmory could blow Yamaha of the table once and for all....

Their current OS is bloody open, which indeed offers lots of possibilities for the future... I think in another 10 year we will al realise that the Oasys definately was the chicken with the golden eggs..


Oh, and i am probably also convinced that most things they created for the ipad, can also be with reasonable effort converted to the Kronos OS...





The biggest limitation i can see for now is the IO board and the user interface.... This will need an update in the future for sure, which might be very very resource consuming...

[DSTMK]

As the author of the kronos hacker blog (http://goo.gl/E57aP5) I would like to set a few things straight here:

1) There is a major improvement accomplished: the modified Kronos has 200 voice polyphony across all engines. See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90WHLrTwBA4 for a demo video.

2) All this is not about "Software Piracy". I don't know, why this forum replaces k_r_o_n_o_s_h_a_c_k_e_r with "Software Piracy - do not click", but what we do is not piracy. It is about modifying something that we own and that we paid for. All software that I distribute (Linux Kernel, rooting patch, etc.) is covered by the GPL. Please, do not confuse hacking, cracking and piracy!

3) The modification actually yields _more_ sample memory, not less.

4) I am well aware, that replacing the mainboard in a perfectly fine $3000 instrument not for the average user. However, there are at least 5 modified Kronos out there right now (and maybe more that I don't know of). But what if a mainboard dies? What if you can get a old Kronos model for a lower price tag?

[GregC]

As the author of the kronos hacker blog (http://goo.gl/E57aP5) I would like to set a few things straight here:

1) There is a major improvement accomplished: the modified Kronos has 200 voice polyphony across all engines. See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90WHLrTwBA4 for a demo video.

2) All this is not about "Software Piracy". I don't know, why this forum replaces k_r_o_n_o_s_h_a_c_k_e_r with "Software Piracy - do not click", but what we do is not piracy. It is about modifying something that we own and that we paid for. All software that I distribute (Linux Kernel, rooting patch, etc.) is covered by the GPL. Please, do not confuse hacking, cracking and piracy!

3) The modification actually yields _more_ sample memory, not less.

4) I am well aware, that replacing the mainboard in a perfectly fine $3000 instrument not for the average user. However, there are at least 5 modified Kronos out there right now (and maybe more that I don't know of). But what if a mainboard dies? What if you can get a old Kronos model for a lower price tag?

why is the original designer anonymous ?

I am not clear on this. What are you offering ?
4)However, there are at least 5 modified Kronos out there right now (and maybe more that I don't know of). But what if a mainboard dies? What if you can get a old Kronos model for a lower price tag?

[Bachus]

As the author of the kronos hacker blog (http://goo.gl/E57aP5) I would like to set a few things straight here:

1) There is a major improvement accomplished: the modified Kronos has 200 voice polyphony across all engines. See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90WHLrTwBA4 for a demo video.

2) All this is not about "Software Piracy". I don't know, why this forum replaces k_r_o_n_o_s_h_a_c_k_e_r with "Software Piracy - do not click", but what we do is not piracy. It is about modifying something that we own and that we paid for. All software that I distribute (Linux Kernel, rooting patch, etc.) is covered by the GPL. Please, do not confuse hacking, cracking and piracy!

3) The modification actually yields _more_ sample memory, not less.

4) I am well aware, that replacing the mainboard in a perfectly fine $3000 instrument not for the average user. However, there are at least 5 modified Kronos out there right now (and maybe more that I don't know of). But what if a mainboard dies? What if you can get a old Kronos model for a lower price tag?

1) noticed...

2) overhere in Holland the Kronos is yours when you buy it and you are allowed to do with it as you want.. (as long as you dont steel the ideas of the creator)

3) that seems to depend on the motherboard used

4) As Kronos ages, and parts will die and might not be replacable out of stock, this may indeed become a methode to repair those boards..



If you live overhere in Holland, there is nothing illegal about your actions... tough different countries may have different Rules...

However the fact that they use software under the GPL license might force them to even show some of their sourcecode when taken to court, so the only illegal part i can see here is Korg using GPL protect code and not sticking to that license...

[GregC]

A

4) I am well aware, that replacing the mainboard in a perfectly fine $3000 instrument not for the average user. However, there are at least 5 modified Kronos out there right now (and maybe more that I don't know of). But what if a mainboard dies? What if you can get a old Kronos model for a lower price tag?

1) noticed...

2) overhere in Holland the Kronos is yours when you buy it and you are allowed to do with it as you want.. (as long as you dont steel the ideas of the creator)

3) that seems to depend on the motherboard used

4) As Kronos ages, and parts will die and might not be replacable out of stock, this may indeed become a methode to repair those boards..


If you live overhere in Holland, there is nothing illegal about your actions... tough different countries may have different Rules...

However the fact that they use software under the GPL license might force them to even show some of their sourcecode when taken to court, so the only illegal part i can see here is Korg using GPL protect code and not sticking to that license...

I don't have any philosophical problem if someone wants to take on a personal project. And I understand parts can fail over time.

I don't know your country. Are you saying I can operate a non - authorized Korg Kronos repair service in Holland ? and advertise this service ?

[DSTMK]

why is the original designer anonymous ?

Because I don't want this hobby / side project to interfere with my business or private life. I do professional embedded software development for a living and I just don't want people to google my business phone number and ask for support (has happened before). I don't want people to think that I want to earn money with this (selling upgrade kits, working for Korg, whatever). I don't fear Korg (actually, I'd like to have a chat with them). And I do not think that anything I have done is illegal.

I am not clear on this. What are you offering ?

Hints for anybody who is interested in doing more with his instrument than just playing it. Information for people who want to know how things work.

I don't want to sell anything.

[aron]

> There is a major improvement accomplished: the modified Kronos has 200 voice polyphony across all engines.

WOW! So EVERY engine can have 200 voice? That is big time major improvement!!!! Almost like a dream come true!

This is great work! Thanks for the blog!

WAIT - did anyone see this!?

Kronos boot time < 20s

[psionic311]

I got all giddy when I first saw the article, but then quickly realized it's over my head even as a techie guy. The first thing I homed in on was the increase in polyphony, which is a practical limitation I run into often.

I hoped that there might be another easier solution. So I did a little bit of research on the motherboard and CPU socket types, as I'm sure some early Kronos users already did. I was hoping for a quick solution like being able to drop in a more powerful version of the Atom processor, like a faster quad-core. This would give upgraded polyphony and reduced boot time without having to do any of the software modifications.

No luck on finding any solutions, as it seems the Atom is integrated into that particular motherboard.