Is Kronos on it's way out?

[Kevin Nolan]

Realise this could be seen as a slightly alarmist / troll type post but I mean the question in earnest - if you visit the Korg website, nowhere on the entire front / showcase page does Kronos feature.

I realise it's still a listed product - but it doesn't seem to be a priority to their marketing / design department; and wonder if that means declining sales and possibly heading toward end of life? Thoughts?

[voip]

In Korg news from May 18th there's this announcement: "New KRONOS Sound Libraries: one new library and four new bundle packages from Kelfar, two updated libraries from Purgatory Creek, and new pricing for Irish Acts libraries."

Looks like Korg aren't totally giving up on the Kronos just yet, but the lack of presence on the Products page may be significant.

.

[Timo]

Kronos LS is on there.

But, what I don't get... why so many tuners!?!! There are no less than 6 individual tuner picture-links on there, each taking up large screen real estate. It's been a running joke annually over the last 10 or more years, but I don't understand. Once you've designed one or two or several tuners for different applications, then surely they've reached the peak of development. How many more new tuners can possibly be made?!

[GregC]

Realise this could be seen as a slightly alarmist / troll type post but I mean the question in earnest - if you visit the Korg website, nowhere on the entire front / showcase page does Kronos feature.

I realise it's still a listed product - but it doesn't seem to be a priority to their marketing / design department; and wonder if that means declining sales and possibly heading toward end of life? Thoughts?

Based on your post i might be a leading troll. I don't see any sense of alarm.

I have been saying for 6 months that Kronos 2 is at EOL or Korg is treating it as going there.

Facts are facts. No OS updates. +7 yrs old. No presence at NAMM.

Third party Libs are not Korg produced products. They are 3rd party productions.

Jack Hotop promised new sounds, due any day now. But thats the 1st sign of Kronos development for 15 months. Keep in mind, free sounds is an industry standard. Nord, Roland does the same routinely. For free.

I consider Korg offering Kronos 2 these days as primarily transactional.
Seems obvious to me Korg has other priorities.

7 years is an outstanding run for a W/s with a reliance tech, if you take a step back and look at the big picture. I gauge that the K2 is still selling based on posts and Fakebook. Dealers here in the US have stock. MSRP is holding firm.

A drop in MSRP would be a tangible signal to be evaluated.

[GregC]

Kronos LS is on there.

But!

its a derivative, plain and simple.

Since its a new member to the product family, its expected that Korg will splash it. Same with GrandStage.

They want to market the newer products.

[Broadwave]

It doesn't worry me at all, even if the Kronos IS due to be shelved. Mine still works and does what I need it to do, as well as it did on the first day I bought it (excluding updates of course).

TBH, I'm more concerned about the lack of interest from Roland regarding the System 8

[demonp]

It doesn't worry me at all, even if the Kronos IS due to be shelved. Mine still works and does what I need it to do, as well as it did on the first day I bought it (excluding updates of course).

TBH, I'm more concerned about the lack of interest from Roland regarding the System 8

Yeah, Roland is really a downshifter now. No Fantom successor, the boutique series is kinda shitty, the FA is all cheapo, Aira is something useless. No wow factor.
Now Korg and Yamaha are making great stuff.

[GregC]

It doesn't worry me at all, even if the Kronos IS due to be shelved. Mine still works and does what I need it to do, as well as it did on the first day I bought it (excluding updates of course).

TBH, I'm more concerned about the lack of interest from Roland regarding the System 8

Yeah, Roland is really a downshifter now. No Fantom successor, the boutique series is kinda shitty, the FA is all cheapo, Aira is something useless. No wow factor.
Now Korg and Yamaha are making great stuff.

Granted, the FA does not have all the 'classic ' all in 1 W/s features.

I think , for the price, its a good w/s

I suspect, some, perhaps you, play the FA06, with its low budget keybed, do a quick dismissal on the FA.

[Bachus]

It doesn't worry me at all, even if the Kronos IS due to be shelved. Mine still works and does what I need it to do, as well as it did on the first day I bought it (excluding updates of course).

TBH, I'm more concerned about the lack of interest from Roland regarding the System 8

Yeah, Roland is really a downshifter now. No Fantom successor, the boutique series is kinda shitty, the FA is all cheapo, Aira is something useless. No wow factor.
Now Korg and Yamaha are making great stuff.

The idea behind the system-8 is top knotch..
But who decided to not have aftertouch?

Same goes for the prologue, noo aftertouch.

And yamaha, they don’t even have a comtemder in that cattegory

[megamarkd]

It doesn't worry me at all, even if the Kronos IS due to be shelved. Mine still works and does what I need it to do, as well as it did on the first day I bought it (excluding updates of course).

TBH, I'm more concerned about the lack of interest from Roland regarding the System 8

Yeah, Roland is really a downshifter now. No Fantom successor, the boutique series is kinda shitty, the FA is all cheapo, Aira is something useless. No wow factor.
Now Korg and Yamaha are making great stuff.

Granted, the FA does not have all the 'classic ' all in 1 W/s features.

I think , for the price, its a good w/s

I suspect, some, perhaps you, play the FA06, with its low budget keybed, do a quick dismissal on the FA.

For my next Roland purchase, I'm actually considering getting a CCV printer to try and make money out of hipster bands who want cheap stickers and flyers (boutique/bespoke/craft stickers/flyers, you know you want them!)

[Kevin Nolan]

TBH, I'm more concerned about the lack of interest from Roland regarding the System 8

This doesn't surprise me one bit. Roland's commitment to computer and software based products is abysmal; and that's not an overstatement.

They are dire in terms of :

1) Driver quality (for example USB connectivity of Boutique devices; and the ability to only save on set of programs on a USB stick for any of their hardware synths)

2) Driver support - nonexistent as soon as the end of life a product


Anyone owning a System 1 or 8 should be thinking, now, about not upgrading their current computer if it supports System 8 - to reserve that computer into the future specifically for System 8; and instead buy a new computer for your other work. Otherwise, within a few years, you'll be no longer able to load plugouts onto your System.

[GregC]

TBH, I'm more concerned about the lack of interest from Roland regarding the System 8

This doesn't surprise me one bit. Roland's commitment to computer and software based products is abysmal; and that's not an overstatement.

They are dire in terms of :

1) Driver quality (for example USB connectivity of Boutique devices; and the ability to only save on set of programs on a USB stick for any of their hardware synths)

2) Driver support - nonexistent as soon as the end of life a product


Anyone owning a System 1 or 8 should be thinking, now, about not upgrading their current computer if it supports System 8 - to reserve that computer into the future specifically for System 8; and instead buy a new computer for your other work. Otherwise, within a few years, you'll be no longer able to load plugouts onto your System.

thats funny. I thought your topic was about Kronos ?

Looks like it went 'skippy'

[Derek Cook]

TBH, I'm more concerned about the lack of interest from Roland regarding the System 8

This doesn't surprise me one bit. Roland's commitment to computer and software based products is abysmal; and that's not an overstatement.

They are dire in terms of :

1) Driver quality (for example USB connectivity of Boutique devices; and the ability to only save on set of programs on a USB stick for any of their hardware synths)

2) Driver support - nonexistent as soon as the end of life a product


Anyone owning a System 1 or 8 should be thinking, now, about not upgrading their current computer if it supports System 8 - to reserve that computer into the future specifically for System 8; and instead buy a new computer for your other work. Otherwise, within a few years, you'll be no longer able to load plugouts onto your System.

And to that, add sloppy display programming, which has caused all sorts of problems with Cantabile that the developer has had to introduce hacks to work around. Shame, as they sound excellent.

[ebuzer52]

As every thing and every synths, kronos is also temporary

[BobTheDog]

The Kronos is now based on old hardware and even older software.

Workstations are possibly not really even needed anymore, other technology has taken over and the demographic of people buying "keyboards/workstations" has changed.

Don't get me wrong, I think the Kronos/Oasis are amazing bits of kit but things and times change.

I would love to see Korg take the old software and design some new hardware around it, this I guess would be a costly job and I wonder what the payback would be.