Kronos 88 keybeds

okkopekka · Post by **okkopekka** » Sat Apr 11, 2020 5:34 am

Hi, is there some, even minor difference with keybed on k188, kx88 & k288, like do they feel same way weighted?
Are they equally heavy on touch?

Liviou2004 · Post by **Liviou2004** » Sat Apr 11, 2020 6:28 am

They all have the same RH3 keyboard

Broadwave · Post by **Broadwave** » Sat Apr 11, 2020 8:21 am

They all have the same keybed, the touch isn't too heavy (I can still play synth leads on it), and the weighting is nicely graduated across the 88 notes.

Liviou2004 · Post by **Liviou2004** » Sat Apr 11, 2020 8:43 am

The RH3 keyboard works well on itself but there is an issue with the available velocity curves : Its impossible to reach the full range of velocity, from 0 to 127, on a single sound. So we must choose between low velocity curves (unable to reach high velocity range (from about 100) and high velocity curves (unable to play soft touch velocity (from 0 to about 30 or 40).
As the velocity curve setting is a global setting (not per programs) it's not convenient. This point doesn't come from hardware but from the available curves.

The second point concerns the aftertouch : it is very hard even after calibration.

These points must be known before buying.

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After one year, I've bought another synth, with light keyboard, I'm using it to drive some typical Kronos synth sounds, wich require a more fluent and easy way of playing.

KK · Post by KK » Sun Apr 12, 2020 4:51 am

Hi okkopekka,

I like the RH3 action a lot. Before buying my Kronos about 3 years ago, I tested all the top machines from all brands and ended up choosing it because of the sounds, the incredible programmability and also the touch, more importantly the connection/response between keys and sounds.

About the velocity curves, with time you might just like me adjust very well with the existing ones. Also, if you plan to use your keyboard with a PC or laptop, there is a great freeware called MIDI-OX to adjust the velocity curves exactly as you want. See the link in my signature for more info.

Liviou2004 · Post by **Liviou2004** » Sun Apr 12, 2020 7:40 am

The fact that we must use an external MIDI software to get the right velocity curve we wish is a simple demonstration of a real lack : the impossibility to create custom curves.
Many Kronos users complain about that and we ask Korg for a firmware upgrade for years, without any result.

It's easy to test : use an HD1 prog and see the bargraph moving according to the velocity. You will see that it's impossible to stay on 0 to 10 and then reach 127. Neither curve allows this !

Kronos is an incredible synth on the most of points of view. And I love playing on it.
RH3 is not a bad keyboard, in itself but it is not up to the global level of this synth.

voip · Post by **voip** » Sun Apr 12, 2020 1:47 pm

The upper velocity limit is not so much down to the keybed itself, but rather to the timing parameter used by the keyscan board's key contact 1&2 closure interval sensing algorithm. Unfortunately, it doesn't look as if this part is user/technician adjustable. It would be a nice calibration feature to have, for the user to be able to calibrate max velocity by playing dynamically on the keyboard, and having the Kronos sense what the maximum velocity was, and setting MIDI velocity 127 to that.

Of course, it would be possible to modify the keybed contacts, using shims to lift the second closure contact on each key by a fixed amount. Doing this would shift the whole velocity curve upwards, but would allow vel=127 to be obtained.
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