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I have upgraded my original Kronos to latest firmware (6.06) and OS (3.1.4). However the startup display still shows SGX-1. I suspect the display update to SGX-2 was by an earlier firmware update. Anyone have info which firmare version that made the change? Also would it be a stupid risk to try to install that old firmware to change the display before reinstalling the latest?

The Kronos startup screen is derived from the firmware subsystem, which is concerned with communicating with the control surface and screen, and doesn't contain any of the sound engines, as such. The subsystem firmware merely displays a graphic representing the nine sound engines in the Kronos. The SGX-2 engine itself "resides" in the main processor, having been defined by the algorithms in the OS software. The presence of the Una Corda, and string resonance sections, on the main SGX-2 screen, is a confirmation that the SGX-2 engine is present, as is the line above the piano graphic, which will show the EXi type as SGX-2. Older versions of the OS, containing the original SGX-1 engine, will only show the piano graphic, without the triple pedal and string resonance graphics, to the right of the piano, and SGX-1 will be displayed as the EXi type.

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Thank you very much for your quick answer. Yes I have checked according to your hintsand the SGX-2 engine is definitely installed. However I am not sure I understand your explanation about the graphics displayed during startup relying on the subsystem firmware. Is it so that updating of subsystem is not able to update the graphics to show SGX-2 for an old generation Kronos even if the graphics are part of the subsystem? Definitely a minor issue since the OS piano engine is updated and that’s what matter.

The Kronos subsystem is present on a circuit board that is separate from the computer motherboard. The subsystem board drives the display, amongst other things, and has its own bootcode, the so-called subsystem firmware, which is stored in NOR flash memory on that board. This firmware is completely independent of the Kronos SSD (and has no direct access to it) and the firmware includes the bitmap for the Kronos' splash screen. I have no insight into why Korg software engineers didn't incorporate the necessary code into the main OS that could send a bitmap to the subsystem for the splash screen. It wouldn't take a great deal of programmer's time to modify the bitmap, and issue a firmware update that displayed SGX-2, since that has already been done for the Kronos 2, but it's Korg's decision. At least the functionality of the SGX-2 engine is there to be enjoyed, no matter what the splash screen has on it.

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The short answer is that you just need to install the latest subsystem firmware from Korg’s website, which is separate from the main operating system. You can find them here:

https://www.korg.com/au/news/2019/030502/

It will be either version 1.10 or 6.06, depending on if you’re upgrading the original Kronos or the Kronos 2. That will solve the issue.

The reason they’re displaying different versions is because it takes 10-15 seconds for the main Kronos OS to boot, so a second processor (which boots up instantly) shows the Kronos boot screen until the main OS takes over.

As I stated in my first post I updated first the subsystem to 6.06 before updating the main OS. My Kronos is an OG from 2011.

Hmm, I am almost certain none of the main operating system updates included a subsystem firmware update, as it’s an entirely different update process (and I have used every version since 1.0.3, if memory serves!)

Have you verified that the subsystem firmware installed correctly? I have a faint recollection with my OG Kronos of attempting to install it, thinking it had installed correctly, but in fact it hadn’t for some reason. Might be worth verifying or installing again?

The sub system firmware update software checks the firmware that's already installed on the sub system, and will only allow the installation to proceed, if the version to be installed is newer than the existing version.

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