KRONOS Rack?

hermanmusic · Post by **hermanmusic** » Tue Jan 25, 2011 12:14 pm

I have been wondering if there might be a rack version of Kronos.

Now, everyone has different needs/desires, but.... let's see..... dump the sequencer and hard disk recorder in favor of more outputs to take advantage of the nine synth engines, and....hmmm... what else? Anybody?

cello · Post by **cello** » Tue Jan 25, 2011 12:18 pm

Racks don't sell as well as they used to these days (stated by several people in other threads).

I think it's fair to say that as there never was a rack version of the O, it is highly unlikely there will be a Kronos rack.

kid_nepro_2002 · Post by **kid_nepro_2002** » Tue Jan 25, 2011 12:42 pm

I'd love to see that. I never use the sequencer in favor of my DAW and already have too many keyboards and not enough space!

Proton

www.kidnepro.com

gjvti · Post by **gjvti** » Tue Jan 25, 2011 12:45 pm

Did you look here? ... + Korg legacy collection + some sample vst Steinberg/NI/Spectrasonics and you probably are pretty much there

It was stated somewhere already - there won't be Kronos rack

axxim · Post by **axxim** » Tue Jan 25, 2011 1:22 pm

I can't imagine someone standing or even sitting before a rack for hours and making all those adjustments and settings over the touchscreen and sliders. Maybe a "blind" (with a pair of sliders, simple display and maybe more outs) rack with the sound engine and a DAW editor would make better sense, but then it wouldn't be a Kronos at all!

EvilDragon · Post by **EvilDragon** » Tue Jan 25, 2011 1:38 pm

gjvti wrote:It was stated somewhere already - there won't be Kronos rack

This is correct.

ozy · Post by **ozy** » Tue Jan 25, 2011 2:54 pm

axxim wrote:I can't imagine someone standing or even sitting before a rack for hours and making all those adjustments and settings over the touchscreen and sliders.

why?

I program modular synths and they are rackmounted. And boy, they require a lot of time spent on programming.

I have them face-high near my left shoulder when I sit at the keyboards,

and that's no way less comfortable than having to perch my neck and shoulders above a keyboard in order to program it.

More: the 88 and 73 formats are "bottom" keyboards, almost by definition (or would you gig with a blofeld on bottom and a oasys on top? a prophet08 on bottom and a kronos88 on top?)

I usually put a smaller synth-action keyboard on top.

Programming the bottom keyboard then requires that I keep at least 15/20 cm between the top and bottom keys, which is ugly when performing (wrist and shoulder fatigue, etc).

So, I'd rather have a control keyboard on bottom, a synth on top (10 cm above the bottom, organ-like), and a nice programmin console on the rack next to me.

A rack Kronos would then be nice.

Ok, they say "nobody wants racks anymore".

They say also that "nobody wants 76 semiweighted anymore"

and "nobody wants masterkeyboard+rack stacks anymore".

If they say so, it must be so.

I am "nobody", then.

[for anybody missing the joke, "NOBODY Ensemble" is my band's name.]

vEddY · Post by **vEddY** » Tue Jan 25, 2011 2:56 pm

axxim wrote:I can't imagine someone standing or even sitting before a rack for hours and making all those adjustments and settings over the touchscreen and sliders. Maybe a "blind" (with a pair of sliders, simple display and maybe more outs) rack with the sound engine and a DAW editor would make better sense, but then it wouldn't be a Kronos at all!

I can, because there's an awful lot of people out there with studios, with a lot of equipment already in the studio, and one more keyboard might be a problem for those people as this requires a lot of space and work for connecting. It's a bit easier with racks as people usually buy them with some empty slots in mind (for studio purposes). And, considering the fact that KRONOS has DAW integration, I wouldn't see KRONOS rack being a problem per se.

kid_nepro_2002 · Post by **kid_nepro_2002** » Tue Jan 25, 2011 3:13 pm

I have a M3m and love the way it was designed with the brackets on the back which enable you to stand it up on a table top. That and the editor works great for me. I don't expect to see a Kronos rack, but it won't hurt to ask! If enough people ask for it, then Korg just might do it. One thing we know for sure, they do listen to some of our requests.

Pilotwings · Post by **Pilotwings** » Tue Jan 25, 2011 4:56 pm

I'm very interested in the Kronos & created an account to keep up on the product as well as post a response to this thread.

I would love to see the Kronos offered in rackmount form. It's a shame companies are steering away from this (especially on a flagship products). I prefer everything neat and organized. Could you imagine if every manufacturer had only "tabletop" products! Effects units, sound modules, keyboards, mixers, etc. all scattered around everywhere!

I'm fortunate enough (and have been at this for years) to already be using a master controller keyboard (A-70), K2661 and an MPC4000 for sequencing along with many RACKMOUT modules. I don't need another keyboard. I'm also surprised that the Kronos will not be available with 76 note synth action keybed.

On a positive note, I love hardware instruments and am glad to see that Korg has not abandoned this route. After playing the Kronos (when it's available) I'm sure I'll want one, but would buy a rack version in a second over the keyboard...

hermanmusic · Post by **hermanmusic** » Tue Jan 25, 2011 6:39 pm

Wow.
Many interesting points have been made.
As an Oasys owner I would love to have the Oasys II, err, I mean Kronos, in a rackmount.

Historically, Korg has frequently offered rack versions of their major workstations. The M1 had the M1R, The 01W had the 01R/W, the X series the X3R, Trinity TR Rack, and of course the Triton Rack. The T series got skipped as far as a dedicated module, though I think some of the waveforms/patches made it into the expanded M1R (forget the exact designation, M1Rex?) or maybe it was the M3R.

The Big O was a no go, but why not a rack version of Kronos? Maybe I've run afoul and bounced out of the loop and people really don't want racks anymore.
There certainly are fewer and fewer being made, I guess, but I'd still be interested in a K-Rack. It would make a wonderful companion for my O.

As for sitting in front programming - valid point - synths are much more sophisticated - but we do have computer editors.
And, truth be told, I have sat for hours in front of my 01R/W (and the screen is very dim now) and countless others. Well, okay, I could probably come up with a count if I sat and thought about it.

Anyway, it doesn't hurt to have a dream that in theory at least could come true, right?

EXer · Post by **EXer** » Tue Jan 25, 2011 7:11 pm

I agree with many things that have been said on this thread

My basic set-up consists in a 88 key piano action type master keyboard and a 76 key semi weighted synth action type keyboard, completed with rackmount instruments.

For a musician like me (and I'm sure I'm not the only one), a rackmount Kronos would have the following advantages over a keyboard version:
¤ every musician could chose a master keyboard with the action they prefer. Personnally, the 88 keys I prefer to play on and to use a my master kb is a Roland RD700; imo it's the closest thing to a real piano with a not-too-heavy kb and an escapement feel. And whenever I need a synth type KB I use my faithful EX5 which has got the best 76 keys I have ever played on (it's a Yamaha keyboard that also equipped the Korg Trinity PRO

¤ when used intensely on stage, a keyboard wears out much more than the synth itself ; a master KB is easier to exchange than a built-in KB...
¤ no accumulation of useless keyboards in the studio when you have a lot of gear and limited space...
¤ no need to pay for a KB when you already have a good master KB

But please, KORG, whenever you release a rackmount Kronos, make a self contained instrument!
I mean an instrument like the Triton Rack which had real time controllers and which could be fully edited from its own panel. Even better, keep a large touch screen like Roland did with their V-Synth XT.

Please don't make a crappy rack like the Motif Rack than has a ridiculously tiny screen and no controllers, and worse, that cannot be edited without hooking it to a computer!!!

Thanks.

EvilDragon · Post by **EvilDragon** » Tue Jan 25, 2011 7:30 pm

They won't make a Kronos Rack, I am 100% sure of that. It's futile to continue asking them to do so. They won't.

EXer · Post by **EXer** » Tue Jan 25, 2011 7:33 pm

How do you know?
Never say never!

EvilDragon · Post by **EvilDragon** » Tue Jan 25, 2011 7:41 pm

If they wanted to make a rack, they'd announce it at NAMM like they did with the other 3 versions.

In any case, don't hold your hopes high. The probabilities for Kronos Rack are dangerously close to zero.

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