Product I'd like to see - Korg Kronos -Synth Edition

Synthetica · Post by **Synthetica** » Thu Jul 19, 2012 3:14 am

Kronos Synth Edition
(Call it the Korg Scythe - for all of the mythology buffs)

Take all of the Synth Engines from the Kronos, put it in a fully populated knobby keyboard, (You could probably fit about 64 knobs, 16 sliders, buttons, leds , lcd in a Kronos 61 sized keyboard but just guessing here).
Make it so all editing can be done with the knobs, and sliders, etc.

Take out the Sequencer, Combis, Sampling, Karma (hmm maybe keep the Karma part in as you would need an arp engine) and just have Program mode with Effects.

Should be easy to do since all the work is already done except laying out the hardware, and sell for under $1k.

Thoughts?

BasariStudios · Post by **BasariStudios** » Thu Jul 19, 2012 3:26 am

Under 1K? The amateur entry levels are around a 1000$.
Try 3-4000$ for that and you'll be ok. Radias itself is 1500$ which is only
one Engine...where is the rest?

Synthetica · Post by **Synthetica** » Thu Jul 19, 2012 3:34 am

Ok price may be a bit optimistic, but that wasn't the important part of my point

In US Dollars, i should clarify btw

You would be removing the Touch Screen, the USB ports, other items i listed, etc. and a 61 key Kronos can be had for $3k,

$2k sound better ?

ronnfigg · Post by **ronnfigg** » Thu Jul 19, 2012 3:39 am

Hardware costs $$$$!

discjuggler · Post by **discjuggler** » Thu Jul 19, 2012 4:39 am

Yeah.. Its pretty bad when Korgs cheap Legacy Collection out does the synths on the Kronos.. Im not impressed

mcm · Post by **mcm** » Thu Jul 19, 2012 4:40 am

That would be cool. I was also thinking it would be neat to have a rack version of the Kronos like yamaha did with their motif xs. That way you could use your own keys/controllers and it would be portable.

http://usa.yamaha.com/products/music-pr ... mode=model

shefu · Post by **shefu** » Thu Jul 19, 2012 4:54 am

Well, considering that the raw materials are not actually that expensive and that Korg is not a boutique brand I don't see why they wouldn't price it more competively.

Its not like they are 9 separate analog engines, it is digital that uses some form of emulation....

They wouldn't get away with charging 3k for a strippped down kronos jypust because there's more knobs on it.

Especially when u can get a ultranova for $600 which is very effective for what its made for.

danatkorg · Post by **danatkorg** » Thu Jul 19, 2012 5:13 am

ronnfigg wrote:Hardware costs $$$$!

Yup.

1jordyzzz · Post by **1jordyzzz** » Thu Jul 19, 2012 5:36 pm

Well if you expect it to be around 1000$, take a look at access virus Ti.. lots of knobs, 1 synth engine, no touchsceen .. what's the price???

robinkle · Post by **robinkle** » Thu Jul 19, 2012 5:45 pm

danatkorg wrote:
ronnfigg wrote:Hardware costs $$$$!
Yup.

How much extra would it cost?

I would buy a knobby synth based on MOD-7 even if it was more expensive then Kronos.

Vlad_77 · Post by **Vlad_77** » Thu Jul 19, 2012 7:23 pm

discjuggler wrote:Yeah.. Its pretty bad when Korgs cheap Legacy Collection out does the synths on the Kronos.. Im not impressed

I realize I shouldn't feed the troll but I WILL ask what it is that you have been smoking.

But I won't waste bandwidth trying to explain why you are dead wrong because your appetite is larger than your sense of reality.

Vlad

X-Trade · Post by **X-Trade** » Thu Jul 19, 2012 7:32 pm

The problem with these modern flexible engines is that they are not suited to physical controls. You may model panels with physical controls on them, but it's going to have to be massively oversimplified as soon as you come to things like AMS.

That is why so many synths come to the point of paging and soft buttons, assignable knobs. It would be impossible to put every parameter on a single panel, and some types of controls have no physical equivalent.

And then if you want multiple engines, then it's pretty much got to have a screen because you're talking about two systems with entirely unrelated sets of parameters. You might as well take the algorithms and produce an entirely new synth that better makes use of physical controls. Like with Virtual Patch vs AMS.

This is how we end up with the Radias and MS2000 and such. Very powerful synths. No need for multiple engines as such because they have very flexible options within one engine. Like choosing between different filter models and additional technologies on their oscillators like FM.

Even the Virus only has a fraction of its parameters on the front panel, and it doesn't have many more physical controls than on the Kronos.

Also, if the bulk of the hardware cost (besides the keybed) is the embedded computer platform, then that is going to cost the same no matter how many engines you put in it.

I would like to see more knobby real synth products. I would also like to see something from korg like a 'Legacy Station' with the original Legacy Collection instruments (MS20, PolySix, and Wavestation) in a sleek and classy package.

But the Kronos does all that anyway so I wouldn't have need to buy it.

They should also add cathode tube lights under the keys like in my custom built keyboard synth.

KronosX · Post by **KronosX** » Fri Jul 20, 2012 4:11 am

Yum Yum.. Im getting full on this one. But what harm is comparing Korg technology to technology. To pay a compliment to one of the great things Korg ever did. I guess its a matter of how you take it. Your glass is half full or half empty???

Vlad_77 wrote:
discjuggler wrote:Yeah.. Its pretty bad when Korgs cheap Legacy Collection out does the synths on the Kronos.. Im not impressed
I realize I shouldn't feed the troll but I WILL ask what it is that you have been smoking.

But I won't waste bandwidth trying to explain why you are dead wrong because your appetite is larger than your sense of reality.

Vlad

gjvti · Post by **gjvti** » Fri Jul 20, 2012 7:02 am

robinkle wrote:
danatkorg wrote:
ronnfigg wrote:Hardware costs $$$$!
Yup.
How much extra would it cost?

I would buy a knobby synth based on MOD-7 even if it was more expensive then Kronos.

Maybe Schmidt synthesizer is what you are looking for?
http://greatsynthesizers.com/en/intervi ... schmidt-e/
- lots of knobs, yeah it is analogue - digital would be somewhat cheaper