Korg Forums

[ChrisDuncan]

I like shiny objects as much as the next guy, so I was watching some videos on the Arturia Polybrute even though I have no intention of buying one. Definitely a cool gizmo as synths go.

However, my highly uneducated perspective is that all synths essentially do a set number of things with their components (oscillators, filters, envelopes, etc.). In the case of the Polybrute, there are a few interesting control surface things that might contribute to ease of use / workflow / inspiration, but in terms of what comes out of the speakers, it's... a synth.

The Kronos has a variety of synth engines, and while I've not even dipped my toes into serious sound design, I'm curious what the more experienced among you think in terms of whether or not something like the Polybrute is capable of generating sounds that an experienced Kronos user simply couldn't get.

There are doubtless many subtleties between synths that give each synth its own personality, but as I listened to a reviewer walking through all the presets it didn't sound like anything I hadn't heard many times before.

Of course, I could be completely wrong about all of this, hence the curiosity. Love the look, the layout, all the cool buttons, but it seems like I could get the same sounds out of what I already have.

Those of you who do sound design and / or are familiar with the Polybrute, what are your thoughts? It's definitely a flagship level synth, but sound-wise is it really anything different, or just another cool shiny object?
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Studio: Cubase 13 | Windows 10 | Yamaha TF5 | Mackie MCU | CMC AI, QC
Keyboard Station: Kronos 2 88 | Fantom 7 | JV 2080 | Cubase 13 | Windows 10 | Focusrite 18i20 | CMC TP
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Chris Duncan
Atlanta, GA, USA, Earth

[KK]

Personally, I've yet to find sounds that can't be generated/emulated on a Korg Kronos. Almost anything can be done when one takes enough time to achieve the intended goal.

About synths which can create unfamiliar sounds, something like a Waldorf Quantum would better achieve the goal than a Polybrute. Of course, one interesting thing about many dedicated synths are their controls and therefore what can become their particular workflow under the hands of someone. The Kronos is certainly not be the easiest machine to control because of its complexity, so might imply more work.

[ChrisDuncan]

Yeah, that's what came to mind as I watched the videos. If you twist a lot of knobs as a part of your performance / expressiveness, I think that's where the individual synth designs begin to shine, particularly the control surfaces.

Even so, as you mentioned, if you're willing to do the work to set up all the parameters, there is a decent amount of knobs and sliders on the Kronos.

Of course, none of this is meant to take anything away from the Polybrute or any other synth. There are a lot of really cool keyboards out there these days. I'm just enjoying the fact that I can drool over cool, shiny objects and yet not feel like I'm missing anything with what I already have. It's a nice place to be.
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Studio: Cubase 13 | Windows 10 | Yamaha TF5 | Mackie MCU | CMC AI, QC
Keyboard Station: Kronos 2 88 | Fantom 7 | JV 2080 | Cubase 13 | Windows 10 | Focusrite 18i20 | CMC TP
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chris Duncan
Atlanta, GA, USA, Earth

[KingKronos]

The Polybrute looks to have some tricky areas, judging from videos and the manual. But like KK says, if there's a will there's a way on the Kronos. Let's skim section by section over the manual.

Oscillators. Mixable waveforms on the P? AL1 got that.
The PolyB metalizer, which is wavefolding. K got that.
FM 2 > 1, that's in AL1. Same with sync. K can do both sync and fm together.

LFOs. K can do all the P can here, and more. To cop single shot mode, use an envelope on an lfo to fade it out after one cycle.

Filters. You can get something similar to the steiner parker filters with the K's multi-filter and the amp drive section. Maybe not great, but probably more than halfway there. PolyB series / para filter? K dual filter. Filter FM can be done on the K with its lfos going to audio rate, and thanks to its many lfo waveforms there are a variety of filter fm grunge flavors to be found. Mimicking brute factor, I have to think about that one. Probably have to do filter feedback using AL1 and waveshaping together.

Modulation. I think in hardware nothing beats a Kronos. Although I haven't looked at the Quantum or Solaris specs. The probability, arp, pattern mode, and accent/slide stuff in the PolyB can be found in KARMA. Of course the Kronos sequencer outclasses the PolyB's step sequencer, including motion sequencing. The PolyB's matrix arp looks interesting, but again between the K's sequencer modes, RPPR, and KARMA you're all set.

Morphing. This one is tricky. Looks similar to Montage or MODX superknob. You'd have to use a double AL1 engine, to match PolyB sound A and sound B. Kronos can be set up to crossfade or morph thanks to its mod matrix and multiple physical controllers, but certain parameters looks like the PolyB can do but the K cannot. In the K you can "morph" from one set of lfo or filter or mixer values, but you can't do those funky PolyB lfo retrig and phase morphs. Then again, with Kronos vector synthesis, multiple engine types, and combi mode, you can outmorph the PolyB all day.

So yeah, the Kronos can do PolyB, or at least 90%. Maybe sampling some PolyB can close the gap even more. Naturally, if you want 100%, including its workflow, the PolyB wins at being a PolyB.

[ChrisDuncan]

Awesome level of detail, thanks. Yeah, that was pretty much my working premise, that the engines in the Kronos could reasonably match what other synths do.

As you mentioned, the PolyB obviously wins at being a PolyB, and I think that's the real advantage for new synths these days. Barring some unforeseen advances in synthesis (at least those that actually give you a previously unattainable sound), I see the control surface and software design as the big selling points.

My use of the Kronos is still very much centered on piano / B3 / Rhodes as I work to get more comfortable as a keyboard player, so I don't miss the knob rich surface of something like the PolyB. Even when I play synths, I pick a sound and just play. However, if I was a serious synth performer, I could definitely see the benefit in the hardware interface of dedicated synths.

Of course, that last bit is also a reason I'm loving the Kronos - it's not a dedicated synth. I can get great quality for sampled traditional instruments, and at the same time have access to tons of synth power should I need it.

Appreciating such things is also how I keep my hands off of my credit cards.
_________________
Studio: Cubase 13 | Windows 10 | Yamaha TF5 | Mackie MCU | CMC AI, QC
Keyboard Station: Kronos 2 88 | Fantom 7 | JV 2080 | Cubase 13 | Windows 10 | Focusrite 18i20 | CMC TP
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chris Duncan
Atlanta, GA, USA, Earth

[CharlesFerraro]