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Upgrading Fantom G7 to Kronos 2 73: any downsides?

 
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Upgrading a Fantom G7 to a Kronos 2 73
Keep the Fantom!
0%
 0%  [ 0 ]
Get the Kronos 2!
76%
 76%  [ 10 ]
No man, go for the Nautilus!
15%
 15%  [ 2 ]
Hold out for the Kronos 2 replacement!
7%
 7%  [ 1 ]
Total Votes : 13

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Swiss Frank



Joined: 28 Aug 2011
Posts: 21
Location: Hong Kong

PostPosted: Thu Sep 02, 2021 8:05 am    Post subject: Upgrading Fantom G7 to Kronos 2 73: any downsides? Reply with quote

I'm quite happy with my 2007 first-owner G7, but I'd like better grand pianos and otherwise to step a generation ahead if I can do so at good cost.

I can get a Kronos 2 73 in Korg case, nearly mint, including tax and shipping, from a store, with warranty/return, for about $1450. I think I can sell the G7 for close to that.

Anyone have experience with both and can point out any way the G7 actually is better than the Kronos 2? Setting up splits, composing with MIDI, etc., are all easy, right? Can you use it for stand-alone recording, recording vocals and so on into the keyboard? (I actually use software, but I just want to know if I am losing a possibility here.)

Also, the Japanese Korg website stopped listing Kronos 2 (except for the 88LS) recently. I don't know whether it's being REPLACED by the Nautilus, or if this is a sign that a Kronos 3 is coming???

So, I'm also wondering, would anyone prefer to replace a G7 with a Nautilus? Is the word on the street that this is a stupid time to buy a Kronos 2?
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tunaman
Senior Member


Joined: 28 Nov 2019
Posts: 427

PostPosted: Thu Sep 02, 2021 2:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

My recommendation is to buy the K2… that is a killer price for what is likely still the king of the hill.

The Nauty is a lesser alternative, IMHO. I have both, and so far I’m not impressed.

You don’t mention anything about your usage - whether you perform live, whether you are into recording, what styles you prefer, etc. Without that information it is hard to understand context and make realistic recommendations - if you are playing in a group, or just playing for your own enjoyment, the answer may differ.

Again IMHO, you couldn’t go wrong picking up the K2 at that price and then trading it in or selling it down the road should a successor materialize.
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Swiss Frank



Joined: 28 Aug 2011
Posts: 21
Location: Hong Kong

PostPosted: Thu Sep 02, 2021 2:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Fair enough! I've got a classic piano background, then went into reggae in college. But I mostly write and record guitar/bass/drum pop numbers and have finally been thinking I need to start adding keyboard tracks.

I've got a Hammond XK-5 full outfit (their top-end digital Hammond), a Clav D6, and my Fantom has the Electric Piano expansion board, plus a Minimoog, so of the classic keyboard sounds of roots reggae and classic rock, I'm mostly missing piano, and that's what got me thinking about replacing the Fantom which I'd call merely OK. That said, every live band I've been in I end up having to do horn lines, and like to think there's at least a chance I'd have a use for any instrument you could name--oboe or what have you.

Like most keyboard players I'd like to get out a bit and gig again, but this is a distant second. If I was gigging basically for free and locally, I'd get the portable 88LS and make it a one-keyboard live rig with splits. If I lived in the US I'd get the 88 "piano action." But instead I live in a microscopic flat in Tokyo and already have a stand that can hold 76-key instruments just barely. So there's a big appeal to getting "piano action" (since I don't expect to move it, at least not much, so who cares about weight) but with 73 keys (because size DOES matter... and the smaller the better Very Happy )

Still... all that said, the main questions remain: what are the worst bits of the Kronos, coming from a Fantom G? I hear: boot time. And not really anything else. Is there ANYTHING else?

I also agree the worst case scenario is to get this keyboard then have to sell it when a Kronos 3 comes out, or what have you. And yet 1) the price and condition are good so I should get my money out of it more or less, 2) if something came out that compelled me to sell the Kronos 2, I'd be selling the Fantom G anyway and probably taking more of a hit. Better to sell the G while people still remember what it is Very Happy
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Koekepan
Platinum Member


Joined: 27 Sep 2016
Posts: 616

PostPosted: Thu Sep 02, 2021 3:03 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

My take on it:

The Fantom line isn't getting the love from Roland, and all indications are that they're dumbing it down.

The Kronos is being given a long, slow injection of opiates by KORG. The Nautilus is a lousy replacement for the Kronos and, dollar for dollar, is a bad deal. Either we're going to see a real next generation Kronos, or just the long, slow death of both lines under discussion.

If you need a real workstation with hard-core capabilities and a real support life, starting today? I would point at either Kurzweil, or something from Akai Professional.

Right now street prices for Kurzweil's new K2700, 88 key, are about $3K. Not cheap, but it's a flagship. You can get a very capable PC4 with 76 keys for $2K, street. That's about the same price (give or take a hundred or two) as an MPC X.

If that's still too rich for your blood, the MPC Live II is around $1.3K, and the MPC One is around $800. Depending on your style, the Force might be a better fit at around $1.1K (and a steal at the price).

On the other hand, as tunaman points out, you don't really describe your use case. If you're really just looking for a killer piano, why not just get a stage piano as a second keyboard? If your drive is recording, why not get recording equipment like a portastudio (the new ones are better than you remember the old ones being)? If you're really a live playing stud with a need for a one-keyboard performance solution, how about something like an arranger, which can do tricks like vocal harmonies along with complex styles and fills?
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spottingjonah



Joined: 06 Aug 2013
Posts: 23

PostPosted: Thu Sep 02, 2021 4:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

A few things to consider:

1) That price for a mint Kronos 73 is amazing! Since you could return it if needed, I'd give that a shot before selling the G7 if you could do that.

2) Korg and Roland are different in their process, workflow, and terminology, so there will be a learning curve. I have a current Fantom 7 and a Kronos 61, and they are very different in their workflow. The G7 is more like the Kronos than the current Fantom, but it's still different.

3) When the Kronos is eventually replaced it will not be a Kronos 3, it will be somewhat different than the current concept, and it will take at least six months to begin shipping after initial announcement... so how long do you want to wait?

Plus, New release = full price and bugs to work out. The Kronos 2 is a tested workhorse at a great price with no bugs left to work out. The pianos are very nice, as are all of the sounds for that matter.

4) The Nautilus is great if all you need is the sounds of the Kronos. If you want the same build quality as the G7 or the XK5, then you want a Kronos. I've heard many people complain about the keybed on the Nautilus, and the control surface would leave me frustrated for sure.

Best wishes in your decision.
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kronoSphere
Platinum Member


Joined: 04 Jan 2012
Posts: 696

PostPosted: Fri Sep 03, 2021 9:31 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

When I had a G8 I really liked the way effects are/were handled in the G8. Very clever.
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tunaman
Senior Member


Joined: 28 Nov 2019
Posts: 427

PostPosted: Fri Sep 03, 2021 2:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The other two negatives I can think of:

- weight… it is a heavy board, absolutely;
- complexity… it is an extremely complex beast, which is both a blessing and a curse. For those just looking to push buttons and play, it may be intimidating. I believe that was the case for the owners I bought two of mine from. For those who want to be able to be creative and build or modify their own sounds, sequence audio or MIDI, have a full “band in a box”, etc., there are few comparable alternatives. Even more than 10 years in.

Unless Korg comes out with a real replacement, the Kronos will be my flagship keyboard and will always anchor my rig.
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Rigel
Senior Member


Joined: 02 Aug 2012
Posts: 252
Location: Izmir, Turkey

PostPosted: Mon Sep 13, 2021 12:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I've had both. Kronos is ages ahead of the G7 with its synth engines, especially the MOD7 (my love), audio recording capabilities, AMS modulation philosophy, KARMA, and gorgeous user interface. However, the sequencer on the Kronos is not on par with the Fantom, it needs a revision for years, Korg doesn't listen to us. And, yes, it's very heavy (73 and 88 keys). And there are the hiccups of booting, which many people experience, ending up with reseating the RAM, the connectors or changing the mainboard altogether.
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GregC
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Joined: 15 May 2002
Posts: 9451
Location: Discovery Bay (San Francisco Bay Area)

PostPosted: Mon Sep 13, 2021 11:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Rigel wrote:
I', it needs a revision for years, Korg doesn't listen to us.

And, yes, it's very heavy (73 and 88 keys). And there are the hiccups of booting, which many people experience, ending up with reseating the RAM, the connectors or changing the mainboard altogether.


i have given up on Korg addressing anything with Kronos. We have written , prodded, persisted for years. Korg might say they 'listen', to the community, but there are zero results.

I go by results, actions.

i think its 50/50 at best, if korg produces some type of super w/s, during 2022 or 2023.
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