I've been learning the secrets of the sequencer and I know exactly what you're talking about.
I like to record all audio tracks set to 100 on volume that way I can level them up or down as needed in the mix. Recording at lower volume is always better. If you take it over 100 everything is fighting to be heard and it's hard to mix.
On drums I find they stand out better if you put the highs and mids into the negatives and turn the lows over to the positives for a better "thump".
On hats I like to turn down the highs or they stand out too much.
I also use compression on drums. The Compression effects on mastering are a must. Once you have your sounds leveled out you can make them quite creamy and radio sounding. I actually don't know why Korg made the Compression and stereo effects part of the IFX chain when it should be a stable part of the overall sound like the EQ. In the studio pretty much every thing is ran through a compressor and EQ. But on the Kronos it's an option.
On synths depending on what kind if it's a bass I follow the same strategy as drums by setting the EQ mostly to the negative and the lows to the positive to make it cut through the mix.
On non base synths like leads or background synths I like to EQ the highs and mids over into the positives but I have them set at different volume levels so they don't overlap.
Sometimes I pan them L&R but I don't find it as effective. A trick I learned from watching one of Sylvia Massy's videos in layer synths. To thicken up the sound of a synth I copy it onto a 1 or 2 tracks and pan it in different directions and then add different effects to them. Yeah lets just say the result is rather incredible but it's a trial and error thing.
I tried to avoid the idea of having everything "Mono" as in a single signal or channel where the instruments will eventually all just cluster together and cancel each other out. The Compressor IFX's on the Kronos works great for this but it's again trial and error till you get it right.
Mixing and Mastering on the Kronos is kind of fun but kind of challenging. All the tools are there but it's not like a daw so it's harder. I don't know how you listen to your sounds but I use AKG 240's so the sound is pretty flat and it helps me mix my music.
But basically the challenge is to find out how you want each sound to sit in the mix and then applying the right technique to get it to sit where you want it.
It's not so much the Kronos problem as it is just general sound mixing. The same strategy's as you would in a studio will apply to the Kronos while mixing.
For me after learning the IFX limitations of the Kronos I started strategizing how I'm going to record by setting the IFX chain to go through the effects I'll need like compression, reverb etc. So if I add a certain instrument I can just set them too that specific IFX I made and leave room in the IFX chain to add to other effects on other instruments later.
for example. If IFX 10 will be my drum compression set up. I'll set all my drums IFX to 10. If 3 is my reverb effect. I'll set all my synths to 3. any changes I make during the mix I know I can go to 10 to adjust all my drums and 3 to adjust my synths I have set to it.
Just a few idea or tips from someone also still learning the sequencer.
