Korg Krome?!

[elwoodblues1969]

It's utterly amazing to me,how busy Korg has been,amidst this recession and I was completely blindsided by Korg's new workstation,as I could not have predicted this level of proactive-ness.
Korg seems to have remained way ahead of the curve,by offering an unprecedented amount of power,in the budget arena of hardware workstations.

As usual,the Krome is yet another product that has met with some opposition from it's Korg fan-base(including yours truly),but overall,the Krome's 4GB of ROM,7" full color display and seamless PC integration,is still far more than any other budget workstation has ever offered-period....in fact,had the Krome been released at the same time as the Yamaha MOX,I would have never even considered the MOX at all...whatsoever.

I absolutely must give kudos to Korg for offering this level of PC integration,as the Krome allows the user to use the on-board sounds as VST's in one's DAW(which is something I've wanted for many years now and in such a way where it is implemented in a language that I can understand).
Perhaps it's just a matter of my long experience with Korg,spanning over a couple of decades,but Korg's layout has always been second nature to me,so I know that the fusion with my PC will be an utter joy.

2.8 GB's of the Krome's ROM is dedicated to it's pianos,which are comprised of uncompressed and un-looped samples and as for the drums,300MB make up the percussion sounds and the real kicker here,is that the Krome provides the user with complete control over the sonic character of the drums,by offering open/closed mic,which give the drums a remarkable level of ambiance and realism.

Due to the bulk of the data being dedicated to the piano and drums,I am very worried about the synth sounds being a re-issue of what the M50 offered,which would be a grave disappointment to me.

The Krome has taken on a very minimalist and simplistic approach to the knob and button layout-which will undoubtedly disturb some hardcore knob fiddlers out there,but this is due to the touch screen's enormous level of on-screen control,which controls virtually every function of the keyboard,as it's extremely comprehensive.

Judging by the various videos I've viewed,Korg's orchestral sounds are typical and do not disappoint at all.

As for the chassis,the Krome is not a plastic shell,but a hybrid of aluminum and plastic,which is a wonderful offering,for such a modestly priced workstation.


Although I did avow never to become involved with hardware ever again,there are some very compelling reasons for me to reconsider...such as finally having a budget keyboard that caters very well to the PC user and the idea of having a 73 key midi controller is extremely appealing to me(since stand-alone midi controllers do not come in this key size).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RgpaeitOoV4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrkUoTEpU-M&feature=plcp

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OgF0aARbGeE&feature=plcp



-Thom

[Oren]

Tempting...

[Moon]

This looks like a very promising synth. I watched the links and must admit that Korg managed to make a very attrictive and indeed tempting synth. The price seemed to be justified too. If I have the change to try out this one out, I'll grab it !

Moon

[elwoodblues1969]

This looks like a very promising synth. I watched the links and must admit that Korg managed to make a very attrictive and indeed tempting synth. The price seemed to be justified too. If I have the change to try out this one out, I'll grab it !

Moon

I agree,as I think it's one of the best values that Korg has ever offered.However though,5 years ago,I would have not hesitated to buy one...but so much as changed since then,that I no longer have a valid reason for hardware workstations.
I know I've said this before...but this time,I am really firm in my decisions & choices in gear.I really did reconsider at one point in buying one(as I wanted 73 keys & I loved the VST plug-in capability)...but essentially,the Krome is an M50...but with upgraded pianos,e.pianos and drums...none of which is terribly important for me to have,since software gives me everything I need in terms of sounds & for much cheaper.
Also,the VST DAW plug-in software is only in 32 bit and I never really cared for the key-bed action of Korg's smaller sized models,so I let go of the idea of buying a Krome altogether.

Even if I was a live player doing gigs on a regular basis,budget workstation keyboard key-beds are just too flimsy & uncomfortable for me,but the key action of Korg's late model Kronos keyboards(SV-1 action),is the best feeling key-bed I've ever felt.


-Thom

[Moon]

"Oooo.... wait a minute... didn't Korg launched their Korg King ?"  


At first,I thought "King Korg" was a ridiculous name & very egotistical of Korg....but then I noticed that the letter i,was in the form of a skyscraper(making a reference to the King Kong film)...so that's just their brand of humor,I guess.

Interesting keyboard for live performances I guess,but seems to be only made for such a purpose.

[elwoodblues1969]

Moon,

I don't know what happened to your reply.As far as I could tell,I quoted your last response in my reply...but somehow my reply ended up under your name??!

I'm really confused...sorry about the error...was it something I did by accident?

[Moon]

I think you accidentaly puched the 'modify' button next to the 'quote' button. Probably too much of crapuchino 

No worries... accidents happen...

Moon