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Korg L1 - lightweight DP with Kronos LS action


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Looks like there's going to be a new lightweight digital piano from Korg. I'm thinking this is geared toward the home market more, but it will weight about 13 pounds and use the Kronos LS action (so, not a hammer action).

 

From Korg:

 

- Stylish and contemporary, 88 key, slim, lightweight and portable

- Less than 3â³ height and approximately 13lbs

- Same LS Keybed in KRONOS LS

- Simple press button and turn knob controls

- Main power supply and battery powered option

- 8watt amplifier and newly-designed speaker system plus a bass reflex box to deliver rich sound

- USB connectivity, optional stand

- Will come in black and 5 limited edition metallic colors

 

L1SP_bk_slant_w_ms.png

Yamaha: Motif XF8, MODX7, YS200, CVP-305, CLP-130, YPG-235, PSR-295, PSS-470 | Roland: Fantom 7, JV-1000

Kurzweil: PC3-76, PC4 (88) | Hammond: SK Pro 73 | Korg: Triton LE 76, N1R, X5DR | Emu: Proteus/1 | Casio: CT-370 | Novation: Launchkey 37 MK3 | Technics: WSA1R

Former: Emu Proformance Plus & Mo'Phatt, Korg Krome 61, Roland Fantom XR & JV-1010, Yamaha MX61, Behringer CAT

Assorted electric & acoustic guitars and electric basses | Roland TD-17 KVX | Alesis SamplePad Pro | Assorted organs, accordions, other instruments

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Alas, no 5-pin MIDI Out jack. But if you like the LS action, it could still be a lightweight 88 you could directly connect and put under a Kronos 61 or other board that has a USB Host function. I haven't played an LS myself, and I've read contradictory posts about whether it is or is not the same as the nice action on the Vox Continental (apart from the obvious waterfall vs lipped key shape difference).

Maybe this is the best place for a shameless plug! Our now not-so-new new video at https://youtu.be/3ZRC3b4p4EI is a 40 minute adaptation of T. S. Eliot's "Prufrock" - check it out! And hopefully I'll have something new here this year. ;-)

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Thinking about it for ages Ive been looking to perhaps swap my casio PX330 (which i actually love the feel of) for a lighter board for gigging (because of health reasons). Plus i want to start using a second tier board again so the bottom 88 id like to be much lighter to help make bringing 2 keyboards easier. The top tier i want zones the bottom board can play. So sounds on bottom board dont matter with the right top.tier.

 

My thoughts have been a Studiologic Numa Compact 2x (around 7kg) as i think i may be able to go back to semi weighted as i remember using my last semi weighted a Roland A33 controller i actually liked it back in the day. But of coarse to try the Numa locally is not possible. Even when a local shop advertises them they have no keyboards on floor at all but heaps via their website. So finding stuff here is difficult. It has the added luxury of a decent sound set.

 

So this new korg board at roughly 5kg does interest me if it is semi weighted like numa. As it has hardly any sounds therefore without midi jacks id have to buy a comparable usb powered top.tier keyboard i guess. This would deny my use of any top tiers i already have but modern keyboards are at least far lighter than say my Aleasis QS6.1 so a thought has been to find a suitable new but light weight top.tier too

 

 

 

 

So the search is on. But it would have to have lightweight benefits over current board

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Any more info on this? I/O? Price? Release timeframe? Videos?

 

Geoff? Chuck? Woody? Bueller?

On the Korg Livestream for LP380U and L1, spokesman said L1 will be more affordable than the B2 digital piano, so under US$500. It competes with the Roland GO 88 in terms of budget and portability.

 

Video timestamps:

- 1:50 general player demo

- 5:07 discussion of L1

- 11:27 discussion of LP380U

 

[video:youtube]

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The top tier i want zones the bottom board can play. So sounds on bottom board dont matter with the right top.tier...without midi jacks id have to buy a comparable usb powered top.tier keyboard i guess. This would deny my use of any top tiers i already have but modern keyboards are at least far lighter than say my Aleasis QS6.1

You could use a top tier board you already have by adding an intermediary USB host device to route data between them... there are dedicated boxes, or you can use an iPhone/iPad.

 

In a board that can itself also serve as a USB host, your options are limited, even more so in lighweight multi-zone boards with flexibility as to what they easily let you set up in terms of what sounds should be played from the external controller. The only one I can even think of is the forthcoming Kurzweil PC4-7, which I only just learned in another thread has USB host capabilities. Kronos and Nautilus 61s are heavier than the PX330 you're trying to replace due to its weight. MODX has irritating limitations when trying to play its sounds from a single-zone controller. Others are limited in their multi-zone capabilties.

 

If budget isn't much of an issue and 73 keys could be enough, the Vox Continental 73 has a nice action (better than the Numa Compact 2X, not sure how it compares to the Kronos LS action used in this new Korg) and adds the virtues of a nice sound set and 5-pin MIDI, though its MIDI functionality is still very limited.

Maybe this is the best place for a shameless plug! Our now not-so-new new video at https://youtu.be/3ZRC3b4p4EI is a 40 minute adaptation of T. S. Eliot's "Prufrock" - check it out! And hopefully I'll have something new here this year. ;-)

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Thanks scott

 

Tried my QS6.1 over the px330 for first time at band practise a few days ago.

 

As the privia is not at home but in band studio i couldnt do any pre midi setup. Although i could adjust my gigging stay slim stand (the other lives in band studio) with the alesis up top and a broken PX330 on bottom i bought for spares(non working)

 

I could get the Qs6 to sit just above the privia to be nice close keybeds but this obliterated seeing any PX330 controls. Infact the privias keys are just exposed and i can just slide my hand under it to adjust volume blindly.

 

Ok nice key location for easy jumping between keybeds but makes the bottom keyboard unusable with any of its controls. Thats, ok as i intended just use QS sounds but i found out i missed the familiarity of the casios sounds and their feel with the casios keybed i have grown accustomed to. The privia feels more connected but that maybe improved with setting up.

 

One of the things i havent worked out yet is to be able to have the privia play the QS6 "mixes" (zones ) as presently it only playing QS6 "programs" (single patches) As the privias not at home I cant do any figuring out Yet. But im investigating soon before next practise but theres really no time to sort midi stuff out at practise.

 

So if i go this arrangement the lighter bottom board doesn't need any surface controls. Simple piano ok but needs midi dins with this setup thebest only reason this new korg might not suit.

 

Or I could simply use just the privia and QS S4 sound module i have with all the mixesof a Quadrasynth.

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Because everyone loves the action on the Kronos LS. :idk:

 

Well they got the weight down to 13.23lbs if that"s the selling factor.

 

 

Dont have any opinion about the Kronos action as i have never seen one in the wild.

 

But anything around 5kg weight with 88 keys gets my attention. Worthy of consideration

 

Its not "form over function" for me its "lugging over function".

 

So yes that is the selling factor. 88 keys at 5kg makes for one lightweight board. But the lack of one function...midi dins would probably be the deal breaker though. Damn.

 

We know it can be done in the cheapo 88 keyboards but here's a major manufacturer entering that super lightweight market and im prepared to give it a look if they dont take too long or i find something else or i do a chop experiment on my broken non working Privia bringing the it down to say a 76noter without speakers thus reducing its weight. If that worked i would chase the repair bits i need.

 

Basically the first spec i look up of every keyboard i find interesting is weight. Maximum weight i strove for used to be 12 kg now i strive for well under 10kg and typically 7kg or below (such as numa compact 2x which im yet to find locally).

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