Kronos 3 in November ?

[Fleer]

So there was a mention by SudClaviers that both the Genos 2 and Kronos 3 would launch in November. Any more news on the latter?

[jazzpiano88]

Is this the corollary to the Osborne Effect (Kronos)?

[Radagast]

Don’t hold your breath for a Kronos 3.

[DmitryKo]

 

16 hours ago, Fleer said:

both the Genos 2 and Kronos 3 would launch in November

 

Yeah, sure. Also Yamaha DX8, Roland G-80, Technics SX-KN8000, and probably Kawai K6000WS 

 

https://www.sud-claviers.com/produit/korg-kronos2-yamaha-genos-2-roland-g80-technics-kn700-yamaha-dx8/

 

 

If you choose the arranger category and scroll down to "Protected: new keyboard 2023", or go to the Recommended Products section on the home page and click the quick preview button on the picture with the text "16 November 2023", there is a product description that basically reads  "Are you waiting for a next-generation keyboard like Korg Kronos 3, Yamaha Genos 2, Roland G-80, the return of Technics, or a new analog synth? Come back November 16 to learn more".

 

Quote

Protégé : Nouveau clavier 2023

 

L’année 2023 s’annoncer grandiose ! Vous êtes nombreux à attendre la nouvelle génération de clavier : Korg Kronos 3, Yamaha Genos 2, Roland G-80, retour de Technics, nouveau synthé analogique ? Encore un peu de patience vous saurez tout le 16 novembre !

Disponible sur réservation

 

To me, this wording implies a new arranger keyboard that's not on this list, like a new board from Ketron or Medeli, but it could be a playful take on that 'honest lawyer' joke -  i.e. among all the synths listed above, only the Yamaha Genos 2 is not a mythical creature, so it's the one available for pre-order 

 

 

Or it's something entirely new and truely revolutionary, like an auto-accompaniment analog synthesizer with an accordion-style chromatic button keyboard 😁

 

https://www.ketron.it/en/products/2-chromatic-keyboards

https://www.sud-claviers.com/marque/ketron/

https://www.medeli.com.hk/accompaniment-keyboard

[AnotherScott]

7 hours ago, Radagast said:

Don’t hold your breath for a Kronos 3.

 

In fact, I'd say the recent introduction of aftertouch to the Nautilus essentially guarantees that there is no Kronos 3 on the horizon.

[stoken6]

It would be easy for Korg to put a newer processor and larger SSD in the Kronos, make some tweaks to the OS and launch it as the Kronos 3. But as Scott posted above, it's clear that they have abandoned that line for an alternative without  faders for an organ model.

 

Cheers, Mike.

[ElmerJFudd]

The nicest thing about Korg’s approach is that you can get an awful lot of their IP in software as VST/AU/AAX.  No subscription either.  
 

https://www.korg.com/us/products/software/korg_collection/

[ProfD]

The Kronos ship has sailed. Snatch one up on the used market.

 

Otherwise, the Nautilus is the streamlined version of OASYS/Kronos technology. 

 

I believe Korg will also continue pushing Raspberry Pi based instruments. 

 

No Kronos 3 workstation will come to fruition. Nothing left to see here.😁😎

[Fleer]

Okay, Montage M I here I come. 

But please be white. 

[Radagast]

On 10/8/2023 at 7:39 AM, AnotherScott said:

 

In fact, I'd say the recent introduction of aftertouch to the Nautilus essentially guarantees that there is no Kronos 3 on the horizon.

One could start a whole thread about “There will be a new Kronos when…” politicians tell the truth, police officers don’t drive over the speed limit, etc.

[allan_evett]

19 hours ago, ElmerJFudd said:

The nicest thing about Korg’s approach is that you can get an awful lot of their IP in software as VST/AU/AAX.  No subscription either.  
 

https://www.korg.com/us/products/software/korg_collection/

This is likely where I'm headed with Korg.  I like their approach to software products, vs the Roland subscription model. I've been paring down Yamaha and Roland hardware, one each now; Korg will become software once my Nautilus 61 sells.  

[CHarrell]

I've said it before and I'll say it again, I think the Korg software offerings are nigh indispensable. The amount of sonic range you get is so amazing; if there's anything beyond the most basic sounds I need for a track such as a good acoustic piano, detailed strings, etc., the Korg plugins are my first and many times last stop.

[Paul Woodward]

5 minutes ago, CHarrell said:

I've said it before and I'll say it again, I think the Korg software offerings are nigh indispensable. The amount of sonic range you get is so amazing; if there's anything beyond the most basic sounds I need for a track such as a good acoustic piano, detailed strings, etc., the Korg plugins are my first and many times last stop.

Have to agree. Aside from Pigments, and Animoog for cool sounds, I use Korg more than any other plugins. I find their IOS apps to be excellent too. 

[CHarrell]

1 minute ago, Paul Woodward said:

I find their IOS apps to be excellent too

 

I haven't used stuff like Wavestation, but in the case of apps like ARP Odyssey, I really wish they made them more distinct from their desktop counterparts. The interface gets really awkward to use on an iPad screen, and precise adjustments become immensely challenging if not physically impossible (the desktop version has this problem too). The MS20 app is almost perfect (just wish they added polyphony like the desktop version), it would've been great if they continued that approach of having a company especially design their emulations for the iOS.

[Radagast]

If there is such a thing as the Multiverse, there won’t be a new Kronos in any of them.

[drawback]

I’ve always thought Nautilus was transitional between Kronos and the next flagship - not a Kronos at all. 

[Dave Keys]

Any new Kronos would need a decent modern touchscreen, like that of an iPad or other premium tablet. It is time they came up with something, as nothing they've released since is comparable. 

[UnderGroundGr]

Any new Kronos must have poly aftertouch...

[Paul Woodward]

1 hour ago, Dave Keys said:

Any new Kronos would need a decent modern touchscreen, like that of an iPad or other premium tablet. It is time they came up with something, as nothing they've released since is comparable. 

I know this has been discussed ad nasuem (and why it would likely never happen), but imagine a board with a lift up screen like the Oasys, but where an iPad is inserted and the engines and hardware in the board work with that screen to provide exactly the experience you mention, but with the addition of integrated Korg apps. Think the Korg collection in app form that also work with the desktop version, much like Yamaha are suggesting with the Montage.

The board could have its own 'smaller' screen which, when an iPad is connected, becomes a 'parameter' based screen much like the new Montage.

Again, this means two big companies interdependent on each other and you need both bits of hardware, but as my iPad sat precariously on the top of my YC, CK or Grandstage, I wondered if it couldn't be better 'intergrated'. After all they do use Raspberry Pi and I would say Korg own the app market in terms of choice, so it makes sense to work with the power of a modern iPad to control the Korg dedicated hardware and supplement its own internal software ( so, you know, it can actually work without an iPad too).

I have already seen people say they would buy the Yamaha ESP and pair with the new Korg controller. Maybe its time for a change of focus across the board from the big manufacturers. And compared to the cost of a flaship workstation, an iPad is pocket change really.

I am sure we all have numerous theoiries to argue why this wont happen, but what about a bit of positive thought and ask why not 🙂

[TJ Cornish]

The advantage of a hardware model is a closed ecosystem and the dependability that comes from that. The OASYS/Kronos was a useful hybrid of PC/software and traditional hardware in that it was a reliable, extremely powerful hardware/software setup, but with Korg being totally in control of every component, ensuring that it just worked and integration was perfect, as it was a single engineered product. Any kind of controller with separate iPad/Mac/VST/whatever breaks that integration. Are many people successful with a model like that? Sure they are, but it’s not at all the same thing that the Kronos was, and it’s a different set of compromises (extra features at the cost of managing software updates and compatibility, DIY controller setup, etc.). I deal with broken computers 40+ hours/week; when I am in music mode, I want my gear to just work.

 

I’m happy to see the new Montage M, and I’m even happier to see that Roland has tipped their hand that the Fantom platform will continue to be developed, as I am currently on the Fantom platform. People have been declaring workstations dead for a long time now; I’m happy that isn’t the case. I would love to see a new Korg flagship with a superset of Kronos functionality. I have no idea if Korg has any appetite for that. I suspect that while the Kronos was and maybe still is the undisputed power king from a features standpoint, there was enough about it that was pretty outdated (32-bit architecture limiting RAM, UI elements, filing methods, etc.) that it would be a non-trivial project to update it to be a modern-looking system.

[Ibarch]

Without having the option to side load an app, I can't see any manufacturer building product dependencies onto an iPad, there is too much commercial risk. 

 

At least with an Android or Windows tablet, manufacturers can remain in some control and be able to offer their apps for download off their websites if the store holders decide to refuse them on any grounds.

 

 

[TJ Cornish]

1 minute ago, Ibarch said:

Without having the option to side load an app, I can't see any manufacturer building product dependencies onto an iPad, there is too much commercial risk. 

 

At least with an Android or Windows tablet, manufacturers can remain in some control and be able to offer their apps for download off their websites if the store holders decide to refuse them on any grounds.

 

 

Agreed - a number of pro-audio manufacturers learned that lesson when they made products with docks shaped for the original iPad, only to have their product be obsolete in 12 months when the 2nd gen iPad came out in a different shape/size.

 

I don’t know how many dozen keyboard controllers are currently on the market; it seems like there are plenty to me. If the secret sauce is an integrated music stand/shelf, maybe there’s a market, but that seems solvable with an external accessory. Some manufacturers have pushed DAW integration - the Fantom can control MainStage from its internal screen. Maybe that does what some people need. 

[CyberGene]

8 minutes ago, TJ Cornish said:

the Fantom can control MainStage from its internal screen. Maybe that does what some people need.

How does that work? Can you put the Mac somewhere hidden and only use the Fantom interface to control MainStage?

[DmitryKo]

 

 

11 hours ago, Paul Woodward said:

imagine a board with a lift up screen like the Oasys, but where an iPad is inserted and the engines and hardware in the board work with that screen to provide exactly the experience you mention

people say they would buy the Yamaha ESP and pair with the new Korg controller. Maybe its time for a change of focus across the board from the big manufacturers

 

 

I would rather prefer they would use a standard PC monitor and mouse - however one thing is to support standard USB class-compliant devices like mass storage flash drives, UASP disks, and MIDI keyboards (synthesizers like the Yamaha Montage can already do this), but to implement a scalable UI that takes advantage of all the different resolutions and display sizes, and to render the UI on both the built-in display and an external display connected to standard VGA/DisplayPort/HDMI output  - that's no small feat for underpowered embedded devices. AFAIK only Roland VS24xx series hard disk recorders did this, but the GUI on the external monitor was limited to the VGA resolution (640x480 px 8-bit color), though it was a clear improvement over the built-in tiny 320x240 px monochrome LCD.

 

https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/roland-vs2480-v2

https://www.roland.com/global/products/vs-2480cd/specifications/

 

[Edit] The Yamaha Montage can render the UI on an external DisplayLink USB touchscreen or a DisplayLink USB-DVI/HDMI adapter - it's still the same resolution though.

 

9 hours ago, TJ Cornish said:

a number of pro-audio manufacturers learned that lesson when they made products with docks shaped for the original iPad, only to have their product be obsolete in 12 months when the 2nd gen iPad came out in a different shape/size

 

At least they could use a Lightning to 30-pin Adapter or an extension cable, but the main question is why would I need to spend $500 for an extra accessory that's essentially a small 10" touch screen running a free control app, when a similar LCD could be included right on the device? I understand the incentive for the manufacturer to save on the costs, but I never had an iPad and don't plan to buy one.

[TJ Cornish]

2 hours ago, CyberGene said:

How does that work? Can you put the Mac somewhere hidden and only use the Fantom interface to control MainStage?

It's mentioned halfway down the features page:
https://www.roland.com/us/products/fantom_series/features/

 

I have not used it myself so don't have a good understanding of the limitations, but it was a notable feature.

[ProfD]

I'm trying to understand how this dead horse is still galloping around the forum.🤣

 

Then again, this would not be Keyboard Corner without unicorns and mermaids. 

 

Here is hope...a Kronos 3 could come to fruition in 15 years once Korg has exhausted the life cycle of existing products and anything developed over the next 5-7 years.

 

Similar to the analog renaissance of the mid-2000s...think KB workstation resurgence in 2040.😁😎

[TJ Cornish]

1 minute ago, ProfD said:

I'm trying to understand how this dead horse is still galloping around the forum.🤣

 

Then again, this would not be Keyboard Corner without unicorns and mermaids. 

 

Here is hope...a Kronos 3 could come to fruition in 15 years once Korg has exhausted the life cycle of existing products and anything developed over the next 5-7 years.

 

Similar to the analog renaissance of the mid-2000s...think KB workstation resurgence in 2040.😁😎

This started with a thin rumor as part of the Montage M release from a vendor doing a keyword blast. The fact that so many people regurgitated it indicates latent interest. The fact that Yamaha just released a new flagship workstation should put another nail in the coffin of the "workstations are dead" trope.

 

Whether Korg will do anything in the future that amounts to a next-gen workstation remains to be seen, but I'm not holding my breath for a November announcement.

[AnotherScott]

Kronos 3 will probably come out some time after the OASYS 2.

 

Or, like the i3, they will use the "Kronos" name many years from now, for a product that has nothing whatsoever to do with the original. Maybe a new food processor.

[Fleer]

1 hour ago, AnotherScott said:

Kronos 3 will probably come out some time after the OASYS 2.

 

Or, like the i3, they will use the "Kronos" name many years from now, for a product that has nothing whatsoever to do with the original. Maybe a new food processor.

Hey, I like my new i3. 

[DmitryKo]

11 hours ago, Paul Woodward said:

imagine a board with a lift up screen like the Oasys, but where an iPad is inserted and the engines and hardware in the board work with that screen to provide exactly the experience you mention, but with the addition of integrated Korg apps.

 

8 hours ago, DmitryKo said:

to implement a scalable UI that takes advantage of all the different resolutions and display sizes, and to render the UI on both the built-in display and an external display connected to standard VGA/DisplayPort/HDMI output  - that's no small feat for underpowered embedded devices. AFAIK only Roland VS24xx series hard disk recorders did this

PS. I forgot that the Yamaha Montage can connect to an external DisplayLink USB touchscreen or a DisplayLink to DVI/HDMI adapter and desktop monitor; it's not officially supported though, and screen resolution remains WVGA 800 x 480 px.