Korg Kronos 61

KRONOS Special Edition 

Loaded with the new Italian Grand Piano, This special KRONOS features a lush red gradation finish

With a red gradation finish that makes it identifiable at a glance, this KORG KRONOS features the new Italian-made grand piano that debuted on the KORG Grandstage. It also comes with the pre-installed “KApro Showcase” that collects only carefully selected sounds from KApro (*), who provided more than

One Workstation, Nine Generations of Korg Sound

Loaded with amazing sounds, powerful performance tools, and everything you need to create master-quality tracks, there’s little wonder why Korg’s second-edition Kronos is the keyboard workstation of choice for A-list artists like Jordan Rudess and Derek Sherinian. Among its nine pro-quality sound engines, you’ll find everything from premium piano models, classic EPs and organs, and a plethora of synths cultivated over decades of development. Between its tactile controls and oversized touchscreen, you couldn’t ask for an easier system to navigate, and since it’s all housed in a sleek aluminum body with classy wood ends, your Kronos is ready to travel wherever you next gig may be.

Nine Sound Engines, Infinite Possibilities

From acoustic instruments to gritty analog synths, the Korg Kronos’s nine synthesis engines can provide every sound you need. Simply put, if you took any of these individual synth engines and loaded them into an independent keyboard, you’d have a perfectly legitimate instrument most professional performers would be happy to play. All put together, this multi-faceted synthesis environment lets you access thousands of sound and layer them into rich and engaging music beds. This lets you play deep and complex sound and full instrumental arrangements, all without the need to switch presets or pre-record backing tracks. Check out these amazing synthesis engines!

SGX-2 premium piano sound engine

SGX-2 Premium Piano sound engine captures every nuance of real German and Japanese grand pianos. Even the most discerning pianist can appreciate the level of detail Korg put into these pianos, which include breathtaking string resonance modeling that responds flawlessly to the way you use the damper pedal and provides true sympathetic harmonics. Another astonishing thing about the SGX-2 engine is its una corda soft pedal response. Literally meaning “one string,” the soft pedal on the Kronos lets you completely shift the piano action to access a whole additional range of timbre you rarely find on even dedicated digital pianos.

EP-1 MDS electric piano sound engine

Love the sound of classic electric pianos? Whether you’re looking for the bark and bell-like sound of steel reeds and electrostatic pickups or the hard and percussive sounds of hammers on tines, Korg’s EP-1 captures every vintage EP sound you crave. The key to it’s astonishing realism is called Multi-dimensional Synthesis (MDS) technology, which eliminates the unnatural sound of looped samples to provide seamlessly smooth dynamics that respond naturally to your touch. In addition to six distinct electronic piano models, the EP-1 engine includes a collection of amp, cabinet, speaker, and effects models you can use to completely define your sound.

CX-3 tonewheel organ sound engine

Of course, you can’t have amazing electronic pianos and forget to include a collection of classic organs. That’s why Korg had to include their CX-3 tonewheel organ sound engine. If you’re already familiar with Korg’s popular digital organs, then you won’t be surprise to hear this sound engine in action… or maybe you will be, since it comes coupled with all of the advanced processing the Kronos has to offer. Start with iconic tonewheel sound, add it vacuum-tube-amp warmth, toss in some essential vintage effects, and top it off with must-have rotary speaker modeling, and you’re off to a good start. And that’s not taking into account the interactive percussion, instability, fold-back, leakage, and minutia modeled in obsessive detail that deliver a level of realism that’s simply jaw dropping.

HD-1 high-definition synthesizer PCM sound engine

Few companies have produced PCM-based synthesis engines for nearly as long as Korg, which is why it’s no surprise that their HD-1 PCM-based synthesizer engine is such an astonishingly powerful sound generator. The natural successor in a lineage going back to the original M1, this sound engine includes a legacy of popular Korg instruments, including many programs left out of previous keyboards due to memory constraints. At the same time, this collection of sounds isn’t just a history lesson in Korg classics, it benefits from amazing modern technologies such as low-aliasing sample playback oscillators, high-res filters, and many other synthesis components that will redefine the way you think about traditional digital synthesis.

MS-20EX analog modeling sound engine

It hardly gets more classic than the Korg MS-20 analog synthesizer, so when we heard the Kronos’s MS-20EX analog modeling sound engine in action, the synth nuts here at Sweetwater were gobsmacked. Korg has since gone on to re-create the MS-20 in multiple other guises, including an iOS version. Nonetheless, the impressive power of Korg’s Component Modeling Technology (CMT) delivers a level of detail that reproduces this favorite mini modular synth more faithfully than ever. What’s more, there are no limits to this sound engine, which allows you to go so far as to use external audio as the oscillator source, if you want. There are millions of creative ways to but the MS-20EX engine to work in your rig!

AL-1 analog synthesizer modeling sound engine

When Korg goes big, they go WAY big, like when they introduced the OASYS (Open Architecture Synthesis Studio) in 2005. Considered by many to be the Korg’s concept car, the OASYS introduced many new technologies that were way ahead of its time — so far ahead of its time that they’re still being explored and developed well over a decade later. One of the sound engines introduced by this beast was the AL-1, a high-fidelity analog-modeling synth that harnesses modern computer processing to combine complex waveforms, routing, and modulation, with filter morphing and freakishly smooth oscillator performance to let you build analog-sounding programs that go leaps and bounds beyond the capabilities of real analog circuitry.

MOD-7 waveshaping VPM/FM synthesis sound engine

Variable Phase Modulation (VPM) hit the keyboard world in 1995 with the introduction of Korg’s Prophecy and gained even more popularity when their Z1 followed a couple of years later. This fusion of PCM cross modulation, semi-modular subtractive synthesis, and extensive waveshaping all comes together in the MOD-7 sound engine, which uses the Kronos’s powerful graphic interface and hands-on controls to make constructing patches easy. Whether you’re after the ping and chime of classic FM electric piano sounds or want to create your own energizing soundscapes or rhythmic pads, there’s a ton of sonic real estate to explore in the MOD-7.

STR-1 strings physical model sound engine

These aren’t your typical synth strings. Rather than using old-school synthesis, the STR-1 plucked strings sound engine employs physical modeling — a high-tech form of sound generation that calculates the specific behavior of strings in motion to generate realistic guitar, harp, harpsichord, and ethnic stringed instruments in ways PCM/sample-based synths can’t quite manage. What’s more, this sound engine lets you dig in deep to create unique sounds entirely of your own. It’s the perfect tool for anyone who loves getting tweaky and diving into sound design.

The Most Expressive Sounds You’ll Play

How much time do you enjoy putting into getting great sounds from your keyboard that fit your playing style? If you’re like most of us, then the answer is none. That’s why keyboardist and composers here at Sweetwater love the Kronos. This amazing keyboard workstation features sounds that respond naturally, not only to playing dynamics but many other factors as well. From the first time you fire it up, sit down, and play, you’ll be in love with this amazing system.

All of this is only possible thanks to powerful synthesis technologies, many of which were developed specifically for the Kronos. Onboard, you’ll find many signs of this tech, including solid-state storage and memory. That’s the driving force behind Korg’s Virtual Memory Technology, a flexible system that provides you with high polyphony as well as incredible unlooped samples. It also allows the Kronos to perform smooth sound transitions, so you can hold sustain notes while switching sounds or modes — just what you need for seamless transitions from one passage to the next.

Music-production Studio Onboard

More than just an amazing performance keyboard, the Korg Kronos is a complete 32-track music creation workstation. In addition to a robust 16-track sequencer, Korg gave their Kronos series keyboard the capacity to record up to 16 audio tracks as well. That means you get a complete studio-standard, 24-bit/48kHz recording system right inside your workstation!

Want to spice up your tracks? No problem! Your Kronos comes with an entire rack full of effects, each of which more than rivals dedicated standalone effects units. Since you can run up to 16 of these fantastic effects at once, it’s easy to enhance your entire songs. And thanks to the Kronos’s Open Sampling System, you can even sample and resample any sounds you create. Talk about a great way to come up with amazing and unique new sounds.

Get Your Hands on Your Sounds

Long known for their easy-to-use workstation environments, Korg raised the bar again by loading their Kronos series keyboards with abundant hands-on controls. Starting with the large 8″ TouchView display, you’ll find navigating through the Kronos environment to be refreshingly simple. Each contextual menu puts all of the most important controls at your fingertips, so you never have to dive in deep to get the results you want.

A complete set of sliders, knobs, and buttons lets you adjust a wide range of parameters on the fly. Whether you’re tweaking tones or mixing a complete song, you’re sure to appreciate these extensive controls. On that note, there’s a touch-activated ribbon and Korg’s fantastic vector joystick onboard, providing you with a massive amount of expression. What’s more, your Kronos includes Korg’s next-gen KARMA technology, so you don’t even need to touch any controls to get realistic real-time accompaniments that let you focus on your own performance.

FEATURES

• Comprehensive keyboard workstation with 9 sound engines, thousands of sounds and effects, extensive hands-on controls, and everything you need to arrange and create original music onboard
• 61-note semi-weighted action keyboard provides the quick response and recovery you need for fast-paced synth and organ performances, with enough resistance for piano parts as well
• SGX-2 sound engine takes a no-compromises approach to acoustic piano sound, featuring complex, full-sample synthesis to deliver the character of famous German and Japanese grands, including string resonance and una corda modeling
• EP-1 sound engine employs Korg’s cutting-edge Multi-Dimensional Synthesis (MDS) technology to simulate the precise behavior of reed and tine electric pianos, along with effects and more
• CX-3 sound engine perfectly models timeless tonewheel organ sound, complete with a full complement of vintage effects, tube-amp warmth, and rotary speaker cabinet emulation
• HD-1 sound engine leverages decades of PCM digital synthesis developments to produce wavetable tones ranging from perennial classics to unparalleled futuristic synth sounds
• MS-20EX sound engine utilizes Component Modeling Technology (CMT) to recall Korg’s classic MS-20 semi-modular monosynth down to its finest details, including external input routing
• PolysixEX sound engine faithfully re-creates the original 1981 Polysix, including its 6-voice polyphony, aggressive 4-pole filter, and onboard effects
• AL-1 sound engine puts legendary OASYS technology into action, mimicking the behavior and response of classic analog synth hardware while including modern functions such as filter morphing, complex waveforms, and more
• MOD-7 sound engine uses waveshaping VPM/FM synthesis to generate everything from the classic electronic piano sounds found in countless ’80s ballads to unique and evolving pads and sound beds
• STR-1 sound engine uses advanced physical modeling to synthesize virtual plucked strings for guitar, harp, harpsichord, ethnic instruments, and many other creative sound-design applications
• Sounds include numerous artist signature programs created by top musicians and 16-part Combis with complex sounds covering multiple engines
• Massive 62GB solid-state storage comes pre-loaded with 21GB of sound content covering thousands of sounds, programs, and songs
• Dynamic Voice Allocation manages polyphony for realistic sound layering to keep your performances sounding natural
• Enormous 8″ 800px x 600px SVGA TouchView display makes navigation easy while providing you with detailed feedback and parameter control
• Set List mode lets you organize Programs, Combis, and Songs into a single, easy-to-select screen
• Comprehensive onboard songwriting platform includes powerful 16-track sequencing and 16-track audio recorder, allowing you to create entire songs via an intuitive workflow
• Advanced Kay Algorithmic Real-time Music Architecture (KARMA) technology provides natural-sounding and responsive accompaniment that adapts to your style as you play
• Complex yet easy-to-use drum tracks from the M3 synthesizer allows you to quickly add compelling drums and rhythmic elements to your music
• Create your own unique sounds via the onboard Open Sampling System, which takes external sounds or internal samples to create new instruments
• Enhance your sounds with 16 extensive onboard effects processors and 12 insert effects, plus a 3-band EQ for every track
• USB/MIDI host ports let you instantly add MIDI control surfaces directly to your workstation for even greater hands-on control
• Onboard performance controls include Korg’s classic 4-way Vector joystick and a responsive ribbon controller, as well as two pedal inputs with half-damper support
• Slim body with classy wood cheeks looks great, travels well, and fits on any keyboard stand for comfortable live gigging
• USB Ethernet adapter compatibility enables high-speed data transfer between Kronos and your computer and lets you access the Kronos Editor and Plug-in Editor software

100 of the KRONOS Sound Libraries. The gorgeous color and sound delivered only by KRONOS will make an unmistakable difference on stage. The KRONOS Special Edition is available in a lineup of three models: 61-key, 73-key, and 88-key. 

Evolve.

When ambition, imagination, and technology converge—the results are spectacular. Witness KRONOS. Created by KORG to satisfy today’s most demanding, accomplished performers and producers—as well as tomorrow’s visionary leaders—KRONOS embodies over 50 years of artistic vision and production expertise. With nine distinct synthesis engines and a complete suite of performance and productions tools, KRONOS is simply the most versatile synthesizer ever made.

KRONOS restores the magic, the thrill, and the promise that only a visionary new instrument can provide. And KRONOS delivers on that promise. Every resources and technology of service to the modern musician has been refined, perfected, and integrated into a single instrument, and is available on demand. Multiple state-of-the-art sound generation techniques represent the pinnacle of software realization. Onboard effects open the door to processing any internal or external audio source with dazzling results. Multitrack audio and MIDI recording deliver efficient studio operations in a mobile platform. Hands-on hardware includes an assignable control surface, dual joysticks, ribbon controller, top-of-the line keyboard action, and KORG’s revolutionary tap-and-drag color TouchView™ display. Best of all, KRONOS integrates all of these music-making resources into a single instrument in ways that no software setup or hardware platform can rival.

KRONOS easily delivers everything you’d expect, plus many things you’ve only dreamed of. Set List mode keeps all of your custom settings and performance notes organized in the display for on-the-fly selection. Smooth Sound Transitions eliminate note and effect dropouts when switching sounds or modes. Connect virtual patch cables, select sounds, plus edit envelopes and sequences—all using the eight-inch color TouchView display. Add to that advanced sequencing, KARMA, and Drum Track composition tools. Enjoy exclusive KORG wavesequencing, MS-20 filtering and the impossibly-rich Polysix chorus. And only KORG boasts the finest sound-design team on the planet, so you can always sound your very best.

Italian PianoIn recent years, this Italian grand has drawn dramatically increased attention from the worlds of classical and jazz music. The presence of its sound and its detailed resonances have captivated audiences worldwide. A full concert grand previously used in international competitions was specially adjusted and sampled for the KRONOS. 

KApro Showcase

This includes orchestral strings that sing with emotion, as well as brass, woodwinds, choir, and phrases. It’s a showcase of sounds from KApro, who has developed more than 100 titles of Korg sound libraries. This collection will be a gateway for you to further expand your sonic variety.

KApro
Kurt Ader: founder and sound designer of KARO Sound Development, recently established his own company, KApro (“Kurt Ader Productions”), in which he will continue sound design for the KORG KRONOS and also for other KORG gear in the future. Kurt has been working very closely with Prof. Dr. Peter Jung and has now begun offering high-quality sound libraries. 

Nine Distinct Sound Engines

Each of the individual KRONOS sound engines is eminently qualified to operate as a stand-alone synthesizer. And each one represents the cutting-edge technology available for that type of sound creation. Exacting programming parameters, real-time controllers, integrated effects, and assignable modulation routings provide incredible control for the creating custom edits or for the ambitious sound designer

Enhanced SGX-2 Grand Piano Sound Engine

The KRONOS piano engine has always offered huge collections of non-looped/natural decay stereo samples, recorded for every key, with additional unique tools to customize the piano to your needs. Inheriting all of this SGX-1 functionality, the new enhanced SGX-2 Grand Piano engine introduces the new Berlin Grand piano to the existing deep German Grand and lively Japanese Grand. The Berlin Grand offers resonant piano sound with a striking sense of depth.

Other enhancements to the SGX-2 engine included Sympathetic String Resonance and newly-recorded Una Corda (soft pedal – literally “one-string”) samples.

Massive Sound Selection

KRONOS comes equipped with thousands of sounds, created using various synthesis modes and calling upon over approximately 21 GB of preset waveform data covering a variety of genres. Each one has been carefully crafted by the KORG Sound Design team. The internal SSD offers a generous 62*GB capacity, providing enormous space for user sampling or downloading KRONOS Sound Libraries. These optional expansion KRONOS Sound Libraries add new professionally programmed sounds—without the need to add any new hardware.

Artist Signature Programs provide the priceless sounds actually used by top-ranking musicians. Additional Song Programs are named for the classic rock and pop songs whose signature keyboard sounds these programs recreate. Use these universally well-known sounds to pay homage to the originals, or as the basis for personal sonic explorations.

Innovative Set List Mode

KRONOS can organize all of the resources you need to get through a song—or a set—using the Set List mode. Using the Set List mode, the TouchView display can host 16 color-coded touch-screen buttons; each one can instantly call up the appropriate Preset, Combination, or Sequence—regardless of mode!

You can even add handy performance notes (“Sing on Chorus;” “Transpose Down;” “Wait for Sax Solo;” etc.) to each one.

The Set List mode even adds a nine-band graphic EQ, allowing the overall tone to be tweaked to match the venue. New in OS version 3.0, Set List mode now allows for deeper customization with many slot color options, text size variations, and a full-screen text editor. Connecting a USB computer keyboard makes it simple to enter text and numeric values.

Color TouchView Display—Now with Touch-Drag Capability

The nerve center of the KRONOS is KORG’s enormous eight-inch (800 x 600 pixel) SVGA color TouchView display.

In addition to simply selecting a sound or choosing a parameter with the touch of a finger, the enhanced Touch-Drag ability allows more detailed control of parameter values. Interactive instruments and panel graphics provide the ability to do everything from adjusting the lid of a grand piano to connecting patch cable on a semi-modular synthesizer model.

The TouchView display also hosts a convenient new Search Function, allowing you to search for (and preview) sounds based on their titles.

Sequencer Composition Tools

In addition to MIDI and Audio tracks, the onboard sequencer is loaded with valuable tools to transform your musical ideas into a complete composition, using realtime and interactive techniques that are unavailable or cumbersome to use on a computer-based system.

*KARMA

First appearing on KORG’s Karma Music Workstation in 2002, this revolutionary algorithmic music technology instantly produces sophisticated phrases, drum grooves and full-blown backing tracks. Based on the notes and chords you play—and the intuitive operations you perform with the knobs, sliders, and switches—KARMA can create musical effects that exceed anything you imagined. Now in its greatly-enhanced second generation and offering features like KARMA Wave-Sequencing, Note Mapping and 8 scenes per layer, KARMA is standard equipment on your new KRONOS. It will expand your conception of a song, and will be an enormous asset to your live performances.

*Drum Tracks

This function that plays drum patterns automatically was included and highly acclaimed on the M3 music workstation/synthesizer that appeared in 2007. KRONOS is the latest KORG Workstation to offer the Drum Tracks features. First appearing in 2007, Drum Tracks can create everything from a simple reference beat to an outline rhythm track on up to a full-blown drum track for your music productions.

Expanded for use in the KRONOS, Drum Tracks now includes professional drum performances, and is ready and able to generate grooves that capture the distinctive feel of a pro drummer, and that challenge the capabilities of stand-alone drum machines.

*Open Sampling System

Using KORG’s Open Sampling System, KRONOS can quickly sample an external audio source, regardless of whether KRONOS is in the Program, Combination, or Sequencer modes. The Open Sampling Mode can even resample the performance of the KRONOS itself. The user sample bank, which extends the convenience of the EXs sample library to user samples, allows custom samples to be loaded and played, taking advantage of the gigantic SSD capacity.

AIFF, WAV, SoundFont 2.0, and AKAI S1000/3000 format samples can be loaded into memory via USB memory. Additionally, you can use a USB Ethernet adapter to exchange large amounts of sample data with your computer at high speed. Instruments or samples that you’ve previously created on your PC can be used to construct a music production setup based on just the KRONOS itself.

16-Track MIDI Sequencer / 16-Track Audio Recorder

KRONOS features a sequencer/recording section that offers both 16 MIDI tracks plus 16 audio tracks; a great resource for putting together a dazzling performance or a brilliant production. MIDI sequencing makes it easy to capture ideas, inspiration, and pro-quality phrases using the KARMA, Drum Track, or RPPR (Realtime Pattern Play/Recording) functions.

The 16-track audio recorder simultaneously captures up to four tracks of 16-bit/24-bit uncompressed data at a sampling rate of 48 kHz. Play along with recorded tracks, add effects, and then resample the KRONOS itself and place the resampled WAV files directly in a track. When polishing your tracks, feel free to use mixer automation and editing functions such as copy, paste, and normalize to get the results you want. Plug in a USB CD-burner and assemble your album right from the TouchView display!

16 Onboard Effect Processors

KRONOS provides 16 internal effects to add impact to your sonic creations. Each of the 12 Insert effects can be applied to individual or multiple timbres in a combination, or to individual or multiple tracks of the sequencer. In addition, two Master effects can be applied to sends 1/2, and two Total effects can be applied to all tracks at the final stage of the sound.

A separate three-band EQ is provided for every timbre, for every sequencer track, and for every audio track for adjusting subtle tonal balances or for creatively modifying the overall sound.

USB/MIDI Host Ports Accommodate MIDI Control Surfaces

Any class-compliant USB-MIDI controller can be connected directly to the KRONOS. If you connect a KORG pad-equipped USB MIDI controller (nanoPAD, nanoPAD2, padKONTROL), pads 1 through 8 of the controller are automatically mapped to the virtual chord pad function of the KRONOS, allowing them to be used to play drums, trigger chords, or to switch chords in chord mode.

Smooth sound transitions that eliminate dropouts when changing sounds, regardless of the mode you’re in

When you switch program sounds during a performance to get ready for the next section, or when you switch from Program mode to Combi mode, the sound that’s currently being output is always given priority and its effects are maintained during the program change, ensuring a seamless transition with no dropouts. This function has also earned extremely high praise from pro musicians.

Advanced Control Surface

In addition to the parameters accessible directly from the TouchView display, KRONOS also offers a wealth of realtime controllers to enhance any performance and to aid navigation. A four-way joystick, ribbon controller, and two assignable switches are located to the left of the keyboard. An additional Vector joystick is nearby.

Above the keyboard, nine sliders, eight knobs and a number of switches provide realtime interaction with features at the heart of the KRONOS’ impressive sound. The damper pedal input jack supports half-damping, providing one more level of piano realism. In addition to the damper pedal jack, there are also two assignable pedal inputs, one footpedal type and one footswitch style.

Flagship RH3 Weighted Hammer Action

Both the 88- and 73-key KRONOS models use KORG’s finest RH-3 Real Weighted Hammer Action. Offering an authentic and accurate piano feel, there are four zones, ranging from heavier to lighter, to provide a more true piano playing experience. Even the 88 key model is slim enough to place on a standard keyboard stand. The KRONOS achieves the perfect balance of functionality and design.

Natural Touch Semi-Weighted Action

For those who prefer the ultra-quick response of a synthesizer keyboard, need to focus on organ performances, or are seeking the ultimate in portability, the KRONOS 61-key model is equipped with a lightweight and expressive semi-weighted synthesizer action.

FEATURES

• New Italian grand piano from the Korg Grandstage, a specially sampled concert grand used for international competitions
• KApro showcase, including specially selected premium orchestral sounds from the KApro sound design library
• Stunning red graduation finish with contrasting wood side panels for a truly unique aesthetic
• 9 built-in sound engines & over 21GB of preset sounds for near-limitless tonal options
• 800 x 600 touchscreen display for easy real-time navigation
• 9-band EQ
• 16-track MIDI sequencer, audio recorder, drum pattern creator
• Powerful Karma algorithmic engine that interprets your playing and produces fully realised tracks and pieces
• Intuitive but comprehensive interface perfect for the performing musician, including 8 rotary knobs, 16 illuminated buttons, 9 sliders and much more