Korg Krome 88

We just got the Korg Krome-88 in our studio last week, it has weighted keys and 600+ sounds. There are even 900 arpeggiator patters on it and 600 drum grooves. At first I really didn’t want to invest our studio’s money on another Korg board because a lot of the recent ones that we have got from them have been very similar in sound. I wanted to spend our budget elsewhere and get something different but after I saw the price of the Krome-88 I figured it would be worth a shot because it was very affordable. You can purchase the 61 key version, 72 key version or this 88 key version for all affordable rates. Of course the 61 and 72 key Krome are a little cheaper than the 88 key version.

UTILIZATION

Setting up was simple, as soon as it arrived we took it out and plugged it in and started to mess with it. There was nothing too it, it did come with a manual but have not even looked at it yet or even took it out of the plastic because if you have used a Korg keyboard before then you have used them all. Korg continues to keep most of their set ups the same from keyboard to keyboard.

SOUNDS

You can use the Krome-88 like a plug in on your computer. We are still in the testing phase of using it with a few different DAW’s to see which one we like it with the best. Most of the sounds from the Krome-88 come from the Kronos keyboard which I have used before but no longer own.

OVERALL OPINION

The Krome-88 has a full color touch screen that is very bright and easy to work with. There are however some sub menus and tricky navigation. The keys on the Krome-88 are great, the lower octaves have heavier keys while the higher octaves have lighter keys so you can get those melody lines out. If you are looking for a fresh sounding synth then you better get this one and use it before everyone else does. You will shock other musicians with the sounds you can get with the Krome-88. I look forward to seeing all of the capabilities of it over the next few months.

After the release of KRONOS, Korg decided to leave the Krome, a more affordable version, but not necessarily at the expense of quality. And yet having had a very disappointing Korg M50, I remained on my guard unpacking my card.

At first glance the Krome is very elegant with its facade "Kromée" very modern look with its small white LEDs on black background ... it looks pretty good. The lighting is a bit dodgy with an ON / OFF bonton which has no resistance, better not to have cables, which could turn off the Krome unintentionally.
An eye on the touch screen at startup .. it does with the wide color screen 16:9 so beautiful effect.

There are three main methods:

- The Program mode lists all the sounds of Krome plants, they can play with the DRUM mode to launch a combo among an impressive list of beat patterns, sounds and paterns and arpeggios are editable.
- The Combi mode that allows you to give ideas for sequencing or prepare a Live or find its combination of ... 16 sounds or distribution superimposed on the keyboard.
- The SEQ mode is séqueceur where you can record a song.

For the rest of the features I filled the datasheet.


UTILIZATION


The ergonomics of Krome has been improved compared to the M50, all controls are at your fingertips for the rest no change from Korg. The touch screen is quite responsive but big fingers you need a stylus for more precision. Color offers an exellent visibility of menus OS which has always been the strong point of Korg. Adding small illustrations PROGRAM mode makes everything a little more fun and class. These are small details but make you enjoy browsing. There are several ways to interact with the settings or find a particular sound.

The main novelty lies in the sequencer tracks and where the notes are modeled and modified to perfection ... a bit like a PC logiel ... and it is very successful and practical. I would have liked a microphone input or audio track to place a voice or instrument.

For editing programs, of Drums (patterns) and combis is more or less the same process and so for those who have had Korgs is even more fun with color ... for new small it remains the most aborable workstation on the market. There is also a PC and MAC even if the widescreen allows you to interact in many settings editor. Moreover, the smaller, is the French explanatory DVD that allows you to become familiar with the various functions ... I just would have liked a more comprehensive section on the effects and sounds editions but there is no bad vocabulary for beginners synthesis and so it remains interesting to visioner and a little cooler than a book in black and white.

To touch Korg Krome 88, I was afraid to have cheap compared to RH3 KRONOS or SV1 but the output it is strongly approaching and it is rather nice touches malgrès slamming (rarely). No worries keyboard, I think the first versions of Kronos.


SOUNDS

Returned to the heart of the beast ... the sounds. To start the sound level is powerful at the amplification of very good quality. On the other hand finished the loss of sound recording, as I said at the beginning, I had a very short time a Korg M50 and so the comparison is more meaningful to me advantage. Finally finished as bugs and bottlenecks OS is very fluid.

What motivated me to purchase the Krome is the famous Piano sample from the KRONOS and I must say it is beautiful, I had a Yamaha DGX 640 Digital Piano and I have more sound sensations the Krome. Piano "German" is not bad also.
For electric pianos as usual it takes a small crop. Rhodes is good even if the dirty sound is not so simple compared to Kronos or SV1. Conclusion ... the piano level, there is nothing to say ... the concurrency for this budget is not better.

For other acoustic sounds, guitars ... I'll be blunt ... it will average to zero ... in any case it is far from the quality of yamaha motif ... but I had 3 korgs I've never found realistic guitars.
Instruments violins winds, brass ... it's a bit the same inclination is slamming round but not very usable.
Bass are often like the Korg, very present, powerful and very fat, very low acoustic, I would have preferred a little more bass vintage typed, but hey it is relatively simple to edit.

For the synth part, I think a little Korg revised its copy from the M50 which was a bank Sythe not terrible. With the Krome is a bit more varied, more current ... alot of direct sound sounds, which makes very interesting issue. There are quite a few pouraves sounds good but it needs work with Alesis Fusion 6HD excellent in comparison, Pads and motion are deep, the Elektros sounds are modern ... in one week I could make all of GNI modern electro, funk 80's or compound Jazzy Soul boosted by very good effects.

Finally, with regard to all the sounds and after long hesitation with Yamaha MOXF8, I fell for acoustic pianos and originality of the synth part. I also stated that the Krome is very typical Hip Hop, RNB, Soul Elektro ... this is exactly what I wanted.








OVERALL OPINION


In the end I was very surprised at the quality of KROME 88. Having had some Workstation (KORG, YAMAHA, Alesis), the KROME is exactly pretty much what I expected a buget located just over 1500euros for the 88 notes. 2.3 lacks things like a sampler, an input for another synth or microphone, an audio track sequencer (The absence of the Karma system problem for me), better ON / OFF...Mais if accounts is done at the end ... the little details like the large color screen, the attention to appearance, the new sequencer, the piano sounds, synth bank revised upwards, the small French DVD. Korg Krome .. make a great workstation and a truly unbeatable value for money. I did not necessarily want to invest a Korg Kronos which costs twice as much and I would use 40% or a 88 Korg Kross makes vraimment bum for 1000th. I hesitated with a Yamaha MOXF8 but in Yam they should seriously consider fucking a color screen, it's still a big plus, there was the Roland Fantom G8 but hard to find in the budget well.

Korg Krome is entering a new dimension to tight budget, this opportunity is a case in OR, it Buge not, it does not heat, it is portable, it is shielded his level, all terrain This is beautiful ... in short the "KLASSE".

Keyboardiste enthusiastic and father of four children, my time is very limited. That's why I was looking for a workstation integrated, easy to use and powerful enough to have fun, without the long set up with the required software instruments. Initially set on the Kronos, I quickly forked on Krome which seemed faster to handle. What characterizes this machine compared to Roland Juno / Yamaha Motifs, the TouchScreen. All settings are clearly displayed and modified directly on the screen, which complements the buttons and knobs.

UTILIZATION

PROGRAM MODE
Sound synthesis is based on a kind of engine sound 2 oscillators, working with groups of samples or wavetables up to 8 velocity layers (which can also be played simultaneously, which allows to reproduce some syntheses 3 or more oscillators). Kits for a group of thick samples is different assignable to each note of the keyboard. This is followed by a number of filters (envelopes etc ...) and modulators (LFOs etc ....) plus many FX. This synthesis is very effective for most instruments, but can not quite at a program like Kontakt some acoustic instruments, if you look at the products SampleModelling example.
The choice of sounds and instruments is very wide. The basic parameters of the instruments are directly modified with knobs. Many additional parameters can be edited for the touchscreen completely manipulate sound. It is possible to create your own instruments using samples and wavetables integrated, but it does not seem possible to import your own samples. For a sound designer is already rich in possibilities, even if the two oscillators synthesis is limiting, however. Here FM synthesis, granular, or 3 oscillators are reproduced very effectively using samples (such as Kontakt synth).
Each instrument has a pattern associated with arpeggiator and a drum track. It is possible to change from what you want.

COMBI MODE
Combi mode features 16 tracks of instruments organized in a mixer. Each track can be fully parameterized to define the splits, the midi channels, the delays if you want an instrument is a delay on the other, the velocity levels etc ..... Can be attributed to two arpeggiators any track. A track can act drum track. Can route each track to the FX bus.
This mode allows you to make complex arrangements with multiple instruments and effects. Arpeggiators and drum track can be enabled and disabled on the fly.

SEQUENCER MODE
You can record from any previous mode. It is automatically migrated to the sequence 16 tracks. It records everything you want in realtime. And then you can edit all the touch screen to manipulate notes, measures, controls noon. It works like a DAW touchscreen. It is possible to edit everything, however the use of Touch screen is not as intuitive and fluid than an iPad.
You can record each track separately, or some or all at the same time if you use a combi.
Another approach is the method of recording RPPR: recording music videos (patterns), the length you want, we assign to the keyboard. It's clips can be defined as a musical sequence to play once or looper. Each clip can be triggered or stopped during recording, and is assignable to one of the 60 middle keys of the keyboard. So you can imagine with 60 sound clips on the finger to a mode of production music closer to what is offered Ableton Live. The example "Krome Teeth" on the Korg website was made this way.
A record is considered a SONG with these 16 instruments or drum track / kit. The SONG can be organized Cuelist. For example, a SONG the intro, another chorus with a different set of instruments etc ...
They are assembled in a Cuelist, and Cuelist can even merge if we want a single SONG. Krome automatically manage the program changes and effects.

SOUNDS

Korg has a very good selection of sounds and drum kits. The banks in GM, GM2 and G (x) are also all available. In any case it sounds great.
The piano is very good to excellent, the synth sounds are excellent, the average acoustic instruments excellent, very good drum. In any case nothing completely useless!

OVERALL OPINION

In conclusion this machine, despite some limitations, already offers incredible opportunities that I take time to deplete.

Frankly buying it, I did not find as many features as extensive. It's been four months that even I did not even use my DAW with NI Komplete, so I'm having fun with this machine.
The main advantage for me is the approach live (realtime) in the process of composition, interpretation and understanding. You push a button, it makes its introduction with arpeggiators, one pushes another, we start the drum track and play his reasons. The creative process goes quickly on this workstation.

March CURRENT SOUND I WILL PUT SOME EXAMPLES. FOLLOW ....

most:
- Touchscreen interface very intuitive Display / clear / well-organized menu -> very effective
- Large variety of sounds, bass quality
- Effects FX great
- Quality of the drums
- Very good sound 48kHz/16bits
- The sequencer is similar to a DAW Touchscreen!
- Polyphonic arpeggiators two powerful managing the flame, in addition to the track drum track (the third "Arpeggiator" if you want)
- Speed ​​of programming. editing, production etc ...
Machine - very inspiring
- RPPR Playback: midi loop / clip fashion assignable trigger to 60 keys (similar to the approach in Ableton Live)
- Can be used as a plug-in in a DAW (Korg Krome Editor Plug-in) Caution Midi only.
- Ability to create cue lists of songs and convert them into one single song (can compensate for the lack of Karma)
- The combis give a very good mix immediately
- Krome lightness of 88 compared to other keyboards weighted
- Large selection of samples or wavetables to create their own instruments
- Very good quality / price ratio in my opinion
- It's nice to be able to move from the computer!


Cons:
- No possibility of variations for live drums (pity they did not implémanté the Korg SOS system for rhythmic variations on the fly with the touchscreen)
- No KARMA
- No touch grid presets for live (linear lists only User presets)
- No sound 24bits (when working with Komplete there becomes sensitive)
- USB for MIDI only (no sound card)
- Lack of joints for some acoustic instruments for live
- Slight lack of responsiveness of the touchscreen: it is not as smooth as an iPad or Windows 8.
- A priori not possible to sample your own sounds
- Very good mechanical keyboard but some keys vibrate more than others (DOs)
- No possibility of connecting the nano pad
- No possibility of using FX with external audio input (no sound card)

The Krome follows the structure of Triton and M50 and ergonomics was particularly careful:
ability to change sound settings:
either jog
either with a virtual slider (double click on the parameter to change)
either by returning a value on the virtual keypad

Large touch screen with a few pages submenu

5 insert effects, 2 master FX and TFX in a single program

6 banks of 128 sounds pgm, 4 banks of 128 sounds in combination

No aftertouch: not a problem on a piano keyboard touch

UTILIZATION

Once the structure is known synth, programming new sounds is immediate!

SOUNDS

The Krome has all kinds of possible sounds, this is far from being a piano with some synth sounds like Roland rdxx pe

The effects are terrible big improvement delays and reverbs by rapporteurs to triton.

after one day, I've created a lead synth sound to fall!

OVERALL OPINION

I still have almost full range of Korg triton derivatives and it is the best for half the price of his predecessors at their outlets! ... OK there's no aftertouch ... so what? ...

In a word, the sound is full, the precise frequencies and impressive dynamics.

The +: - big sound
- Speed ​​Programming - ergonomics research
- Price