Korg Kronos 2 61 Key Synth/Workstation

Since its introduction, Korg's Kronos has been the weapons-grade workstation of choice for keyboard A-listers such as Jordan Rudess and Derek Sherinian, as well as the no-compromise synth mavens here at Music Planet. Now Korg ups the ante with the re-voiced and revamped Kronos. Under the hood of this beast, a new System 3.0 OS enhances functionality while juicing your workflow. The beefed-up SGX-2 piano engine boasts, in addition to its renowned German and Japanese grand pianos, a killer 9GB Berlin grand, as well as uber-expressive sympathetic resonance and una corda samples you can tweak to taste. Kronos also rocks sexy new visuals with a sleek aluminum body, mesh back panel, and lacquered wood end cheeks.

Korg Kronos 61-note Keyboard Workstation at a Glance:

• Nine sound engines, infinite possibilities
• Amazing new technologies for smoother, more expressive sounds
• A studio of music-production gear onboard
• Easy-to-use hands-on environment

Nine sound engines, infinite possibilities

From acoustic instruments to gritty analog synths, the nine synthesis engines onboard Korg's Kronos can provide every sound you need. The SGX-2 acoustic piano engine captures every nuance of real German and Japanese grand pianos, from damper resonance to mechanical noise. Then there's the EP-1 electric piano engine, which uses Multi-Dimension Synthesis to let you tweak, morph, and totally customize the wide range of classic electric piano sounds. These two synthesis engines are worth the price of admission alone - and they're just the beginning!

Amazing new technologies for smoother, more expressive sounds

The incredible sounds found in the Kronos simply wouldn't be possible without powerful new synthesis technologies. That's why Korg equipped this flexible workstation with components such as solid-state flash-based storage. The ultra-fast streaming possible with solid-state memory is the driving force behind Korg's Virtual Memory Technology, which provides you with high polyphony and 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.

A studio of music-production gear 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 Kronos the capacity to record up to 16 audio tracks as well - all in studio-standard 24-bit/48kHz quality! What's more, Kronos gives you an entire studio rack full of effects to enhance your music. You can run up to 16 fantastic effects at once, each of which more than rivals dedicated standalone effects units. And thanks to the Kronos's Open Sampling System, you can instantly sample and resample any sound you create, allowing you to come up with amazing new sounds.

Easy-to-use hands-on environment

Long known for their easy-to-use workstation environments, Korg raised the bar again by loading Kronos with hands-on controls. Starting with the large 8" TouchView display, you'll find navigating through the Kronos environment to be absolutely intuitive. Kronos also provides you with an entire dedicated control surface, complete with channel-strip-style sliders, knobs, and buttons. Plus, you get great performance controls, including a ribbon controller and one of Korg's fantastic vector joysticks. What's more, Kronos comes loaded with Korg's top-of-the-line KARMA technology, making it a truly impressive performance keyboard as well as a first-class keyboard workstation!

Korg Kronos 61-note Keyboard Workstation Features:

• The latest rendition of Korg's beastly keyboard workstation
• Korg's 61-note semi-weighted keybed
• New SGX-2 piano engine captures every nuance of premium German and Japanese grands
• Piano engine features new, fully tweakable sympathetic resonance and una corda samples
• 256 new programs, re-creations of legendary keyboard sounds, searchable by song title
• New Combinations; bank of 128 programs from KaPro
• Sleek new look with aluminum body, mesh back panel, and lacquered wood end cheeks
• User Sample Bank feature lets you create extremely large sample libraries
• You get numerous artist signature sounds created by top musicians
• 16-part Combis allow all engines to function together in perfect harmony
• Dynamic Voice Allocation keeps polyphony high
• Use up to 16 premium-quality effects at once; individual effects rival dedicated units
• On-board sequencer offers 16 MIDI tracks and 16 audio tracks (24-bit, 48kHz)
• Open Sampling System - instant sampling and resampling from any mode (Program, Combination or Sequencer)
• Onboard KARMA technology generates infinitely variable performance-driven phrases and backing tracks
• Expanded Drum Track for play-along grooves and inspiration
• Set List mode lets you organize Programs, Combis, and Songs into a single, easy-to-select screen
• Smooth Sound Transition allows held or sustained notes to keep sounding when changing sounds or modes
• Direct support for playing drums and chords from Korg pad-equipped USB controllers
• General support for all class-compliant USB controllers, including the Korg nano series and microKEY series
• Support for Kronos Editor and Plug-in Editor software
• USB Ethernet adapter compatibility enables high-speed data transfer between Kronos and your computer
• Comprehensive interface based around a large 8" TFT TouchView display