Description
Since its debut in 2011, the groundbreaking Korg Kronos has earned complete admiration from musicians worldwide, evolving through model updates and innovations shaped by the feedback from so many professional musicians using Kronos on the biggest stages and studios around the world. Revered as the definitive keyboard for professionals and discerning amateurs, Kronos has consistently set the gold standard in performance, power and versatility. Now, by popular demand, Kronos is back – refreshed, refined and ready to reclaim its place in the spotlight. With intuitive controls, access to over 300 premium Sound Libraries, and a suite of exclusive features, the newest Kronos is designed to redefine what’s possible on any stage and in any studio.
- Nine distinct sound engines: includes SGX-2 for premium piano sounds, EP-1 for electric pianos and MOD-7 for FM synthesis, among others
- Enhanced SGX-2 piano engine: features new Italian Grand and Berlin Grand sounds for realistic expression
- Intuitive TouchView display: large 8″ color touchscreen with touch-drag capability and parameter search with improved touch response
- Set List mode: streamlined live performance with color-coded presets, realtime performance notes and built-in EQ
- Seamless Sound Transitions (SST): eliminates audio dropouts when switching sounds
- Built-in 16-track MIDI and audio recorder: high-quality 48 kHz audio recording with integrated editing tools
- Advanced control surface: realtime performance controls including sliders, knobs and joysticks
New sounds, unmatched expression
In addition to the thousands of included sound programs and combinations, Kronos 3 introduces 256 additional programs, carefully crafted to elevate your musical creativity. Central to this update are 128 brand-new sound programs, including a stunning Italian piano with gorgeous, transparent resonance, and Tine EP I Early, an electric piano tone that authentically replicates the earthy, vintage sound of metal rod (tine) mechanisms. These additions, alongside FM electric pianos, versatile synth pads, lush leads and more, give you a broad palette of truly useful sounds spanning every genre – from timeless classics to modern chart-toppers.
Complementing these are 128 expertly curated sounds from the Kronos Sound Libraries. Developed in collaboration with 12 world-class sound designers, these sound programs include the best of their creations, handpicked to inspire and expand your sonic palette. This selection also features new piano voices ensuring Kronos 3 remains your ultimate go-to keyboard.
Exclusive Programs and Combinations
Kronos 3 comes preloaded with a treasure trove of iconic sounds from the Kronos Sound Libraries. This collection of timeless sounds ensure every performer, from soloists to ensemble players, has access to the best Kronos has to offer.
- KRS-08 Best of Triton: A brilliant and inspiring collection of 128 programs from one of the biggest selling synthesizers of all time and included here as a preloaded gift.
- KRS-04 Pro Splits and Layers: Essential keyboard splits and layers optimized for realtime performance.
- KRS-05 Ensemble Combinations: Band-friendly ensembles featuring brass, strings and synths.
- Additionally, KRS-06 and KRS-06B CX-3 Signature Sounds, a joint collaboration between Korg and specially chosen top-tier organists, bring 256 CX-3 organ programs to your fingertips, preloaded and ready to play.
Streamlined control, unparalleled intuitiveness
The Kronos control system has been meticulously refined over generations to deliver a performance interface as intuitive as it is powerful. Its layout – featuring eight realtime knobs, nine sliders, and a suite of performance controls – remains comfortably familiar, empowering musicians to focus on their craft and perform intuitively. At the heart of the interface lies the large, responsive TouchView display, now faster and more responsive than ever and offering at-a-glance access to vital information and settings. This seamless design ensures anyone familiar with previous Kronos models can effortlessly dive in.
Enhanced design for modern performance
While the hallmark features of Kronos 3 remain unchanged, its design introduces subtle yet striking updates. The powder-coated metal body offers exceptional durability and a premium tactile feel, while the refined black wood side panels add a sophisticated edge. These enhancements ensure Kronos 3 not only performs impeccably but also commands attention from any audience.
Optimized for speed and precision
Kronos 3 takes performance efficiency to new heights with its significantly improved startup process. Thanks to a reengineered system architecture, startup time is now 60% faster than previous models, drastically reducing downtime. Coupled with an enhanced TouchView interface, Kronos 3 provides unmatched responsiveness, ensuring every interaction feels instantaneous and intuitive.
Legacy support, built to last
Kronos 3 is more than an instrument – it’s a commitment. Since its inception in 2011, every mode of Kronos has received substantial updates while ensuring compatibility and continuity across generations. Korg’s dedication to long-term support ensures all Kronos systems can use the many and varied Kronos Sound Libraries, preserving your investment and enabling seamless upgrades when hardware is refreshed.
Kronos Sound Libraries, a vast library of extended sounds
Kronos Sound Libraries, a library of extended sound samples and programs, has been released steadily since the first Kronos was introduced, and boasts a lineup of more than 300 titles, each with a unique selection that is different from the preloaded programs in the main unit. These titles can be purchased separately and used with all Kronos products. The Kronos sound engine is designed to accommodate any genre of music, and to be used in a variety of situations by any user. Kronos Sound Libraries allow you to find and purchase your preferred sounds and genres that are not included in the main unit, and change your Kronos 3 to your liking.
Enhanced SGX-2 Grand Piano sound engine with the addition of a premium Italian grand
The Kronos piano engine has always offered the highest quality 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 enhanced SGX-2 Grand Piano engine introduces the 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. In addition to these three pianos, it is equipped with a gorgeous and transparent Italian Grand – four very different Grand Pianos to choose from. Other enhancements to the SGX-2 engine included Sympathetic String Resonance and newly-recorded Una Corda samples. (The newly added Italian Grand does not include the effects of Una Corda.)
Massive sound selection
Kronos 3 comes equipped with thousands of sounds created using various synthesis modes and calling upon over approximately 21GB 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 62GB capacity, providing enormous space for user sampling or downloading additional Kronos Sound Libraries. These optional 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.
Nine distinct sound engines
Each of the individual Kronos sound engines is eminently qualified to operate as a standalone synthesizer, and each one represents the cutting-edge technology available for that type of sound creation. Exacting programming parameters, realtime controllers, integrated effects and assignable modulation routings provide incredible control to create custom edits or to empower the ambitious sound designer.
Flagship RH-3 Real Weighted Hammer Action
The 73-key Kronos 3 uses Korg’s finest RH-3 Real Weighted Hammer Action made in Japan. Offering an authentic and accurate piano feel, there are four zones ranging from heavier to lighter to provide a more true piano playing experience.
Advanced control surface
In addition to parameters accessible directly from the TouchView display, Kronos 3 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 ideally positioned for easy access. Above the keyboard, nine sliders, eight knobs and a number of switches provide realtime interaction with features at the heart of Kronos 3’s impressive sound. The damper pedal input jack supports half-damping, providing yet another 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.
Set List mode
Kronos 3 can organize all of the resources you need to get through a song or a set using Set List mode. Using 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. Set List mode adds a dedicated nine-band graphic EQ, allowing the overall tone to be tweaked to match the venue. Set List mode allows for even 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
The nerve center of Kronos 3 is Korg’s enormous 8″ 800×600 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 opening height of a grand piano lid to connecting patch cables on a semi-modular synthesizer model. The TouchView display also hosts a convenient 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 2001, 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 and offering features like Karma Wave-Sequencing, Note Mapping and 8 scenes per layer, Karma is standard equipment on Kronos 3. It will expand your conception of a song, and will be an enormously inspiring creative asset for all composing.
Drum Tracks
First introduced in the highly acclaimed M3 music workstation/synthesizer that launched in 2007, Drum Tracks is now featured in Kronos 3. Drum Tracks can create everything from a simple reference beat or outline rhythm track up to a full-blown drum track. Expanded for use in Kronos 3, Drum Tracks now includes professional drum performances and generates grooves that capture the distinctive feel of a pro drummer, challenging the capabilities of standalone drum machines.
Open Sampling System
Using Korg’s Open Sampling System, Kronos 3 can quickly sample an external audio source, regardless of whether Kronos is in Program, Combination or Sequencer mode. Open Sampling Mode can even resample the performance of 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 large SSD capacity. AIFF, WAV, SoundFont 2.0 and AKAI S1000/3000 format samples can be loaded 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 Kronos 3.
16-track MIDI sequencer / 16-track audio recorder
Kronos 3 features a sequencer/recording section that offers 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 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 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. Then you can assemble your album right from the TouchView display!
16 onboard effect processors
Kronos 3 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 Kronos 3. If you connect a Korg pad-equipped USB MIDI controller such as NanoPad, NanoPad2 or PadKontrol, pads 1 through 8 of the controller are automatically mapped to the virtual chord pad function on Kronos 3, allowing them to be used to play drums, trigger chords or to switch chords in chord mode.
Smooth sound transitions 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, something that has earned high praise from pro musicians.
Nine synthesizer engines, united in one Instrument
Kronos 3 harnesses nine distinct synthesizer/sound engines into a single, integrated musical instrument. Dynamic voice allocation and new technologies allow all sound engines to smoothly share a stable, enhanced hardware platform. The results are nothing less than spectacular.
SGX-2 premium piano sound generator
Choose your piano! In addition to the acclaimed German Grand and Japanese Grand provided in the SGX-1 engine, the enhanced Kronos 3 SGX-2 Premium Piano now includes the distinctive Berlin Grand and New Italian Grand. By adding the EXs12 Austrian Grand option (not included, sold separately), Kronos can offer access to the greatest names in the grand piano world. Unlooped stereo samples recorded for every key provide a natural, authentic decay. Improved 12-level velocity switching exceeds the previous 8-level data, and nuanced extras as pedal string resonance and una corda sample data help recreate the finer details of a grand piano performance.
EP-1 electric piano sound generator
The Kronos 3 EP-1 sound engine is dedicated to faithfully recreating six of the most popular classic electric pianos, and the Tine EP I Early has been added to the list. The MDS (Multi-Dimensional Synthesis) technology eliminates the transitions between velocity-switched samples and does away with the unnatural behavior of looped samples. Smoothly responding to the nuances of the player’s touch, yet allowing your performance to reach an energetic climax, this modeled engine features an astounding dynamic range that exceeds what one might expect from digital sound generation. For each of the six different models, different amps, cabinets, speakers and standard vintage effects are realistically simulated. From the samples to the touch and the effects, all aspects affecting the sound are coordinated into a single package, making this the ultimate electric piano.
CX-3 tonewheel organ sound engine
The original Korg CX-3 combo organ went on sale in 1980. Loved by musicians around the world, this classic organ reappeared in 2000 using the latest technology. In Kronos 3, the CX-3 engine precisely models this classic tonewheel instrument. Proprietary Korg technology has been used to perfectly reproduce the vacuum tube amp and effects such as vibrato/chorus. Special attention was given to the rotary speaker effect, which lets you choose from seven types, as well as use the Kronos modulation joystick in the Y-axis to control the speed. Even the instability, foldback, leakage and noise of tonewheels have been obsessively analyzed and recreated. The organ sounds heard in legendary performances, some recreated here by the original artists, are now yours for the playing. Experience these classic organ sounds, reborn for the present day. In addition, the KRS-06 and 06B expansion libraries are included in the package and can be loaded and preloaded into the user area for use with a total of 256 programs.
HD-1 high-definition synthesizer PCM sound engine
HD stands for ‘high definition,’ indicating HD-1’s superior sound, starting with Korg’s proprietary low-aliasing sample playback oscillators, full-bandwidth multimode resonant filters and extraordinarily fast and smooth envelopes and LFOs. HD-1 is the most powerful PCM sound engine in Korg’s history, into which Korg has poured all the PCM knowhow accumulated since the M1. All of Korg’s acclaimed PCM sounds are painstakingly created by specialized technicians. Data that was reluctantly omitted from previous models due to limited memory has now been called back into service on Kronos 3. The amount of waveform memory rivals a PC-based sound engine. Yet the real difference is in the completely different level of high quality audio finish that is obvious when you play these sounds as instruments on Kronos 3. The finest technicians, working on the finest platform and aiming at the finest quality: that’s HD-1.
MS-20EX analog modeling sound engine
Packed with cutting-edge technology, Kronos 3 nonetheless has respect for the classics. Korg MS-20 first appeared in 1978 and quickly captivated many synth fans with its rich personality marked by thick and solid sound, aggressive filters and patching capability that provided nearly infinite possibilities for creating sound. Using Korg’s CMT (Component Modeling Technology), MS-20EX faithfully reproduces MS-20 while dramatically expanding its patch panel functionality. Modulate filters with audio-rate oscillators, turn audio inputs into control signals, control all of the original knobs with mod sources including additional envelopes, LFOs and realtime controllers. It’s a tweaker’s dream. And of course, the Kronos version is majorly polyphonic.
PolysixEX analog modeling sound engine
Polysix first appeared in 1981, offering six-voice polyphony, program memory and a surprisingly competitive price tag. With its self-oscillating four-pole filter, smooth analog oscillator and sub-oscillator, plus a lush chorus/ensemble effect, PolysixEX extends the abilities of the original in many creative ways. The strings and pads that were such a major feature of Polysix will be invaluable when you need the sounds of the early 80s. The classic arpeggiator built into the original Polysix is also provided. As a bonus, it’s also capable of extremely high polyphony.
AL-1 high-fidelity analog modeling sound engine
Feature-packed, AL-1 is the same premium analog modeling sound engine that was first featured on Korg OASYS Open Architecture Synthesis Studio back in 2005. Completely eliminating aliasing noise and delivering the supple and fascinating sound of analog synthesis, this sound engine uses oscillator waveforms and filter morphing to generate new sounds that unobtainable on analog synthesizers of the past.
MOD-7 waveshaping VPM/FM synthesis sound engine
This sound engine uses VPM synthesis based on the VPM (Variable Phase Modulation) technology that powered two classic instruments, Korg Prophecy which appeared in 1995 and Z1 which appeared in 1997 as a further evolution, and adds PCM sample playback, multi-mode filters and external input to create a freely patchable semi-modular synthesizer. Combine Variable Phase Modulation (VPM) from Korg’s classic Prohpecy and Z1, add in some wave-shaping, a little ring modulation, mix in a few samples and add subtractive synthesis plus a modular patch panel system and you have MOD-7. Exceptionally versatile, it offers everything from classic FM keyboards, bells and basses (including the ability to import sounds from vintage DX synths) to rhythmic soundscapes and sparkling, epic pads.
STR-1 plucked strings physical model sound engine
Based on the physical modeling know-how Korg developed over the course of many years, this struck-/plucked-string physical modeling sound engine takes advantage of cutting-edge technology. This sound engine shines at producing sounds whose tone responds to your touch in ways that are difficult for a PCM sound engine to reproduce: acoustic guitar, electric guitar, harpsichord, clavinet, harp, bell, as well as ethnic instruments. It also goes much further, allowing you to synthesize and modify sounds that do not exist in reality. This is a sound engine of the future, one that allows the synthesizer programmer to construct truly new sounds.
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