Pads are probably my favorite too. I've always been drawn to them, even when they are buried in a mix. Adding some 80's chords and riffs is the icing on the cake.
Thanks for the pad demo Woody, I bought the Kross 2 for my daughter, she is still making her way through it. Quite a step up from what she has had previously!
That's my baby! I'm so used to seeing it in front of me that it looks bizarre when I see Woody on video with one! There's some great voices on the Kross 2, and the tweakability makes it endlessly inspiring!
I have the Kronos (first generation). Bought the Kross and was blown away, great sounding machine. My problem was the keys, the difference between 88 Kronos keys and 61 Kross keys made it feel weird to play it. Solution: I bought the Triton, thanks to your channel. If you’ll like to borrow my Kronos and try it out, I’m living outside of Helsingborg.
Great video Woody - I have had the original Kross for about 5 years or more and the pads can still bring a tear to my eye - just an epic synth for the money. Its one of those synths that inspire you the minute you start playing it. Apart from a weak acoustic piano its damn near perfect, but hey we can't have everything! If anyone is watching this liking what they hear, but haven't got space for another keyboard, take a look at the Korg Triton VST. If I could only have one VST this would be it - just incredible. And no, I don't work for Korg, just a huge fan!
Loved watching you Woody, as you were demonstrating the marvelous pad sounds on the Korg Kross 2. Your smile, reminds me of a kid turned loose in Willy Wonka's candy factory! Great to see you so happy! I can't wait, my very own Kross 2, arrives in a few days. I can't wait to be this happy too!! 🤗🎶♥️
Thank You Woody for this video! I'm considering myself a Roland person, but KORG had really mastered the pad sounds since the time of mighty WAVESTATION and they are still going strong.
The Kross 2( the 61 key in particular)....is the best workstation Korg has ever created, in my opinion. Reasons being is essentially...it's feature set across the board, is unmatched....for it's price point. A recessed and angled display screen, rubberized coating on the chassis, audio interface, beautiful overall design & build quality, ultra compact & lightweight, sampling, audio exporting and almost twice as many physical controls than the Nautilus! What I would really love to see at Winter Namm 2023, is a successor to the Kross 2(with a Kross 3!)
KORG definitely has great sounds, especially with pads. But honestly, I’ve heard great pad sounds from all the various synth manufacturers and designers. In the end, it’s a matter of sound design. And even deeper, it’s about what notes you play and when =]
Although I’m a Yamaha girl, I’ve always considered Korg as having the absolute best synth pad sounds and architecture. Nothing can beat the old Moog mini for a pure synth experience, but Korg is best IMO for overall synth capabilities and sounds.
HOLLA SOUNDS - Me too. I still get plenty of enjoyment from the Arturia Mini. Nice autocorrect error there, by the way: "Mini Moog software emulsion." Sounds like a promising new concept. :)
Well, now I want to layer my Moog Mini and my Kronos and see what I can get! Thanks for that time-sink idea! (I suspect putting the Moog on lowest note duty would be very cool)
@@anonymoushuman8344 There’s a couple of aps you can get that give a great digital emulation of the mini-Moog. I have the proprietary Moog version on my iPad.
This is the kind of instrument I love! Because you can sound like a pro audio producer without needing to do much work or spend piles of money... plus, you can make it sound like SimCity4, the best ambient soundtrack in the world.
That sounds pretty cool Woody , lots of brilliant synth sounds , You could easily spend the day playing around with the Korg and not notice time flying by , excellent demo too and another brilliant share ... big thumbs flying high , enjoy the weekend over there !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
hi ak, yeah, you're right. weird thing is though, i've never actually played this thing yet without the cameras rolling we need to spend some quality time together, off camera!
Another fantatstic video as always Woody! I was so undecided what to get and you have helped me choose one. i always come to your channel for advice take care
And you get instant reverb in that room hahaha. Hi ya Woody!!! I love Korg products. My Korg M-50 has a lot of textural pads and evolving soundscapes. These keyboards were ahead of the game. It was only later to my understanding that such libraries like Omnisphere and now so many other sample libraries have all clambered to put out similar pads and extreme multi evolving and pulsing waves of sounds. I think the market is saturated with them. I have those two buttons on the left above the mod wheel and SW1 and SW2 switches are used to control the programs or effect parameters, or to turn the joystick/mw lock function on/off. Loved the video Woody. Always interesting and explorative. Love seeing your happy in-the-moment smiles of musical bliss.
That Korg sounds great. Woody you are so funny when you criticize your own playing. I can relate to that. This afternoon I have to play an hours worth of music for our local Theatre Pipe Organ club here at home on my 1928 Wurlitzer. I have been practicing for six weeks and I still stumble around here and there. Where are the music gods when you need them. One can always say- a stumble or wrong note is merely a spontaneous improvisation.
Korg does nail the pads, at least since the Wavestation. The Kronos/Nautilus/Kross progression is interesting too - they managed to keep the basic depth of the sounds while cutting back on areas that might not matter. I just did the Nautilus/Kronos decision myself, and went with the Kronos because of the keyboard and aftertouch being one thing I tend to use in my playing. I've had the Kronos for about a month, and I'm pleasantly surprised how deep it can be with the multiple synthesis methods.
@@Jason75913 I actually like the Trinity better than the Triton for pads at least. But both are newer than the wavestation, and that board changed the world.
I'm just amazed by the magic sound of this synthesizer! His sounds are fabulous. Thanks to this video, I loved it from the first sound! Therefore, I made an order for its purchase and look forward to it. 👍🏻
Fantastic 'off the cuff' demo woody. This Synth produces some real good value for money. Like you my 2nd port of call on any synth is the pads - Especially those which fizz quickly with warmth remaining. Love the way that thing sings in the end demo with the 'Follower Pad'. Brilliant stuff!
CPU it's not powerful enough for some complex modulations. In pads is less noticeable, but if you have a combi with a piano you will hear it. Also the drum track gets off sync sometimes in complex sounds. But hey, that's what you get for the price. Once you accept that, is a good synth for the price
I thought it's happening at (and after) 11:55, but it seems that the patch has a beat restarted every key press an it comes down to timing accuracy while playing
interesting with the timing thing, somebody else commented about that, i didn't notice myself, perhaps cpu underpowered, or just my playing... more likely.
Very lovely indeed mate! love a good pad sound that uses the filters and a nice modulated reverb woody amazing Hope your ok mate love the videos as always 🔥♥️💯👌 mate good to hear the sounds comming from this thing! Makes you smile when you play ♥️ korg have always been great with pad sounds to be honest 💯
I owned my Kross 2 for 2 years now currently not working with it because i bought a ModX ... however soundwise it is amazing. A bit complicated to work with especially in a DAW context using an MAudio soundcard...never figured out getting the arpeggiator in sync with DAW clock
You have to set the MIDI clock source in GLOBAL so it can work with a DAW properly. be sure to read the manuals, these workstation keyboards always have multiple manuals due to their complexity
@@WoodyPianoShack I really wasn't expecting much and I wasn't disappointed. However, I was reminded of the ASM Hydrasynth which I got to try at a local music shop. It really is as good as the reviews say it is. I could have played with it for hours but... Maybe a Xmas present to myself.
From 13:01 to 13:18, Is there a slight delay on the beginning of a bar ? On some machines from the 80s that is an indication of CPU overload...hopefully it was just a bad swing factor...
Looks like you get a lot of bang for bucks on a relatively affordable synth; sounds really good, and (looking at the back) a nice set of connections as well. (Not a fan of external power supplies, but that seems to be the norm nowadays 😔 - wondering if it can be powered over USB)
Well, as i already have a Triton rack, a TR rack, a Krome, Krome EX, Karma, MicroX, X50, and lots of older Korg modules... i think all of the Kross pad patches will already be in one or more available and buying a Kross would be double up. Would be great when you could mention the names of the pads you played.
Kross2 would make a fine replacement for the X50, plus the Kross2 is stereo instead of mono like the X50, unless you configure it otherwise. I think the X50 has two pad patches that the Kross2 does not (but can otherwise fully dupe).
@@Jason75913 X50 is STEREO ;-)) as you can hear in this demo th-cam.com/video/uRO9x6wswl4/w-d-xo.html&ab_channel=KraftMusic and i doublechecked in my studio, it's definitely STEREO :-))
wonderful sounds, personally as a beginner i own a Roland jd-xi, but i'm not so satisfied with this, so you have some alternatives for me? many greetings from Brunswick in Germany and please stay safe from the Corona Virus :)
JD-Xi is awesome, but edit it with a PC, the front panel is only for performing with completed grooves, not trying to make new ones or edit existing ones. Kross2 or Juno-DS (or both) are great companions for the JD-Xi. I have all three, awesome trio. Or I may go JD-Xi + Ultranova + Venom.
I had no idea of just how much changing things like resonance does during these multi-layered performances, sometimes exposing unheard new layers of sound on my MODX. Thanks for posting. PS I'm not sure if you have done any videos on how to create some of your excellent performances - with a mind to chords used etc, but I will check and if not, I'm sure there would be plenty of newbies like me who would want to watch and learn.
hi robert, thanks for the comment. no, I haven't covered that topic. it's very challenging to come up with a riff, chords or melody on the spot, and I don't always pull it off. often i just pull up the same old chord sequence or recognisable tune from the repertoire, often in C, F or g. I need to work on this myself, it would be good to have a bigger arsenal of songs to pull inspiration from.
Hi Woody, Another great, interesting video. I really like those pad/combi sounds. They are an instant source of inspiration. I am constantly discovering new ones on my many keyboards and modules. I just got some Ketron midi bass pedals ( as new in their case ) along with other pedals too for £40. Only tried them before watching your video today. I used a Roland xv2020 module and was amazed at the sounds still. I didn't remember many of the pads on it, wonderful. Oh well.......I'm off to play some Moog bass type sounds.....😁
The pads on the Kross are quite epic. It doesn’t sound like there’d be much room left in the mix with some of these patches. It makes me wonder how nicely (or not) this plays with other electronics/instruments…
great point, I agree, and will be digging into the program mode (individual sounds) to see how the hold up in isolation, and their usefulness in a mix.
Great Demo for the Kross! You have fun playing instead of talking much like others. I would like to see your demos of other parts of this synth. I let you an abo.
Seems competent like recent Yamaha etc workstations, something you can have lots of fun playing! :) A synth has lots more knobs or at least parameters easily accessible, I think.
realtime controls are actually a botched design on the Kross 😭 I don't understand why they didn't just tie those controls to the ones in the ADJUST page of parameters.
Wow Woody, that sounds really nice. As a player of twin Kronos 73's I can appreciate what Korg has done here. My only concern is the 'clock' for the rhythm/drums seemed to be a bit taxed at 13:00 in your presentation. You must have felt that push, pull going on? Otherwise, very lush sounding instrument. Thanks for showing (O:
@@garysmith8455 i feel the lag in the beat is because when he lifts his hands the ARP stops and when he changes to the next chord, it re-triggers. ARP hold would solve this
@@samson8884 That is strange, the meter was VERY steady until he started playing those full handfuls of notes. Would not that drum patch be constant if he stopped playing? My 2 Kronos don't do that when a patch with rhythm is selected. Hmmmmm
@@garysmith8455 that was just my guess. I don't own a Kross2 so can't confirm. I had a Yamaha MOX and i have seen this behaviour when the ARP hold option was off for a given combi. I don't know how it works with Korg. Woody could provide the correct answer.
Hello. I wanted to ask, what happens when you change presets, programs or "favorite" in de middle of a performance? does the audio cuts off or it keeps it until you release the sustain pedal like in the more premium korg workstations?
you know my synth collection is full of heavy keyboards, I wish I would of purchase the 61 keys, I could of added more boards and the weight would of been lighter. Compared to the old, do the newer boards have newer sounds ? , lets say from early 80s to now. I can still created great music with the old. That keyboard looks comfy.
Roland, Korg, and Yamaha have been repacking the same '90s and '80s presets for years. You can make old-fashioned stuff more easily, trying to make more modern music requires you knowing sound design relevant to your music and programming your own presets from scratch.
I think it does. I think they are both based on the Triton's generation. I'm having a brain fart about Korg's acronyms... was it called HD-1, or EX-1? I have that version on the KARMA, and the latest version (different acronym, but it's an evolution not a totally new thing) on the Kronos. The Kronos samples sound a little more detailed to me, but Kross and i3 (the newer i3 obv, not the 90s one) seemed similar sounding. I didn't hear them consecutively or side by side, though, so I can't be certain. The i3 seemed to be the cheapest Korg "workstation" keyboard with the decent sounds. Korg makes even cheaper intro "arranger" keyboards, but their sounds are quite a bit less than the i3, IMO. The Wavestate has really good samples, and you can add your own, but it's a different type of synth engine. Really, that one is all about using sequences of samples as playable instruments, and then layering up to 4 of those. Still, you can play individual sampled instruments like on a normal keyboard, but that's not its strength. It has top level sounds for the money. I think some of its samples might be a little better than the equivalent on i3 and Kross, but I bet many are the same, too. However, it only has 37 keys, and no workstation functionality. Have fun with the i3!
yes i second that, similar engine, but I don't think you have access to tweak very much on the i3, so more of preset machine, whereas kross allows you to sculpt your own sounds, especially when using PC editor.
yeah it should, it's much more powerful, but it seems to lack these fantastic hip kross combis, the kross beats it there for factory presets, but I'm sure you could program in something equally or more impressive. i find the kross does have a nice unique lo-fi vintage vibe to it tho.
Hi Woody, I have some questions about some keyboards used in some music, and thought you might be able to give me the correct answers!? ( since your musical taste is mostly 80s music ) Let me take you back to the early 80s with the music artist, SHANNON! She had two hits on her debut release. 1- GIVE ME TONITE and 2- LET THE MUSIC PLAY My question to you is, DO YOU KNOW WHICH SYNTH/S WERE USED IN MAKING THESE SONGS???? I love those sounds and im not sure which synth/s were used in creating them. Please give them a listen, and let me know if you can figure it out.? Thank you in advance!
hi rocky, sorry, i'm really useless at these guess the synth challenges. but my approach would be to figure out if FM and subtractive synthesis, fetch the synth and start tweaking!
@@WoodyPianoShack That reply is ridiculous! You say you love 80s music! you say you love all synth sounds from the 80s music! So you should also be able to have a more clear idea of which synths were used for that music.. NEVER MIND!
I would choose a synth sample, play few chords in the middle section, then in the low and in the high sections. Only then I would play some chord progresions using both hands. Adding drums is a distraction and this video is rather entertaing than useful.
great video Woody! quick question, is there any sound design aspects to this at all? or is it pretty much a "great sounds, but this is your lot" kinda board?
no, like all pro romplers, you can edit everything down to the oscillators, and you get plenty of single-cycle waveforms if you want those (square wave, sawtooth, etc.)
yeah, you can tweak to your hearts content, but using the front panel menus is not a lot fo fun, a PC editor is available if you really want to dig deep.
@@WoodyPianoShack thank you! I hope I'm not too late on getting one I noticed all the stores are out of stock of them hopefully when I get a chance I'll get one, thank you so much!
Been fantasizing for a while on the Kross series for live playing. Seemingly, it ticked 80% of the boxes, and intended to use my other controller keyboard for (the lack of) after touch (recognized though). However, as I entered a shop to play on it, I was rebute by its keyboard. Didn’t mind the overall build quality if it meant better portability, but the 61 version felt just like melting butter. I had the feel I was playing on a broken instrument, a toy perhaps...Even my old n364 (Korg as well) was better in this regard...
Despite two master effects and five insert effects, it is impossible to use delay and reverb effects at the same time with the Kross 2, as they are exclusively in the slot of the master effect 2 and only one can be selected there. If you use a so-called "double effect" in master effect 1, the master effect 2 is no longer usable and you can neither use delay nor reverb. There is also no delay and reverb for the five inserts, or the master effect 1. Unfortunately, this makes the Kross 2 unusable for me, because of course I want to be able to use both effects specifically for certain timbres. :-/ Unfortunately, that's not possible.
My Juno DS has similar effect “rationing”. I guess that’s typical for entry level synths? My new(ish) Nautilus has more generous effects allotments, and I suspect most other mid tier synths do as well.
@@Roboprogs The Juno is more limited in insert FX, yes, but it also givesyou a master EQ in System Settings, while the Kross2 does not, and the Juno can use both a delay insert FX + reverb from its master bus, you can even stack reverbs by using the master reverb + reverb insert.
yes, that's quite the limitation I suppose. but you can work around, add in your DAW, and these combis sound decent even with the limitation. thanks for sharing the nitty gritty anyway, much appreciated.
several times more expensive, no pads, clunkier interface, weighs more, can't run on batteries, and simply overkill unless you are going to use it in a studio
They sounded synthly amazing!! Awesome vid as always.
Pads are probably my favorite too. I've always been drawn to them, even when they are buried in a mix. Adding some 80's chords and riffs is the icing on the cake.
Incredible sounds to come from such an affordable synth! Korg knows what they're doing.
1:14
The first one had the ELP feel. (Fanfare for the common man).
Pads, strings and 'ethereal' wind will keep me entertained for hours.
Thanks for the pad demo Woody, I bought the Kross 2 for my daughter, she is still making her way through it. Quite a step up from what she has had previously!
That's my baby! I'm so used to seeing it in front of me that it looks bizarre when I see Woody on video with one! There's some great voices on the Kross 2, and the tweakability makes it endlessly inspiring!
hello there, yes, enjoy your 88!
I have the Kronos (first generation). Bought the Kross and was blown away, great sounding machine. My problem was the keys, the difference between 88 Kronos keys and 61 Kross keys made it feel weird to play it. Solution: I bought the Triton, thanks to your channel. If you’ll like to borrow my Kronos and try it out, I’m living outside of Helsingborg.
Great video Woody - I have had the original Kross for about 5 years or more and the pads can still bring a tear to my eye - just an epic synth for the money. Its one of those synths that inspire you the minute you start playing it. Apart from a weak acoustic piano its damn near perfect, but hey we can't have everything! If anyone is watching this liking what they hear, but haven't got space for another keyboard, take a look at the Korg Triton VST. If I could only have one VST this would be it - just incredible. And no, I don't work for Korg, just a huge fan!
So happy to see you back.
Loved watching you Woody, as you were demonstrating the marvelous pad sounds on the Korg Kross 2. Your smile, reminds me of a kid turned loose in Willy Wonka's candy factory! Great to see you so happy! I can't wait, my very own Kross 2, arrives in a few days. I can't wait to be this happy too!! 🤗🎶♥️
oh wow, congrats on your kross, which you should have received by now! thanks for teh complimentary words, means a lot.
Thank You Woody for this video! I'm considering myself a Roland person, but KORG had really mastered the pad sounds since the time of mighty WAVESTATION and they are still going strong.
Awesome demo of the pads on the korg Kross 2. Great video 👍
The Kross 2( the 61 key in particular)....is the best workstation Korg has ever created, in my opinion. Reasons being is essentially...it's feature set across the board, is unmatched....for it's price point. A recessed and angled display screen, rubberized coating on the chassis, audio interface, beautiful overall design & build quality, ultra compact & lightweight, sampling, audio exporting and almost twice as many physical controls than the Nautilus! What I would really love to see at Winter Namm 2023, is a successor to the Kross 2(with a Kross 3!)
hard to disagree with this!
The Korg sound. Nice.
KORG definitely has great sounds, especially with pads. But honestly, I’ve heard great pad sounds from all the various synth manufacturers and designers. In the end, it’s a matter of sound design. And even deeper, it’s about what notes you play and when =]
100% on your last sentence!
Although I’m a Yamaha girl, I’ve always considered Korg as having the absolute best synth pad sounds and architecture.
Nothing can beat the old Moog mini for a pure synth experience, but Korg is best IMO for overall synth capabilities and sounds.
I have a Mini Moog software emulsion sound good.
HOLLA SOUNDS - Me too. I still get plenty of enjoyment from the Arturia Mini. Nice autocorrect error there, by the way: "Mini Moog software emulsion." Sounds like a promising new concept. :)
Well, now I want to layer my Moog Mini and my Kronos and see what I can get! Thanks for that time-sink idea! (I suspect putting the Moog on lowest note duty would be very cool)
@@anonymoushuman8344 There’s a couple of aps you can get that give a great digital emulation of the mini-Moog. I have the proprietary Moog version on my iPad.
@@ChrisCebelenski Let me know how it sounds!
Great pleasure to listen to you on keys !!
I clearly don't have enough synth. Now I want to buy a Kross 2.
Thank you Woody!
you won't be disappointed I have the Kross but am now updating to this new keyboard... love the action of the weighted keys
Beautiful sounds!! Nice playing (as usual)!!! 🙂
Kross sounds surprisingly great! Loving the trip down amnesia lane - so good to hear many of the 80s tracks that got me hooked on synths!
This is the kind of instrument I love! Because you can sound like a pro audio producer without needing to do much work or spend piles of money... plus, you can make it sound like SimCity4, the best ambient soundtrack in the world.
That sounds pretty cool Woody , lots of brilliant synth sounds , You could easily spend the day playing around with the Korg and not notice time flying by , excellent demo too and another brilliant share ... big thumbs flying high , enjoy the weekend over there !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
hi ak, yeah, you're right. weird thing is though, i've never actually played this thing yet without the cameras rolling we need to spend some quality time together, off camera!
Another fantatstic video as always Woody! I was so undecided what to get and you have helped me choose one. i always come to your channel for advice take care
And you get instant reverb in that room hahaha. Hi ya Woody!!! I love Korg products. My Korg M-50 has a lot of textural pads and evolving soundscapes. These keyboards were ahead of the game. It was only later to my understanding that such libraries like Omnisphere and now so many other sample libraries have all clambered to put out similar pads and extreme multi evolving and pulsing waves of sounds. I think the market is saturated with them. I have those two buttons on the left above the mod wheel and SW1 and SW2 switches are used to control the programs or effect parameters, or to turn the joystick/mw lock function on/off. Loved the video Woody. Always interesting and explorative. Love seeing your happy in-the-moment smiles of musical bliss.
I love my M-50, too. I also love my Kross2 as well.
I don’t like the synth but I love your video and you and your energy and your explanations so thank you again for uploading!
that's much more important to me than if you like the synth or not, thanks! :D
Great demo. Thanks.
Cheers Woody, lovely stuff.
Wow, those are beautiful choir aaaaah's !
Sounds really good.
Sounds great, and fantastic improvs.
That Korg sounds great. Woody you are so funny when you criticize your own playing. I can relate to that. This afternoon I have to play an hours worth of music for our local Theatre Pipe Organ club here at home on my 1928 Wurlitzer. I have been practicing for six weeks and I still stumble around here and there. Where are the music gods when you need them. One can always say- a stumble or wrong note is merely a spontaneous improvisation.
Enjoyed that!
Wish you would do more instrument vids again, Woody. You were (and are) the best.
too kind bach, thanks! we're doing it!
Nice ! You should make a 80's instrumental album, I'd buy it !
i might just do that one day! thx
Korg does nail the pads, at least since the Wavestation. The Kronos/Nautilus/Kross progression is interesting too - they managed to keep the basic depth of the sounds while cutting back on areas that might not matter. I just did the Nautilus/Kronos decision myself, and went with the Kronos because of the keyboard and aftertouch being one thing I tend to use in my playing. I've had the Kronos for about a month, and I'm pleasantly surprised how deep it can be with the multiple synthesis methods.
Tritons do pads better in general. I'd sy that's when they started rocking.
@@Jason75913 I actually like the Trinity better than the Triton for pads at least. But both are newer than the wavestation, and that board changed the world.
I'm just amazed by the magic sound of this synthesizer! His sounds are fabulous. Thanks to this video, I loved it from the first sound! Therefore, I made an order for its purchase and look forward to it. 👍🏻
that's great! yeah, it doesn't disappoint in the sounds, congrats on your incoming!
Fantastic 'off the cuff' demo woody. This Synth produces some real good value for money. Like you my 2nd port of call on any synth is the pads - Especially those which fizz quickly with warmth remaining. Love the way that thing sings in the end demo with the 'Follower Pad'. Brilliant stuff!
CPU it's not powerful enough for some complex modulations. In pads is less noticeable, but if you have a combi with a piano you will hear it. Also the drum track gets off sync sometimes in complex sounds. But hey, that's what you get for the price. Once you accept that, is a good synth for the price
I thought it's happening at (and after) 11:55, but it seems that the patch has a beat restarted every key press an it comes down to timing accuracy while playing
interesting with the timing thing, somebody else commented about that, i didn't notice myself, perhaps cpu underpowered, or just my playing... more likely.
Nice sounding demo of the Korg Kross.
Very lovely indeed mate! love a good pad sound that uses the filters and a nice modulated reverb woody amazing Hope your ok mate love the videos as always 🔥♥️💯👌 mate good to hear the sounds comming from this thing! Makes you smile when you play ♥️ korg have always been great with pad sounds to be honest 💯
Very very portable, nice progs & combis to edit, sampler mode, many other options, a great synth!
Bra Woody! Feels so good coming in with OMD music.
It reminds me when I discovered the waveStation some years ago!..
Great overview! I like the "hide and seek" reference there at 4:44, one of my all time favs!
I've been playing various interpretations ever since the track was released!
super demo
Thanks for the reply about the presets. Gives me an excuse to dust off the Kross
I owned my Kross 2 for 2 years now currently not working with it because i bought a ModX ... however soundwise it is amazing. A bit complicated to work with especially in a DAW context using an MAudio soundcard...never figured out getting the arpeggiator in sync with DAW clock
You have to set the MIDI clock source in GLOBAL so it can work with a DAW properly.
be sure to read the manuals, these workstation keyboards always have multiple manuals due to their complexity
Not bad for a synth that is 4 years old. It will be interesting to see what comes out at the NAMM show in June.
nowt.
@@WoodyPianoShack I really wasn't expecting much and I wasn't disappointed. However, I was reminded of the ASM Hydrasynth which I got to try at a local music shop. It really is as good as the reviews say it is. I could have played with it for hours but... Maybe a Xmas present to myself.
From 13:01 to 13:18, Is there a slight delay on the beginning of a bar ? On some machines from the 80s that is an indication of CPU overload...hopefully it was just a bad swing factor...
I still remember why I got the Kross 1- because we tried it out at Guitar Center and were blown away by the sounds!
what better reason?! :)
SÜPER FANTASIC MÜZIK 👏👏👏👏👍👍👍👍
Having fun yet Woody? :D - Nice ambient sounds.
What do you think of Kurzweil? I have a PC3 and I love it.
7:05 that's so EPIC!!,
Looks like you get a lot of bang for bucks on a relatively affordable synth; sounds really good, and (looking at the back) a nice set of connections as well.
(Not a fan of external power supplies, but that seems to be the norm nowadays 😔 - wondering if it can be powered over USB)
no, no USB power possible
the plastic contruction and wall wart is a bit of a turn off, yes, but what you expect these days at this price.
Very nice, must get one
Well, as i already have a Triton rack, a TR rack, a Krome, Krome EX, Karma, MicroX, X50, and lots of older Korg modules... i think all of the Kross pad patches will already be in one or more available and buying a Kross would be double up. Would be great when you could mention the names of the pads you played.
Kross2 would make a fine replacement for the X50, plus the Kross2 is stereo instead of mono like the X50, unless you configure it otherwise. I think the X50 has two pad patches that the Kross2 does not (but can otherwise fully dupe).
@@Jason75913 X50 is STEREO ;-)) as you can hear in this demo th-cam.com/video/uRO9x6wswl4/w-d-xo.html&ab_channel=KraftMusic and i doublechecked in my studio, it's definitely STEREO :-))
wonderful sounds, personally as a beginner i own a Roland jd-xi, but i'm not so satisfied with this, so you have some alternatives for me? many greetings from Brunswick in Germany and please stay safe from the Corona Virus :)
JD-Xi is awesome, but edit it with a PC, the front panel is only for performing with completed grooves, not trying to make new ones or edit existing ones. Kross2 or Juno-DS (or both) are great companions for the JD-Xi. I have all three, awesome trio. Or I may go JD-Xi + Ultranova + Venom.
Nice sounds. Spotted Maid of Orleans by OMD at the start, Hide & Seek by HJ and It's A Sin by PSB. Sure there were more I missed.
those old icons are always popular, I have some ideas to expand my repertoire with more of these golden oldies! thx for noticing and commenting.
I like your videos.
Would be great if you could make some of your epic synth wave tracks using the Kross. Sounds perfect for that.
hi john, thank you, it's part of my roadmap! can't guarantee epic but I'll give best shot
magic sounds
5:57 Drum and Bass Bass sound DETECTED.
I had no idea of just how much changing things like resonance does during these multi-layered performances, sometimes exposing unheard new layers of sound on my MODX. Thanks for posting. PS I'm not sure if you have done any videos on how to create some of your excellent performances - with a mind to chords used etc, but I will check and if not, I'm sure there would be plenty of newbies like me who would want to watch and learn.
hi robert, thanks for the comment. no, I haven't covered that topic. it's very challenging to come up with a riff, chords or melody on the spot, and I don't always pull it off. often i just pull up the same old chord sequence or recognisable tune from the repertoire, often in C, F or g. I need to work on this myself, it would be good to have a bigger arsenal of songs to pull inspiration from.
Hi Woody,
Another great, interesting video. I really like those pad/combi sounds. They are an instant source of inspiration. I am constantly discovering new ones on my many keyboards and modules.
I just got some Ketron midi bass pedals ( as new in their case ) along with other pedals too for £40. Only tried them before watching your video today. I used a Roland xv2020 module and was amazed at the sounds still. I didn't remember many of the pads on it, wonderful. Oh well.......I'm off to play some Moog bass type sounds.....😁
have fun with that, i used to play some roland pedals with organ, fun, and challenging!
The pads on the Kross are quite epic. It doesn’t sound like there’d be much room left in the mix with some of these patches. It makes me wonder how nicely (or not) this plays with other electronics/instruments…
great point, I agree, and will be digging into the program mode (individual sounds) to see how the hold up in isolation, and their usefulness in a mix.
Great Demo for the Kross! You have fun playing instead of talking much like others. I would like to see your demos of other parts of this synth.
I let you an abo.
Seems competent like recent Yamaha etc workstations, something you can have lots of fun playing! :) A synth has lots more knobs or at least parameters easily accessible, I think.
realtime controls are actually a botched design on the Kross 😭
I don't understand why they didn't just tie those controls to the ones in the ADJUST page of parameters.
Wow Woody, that sounds really nice. As a player of twin Kronos 73's I can appreciate what Korg has done here. My only concern is the 'clock' for the rhythm/drums seemed to be a bit taxed at 13:00 in your presentation. You must have felt that push, pull going on? Otherwise, very lush sounding instrument. Thanks for showing (O:
i think its because he is removing his hands from the keys... when changing the chords. @woody doesn't it have an arp hold option?
@@samson8884 Yes, and it is overloading the processor......
@@garysmith8455 i feel the lag in the beat is because when he lifts his hands the ARP stops and when he changes to the next chord, it re-triggers. ARP hold would solve this
@@samson8884 That is strange, the meter was VERY steady until he started playing those full handfuls of notes. Would not that drum patch be constant if he stopped playing? My 2 Kronos don't do that when a patch with rhythm is selected. Hmmmmm
@@garysmith8455 that was just my guess. I don't own a Kross2 so can't confirm.
I had a Yamaha MOX and i have seen this behaviour when the ARP hold option was off for a given combi. I don't know how it works with Korg. Woody could provide the correct answer.
OMD still strong, love your improvisation :-)
Hello. I wanted to ask, what happens when you change presets, programs or "favorite" in de middle of a performance? does the audio cuts off or it keeps it until you release the sustain pedal like in the more premium korg workstations?
don't have it to hand, but pretty sure this one cuts out when switching. never found that to be a big deal personally.
King Korg. I'm getting a Wavestation EX tomorrow and covering Aquatic Ambiance off Donkey Kong Country in the future..
Yeah, I had a Kross 2 61 until just a couple of months ago. I do kind of regret selling it.
you know my synth collection is full of heavy keyboards, I wish I would of purchase the 61 keys, I could of added more boards and the weight would of been lighter. Compared to the old, do the newer boards have newer sounds ? , lets say from early 80s to now. I can still created great music with the old. That keyboard looks comfy.
Roland, Korg, and Yamaha have been repacking the same '90s and '80s presets for years. You can make old-fashioned stuff more easily, trying to make more modern music requires you knowing sound design relevant to your music and programming your own presets from scratch.
Pls demo vintage synth like saw and pulse wave
search for demo(s) of the bass category and synth leads category
Last year I owned a Kross for a few weeks, but it didn't sound like this. So I decided to exchange it for the Yamaha Modx6.
Sounds like you should have picked up the MODX first, or a Krome, not an entry-level keyboard like the Kross. 🤣
Thanks Woody. Great to see you doing this. I’ve got a (recent) Korg i3 arranger and I’m wondering if it has a similar sound engine to this Kross.
I think it does. I think they are both based on the Triton's generation. I'm having a brain fart about Korg's acronyms... was it called HD-1, or EX-1? I have that version on the KARMA, and the latest version (different acronym, but it's an evolution not a totally new thing) on the Kronos. The Kronos samples sound a little more detailed to me, but Kross and i3 (the newer i3 obv, not the 90s one) seemed similar sounding. I didn't hear them consecutively or side by side, though, so I can't be certain. The i3 seemed to be the cheapest Korg "workstation" keyboard with the decent sounds. Korg makes even cheaper intro "arranger" keyboards, but their sounds are quite a bit less than the i3, IMO. The Wavestate has really good samples, and you can add your own, but it's a different type of synth engine. Really, that one is all about using sequences of samples as playable instruments, and then layering up to 4 of those. Still, you can play individual sampled instruments like on a normal keyboard, but that's not its strength. It has top level sounds for the money. I think some of its samples might be a little better than the equivalent on i3 and Kross, but I bet many are the same, too. However, it only has 37 keys, and no workstation functionality. Have fun with the i3!
yes i second that, similar engine, but I don't think you have access to tweak very much on the i3, so more of preset machine, whereas kross allows you to sculpt your own sounds, especially when using PC editor.
Does sound great👍 you could use on many different tracks and still have room for something new with it.
So lush❤️🎹❤️
Shouldn't my Nautilus be able to produce everything as this Kross, or am I missing something? Regardless, it does sound fantastic.
yeah it should, it's much more powerful, but it seems to lack these fantastic hip kross combis, the kross beats it there for factory presets, but I'm sure you could program in something equally or more impressive. i find the kross does have a nice unique lo-fi vintage vibe to it tho.
Hi Woody, I have some questions about some keyboards used in some music, and thought you might be able to give me the correct answers!? ( since your musical taste is mostly 80s music ) Let me take you back to the early 80s with the music artist, SHANNON! She had two hits on her debut release. 1- GIVE ME TONITE and 2- LET THE MUSIC PLAY My question to you is, DO YOU KNOW WHICH SYNTH/S WERE USED IN MAKING THESE SONGS???? I love those sounds and im not sure which synth/s were used in creating them. Please give them a listen, and let me know if you can figure it out.? Thank you in advance!
hi rocky, sorry, i'm really useless at these guess the synth challenges. but my approach would be to figure out if FM and subtractive synthesis, fetch the synth and start tweaking!
@@WoodyPianoShack That reply is ridiculous! You say you love 80s music! you say you love all synth sounds from the 80s music! So you should also be able to have a more clear idea of which synths were used for that music.. NEVER MIND!
Love the hide and seek !
I would choose a synth sample, play few chords in the middle section, then in the low and in the high sections. Only then I would play some chord progresions using both hands.
Adding drums is a distraction and this video is rather entertaing than useful.
And how is it together with Logic?
Зеленыи цвет дерпвьев красота что отражает солнца свет как след летящиих небеса лучеи расыпаных вокруг
Oh my god. You're a Kross and a Grado user too
I love my Kross and SR325is.
great video Woody! quick question, is there any sound design aspects to this at all? or is it pretty much a "great sounds, but this is your lot" kinda board?
no, like all pro romplers, you can edit everything down to the oscillators, and you get plenty of single-cycle waveforms if you want those (square wave, sawtooth, etc.)
@@Jason75913 AWESOME thank you!!
yeah, you can tweak to your hearts content, but using the front panel menus is not a lot fo fun, a PC editor is available if you really want to dig deep.
@@WoodyPianoShack thank you! I hope I'm not too late on getting one I noticed all the stores are out of stock of them hopefully when I get a chance I'll get one, thank you so much!
Pads are like pancakes stack em up!!!
Been fantasizing for a while on the Kross series for live playing. Seemingly, it ticked 80% of the boxes, and intended to use my other controller keyboard for (the lack of) after touch (recognized though). However, as I entered a shop to play on it, I was rebute by its keyboard. Didn’t mind the overall build quality if it meant better portability, but the 61 version felt just like melting butter. I had the feel I was playing on a broken instrument, a toy perhaps...Even my old n364 (Korg as well) was better in this regard...
ouch, yeah, i have to agree they don't make em like they used to. but probably they used to be more expensive too... :D
Strange how the Kross 2 at approx £600 UK can have sliders, knobs and pads yet the Nautilus at four times the price doesn't.
Nautilus is occasionally a bit clunkier to use than the Kross already is. :\
kross is pretty sparse really, only 2 knobs, whereas naut has 8 (iirc). both weak compared to fantom-0 with lots of front panel controls...
we should do a mix jamming session just for fun one day maybe you could have some fun with my emulator 2 ;P as always great to see you back !
it would be! if only there was a way for me to jam with the viewers in real-time, that would be so much fun! still waiting for that tech to arrive.
Are these presets
they sure are, with some tweaking of the controls.
Put together a concert (30 mins) based on this video it would be great. Drummer? (mime) vocals / You? . . .. .
Despite two master effects and five insert effects, it is impossible to use delay and reverb effects at the same time with the Kross 2, as they are exclusively in the slot of the master effect 2 and only one can be selected there. If you use a so-called "double effect" in master effect 1, the master effect 2 is no longer usable and you can neither use delay nor reverb. There is also no delay and reverb for the five inserts, or the master effect 1.
Unfortunately, this makes the Kross 2 unusable for me, because of course I want to be able to use both effects specifically for certain timbres. :-/ Unfortunately, that's not possible.
My Juno DS has similar effect “rationing”. I guess that’s typical for entry level synths?
My new(ish) Nautilus has more generous effects allotments, and I suspect most other mid tier synths do as well.
@@Roboprogs The Juno is more limited in insert FX, yes, but it also givesyou a master EQ in System Settings, while the Kross2 does not, and the Juno can use both a delay insert FX + reverb from its master bus, you can even stack reverbs by using the master reverb + reverb insert.
yes, that's quite the limitation I suppose. but you can work around, add in your DAW, and these combis sound decent even with the limitation. thanks for sharing the nitty gritty anyway, much appreciated.
Nautilus forever!!!
Uh, ok. I like my Naughty, too 😁
But this one costs less than half for people who can’t afford the upgrade.
several times more expensive, no pads, clunkier interface, weighs more, can't run on batteries, and simply overkill unless you are going to use it in a studio
More banjo.
haha, not a comment you see every day
Did you perform ? ok Vampire Hunter D !
not sure what the reference is here...
Iridium all day long for pads mate.
haha, yeah, appreciate that sentiment!
Not bad for £450 I dont need it but it's nice.
The machine is great, but its silicone layer, after 5 years of use, has peeled its skin because of that silicone with a rubbery sensation.