TEST OF KORG NAUTILUS 73

[♚Chello]

TEST OF KORG NAUTILUS 73

   

The minimalist design of this synth is an aesthetic pleasure to look at, and could have found a place in a museum of modern art.
Jules Verne would have loved the design.

With Nautilus' exquisite lines, Korg can be said to have outclassed the Yamaha Genos, which was largely based on Kronos.
Revenge is fulfilled.

The design of the fold-down rotary potentiometers completes the association that this is a submarine - push them in, and dive into the undiscovered world of music.
Does the Nautilus work under water, I wonder?



FIRST IMPRESSION:
This synth oozes quality with its solid design in thick aluminum and minimalist construction.
Most of the buttons have been omitted, and have been replaced with a few buttons with smart function, some of which are also programmable.
Few buttons have their advantages in terms of longevity.


FIRST TIME START-UP:
This takes some time, well over 2 minutes.
After a while it sounds as if a small jet engine is started (this is a high tech submarine), but this decreases after a while until it becomes absolutely quiet.


Connectivity:
All connections at the back are of the best quality, and you will find everything here that is expected of a top synthesizer, except that there is no S / PDIF output.


Compability:
All expected formats are supported.
On the other hand, nothing is said about the fact that combinations etc. from Kronos are not supported.
Work is reportedly underway to develop software to convert from Kronos to Nautilus.
We're waiting, Korg.


Included software:
Editor can be downloaded and with this you can do all the basics.
In addition, it comes with a code for downloading software from Korg Bundle, which includes many programs.
The link to this site did not work and I had to find the page myself, plus the download links do not work anyway.
Korg has been in a hurry...


Intuitive use/Layout:
I have read through the manual, which I otherwise perceive as deficient and cluttered organized.
I have also seen just about all video tutorials.
Still:

When I tried different combinations, sets and programs I was totally confused - it was not possible to play chords with my left hand - only single bass ..?
After a long search, I found that the settings in Basic Setup / Track Transpose had to be changed to "Works within scale".

Switching between different modes turned out to be anything but logical; I rarely got back to where I was before.
This layout is generally confusing, but fortunately there are 6 programmable buttons that allow you to build your own logic.

I had hoped that Korg had improved the layout for viewing and access to sounds, but they have not - it is quite as backwards as on Kronos. They should have had their own (or more) buttons for sounds.
The manual shows that button no. 4 is assigned the function Sounds, when in fact it is not - it shows Combinations.

The layout is more confusing than it was on Kronos. For example, I have not found Global EQ; neither in the manual nor on the Nautilus. After several hours I found it, but do not remember how and where.
I have since tried to find it again, but had to give up.
That's not how it should be.

PS:
I just found out where EQ adjustments are: In Sequencer Mode.
Everything plus more is shown; also which filter types are used.
This area is little or not explained at all in the manual.


Mechanical quality:
The keys are the best I have tried of this type; better than Genos - they do not have any audible mechanical noise at all, and are very comfortable to use - absolutely approved.

All buttons are of superb quality, and work even better than those on Kronos.
The volume potentiometer is excellently calibrated, and the rotary potentiometers are easy to handle efficiently.

USB and headphone connection is located at the back, which is backwards.


Sound quality:
My first impression was that something was missing, and this persisted until I found the global EQ and adjusted a bit up at the ends of the frequency range.
This equalizer is extremely effective, and I would have liked to know what settings for Q-values they have used.
The sound is at least as good as on Kronos, and many new sounds have been added; sounds that are brand new on the market.


Quality of mixing:
The mixing seems to me to be worse than on Kronos, as several combinations have max levels on all tracks, something they should not have.
This often results in bass and other sounds becoming too weak, while drums and effects dominate the soundscape.
The choice of sounds is also strange in many cases, plus a varying split point setup is used, which is confusing.
Kronos was like that too.

The selection of Combinations and Sets is lousy, because several genres are completely omitted, while modern genres such as dance and film music are favored.
In general, they are also much simpler than those on Kronos, which contained far more active tracks.


Different features:
I have tested all functions that are programmed in the rotary potentiometers, and eg Cutoff and Dynamics are very effective and useful.
However, a problem arises if you use many of these sequentially - different effects freeze; they do not return to the expected position.
The problem can sometimes be solved by choosing another combination or other, but otherwise Nautilus must be restarted to fix the problem.

I experienced the same with Kronos, but the problem is more pronounced with Nautilus.


Degree of playing pleasure:
This synth gives an unusually high playing pleasure; there are an incredible number of effects available - pre-programmed.

It is still experienced as a challenge when playing different combinations, sets and programs, because these are all very differently programmed, with varying settings for split points, locked manual bass and the like.

Arpeggiator with its 4 squares is a big plus, and is an improvement over previous Karma - without a doubt.
The screen's precision is also better than Kronos', but still quite useless to adjust potentiometers with.
The selection of combinations, sets and programs is in practice limited, as dance and film music are favored.
Here Kronos is much better equipped.

Smooth Sound Transitions must be said to involve a significant upgrade from Kronos, as the technology allows you to change sounds and other things, while the sounds slide into each other seamlessly - This is simply ingenious.



Pros:
* Excellent sound
* No Aftertouch
* Configurable arpeggiator engine with four instantly switchable scenes
* Smooth Sound Transitions
* 6 programmable quick access buttons
* Separate turn potentiometer for Dynamic Range
* Editor software included


Cons:
* No Aftertouch
* No Karma
* New layout that requires time to understand
* Use of many subsequent effects results in sound crashes; they do not return to the expected position.
* No S/PDIF output
* Messy and incomplete manual


Final conclusion:
A NEW KING HAS BEEN BORN..?

One impression has taken hold: Total confusion.
The layout may be innovative, but it is more confusing than the one I remember from Kronos.
I miss the logic in the way everything is built.
The manual is also very cluttered and incomplete.

Those who are used to Aftertouch should steer clear of Nautilus, as the lack of this limits the use of many instruments.
Personally, I think this is a big plus, because it will be much easier for me to express myself precisely without Aftertouch.

The omission of Karma can also scare away many former Kronos users, but I think Arpeggios is a better solution, and it works better - Karma worked worse in my opinion.


Those who can live without Aftertouch and Karma will find a clear winner in Nautilus - especially if they are interested in new effects and film music.

Personally, I think that Nautilus is an improvement on Kronos when it comes to things that are especially important to me, and I am sure that I will enjoy this synth for many years to come.

[⚖whitecolin1]

Great first revue, 
Interesting no after touch, since they are discontinuing Kronos and Karma being replaced with arpeggiator's which i guess is evolution.
What is a little bit of concern is you felt it wasn`t as user friendly as you had hoped.
This was my biggest issue with Kronos great machine to complex for me.
The other thing that struck me was saying Kronos incompatibility with nautlaus which is a shock.
Kronos was is the flag barer you cant then replace it with a new model and leave all the rest of customers in limbo.
I always prefer the keybed of Korg to yamaha.
Always prefer the richness of sounds on Korg to yamaha  (too clinical)
But much prefer the style set on yamaha.

I am looking forward as you learn more about the Nautilus, What you find are advantages.

One thing seems constant is, Korg are not talking to each other and not aligning there thinking to make thing easier and to make a more fluid transition between Keyboards.

As always Chello Great reading

[♚Chello]

@Colin

Thanks for your comment.
I may have been a bit brutal in my rewiev, but think it's important to convey the real, first impression.

When it comes to usability, I have completely overlooked one very important thing:
Korg has created Nautilus Editor, which allows you to work with Nautilus on the PC - IN REAL TIME - everything you do here happens simultaneously on Nautilus.

The program is an exact clone of Nautilus, and completely eliminates any problems a small touch screen may cause.
It is many times easier to test everything via Editor.

I now see clearly what I need to do:
Mount an extra screen over the Nautilus, and a shelf with keyboard and mouse in front of the keys.
I had actually made this clear before I got the Nautilus, but wanted to wait with the assembly to see if this was practically necessary and relevant.

By the way, I share your view on everything you say here.

[♚Chello]

After a week of testing, the picture changes:


* The layout is still confusing, and there are several bugs that make it impossible to scroll through different views - the view is wrong, and I always have to start all over again.

* The 6 potentiometers do not return to their original position when used efficiently, and this creates problems with creating effects that should not be there.

* The selection of SETS and Combinations is too poor, and is much worse made than Kronos's - they typically also have only 8 active tracks.

* Programs, SETS and Combinations are too simple, which means that it is too much work to use them as a basis for new projects.

* Programming is generally lousy, with max volume for all tracks, and poor choice of voices and filters.

* The keybed is not as good as I thought, because several keys creak, plus there is often a mechanical clattering sound on some keys when I play aggressively.

* The Editor program is by no means a copy of Nautilus, as the layout is quite different for many sections, and this is perceived as confusing.

* I experience more and more that it is too small with 4 Arpeggio windows. In comparison, Kronos had 128 choices for Karma.

* Finally - the drop that made the cup overflow was when I installed new programs and did not find them again.
They placed on P000 and beyond, but I did not find this anywhere.
I had to enter one of the file names and search for this to find it, and then experienced that none of them sounded as they should either ...

What is more than strange is that the only way to play self-installed programs is by searching for them, because P is nowhere to be found ..?!

MY NAUTILUS WILL BE RETURNED