TEST OF KORG KROME EX-88

[♚Chello]

TEST OF KORG KROME EX-88


   



Much has been said about this model, and opinions go in conflicting directions on many things, but one thing everyone agrees on:
The sound quality.
Everyone except me.

I have read countless blogs, and avoided famous testers' rewievs, because these are bought & paid for by manufacturers and distributors.
This model is even more minimalist than the Nautilus - there are almost no buttons - most things have to be done via the screen.
Then the question is: Are there enough buttons?


FIRST IMPRESSION:
The synth came in a large box, with the most comprehensive damage protection I have seen to date - many braces in both directions, plus an extra lid of cardboard that was designed so that it locked all damage protection effectively.
This turned out to be useful and functional, because the box had received harsh treatment along the way and was full of ugly bruises and holes.
The keybed was secured with a tape, which was very difficult to tear off.

The cabinet is in very solid aluminium and gives an immediate impression of high production quality.

When it's well out of the box, you immediately notice that the keys have a smaller width than normal - they are actually 22.0 mm, compared to DGX's standard 22.5 mm.
As a result, I can increase my span from 8.46" to 8.5" - I reach the "missing" key, and can grab more than 1 octave.
Brilliant!


FIRST TIME START-UP:
This goes faster than ever - about 55 seconds.
Very good, considering everything that needs to be loaded.


Connectivity:
All connections at the back are of the best quality, and you will find everything here that is expected of a middle class synthesizer, except that there is no regular USB (only host), but an SD card slot.


Compability:
I have not found out anything specific about compatibility, but M1 and Triton combinations, programs and sounds can be downloaded from Korg Krome website and installed.


Included software:
Editor can be downloaded and with this you can do all the basics.
The editor looks very good - but when you try to download this, you are informed that it can NOT be used for EX ..?!
What is Korg doing, really?

They trick you into buying a synth because it has good software, while this is not available, even after 3 years ..?
Shame on you!


Intuitive use/Layout:
I have read through the manuals (700 pages), which I otherwise perceive as deficient and cluttered organized - as usual.

This synth is not easy to understand, and has a very intricate layout that almost entirely depends on using the screen.
There are menus inside the menus, which lack a logical structure - a madhouse to navigate with.
I thought Kronos was difficult, but it turns out that Kronos is easiest to understand, because Krome is many times worse than Nautilus, who is also worse than Kronos.

This can only be called a backwards development, and I am very concerned about buying something new from Korg.


Mechanical quality:
The keys are referred to as piano weighted (NH type), but I would argue that they in no way feel like piano keys - they are much lighter, and are perceived more as (heavy) semi weighted.
Having said that, it should be emphasized that this is in no way negative - this is an incredibly good keybed - better than Nautilus's.
The response is fantastically good, and even the most complex movements are easy to make with this keybed.

This keybed should have been standard on all models.
In my opinion, there is only one keybed that is better, and that is Kronos's, which is otherwise perceived as a real piano with its RH3 technology.

All buttons are of good quality, but are a bit too heavy to activate.
All potentiometers are excellent.
Headphone connection is in front, but this is in mini-jack design.
There is only USB Host of USB connections, which naturally is on the back, in addition to the SD card.


Sound quality:
The sound quality is, to put it mildly, variable, and is by no means as good as on the Nautilus and Kronos.
The sound is mostly very sharp, with overfocus at 8-10kHz.
For unknown reasons, bass instruments are perceived as weak and indistinct.

There are many good sounds, but el pianos disappoints a lot, and no one is in the same class as Nautilus and Kronos.
This also applies to the drum kits.


Quality of mixing:
The mixing is generally utterly cruel; much worse than on the Nautilus.
Drums get all the attention, while the right voice is either too weak or powerful.
The selection of Combinations must for my part be considered useless - here too Krome is worse than Nautilus.

It's okay that Korg "keeps up with the times", but do they really think that all performers are only interested in abstract dance and film effects?
There is almost no "normal" pop, jazz or country.

They are all miserably mixed, and to use any, they must be edited heavily.
The number of active tracks is even lower than on the Nautilus - is Korg desperate to save money? At our expense? Not on my.

Another thing:
There is ONLY ONE variation for all Combinations ..!
Nautilus had 4, while Kronos had up to 128.
This alone makes Krome a challenge to play on - only one variation is as if you only have one Main on your arranger - without fills and pads.


Different features:
I have tested all functions that are programmed in the rotary potentiometers, and they are very effective and useful.
They work pretty much as they should, without the problems that arose on the Nautilus.


Degree of playing pleasure:
This synth does not live up to my expectations.
Only the keybed does.
Unfortunately, you need more than a good keybed to be musically inspired.



Pros:
* Excellent, tighter keybed


Cons:
* No Aftertouch
* Generally varied and poor mixing - several voices have full volume, while drums are often overfocused and bass underfocused.
* Only ONE variation
* Too few buttons
* New layout that requires time to understand
* No additional software (download link and code are hidden with the manual)
* Messy and incomplete manuals


Final conclusion: NOT APPROVED
With the development of Krome, Korg has given birth to a synth that helps to destroy everything they have built up over a number of years.
Products should normally be developed so that they get better - not worse.

This means that their previous synths such as Oasys and Kronos will increase in value, because Korg produces worse and worse synths.
I will most likely buy an Oasys or Kronos - but will not even consider newer products.


I have already decided to return Krome - it does not meet my requirements.
I will try to get a Kronos instead.

[⚝Graham UK]

Chello.  Accepting it's your personal opinion.
Your Review Pros & Cons is a good honest insight for other potential buyers.
Gaining a sound experience over many-many years has made us very critical to the point we know what is acceptable or not.
One knows with a few minutes of powering up if a product is a keeper or a return. Nice Review.

[♚Chello]

@Graham

Thank you for your excellent comment.
You understand me and what I emphasize when choosing an instrument.

I have always been critical, and increasing age provides an increasing basis for assessment that solidifies the assessment.
Something like that.

I only need a moment to judge whether an instrument is good or not.
The very moment provides a real description of the instrument's actual qualities or lack thereof.

Feedback like yours makes this work twice as rewarding.

[⚝Graham UK]

Chello. I always find first impressions of a product are the ones we return to as being correct.

Case in point is our DGX670, switching on for the first time, first impressions were good. 

Any product can be improved but the DGX's low price for the quality it offers is a bonus.

[♚Chello]

@Graham

Chello. I always find first impressions of a product are the ones we return to as being correct.

Case in point is our DGX670, switching on for the first time, first impressions were good.

Any product can be improved but the DGX's low price for the quality it offers is a bonus.


You are absolutely right.
I remember once many years ago when my father was going to buy a new accordion.
He borrowed all the accordions the store had in turn, and both my father, his brother, my brother and I tried them.
None of them impressed us.

Along the way, my father was visited by a friend, who had just bought a huge ORA, which cost a fortune - a good accordion at the time cost 30,000 NOK, while this cost almost 70,000 NOK (in 1979).
I had just bought one for over 30,000 NOK, and thought this was very good - until I tried ORA.

The sound was absolutely amazing and it had a bass from another dimension, plus the keybeds were almost "self-playing".
It was cruelly heavy, all the others thought, but I did not understand their way of thinking, because quality comes before everything else.


When it comes to synths and arrangers, only Kronos and DGX have given me a similar experience.
That is the brutal truth.

[♚Chello]

I have now packed Krome for return.
In that connection, I got a surprise:

During testing, I tried in vain to find the promised additional software.
When I now packed the manual, I noticed a card that came with it, where there was a link for download and code.

This should have been clearly stated on Korg`s download page for Krome.
MAYBE I would have kept the synth if I had had the opportunity to test this editor, but due to Korg`s lack of clarification of where this was, they lost me as a customer.

Korg ...