While Korg, along with many other companies, has done some great things at the affordable end of the synth market, it's somehow comforting to know that it's still making super-powerful, money-no-object keyboards, too. We're talking specifically about the new Kronos, an updated version of the company's monster workstation.
Said to embody "over 50 years of artistic vision and production expertise," this redesigned Kronos is billed as "the most versatile synthesizer ever made". Supporting this claim are nine engines - including an enhanced grand piano - that can produce a massive variety of sounds, some of which come directly from artists or emulate those heard in famous songs.
Kronos has a new look, too (note the wood side panels) and the TouchView display now enables you to touch and drag, giving you more detailed control. Settings for songs and sets can be organised in the advanced Set List mode, and there are sequencing and sampling options, too.
Although the Kronos has a number of hands-on controls, it can also accommodate external MIDI controllers - plug in a Korg controller with pads on it, for example, and they'll automatically be mapped to the Kronos's virtual chord pad function.
Although this is a new product - it'll ship in December in 61-, 73- and 88-note configurations - Korg has let it be known that many of the new features will be available to existing Kronos owners via an OS update.
You can find out more on the Korg website. Pricing details are still to be confirmed.
