January 17, 2011

Jordan Rudess Plays the KRONOS

I just got back from the 2011 NAMM show. There was a great buzz about the KRONOS throughout the show- a really nice way to celebrate the announcement of the product.

It was truly inspiring to see and hear some great musicians playing KRONOS, including Korg’s own Steve McNally, Jack Hotop and Rich Formidoni. But the highlight for me was getting into the packed standing-room-only demo room while Jordan Rudess of Dream Theater talked about his inspirations and masterfully improvised on the KRONOS.

I captured this video on my handheld camcorder. Unfortunately it’s only using the built-in mic, so the audio isn’t great. And people kept bumping into me! But in spite of that, Jordan’s musicality and skill shine through, as do the fantastic sounds and capabilities of KRONOS. Enjoy!

I think in this picture, I was saying “sorry about that voice stealing bug we heard during your playing- I just tweaked the stealing algorithm, so it’ll be fixed in the next update!” Smile Thankfully, he was very understanding, and was asking Rich “When can I get one? No seriously, when?”

68 Comments

imakingprawnok
January 18, 2011 @ 9:21 am

what part of it did you work on???

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5mcarter
January 18, 2011 @ 12:09 pm

WOW what a beautiful sound. THUMBS UP.

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pablo12co
January 18, 2011 @ 1:54 pm

I’m studiing to have a job like yours! Where are you working? Awseome!

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John
January 18, 2011 @ 9:21 pm

@imakingprawnok – our team does the embedded software architecture design
and implementation.

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Michel Keijzers
February 17, 2011 @ 12:58 am

In my group of about 12 people there are 2 musicians and 1 DJ and my job is
completely unrelated to music. But 3 out of 12 still is quite a lot. And
music is quite related to math/logic, both the tone system, but especially
synthesizer ‘programming & sound building (Oscillators, filters etc).
Thanks for the answer anyway!

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Randyolsson
February 26, 2011 @ 5:32 am

the game…

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u7club
March 1, 2011 @ 3:09 pm

Long time ago, many people like Jordan refused to play keyboards with
rhythms (Arranger Keyboards). Today, most demonstrations of this kind of
workstations are performed exactly as an Arranger Keyboard, like Yamahas
PSRs and Tyros, Roland E Series, Korg PA Series, etc. Why these guys do not
helped to develop this technology before? We would have keyboards with more
competitive prices today. Better late than never. Muitas Emoções!

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816showtime
March 3, 2011 @ 11:58 am

@linn1000 i feel your pain and you do have a point.

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bananamusician
March 8, 2011 @ 4:13 pm

Great video, I love it! Too bad I just lost the game watching it.

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WillTocaJr
March 22, 2011 @ 4:05 pm

He’s so cheesy :b

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Adam DiTroia
April 7, 2011 @ 5:26 pm

I’m a fan of his but man does he noodle too much! Slow the fuck down!! lol
Less is more sometimes…

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Mahmoud EA
April 13, 2011 @ 6:55 am

on looser does not love this !

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NNITRED
May 29, 2011 @ 6:11 am

i love Rudess but he has plastered his name alongside so many major synths
and workstations I don’t give his endorsements nearly as much weight as I
once did in years past. Roland , Kurzweil , Korg, Muse….the list goes on.
Great playing as expected though.

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clipbrowser
July 29, 2011 @ 6:41 am

is that the 73 or 88?

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trux04
August 2, 2011 @ 9:56 am

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Lucas Piano
August 2, 2011 @ 10:36 pm

Jordan is the best!

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Jerry Jose
September 28, 2011 @ 4:29 am

@u7club They are not using any Accompaniment style… They use arpeggios or
drum tracks. In Korg, KARMA plays a vital role in performance which is the
most powerful tool a synthesizer can ever get. And Kronos has 4 KARMAs in
COMBI mode. That makes her the best in its class. It seems that they are
using an arranger, but actually it isn’t. Even though it sounds like an
arranger, it is very far better than an arranger. An arranger like PSR, PA,
E-Series will never get even a 30% of sound quality

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Jerry Jose
September 29, 2011 @ 9:32 am

Does Kronos has RPPR and chord assign to pads(in kronos the pads are in the
screen) like M3..? If anyone knows, please let me know.. Thank you in
advance..

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luckycj08
September 30, 2011 @ 9:37 am

idol!!!!!!!

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John
September 30, 2011 @ 10:02 am

@jerryKJose – yes to both.

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akgunmert
October 5, 2011 @ 8:41 am

bir de düğüncülerden onay almadan 4 para etmez bu alet. harmandalı seni bekler kronos cuğum. kusura bakma.

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Oblivionduff
October 22, 2011 @ 7:09 pm

All of these patches sound strikingly similar to two VST’s i have on my computer, which i use with Ableton. KORG M1 and KORG WAVESTATION. Why the big fuss over something that sounds like its twenty years old?

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- Mikeg73070
  January 26, 2012 @ 4:44 am
  
  @Oblivionduff I kind of have to agree with you on the sounds. But, What if think makes this one different is the awesome level of customization. I’m not sure if you’ve checked out the offical Korg promos on this but it does seem to offer a lot more to tweek than prior units. Ps: is your name based on The Elder Scrolls?
  
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portwoodjeff
November 10, 2011 @ 10:55 pm

john i gotta say the more i learn about you and from you the more respect i have for you.

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dentunes
November 29, 2011 @ 11:47 pm

@jerryKJose Yes and you can add a Korg nanoPad to control drums or the chords.

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SteffenH89
January 6, 2012 @ 5:58 am

@u7club Dude! The Kronos isn’t an arranger keyboard. It’s a workstation. And yes there’s a very big difference. Go pick up a Yamaha Tyros if you want to play at Wedding anniversaries or such.

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soundmanhaven1
January 23, 2012 @ 1:48 pm

wow so expressive cool playing

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mr4y
February 9, 2012 @ 6:52 pm

Keep in mind one thing. Muted layers in every mode eat polyphony. No other workstation does this.

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- John
  February 10, 2012 @ 8:44 am
  
  @mr4y – If you want to disable a combi or sequence timbre so that no polyphony is used, there’s a Status button right above the Mute button (for each timbre). If you set a timbre’s status to Off, no polyphony will be used.
  The timbre Mute buttons work just like on an audio mixer. If a timbre is muted and you play a key or audio track, it is still playing- but its signal is silenced. If you then unmute it, you will hear it.
  
  Reply
  - mr4y
    February 10, 2012 @ 11:09 am
    
    @johnplanetz On Kurzweil’s PC3 muted layers don’t use polyphony. It’s one of the main complaints in the Korg Forums along with the endless RH3 issues.
    
    Reply
    - John
      February 12, 2012 @ 8:47 pm
      
      @mr4y – there are two buttons per timbre on the screen: the Mute button works like an audio mixer, while the status button when set to Off works like you want. In any case, a global preference to choose the Mute button behavior would be a good addition.
      
      Reply
      - mr4y
        February 12, 2012 @ 9:23 pm
        
        @johnplanetz Switching elements off defeats the whole purpose of using combi mode. You have all that supposed power under the hood(although it’s inferior processing wise to the early OASYS) and you would think that basic stuff like polyphony limit wouldn’t be a issue, like it wasn’t with the PC3(intelligent voice stealing algorhythm and no polyphony isue with muted layers) or the Jupiter 80 (256 note polyphony). In this regard, PC3 run circles around the Kronos.
        
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        John
        February 12, 2012 @ 9:44 pm
        
        @mr4y – if you like, imagine that the current Mute button says something like “Silence”, and the status-off selector says “Mute”. Now that button works just like you’re requesting, and there it is, already there. And as I said, it’s a good suggestion to add a global preference to let you select “No Polyphony Usage when Muted” for the Mute button.
        
        Reply
        
        John
        February 12, 2012 @ 9:46 pm
        
        @mr4y – Playing a single note on a layered Kronos combi can request literally 1000s of voices- it has to make some choices about what will sound. Every system has its limits. The stealing algorithm in Kronos is really quite sophisticated. Broad generalizations and comparisons such as those you’re making are meaningless. The Kronos will exceed its competitors in some areas, and not in other areas. If you like the PC3, great- buy one! But claiming it “runs circles around the Kronos” is silly.
        
        Reply
        
        mr4y
        February 12, 2012 @ 10:46 pm
        
        @johnplanetz I’m not making that. I can tell you that a number o Kronos owners agree that Kurzweil has the upper hand in this regard. Keep in mind that the whole issue is not about voice stealing algorhythms. The whole isse is that muted voices in Combi mode will use polyphony and this doesn’t happen with the PC3, which can have 32 layers per program and up to 16 programs in “combi” mode, while having no polyphony used when layers are muted, which does happen in the Kronos.
        
        Reply
        
        mr4y
        February 12, 2012 @ 10:47 pm
        
        @mr4y Is no excuse to make such a primordial effect while still calling this keyboard a game changer? What changed? Korg keyboards already had this issue years ago.
        
        Reply
        
        mr4y
        February 12, 2012 @ 10:49 pm
        
        @mr4y And this is not even the biggest issue with the Kronos in general. The biggest issue is the numerous faults with the RH3 keybeds as well as the VST editor false advertising. What I’m talking about could be described as a pet peevee.
        
        Reply
        
        John
        February 12, 2012 @ 11:21 pm
        
        @mr4y – Korg has publicly addressed the RH3 issues. If your Kronos has a keybed problem, contact Korg for repair. The VST editor delay is unfortunate, but these things happen sometimes. Your “Mute pet peeve” is a matter of perspective. There are benefits to the Korg Mute implementation, but it clearly is not your personal preference. You’re making way too big a deal out of it, and completely ignoring what I’ve said. Please that’s enough on that here, thanks.
        
        mr4y
        February 12, 2012 @ 11:31 pm
        
        @johnplanetz On the VST, is not a delay. It’s now at the point of false advertising. It was announced since the beginning in videos and even Korg’s website(it should still be there yet). It even was one of the marketing strategies from Korg. Delayed or not delayed there’s no excuse for that. If they didn’t had a editor ready, then they shouldn’t announce it in the first place. Period.
SparkShredder
February 11, 2012 @ 8:41 pm

I don’t think fast runs on such a patch really have an effect…u know what I mean, hopefully…but with a guy like Jordan, u may dare to differ and accept the shit!! I soooo want this fucking instrument!! 😀

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KLSinCT
February 24, 2012 @ 9:53 pm

What is the maximum polyphony of the Kronos if only the German grand piano is used, particularly for playing dense classical stuff like Liszt and Rachmaninoff?

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Superphilipp
February 25, 2012 @ 1:31 pm

@NNITRED Well, what do you expect? There isn’t a professional keyboard (or guitar for that matter) player out there who would sincerely claim that one instrument was the best for all situations.

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John
February 28, 2012 @ 9:43 am

@KLSinCT – the maximum for the SGX-1 piano model is 100 notes (stereo notes with damper resonance). The other synthesis types have different max polyphony- see the full specs at korg. com/kronos

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TheBoonggaboongga
March 3, 2012 @ 8:25 pm

Yngwie Malmsteen of keyboards

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- epickeys
  March 25, 2012 @ 8:46 am
  
  malmsteen? fuck that. this is music! malmsteen stuffs are boring!!! Dream Theater rules!!!
  
  Reply
chaparganju
March 15, 2012 @ 9:16 pm

what a dull performance with the first Combi.

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chaparganju
March 15, 2012 @ 9:16 pm

what a dull performance with the first Combi.

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yaxowx
March 16, 2012 @ 10:58 am

@NNITRED Even after he posts videos that show you why he endorses the product? I’d say he’s just a huge music nerd that just loves all these new ideas and wants to support them. I wouldn’t demerit his endorsements just because he’s endorsed by a lot of companies, especially when he posts countless videos showing how awesome the product is.

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bluesatbirth
April 1, 2012 @ 10:13 am

Sorry–don’t like his playing–or the sound of the keyboard–sounds–CHEAP !

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Dotcomboom1
April 6, 2012 @ 2:20 pm

cool

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Dotcomboom1
April 6, 2012 @ 2:20 pm

cool

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miamigroove
April 9, 2012 @ 8:16 pm

N.I.B. lol

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pvgroup
April 27, 2012 @ 4:21 am

have they tested it under heavy rain I wonder?

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- trux04
  April 28, 2012 @ 9:56 am
  
  I agree with testing it under heavy rain conditions. Two years go, my band played an outdoor gig, and a sudden thunderstorm came up without warning. We were lucky as we just managed to get our gear torn down when the heavens opened up and almost flooded the area. Luckily, the gear was loaded up just in time. But still, it got me to wonder, what if we hadn’t gotten our equipment loaded in time? I read that Keith Emerson’s module Moog was flooded in a rain storm, so it does happen.
  
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trux04
April 28, 2012 @ 10:12 am

This reminds me of Keyboard magazine ads during the 1970s. Different manufacturers stated that their electronic/electric pianos sounded liked just like real grand pianos. Today, they can make that claim, but I never heard any keyboard during the 70s sound that good. Again, having a “road-worthy ” instrument is very important to me, as most keyboard demonstrations are done under “ideal studio” conditions.

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chridmeister
May 2, 2012 @ 9:07 pm

Have they tested this keyboard whilst a truck unloads two tons of gravel on it? Two years ago, when my band was playing in a deep chasm, a freak avalanche dumped a hundredweight or so of franginated tarmac on us. We were lucky to escape with our lives. But I wonder, what if we weren’t so lucky? What if we had been killed by rocks? Korg needs to address this issue before I will buy more of their products from beyond the grave.

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Obelix5150
May 12, 2012 @ 6:36 am

I was hesitant when I first watched this video. I feel like Rudess could convince me to buy a Casio, because he just plays so damn good in demos like this.

But the KRONOS is now his primary live board for Dream Theater. I think that says a lot.

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Ignore14
June 21, 2012 @ 10:14 am

Pretty sure Omnisphere is the only thing he actually cares about

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angie4josh
July 3, 2012 @ 4:26 am

Its a never ending money racket folks. Just learn to be happy with what you have and read this comment before the government removes it.

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prototypep4
July 11, 2012 @ 8:19 am

It’s his main stage keyboard for dream theater man. He uses everything he endorses.

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Portnoy18666
September 5, 2012 @ 8:19 pm

Jordan Rudess*
How dare you…

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- Jesus Nazareth
  August 16, 2013 @ 7:19 am
  
  well, his civil name actually is Rudes. So he isn’t that wrong 😀
  
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Glenn R
November 28, 2012 @ 5:02 pm

I must say I agree with the mute peeve. What mute should be doing is turning off note receive. Roland has done this for years, and you can hold down a chord and enable a Performance part (Korg = Combi part) and it will start sounding from the next note you play. Even better, you can then hold a chord and disable that part and it will keep sounding until you release those notes. This is obviously invaluable for adding/subtracting a string layer on a piano combi for example. In Korg’s system, you unmute the part and it sounds immediately and unmusically. Same when you mute it, it gets cut off abruptly. The status switch above the mute button does not let you change the value while notes are being held, so while it is good for increasing polyphony, it is not a musical solution to adding/subtracting layers in a live performance. The only way to do that musically is to ride the volume faders, but that is impractical while you are busily hammering out lady Marmalade on a gig.
So far this is the only major gripe I have (although I’m still getting used to Korg’s airy sound after living with Roland’s meaty sound for years).

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zenati7
December 12, 2012 @ 12:12 pm

very good player. Jordan is maybe the best.

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zenati7
December 12, 2012 @ 3:31 pm

the middle track sounds like heaven.

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Valdir Mendes
December 19, 2012 @ 11:22 am

06:11 é muito doido!

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pandamarxx
May 15, 2013 @ 12:56 pm

wow…knowing the band he is in I was expecting a Jam.
Not this Spyro Gyra / Manheim Steamroller Muzak.
Great Player, Great Keyboard & a Great AM Radio Performance. XD

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Jordan Storie
June 10, 2013 @ 7:47 pm

in parts of the song i had to yell “OH SHIT” out of joy and amazement because Jordan is such an incredible jedi, i mean musician.

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seth hudson
August 23, 2013 @ 6:45 pm

Hey there! i downloaded a bunch of so called new sounds for my Kronos, and i was just wondering how i reset Kronos to factory setting (original sounds,Global Etc..). Cause when you first turn on the keyboard as we all know in “program mode” the first sound is the “German Grand Piano” and whatever i have done the first sound is a Mandolin and it’s everywhere! even in “Combi Mode” NEED SOME HELP PLEASE! Just need it back to factory settings. So, short and simple what do i have to do? THANKS!

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tonikeys
April 1, 2014 @ 10:42 am

I respect Jordan as a good keyboard player (by no means one of the best)
but his excessive noodling really annoys me, really boring now. It makes
everything I hear from him sound the same.
Biddly-biddly-biddly-biddly-diddle-liddle-liddle and so on, and so
on………….. It just irritates me now. Wakeman is the master of
noodling, but uses it more sparingly.

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Jordan Rudess Plays the KRONOS

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