The Krome EX is Korg's workstation for players who want pianos first and everything else second. This 73-key version runs a semi-weighted keyboard from C1 to C7, with 4 GB of PCM sample memory behind it. Sequencing, drums and a colour touchscreen come as part of the deal.
The acoustic side
Seigen Ono, an authority on DSD recording and mastering, supervised the sessions behind these new acoustic piano programs. Korg built on the German D Grand that carried the original Krome, adding to the range rather than swapping it out. An upright of the type heard constantly in pop is included too.
Vintage keys, modelled cabinets
Each of the three electric piano types is mapped across eight velocity levels, so response follows how hard you play. Korg spent a lot of sample memory here. In fact one type alone holds more data than the whole sound set of a typical PCM synthesizer. Vintage amps, cabinets and the classic effects that belong with these instruments have been modelled to match.
Balancing close and distant mics
Behind the 48 preload kits sit more than 2,500 drum samples. Jazz Ambience Drums is the one to try first, since it leans on the larger PCM capacity to hold onto room detail. By adjusting the mix between the direct signal, taken from a mic near the head or cymbal, and the ambience captured further back, you change how big the whole thing feels. Small moves there matter.
Instant grooves
Press the Drum Track button and a groove played by professional drummers starts up, using those same studio-grade kits. More than 600 preset patterns carry over from the Kronos. Those can feed the 16-track sequencer, act as a rhythm guide while you write, or get triggered live, and there is space for your own alongside them. It takes one press.
Editing by touch
The TouchView display measures 800 by 480 pixels, which is enough to show a lot of parameters without paging constantly. Touch it to change sounds or edit values, and drag a finger to move the on-screen sliders and knobs. Several tools take advantage of that, including a piano roll editor, a stopwatch for timing a live show and a calculator keypad for entering numbers.
What sits under your hands
Keys on this model are semi-weighted and velocity sensitive, with no aftertouch, spanning C1 to C7 and transposable well beyond. The front panel is lustrous aluminium set against a dark body with curved sides, which reads clearly under stage lighting. In single mode polyphony reaches 120 voices, dropping to 60 when programs run double. Five inserts, two master processors and one total effect draw on a pool of 193 types.
See it in action
Specifications
| Keyboard (KROME EX-73) | Semi Weighted Keyboard. Velocity sensitive is supported, after touch is not supported. Standard C1 - C7 (transposable in the range [C0...C6]-[C2...C8]) |
|---|---|
| Maximum Polyphony | 120 voices (120 Oscillators) / Single Mode, 60 voices (120 Oscillators) / Double Mode. The maximum simultaneous voice polyphony will vary depending on oscillator settings, velocity crossfading and whether you are using mono or stereo multisamples. |
| PCM Memory | 4 GB (in case of 48 kHz, 16-bit Linear PCM converted), 728 multisamples (including 44 stereo multisamples), 2,502 drumsamples (including 574 stereo drumsamples) |
| Program Oscillator | OSC1 (Single), OSC1 + 2 (Double). Stereo multisamples are supported, 8 velocity zones per oscillator with switching, crossfades and layers |
| Filters | Four types of filter routing (single, serial, parallel, 24 dB). Two multi-mode filters per oscillator (low pass, high pass, band pass, band reject) |
| EQ | Three bands, with sweepable mid |
| Modulation | For each oscillator, two envelope generators (Filter & Amp), two LFOs, two key tracking generators (Filter & Amp), two AMS mixers, Pitch EG, Common LFO, two common key tracking generators |
| Combination Timbre Number | Max 16. For each Timbre, keyboard and velocity split/layer/crossfades. Modifications to the program settings via the Tone Adjust function. |
| Drum Kit | Stereo and mono drum samples. 8 velocity zones switch (crossfades and layers) |
| User Combination | 768 Combination (512 Preload) |
| User Program | 1536 Program (896 Preload) |
| User Drum Kit | 80 Drum Kit (48 Preload) |
| Preset Program | 256 GM2 Program + 9 GM2 Drums Program |
| Insert Effects | 5 Insert Effects (stereo in/out) |
| Master Effects | 2 Master Effects (stereo in/out) |
| Total Effect | 1 Total Effect (stereo in/out) |
| Timbre / Track EQ | 3-band EQ per in 1 Timbre / in 1 Track |
| Effect Types | 193 types (usable as insert, master, or total effects. However, double-size effects cannot be used as a total effect.) |
| Effects Control Busses | Stereo side chain (Limiter, Gate, Vocoder etc.) |
| Arpeggio Patterns | 5 preset Arpeggio pattern, 1,088 User Arpeggio pattern (960 Preload) |
| Drum Track Preset Patterns | 710 patterns (common with the preset pattern of the Sequencer mode) |
| Drum Track User Patterns | 1,000 patterns (pattern created in Sequencer mode can be converted to drum track user pattern) |
| Tracks | 16-track + 1 master track |
| Number of Songs | 128 Songs |
Specifications from Korg. Appearance and specifications are subject to change without notice.