Korg Kronos X User manual

ENGLISH
Quick Start Guide
Contents
About this manual. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Main Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Front Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Rear Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Connections and power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
TouchView user interface . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Selecting modes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Playing sounds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Playing sounds in Set Lists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Playing Programs and Combinations . . . . . 17
Using controllers to modify the sound. . . . 18
Using KARMA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Using the Drum Track. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Using the sequencer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Recording MIDI and audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Editing MIDI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Template Songs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Saving and loading data . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Saving your edits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Saving to and loading from disk. . . . . . . . . . 24
Listening to the demo songs . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Specifications (abbreviated) . . . . . . . . . 28

En-2
IMPORTANT SAFETY
INSTRUCTIONS
• Read these instructions.
• Keep these instructions.
• Heed all warnings.
• Follow all instructions.
• Do not use this apparatus near water.
• Mains powered apparatus shall not be exposed to dripping or splashing.
No objects filled with liquids, such as vases or drinking glasses, shall be
placed on the apparatus.
• Clean only with dry cloth.
• Do not block any ventilation openings. Install in accordance with the
manufacturer’s instructions.
• Do not install near any heat sources such as radiators, heat registers,
stoves, or other apparatus (including amplifiers) that produce heat.
• WARNING—This apparatus shall be connected to a mains socket
outlet with a protective earthing connection.
• Do not defeat the safety purpose of the polarized or grounding-type
plug. A polarized plug has two blades with one wider than the other. A
grounding type plug has two blades and a third grounding prong. The
wide blade or the third prong are provided for your safety. If the
provided plug does not fit into your outlet, consult an electrician for
replacement of the obsolete outlet. (for USA and Canada)
• Protect the power cord from being walked on or pinched, particularly at
plugs, convenience receptacles, and the point where they exit from the
apparatus.
• Only use attachments/accessories specified by the manufacturer.
• Unplug this apparatus during lightning storms or when unused for long
periods of time.
• Turning off the power switch does not completely isolate this product
from the power line.
• Keep the power plug easily accessible. Do not install this equipment far
from a power outlet and/or power strip.
• Refer all servicing to qualified service personnel. Servicing is required
when the apparatus has been damaged in any way, such as power-
supply cord or plug is damaged, liquid has been spilled or objects have
fallen into the apparatus, the apparatus has been exposed to rain or
moisture, does not operate normally, or has been dropped.
• Do not install this equipment in a confined space, such as a moving box
or other enclosure.
• Excessive sound pressure from earphones and headphones can cause
hearing loss.
• Use only with the cart, stand, tripod, bracket, or table specified by the
manufacturer, or sold with the apparatus. When a cart is used, use
caution when moving the cart/apparatus combination to avoid injury
from tip-over.
The lightning flash with arrowhead symbol, within
an equilateral triangle, is intended to alert the user to
the presence of uninsulated “dangerous voltage”
within the product’s enclosure that may be of
sufficient magnitude to constitute a risk of electric
shock to persons.
The exclamation point within an equilateral triangle
is intended to alert the user to the presence of
important operating and maintenance (servicing)
instructions in the literature accompanying the
product.
THE FCC REGULATION WARNING (for USA)
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a
Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits
are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference
in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate
radio frequency energyand, if not installed and usedin accordance with the
instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications.
However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a
particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to
radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the
equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the
interference by one or more of the following measures:
• Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
• Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.
• Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that
to which the receiver is connected.
• Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.
Unauthorized changes or modification to this system can void the user’s
authority to operate this equipment.
Notice regarding disposal (EU only)
When this “crossed-out wheeled bin” symbol is displayed on
the product, owner’s manual, battery, or battery package, it
signifies that when you wish to dispose of this product, man-
ual, package or battery you must do so in an approved man-
ner. Do not discard this product, manual, package or battery
along with ordinary household waste. Disposing in the cor-
rect manner will prevent harm to human health and potential
damage to the environment. Since the correct method of disposal will
depend on the applicable laws and regulations in your locality, please
contact your local administrative body for details. If the battery con-
tains heavy metals in excess of the regulated amount, a chemical sym-
bol is displayed below the “crossed-out wheeled bin” symbol on the
battery or battery package.

En-3
Handling of the internal disk drive
•Whenthisdeviceismovedtoalocationwherethe
temperatureisradicallydifferent,waterdropletsmay
condenseontheinternaldiskdrive.Ifthedeviceisusedin
thiscondition,itmaymalfunction,sopleaseallowseveral
hourstopassbeforeoperatingthedevice.
•Donotturnthepoweronandoffrepeatedly.Thismay
damagetheKRONOS.
•Thisdevicebeginstoaccesstheinternaldiskdrive
immediatelyafterthepoweristurnedon.
• Neverturnoffthepowerwhiletheinternaldiskdriveis
beingaccessed.Doingsocancausedataonthedisktobe
lost,sothatthenexttimetheKRONOSisturnedon,itmay
failtostartupnormally.
Regarding the LCD screen
TheKRONOSLCDscreenisaprecisiondevice,andcareful
attentionhasbeenpaidtoitsproductquality.Althoughyou
maynoticesomeoftheissueslistedbelow,pleasebeaware
thattheseareduetothecharacteristicsofLCDscreens,and
arenotmalfunctions.
•Theremaybepixelsinthescreenthatarealwaysdark
(unlit)oralwaysbright(lit).
• Dependingonthedisplayedcontent,thebrightnessofthe
screenmayappearuneven.
• Dependingonthedisplayedcontent,horizontalstripesof
shadingmaybevisible.
• Dependingonthedisplayedcontent,flickeringormoire
patternsmaybevisible.
Data handling
Incorrectoperationormalfunctionmaycausethecontentsof
memorytobelost,sowerecommendthatyousaveimportant
dataonaCDorothermedia.PleasebeawarethatKorgwill
acceptnoresponsibilityforanydamageswhichmayresult
fromlossofdata.
Also,whendigitallyrecordingcopyrightedaudiomaterial
fromaDATorCDetc.,youmustobtainpermissionforuse.
PleasebeawarethatKorgwillacceptnoresponsibilityforany
copyrightviolationswhichmayoccurthroughyouruseofthis
product.
*KARMA
®(KayAlgorithmicRealtimeMusicArchitecture)
TechnologyhasbeenlicensedfromStephenKay,andispro‐
tectedbyU.S.Patents5,486,647,5,521,327,6,084,171,6,087,578,
6,103,964,6,121,532,6,121,533,6,326,538,6,639,141,7,169,997,
and7,342,166.
*KARMA®andtheKARMALogoareregisteredtrademarks,
andKayAlgorithmicRealtimeMusicArchitecture,Generated
Effect(GE),MelodicRepeat,DirectIndex,ManualAdvance,
SmartScan,FreezeRandomize,RandomCapture,RandomFF/
REWandSceneMatrixaretrademarksofStephenKay,Karma‐
LabLLC.Thismanualcopyright©1994‐2010byKorgInc.and
StephenKay.Allrightsreserved.
*ScreenshotsfromtheKARMAsoftwarethatappearthroughout
thisguideare©1994‐2010byStephenKay,KarmaLabLLC.
Usedbypermission.Allrightsreserved.
*KARMATechnologycanbelocatedontheinternetat:
www.karma‐lab.com.
*Thisproductwasdevelopedunderlicenseofphysicalmodel‐
lingtonegeneratorpatents(http://www.sondius‐xg.com)
ownedbyStanfordUniversityUSAandYamahaCorporation.
* LinuxisatrademarkorregisteredtrademarkofLinusTorvalds
intheUnitedStatesandinothercountries.
*Allproductnamesandcompanynamesarethetrademarksor
registeredtrademarksoftheirrespectiveowners.
COPYRIGHT WARNING
Thisprofessionaldeviceisintendedonlyforuse
withworksforwhichyouyourselfownthe
copyright,forwhichyouhavereceivedpermission
fromthecopyrightholdertopubliclyperform,
record,broadcast,sell,andduplicate,orin
connectionwithactivitieswhichconstitute“fairuse”
undercopyrightlaw.Ifyouarenotthecopyright
holder,havenotreceivedpermissionfromthe
copyrightholder,orhavenotengagedinfairuseof
theworks,youmaybeviolatingcopyrightlaw,and
maybeliablefordamagesandpenalties.Ifyouare
unsureaboutyourrightstoawork,pleaseconsulta
copyrightattorney.KORGTAKESNO
RESPONSIBILITYFORANYINFRINGEMENT
COMMITTEDTHROUGHUSEOFKORG
PRODUCTS.

About this manual
En-4
About this manual
TheKRONOSincludesthreeowner’smanuals:the
QuickStartGuide,OperationGuide,andthe
ParameterGuide.Allofthesemanualsareavailableas
PDFsonAccessoryDisc2,andareincludedintheon‐
boardHelpsystem.AprintedversionoftheQuick
StartGuideisalsoincluded.
Quick Start Guide
Pleasereadthisfirst.Itintroducesallofthebasic
featuresoftheKRONOS,andisdesignedtogetyouup
andrunningquickly.
Operation Guide
Putsimply,theOperationGuideisdesignedtoanswer
thequestion,“HowdoIdothis?”
Itexplainsthenamesandfunctionsofeachpartofthe
KRONOS,basicoperation,anoverviewofeachmode,
howtoeditsounds,howtorecordonthesequencer,
andhowtosample.Thisguidealsoexplainsthebasics
ofKARMA,effects,WaveSequences,DrumKits,and
theDrumTrack.Finally,itcontainsatroubleshooting
guideandsupplementalinformationsuchas
specifications.
Parameter Guide
TheParameterGuideisdesignedtoanswerthe
question,“Whatdoesthisdo?”
Organizedbymodeandpage,theParameterGuide
includesinformationoneachandeveryparameterin
theKRONOS.
PDF versions
TheKRONOSPDFmanualsaredesignedforeasy
navigationandsearching.TheyincludeextensivePDF
contentsinformation,whichgenerallyappearsonthe
sideofthewindowinyourPDFreaderandletsyou
jumpquicklytoaspecificsection.Allcross‐references
arehyper‐links,sothatclickingonthemautomatically
takesyoutothesourceofthereference.
On-board Help system*
TheHELPbuttongivesyoubuilt‐in,context‐sensitive
accesstotheusermanuals,rightfromthefrontpanel.
Forinformationonanyfront‐panelbutton,knob,
slider,orreal‐timecontroller,justholddownHELP
andthenpressthebuttonormovethecontrollerin
question.
ForinformationonthecurrentLCDpage,pressand
releasetheHELPbutton.
Whilethehelppageisonthescreen,youcantouchany
oftheon‐screenlinks(highlightedinbluetext)for
moreinformation.Youcanscrollthroughthetextby
usingtheon‐screenscrollbars,pressingtheIncand
Decbuttons,orspinningtheValuedial.
ThetopoftheHelppagehas“breadcrumb”links,
whichshowthehierarchyofpagesabovethecurrent
one.Touchanyoftheselinkstojumptothe
correspondingpage.
Thebackwardsandforwardsbuttonsfunctionlikethe
similarbuttonsonastandardwebbrowser,lettingyou
movethroughthepagesyou’vealreadyviewed.
TheContentspageletsyouaccessanypartoftheHelp
system,includingalmostallofthetextandgraphicsin
boththeParameterandOperationGuides.TheIndex
containsashorterlistoflinkstoimportantarticles.
Toclosethehelpdisplay,justpresstheHELPbutton
again,orpresstheon‐screenDonebutton.
*HelpisEnglish‐languageonly.
Supplementary Guides
Voice Name List
TheVoice NameListlistsallofthesoundsandsetups
thatareintheKRONOSwhenitisshippedfromthe
factory,includingPrograms,Combinations,
Multisamples,DrumSamples,DrumKits,KARMA
GEs,WaveSequences,DrumTrackPatterns,Template
Songs,andEffectPresets.
Updating and restoring the KRONOS
Thisdocumentcontainsinformationonupdatingand
restoringtheKRONOSsoftware.It’sprovided
separatelyasaconvenience;allofitsinformationmay
alsobefoundintheParameterGuide.
Conventions in this manual
References to the KRONOS
TheKRONOSisavailablein88‐key,73‐key,and61‐key
models.Themanualsrefertoallmodelswithout
distinctionas“theKRONOS.”Thefrontpanelandrear
panelillustrationsinthemanualshowthe61‐key
model,buttheyapplyidenticallytotheothermodels.
Abbreviations for the manuals: OG, PG, VNL
Inthedocumentation,referencestothemanualsare
abbreviatedasfollows.
OG:OperationGuide
PG:ParameterGuide
VNL:TheVoiceNameList
Symbols , , Note, Tips
Thesesymbolsrespectivelyindicateacaution,aMIDI‐
relatedexplanation,asupplementarynote,oratip.
Example screen displays
Theparametervaluesshownintheexamplescreensof
thismanualareonlyforexplanatorypurposes,and
maynotnecessarymatchthevaluesthatappearinthe
LCDscreenofyourinstrument.
MIDI-related explanations
CC#isanabbreviationforControlChangeNumber.
InexplanationsofMIDImessages,numbersinsquare
brackets[]indicatehexadecimalnumbers.
ThankyouforpurchasingtheKorgKRONOS.Tohelpyougetthemostoutofyournewinstrument,please
readthismanualcarefully.

EnglishFrançaisDeutschEspañol
Main Features
En-5
Main Features
Nine World-Class Synthesis Engines
TheKRONOSfeaturesninecompletelydifferent
synthesisengines:
•Threeenginesdedicatedtothemostimportant
traditionalkeyboardinstruments:theSGX‐1
premiumacousticpiano,EP‐1MDSelectricpiano,
andCX‐3tonewheelorgan.
•Threedifferentvirtualanalogsynths,eachwith
tonsofprogrammabilityanditsowndistinctsonic
character:theAL‐1,MS‐20EX,andPolysixEX.
•Afull‐featuredsamplingandWaveSequencing
synthesizer,theHD‐1.
•TheSTR‐1physicalmodelingsynth,forcreating
bothtraditionaltimbresanduniquenewsounds.
•TheMOD‐7VPM/waveshaping/PCM‐mangling
powerhouse.
Eachisworthyofaseparateproductinitsownright,
buttheKRONOSbringsthemalltogetherintoasingle,
integratedmusicalinstrument.Therearenoseparate
cardstomanageorpolyphonybarriersbetween
them—andno“CPUovers”toworryabout.
Allofthesynthesisenginesshareacommontheme:
superiorsoundquality.You’lleasilyhearthesonic
benefitsofKorg’sproprietaryHD‐1low‐aliasing
sampleplaybackoscillators,patentedlow‐aliasing
analogoscillators,full‐bandwidthresonantfilters,and
extraordinarilyfast&smoothenvelopesandLFOs.
Optimized for live performance
SmoothSoundTransitions(SST)provideoverlapping
effectsandvoiceswhenyouchangesounds,withno
specialmodenecessary.
SetListsprovideeasyon‐screenselectionofPrograms,
Combinations,andSongsfromasinglescreen.Set
Listsalsomakeiteasytorearrangesoundsandsave
lyricsornotes,andprovideadedicatedgraphicEQon
themainoutputsforadjustingtoliveacoustics.
Effects
TheKRONOSincludes185differenteffectstypes,from
chorusesanddelaystoampmodels,avocoder,and
muchmore.Thesearen’tjustsimpleeffects,either;
thereareupto72parameterspereffect,andplentyof
real‐timemodulation.EffectPresetsletyoueasilystore
andrecallallofthesettingsforanindividualeffect.
Youcanuseupto16oftheseeffectssimultaneously,
with12InsertEffects,2MasterEffects(forreverb
sends,forinstance),and2TotalEffects(forstereobus
processing).Therearealso32dedicatedthree‐band
EQs—oneforeachMIDIandaudiotrack.
Finally,manyofthesynthenginesfeaturespecialized
signalprocessing.TheCX‐3,PolysixEX,andEP‐1
includededicatedeffects,andyoucanprocesslive
audiothroughtheAL‐1,MS‐20EX,STR‐1,andMOD‐7.
KARMA
KARMA(KayAlgorithmicMusicArchitecture)isan
astonishinglyflexibleinteractiveMIDIdatagenerator.
Muchmorethanasimplearpeggiator,itcombines
manydifferentalgorithmsintoapowerfulmusic
generationengine,collaboratingwithyouasyouplay.
Theseincludedrumandinstrumentgrooves,
gated/choppedeffects,complexcontrollergestures,
musicalphrasegeneration,arpeggiation,andmuch
more.Slidersandswitchesletyoureconfigureand
modulatethealgorithmsinreal‐time.
Sampling
Stereosamplingcapturesaudiofromanyanalogor
digitalinput,aswellasaudioCDs(viaaUSBCDR/RW
drive).Youcanalsosamplethrougheffects,resample
theoutputoftheKRONOSitself,orimportsoundsin
Akai,SoundFont2.0,WAV,andAIFFformats.
Audio and MIDI sequencer
16MIDItracksand16audiotracks(24‐bit,48kHz)let
yourecorddirectlyontheKRONOSwhenever
inspirationstrikes.YoucanimportandexportSMF
andWAVEfileswhenworkingwithotherplatforms.
TheDrumTrackprovidesbuilt‐indrumgrooves,
fueledbytheKRONOS’shigh‐qualitydrumsounds.
Computer Interface and USB Storage
USB2.0audioandMIDII/Oprovideasingle‐cable
connectiontocomputerDAWs,andtheKRONOS
Editorsoftwareletsyoueditsoundsdirectlyfromyour
computer.Youcandownloadthemostrecentsoftware
anddriversfromhttp://www.korg.com/kronos.
TwoUSB2.0A‐typeconnectorsarebuilt‐in,makingit
easytoexpandyourstorageviaexternalharddisks,
removabledisks,flashmedia,andsoon.
Superb Musical Interface
HighlightedbyalargecolorTouchViewLCDdisplay,
theKRONOSfeaturesavastarrayofassignable
physicalcontrollers—sliders,knobs,joysticks,ribbon,
andswitches—alldesignedtoprovideeffortless,
supremelymusicalcontrolatyourfingertips.The
context‐sensitiveonlinehelpsystemmakesthe
manualsavailablerightontheinstrument’sdisplay.
TheKRONOS73‐keyand88‐keymodelsfeaturesthe
RH3(RealWeightedHammerAction3)keyboard,
whichreplicatesthetouchofanacousticgrandpiano
withheavieractiononthelowerkeysandlighter
actioninthehigherranges,respondingtoevery
nuanceofyourplaying.

Front Panel
En-6
Front Panel
1. VOLUME knob (MAIN/HEADPHONE)
ThisadjuststhevolumeofthemainL/Raudiooutputs,
aswellasthevolumeoftheheadphonejack.
Itdoesnotaffectanyoftheotheroutputs,including
S/P DIF,individualoutputs1‐4,ortheUSBoutput.
2. Control Surface
TheControlSurfaceisthesetof9sliders,8knobs,and
16switchestotheleftoftheLCDscreen.Itlookslikea
mixer,butcandoavarietyofthingssuchasediting
sounds,controllingtheKARMAfunction,andsending
MIDImessagestoexternaldevices.Youcanfreely
changebackandforthbetweenthedifferentfunctions
withoutlosinganyofyouredits.Namesandvaluesof
thecontrolsareshownontheControlSurfacepage.
CONTROL ASSIGN buttons
Asexplainedbelow,youcanusethefrontpanel
CONTROLASSIGNbuttonstoswitchbetweenthe
variouscontrolsurfacefunctions.
TIMBRE/TRACK
TIMBRE/TRACKletsyouusethecontrolsurfaceto
adjustthevolume,pan,EQ,andsendlevelsforOSC
1/2orEXi1/2inProgrammode(plussimilarcontrols
fortheDrumTrack,withtheexceptionofpan),the
currentMultisampleinSamplemode,andeachofthe
16TimbresorTracksinCombiandSequencemodes.
TheLEDstotherightoftheswitchshowwhether
you’recurrentlyeditingTimbres(orTracks)1‐8or9‐16;
presstheTIMBRE/TRACKbuttontotogglebetween
thetwo.
AUDIO
AUDIOletsyouusethecontrolsurfacetoadjustthe
volume,play/mutestatus,solo,pan,andsendlevelsof
theanalog,S/P DIF,andUSBinputs.InSequencer
mode,youcanalsochoosetocontrolaudiotracks1–8
(HDR1‐8)or9–16(HDR9‐16).
EXT
EXT(External)letsyouusethecontrolsurfaceto
transmitMIDImessagestoexternalMIDIdevices.
RT KNOBS/KARMA
RTKNOBS/KARMAletsyoumodulatesoundsand
effectswiththeknobs,andcontrolKARMAwiththe
slidersandswitches.
TONE ADJ/EQ
TONEADJ(ToneAdjust)givesyouhands‐onaccessto
soundediting,usingthesliders,knobs,andswitches.
InCombinationandSequencemodes,italsoletsyou
editProgramswithinthecontextoftheCombiorSong,
withoutmakinganychangestotheoriginalProgram
data.
EQisavailableonlyinSetLists.Thisisanine‐band
graphicEQappliedtothesoundafterTFX2,which
tailorsthesoundfromthemainstereooutputs
(includingtheanalogL/Routputs,S/PDIF,andUSB).
MIXER KNOBS button
ThisappliesonlywhenCONTROLASSIGNissetto
TIMBRE/TRACKorAUDIO.Ittogglestheknobs
betweencontrollingthepanofallchannelsor
controllingthepan,EQ,andsendsofthecurrently
selectedchannel.
RESET CONTROLS button
ThisfeatureletsyouresettheVectorJoysticktothe
centerposition,orresetanyoftheControlSurface
sliders,knobs,orswitchestotheirsavedvalue.
Toresetasinglecontrol,holddownRESET
CONTROLSandthenmoveaControlSurfaceslideror
knob,pressoneofthecontrolsurfacebuttons,ormove
theVectorJoystick.
Toresetallofthesliders,knobs,andswitchesofthe
currentCONTROLASSIGNmodeatonce,holddown
RESETCONTROLSandthenpressthecurrently‐lit
CONTROLASSIGNbuttonagain.
9. Vector
Joystick
11. SW 1&2
12. Joystick
13. Ribbon
14. Headphone Jack
1. Volume 2. Control Surface 5. Mode
4. Disk Access Indicator
6. Utility 7. Bank Select
18. Sampling16. Sequencer15. Exit
17. Tempo
3. Data Entry
19. TouchView
Display
8. KARMA
10. Drum
Track

EnglishFrançaisDeutschEspañol
Front Panel
En-7
Youcanalsoresetalloftheslidersandswitchesinthe
KARMAModulebyholdingRESETCONTROLSand
thenpressingtheKARMAMODULECONTROL
button.Similarly,toresetasingleKARMAScene,hold
RESETCONTROLSandpressanyoftheSCENE
buttons.
Finally,youcanclearallsolosbyholdingRESET
CONTROLSandthenpressingtheSOLObutton.
SOLO button
ThisappliesonlywhenCONTROLASSIGNissetto
TIMBRE/TRACKorAUDIO.IttogglestheSELECT
buttons(thebottomrowof8)betweenselectingthe
currentOscillator,Timbre,Track,orAudioInput
(whenSOLOisoff)orsoloingthechannel(when
SOLOison).
3. Data Entry
Whenyou’veselectedaparameterontheTouchView
display,youcanedititusinganyofthefourfront‐
paneldataentrycontrols:theVALUE slider,theInc
andDecbuttons,theVALUEdial,andthe
numerickeypad.
VALUE slider
Usethistoedittheselectedparameter’svalue.
Thiscontrolisconvenientformakinglarge
changestothevalue,suchasmovingquickly
totheminimumormaximumsetting.
Inthreespecialcases,thevalueslidersends
MIDICC#18andcanbeusedasamodulation
source,andisnotusedfordataentry:
•O
ntheProgrammodeP0–Mainpage,
whenthebigProgramnameisselected,or
•OntheCombinationmodeP0–ProgSelect/Mixer
page,whenthebigCombinationnameisselected.
•OntheSetListP0–Playpage.
Inc and Dec buttons
Theseareusedtoincreaseordecreasetheparameter
valuebyindividualsteps.They’reconvenientfor
makingfineparameteradjustments.
VALUE dial
Usethisdialtoedittheselectedparameter’svalue.
Thiscontrolisconvenientwhenyouwanttoscroll
throughaverylonglistofselections.
0-9, –, ., and ENTER buttons
Thesebuttonsareconvenientwhenyouknowthe
exactvaluethatyouwanttoenter.Usethe0–9,–,and
decimal(.)buttonstoenterthevalue,andthenpress
theENTERbuttontoconfirmtheentry.
The–buttoninvertsthesign(+/–)oftheparameter
value;thedecimal(.)buttoninsertsadecimal,for
enteringfractionalvalues.
ENTERisalsousedforanumberofshortcut
commands,describedthroughoutthisguide.For
instance,ifaparameterspecifiesanotenumberor
velocity,youcanuseENTERtoeditthevaluedirectly
fromthekeyboard:
1. Selectanotenumberorvelocityparameter.
2. HolddowntheENTERkey.
3. WhileholdingENTER,playanoteonthe
keyboard.
4. DISK access indicator
ThisLEDlightsupwhendataisbeingsavedtoorread
fromtheinternaldrive.
NeverturnoffthepowerwhilethisLEDislit.
Doingsocancauseallorpartofthedataonthedisk
tobelost,ormaycausemalfunctionssuchasdisk
damage.
5. MODE buttons
TheKRONOSisorganizedintosevendifferent
“modes,”eachoptimizedforadifferentpurpose:Set
List,Program,Combination,Sequencer,Sampling,
Global,andDisk.Eachmodehasacorresponding
buttononthefrontpanel,withanLEDtoshowwhich
oneisselected.Formoreinformation,see“Selecting
modes”onpage 14.
6. UTILITY buttons
HELP button
TheHELPbuttongivesyoubuilt‐in,context‐sensitive
accesstotheusermanuals,rightfromthefrontpanel.
Formoreinformation,see“On‐boardHelpsystem*”
onpage 4.
COMPARE button
UsethisbuttontocomparethesoundoftheProgram
orCombinationthatyouarecurrentlyeditingwiththe
saved,un‐editedversionofthesound.Youcanalsouse
thisbuttontomake“beforeandafter”comparisons
whenrecordingoreditinginSequencermode.
7. BANK SELECT buttons
Usethesebuttonstochangebankswhenselecting
ProgramsorCombinations.TheLEDsinthebuttons
lightuptoshowthecurrentbank.Therearefourteen
bankbuttons,intwogroups:Internal(I‐A…G)and
User(U‐A…G).
InProgrammode,thesebuttonsselecttheProgram
bank.TheyareactiveonlyonthePlaypages.For
detailsonthecontentsoftheProgrambanks,see
“ProgramBankContents”onpage 18.
ToselectProgramBanksUSER–AA…GG,pressand
holdapairofIandUBANKbuttonstogether.For
example,toselectbankUSER–CC,pressandholdthe
I–Cbutton,andthenpresstheU–Cbutton.

Front Panel
En-8
InCombinationmode,thesebuttonshavetwo
functions:
•Whenyou’reselectingCombinations,theychoose
theCombinationbank.
•Whenyou’reassigningaProgramtoatimbre
withintheCombination,theyselecttheProgram
bank.
InSequencermode,whenatrack’sProgramnameis
selected,thesebuttonschangetheProgrambank.
General MIDI banks
SelectingGeneralMIDIProgrambanksisalittle
differentfromselectingotherbanks.Eachtimeyou
presstheI‐Gbutton,thebankwillsteptothenext
GM(2)bankorGMdrumbankinthefollowingorder:
G,g(1),g(2)–g(8),g(9),g(d),G,g(1),etc.
8. KARMA buttons
ON/OFF button
ThisturnsKARMAonandoff.Aswiththeother
KARMAbuttons,thebutton’sLEDwilllightupto
showyouthatitisturnedon.
LATCH button
WhenLATCHisturnedon,KARMAwillcontinueto
playevenafteryou’vestoppedholdingnotesonthe
keyboardorMIDIIn.
Thisisconvenientwhenyouwanttoplayontopofa
KARMA‐generatedgroove,forinstance.
MODULE CONTROL button
InCombiandSequencermodes,KARMAhasfour
independentModules,eachofwhichcangeneratea
differentmusicaleffect.Whenusedtocontrol
KARMA,theControlSurfaceslidersandswitchesare
fivelayersdeep:oneforeachModule(A‐D),andthen
aMasterLayerwhichcontrolsselectedparameters
fromalloftheModulesatonce.
TheMODULECONTROLbuttonselectswhetherthe
KARMASliders,Switches,andSceneswillcontrol
eitherasingleModuleindependently,ortheMaster
Layer.
NotethatModulesA‐Dcanonlybeselectedfor
CombinationsandSongs.Programsuseonlyasingle
Module,controlledbytheMasterLayer.
9. Vector Joystick
TheVectorJoystickisapowerfulreal‐timecontroller.
DependingontheparticularProgram,Combi,orSong,
itmaymodulateProgramoreffectsparameters,or
adjustthevolumesofdifferentcomponentsofthe
sound.
FormoreinformationonhowVectorSynthesisworks,
see“UsingVectorSynthesis”inthe“Playingand
editingPrograms”chapteroftheOG.
10. Drum Track
TheDrumTrackisabuilt‐indrummachine,fueledby
theKRONOS’shigh‐qualitydrumsounds.Thisbutton
turnstheDrumTrackonandoff.
Dependingonvarioussettings,theDrumTrackmay
begintoplayimmediately,ormaywaituntilyoustart
toplayonthekeyboard.Ifthebutton’sLEDisblinking
onandoff,it’swaitingforyoutoplay.
LINKED LED
IfthefrontpanelLINKEDLEDandKARMAON/OFF
switchesarelit,KARMAwillstartandstoptogether
withtheDrumTrack.Formoreinformation,see
“LinkingKARMAandtheDrumTrack”onpage 21.
11. SW1 and SW2
Theseon/offswitchescanperformanumberof
differentfunctions,suchasmodulatingsoundsor
lockingthemodulationvaluesofthejoystick,ribbon,
oraftertouch.EachhasanLEDwhichlightsupwhen
theswitchison.
Also,eachonemayworkeitherasatoggle,orasa
momentaryswitch.Intogglemode,eachpress
alternatesbetweenonandoff;inmomentarymode,the
switchonlychangesforaslongasyouholditdown.
EachProgram,Combination,andSongstoresitsown
settingsforwhattheswitcheswilldo,andwhether
eachswitchdefaultstobeingonoroff.
12. Joystick
Thejoystickmovesinfourdirections:left,right,
forwards(awayfromyourself),andbackwards
(towardsyourself).Eachofthefourdirectionscanbe
usedtocontroldifferentprogramoreffects
parameters.
Thespecificassignmentscanchangedependingonthe
currentProgram,Combination,orSong.Generally,
though,theywilldosomethinglikethefunctions
shownbelow:
StandardJoystickfunctions
13. Ribbon controller
TheRibboncontrollerletsyoumodulateProgramor
effectsparametersbyslidingyourfingerleftandright
alongitstouch‐sensitivestrip.
Aswiththeothercontrollers,itsspecificfunctionwill
changedependingonthecurrentProgram,
Combination,orSong.
Move the
joystick…
Controller
Name Normally controls…
Left JS–X Pitch bend down
Right JS+X Pitch bend up
Forwards
(away from yourself) JS+Y Vibrato
Backwards
(towards yourself) JS–Y Filter LFO (wah)

EnglishFrançaisDeutschEspañol
Front Panel
En-9
14. Headphone jack
Thisstereo1/4”headphonejackcarriesthesamesignal
astheMainL/Routputs.Thevolumeiscontrolledby
theVOLUMEknob.
15. EXIT button
Thisbuttonmakesiteasytoreturntothemainpageof
thecurrentmode:
•Pressitoncetogotothepreviously‐selectedtabon
themainP0page.
•PressitagaintogotothefirsttabonthemainP0
page.
•Pressitathirdtimetoselectthemainparameteron
theP0page,suchastheProgramnameinProgram
mode.
WhereveryouareinProgram,Combi,orSequencer
modes,pressingEXITthreetimes(orfewer)willtake
youbacktoProgram/Combination/SongSelect,where
youcanimmediatelyusethenumerickeysorand
buttonstoselectaProgram,Combination,or
Song.
Whenadialogboxisopen,thisbuttoncancelsthe
settingsmadeinthedialogboxandclosesthedialog
box,justlikepressingtheCancelbutton.Ifapopup
menuorpagemenuisopen,pressingEXITclosesthe
menu.
16. SEQUENCER buttons
Mostofthebuttonsinthissectionapplyonlyto
Sequencermodeand,inDiskandSamplingmodes,to
audioCDplaybackfromaconnectedUSBCD‐R/RW
drive.
REC/WRITEistheexception;ithasspecialfunctionsin
Program,Combination,SetListandGlobalmodes,as
describedbelow.
PAUSE button
InSequencermode,thisbuttonpausestheplaybackof
thesong.Whenpaused,thebutton’sLEDwilllightup.
PressPAUSEonceagaintoresumeplayback,andthe
LEDwillturnoff.
InDiskandSamplingmodes,thisbuttonpausesaudio
CDplayback.
<<REW button
InSequencermode,whentheSongisplayingor
paused,thisbuttonwillrewindthesong.Whenyou
pressandholdthisbutton,itsLEDwilllightup,and
theplaybackwillrewind.(Rewindisdisabledduring
recording,andwhiletheSongisstopped.)
InDiskandSamplingmodes,thisbuttonrewindsthe
audioCD.
FF>> button
InSequencermode,whentheSongisplayingor
paused,thisbuttonwillfast‐forwardthesong.When
youpressandholdthisbutton,thebuttonwilllight,
andtheplaybackwillfast‐forward.(Fast‐forwardis
disabledduringrecording,andwhiletheSongis
stopped.)
InDiskandSamplingmodes,thisbuttonfast‐forwards
theaudioCD.
LOCATE button
InSequencermode,thisbuttonwilladvanceorrewind
thesongtothespecifiedlocatepoint.Thisletsyou
jumpimmediatelytoanypointinthecurrentSong.
Thedefaultlocatepointisthefirstbeatofmeasure1.
Tosetthelocatepointtothecurrentposition,hold
downENTERandthenpressLOCATE.Youcanalso
settheLocatepointviatheon‐screenmenu.
REC/WRITE button
InSequencermode,pressingthisbuttonputsthe
systeminrecord‐readymode.Onceyou’reinrecord‐
readymode(shownbythebutton’slitLED),youcan
beginrecordingbypressingtheSEQUENCER
START/STOPbutton.
REC/WRITEalsoprovidestwoveryhandyshortcuts.
Formoreinformation,see“A u t o SongSetup”on
page 22,and“Shortcut:UpdateviaSEQUENCER
REC/WRITE”onpage 24.
START/STOP button
Thisstartsorstopsrecordingandplaybackin
Sequencermode.
InDiskandSamplingmodes,thisbuttonstartsand
stopsplaybackonaudioCDs.
17. TEMPO controls
TEMPO knob
ThisknobadjuststhetempofortheKRONOSasa
whole,includingSongs,KARMA,theDrumTrack,
Tempo‐syncedLFOsandBPMdelays,andEXiStep
Sequencers.TheLEDwillblinkatquarter‐note
intervalsofthecurrenttempo.
Note:IftheGLOBALMIDIpageMIDICLOCK
parameterissettoExternalMIDIorUSB,orifitisset
toAutoandaclockiscurrentlybeingreceived,then
neithertheTEMPOKnobnortheTAPTEMPObutton
willhaveanyeffect.
TAP TEMPO button
Thisbuttonletsyouentertempossimplybytapping
yourfingeronthebutton.Twotapsareenoughto
changethetempo;forgreateraccuracy,tapmultiple
times.
Noticethatthe“q=”intheupperrightoftheLCD
screenwillchangetoshowthenewtempo.Youcan
alsoentertemposdirectlyintothisfieldusingthedata
entrycontrols,suchasthenumerickeypad.
Note:Youcanalsotaptemposusingafootswitch.For
moreinformation,see“FootSwitchAssignments”in
theAppendixofthePG.

Front Panel
En-10
18. SAMPLING buttons
REC button
InSampling,Program,Combination,andSequencer
modes,pressingthisbuttonputsthesystemin
sampling‐readymode.Thebutton’sLEDwilllightup.
Tocontinue,presstheSAMPLINGSTART/STOP
button,asdescribedbelow.
Note:Program,Combination,andSequencermodesall
haveanAudioInput/Samplingpage,withvarious
sampling‐relatedsettings.Thesepagesalsohavean
AutoSamplingSetupmenucommand,withoptionsto
makevariouscommonsettingsinasinglestep.
START/STOP button
InSampling,Program,Combination,andSequencer
modes,pressingthiswhentheSAMPLINGREC
buttonislitwilldooneofthreethings,dependingon
thesettingoftheTriggerparameter(ontheSampling
modeRecording‐AudioInputpage):
•IfTriggerissettoSamplingSTARTSW,sampling
willbeginimmediately.
•IfTriggerissettoNoteOn,samplingwillbeginas
soonasyouplayanoteonthekeyboard.
•IfTriggerissettoThreshold,samplingwillbegin
assoonastheselectedaudiosourcereachesa
presetvolumelevel.
OntheSampleEditpageinSamplingmode,pressing
thisbuttonwillplaytheselectedrangeofthecurrent
sample.
Also,wheneveryou’reviewingalistoffilesondisk,
youcanpressthisbuttontoplay44.1kHzor48kHz
WAVEfilesdirectlyfromdisk.
19. TouchView display
TheKRONOSfeaturesKorg’sexclusiveTouchView
graphicinterface,basedonatouch‐panelLCDscreen.
BytouchingitemsontheLCDscreen,youcannavigate
betweenpages,setparametervaluesviaon‐screen
menusandbuttons,executecommands,andsoon.For
moreinformation,see“TouchViewuserinterface”on
page 13.

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Rear Panel
En-11
Rear Panel
1. AC Power connector
Connecttheincludedpowercablehere.
Werecommendthatyoufirstconnectthepowercable
totheKRONOS,andthenconnecttheotherendofthe
cabletoanACoutlet.
2. POWER switch
Thisswitchturnsthepoweronandoff.Beforeturning
KRONOSoff,makesurethatyou’vesavedanyeditsto
yourPrograms,Combis,Songs,orotheruserdata.
Afterturningthepoweroff,pleasewaitforatleast
tensecondsbeforeyouturnthepoweronagain.
3. USB 2.0 A & B ports
Therearetwohigh‐speedUSBAports,forconnecting
storagemediasuchasharddisks,CD‐Rdrives,and
flashmedia.
Thehigh‐speedUSBBportletsyouconnecttoaMac
orWindowsPC,forsendingandreceivingMIDIand
audio,andforconnectingtothecomputereditor
program.
4. Analog AUDIO INPUTS
Youcanusetheaudioinputsforrecording,sampling,
andreal‐timemixingthroughthebuilt‐ineffects.
Mic/Line Inputs 1 and 2
Theinputsusebalanced1/4”TRSconnectors,andcan
accepteithermicrophone‐levelorline‐levelsignals.
Eachofthetwoinputshasanidenticalsetofcontrols,
asdescribedbelow.
MIC/LINE switches
Thesesettheinput’snominalsignallevel.Setthese
switchesaccordingtothetypeofdevicethatyou’re
connecting,andthenusetheLEVELknobs(described
below)tooptimizethegain.
UsetheLINEsetting(switchpressedin)when
connectingtomixers,computeraudiosystems,signal
processors,electricguitars,orothersynthesizers.The
nominallevelis+4dBu,with12dBofheadroom.
Note:Guitarsandbasseswithactivepickupscanbe
connecteddirectly.Passivepickupscanalsobeused,
buttheimpedancemismatchwillcausebothachange
intoneandareductioninvolume.Forbestresults,
routesuchguitarsthroughapre‐amporeffectsunit
beforeconnectingthem.
UsetheMICsetting(switchinoutposition)onlywhen
connectingamicrophone.Notethatsome
microphones,suchascondensers,mayrequireexternal
phantompower,whichisnotsuppliedbythe
KRONOS.Inthiscase,useanexternalmicpreamp,
andthenconnectthepreamptotheKRONOS.
LEVEL knobs
Theseknobsletyoumakemorepreciseadjustmentsto
theinputlevel,aftersettingthebasiclevelswiththe
MIC/LINEswitches.
TheMINsettingisunitygain;theMAXsetting
providesabout40dBofgainaboveunity.
5. Analog AUDIO OUTPUTS
AlloftheanalogaudiooutputsusebalancedTRS1/4”
connectors,andarereferencedtoa+4dBusignallevel.
(MAIN) L/MONO, R
Thesearethemainstereooutputs;theirvolumeis
controlledbytheVOLUMEknob.Allofthefactory
ProgramsandCombisareprogrammedtoplay
throughtheseoutputs.
IfnocableisconnectedtotheRoutput,L/MONOwill
carryamonosummationofthestereosignal.Usethis
whenconnectingtoadevice(suchasakeyboardamp)
whichhasonlyamonoinput.
(INDIVIDUAL) 1…4
These4additionalaudiooutputsletyouisolate
sounds,audioinputs,oraudiotracksforrecordingor
complexlivesoundsetups.Formoreinformation,see
“Effectsselectionandrouting”inthe“UsingEffects”
chapteroftheOG.Notethattheseoutputsarenot
affectedbytheVOLUMEknob.
6. MIDI
MIDIletsyouconnectKRONOStocomputersorother
MIDIdevices,forsendingandreceivingnotes,
controllergestures,soundsettings,andsoon.
7. S/P DIF IN & OUT
Thesejacksprovide24‐bitopticalS/P DIFinputand
output.Makesuretouseopticalcablesdesig1nedfor
digitalaudio.
Wheneveryouusedigitalaudioconnections,make
surethatallconnectedsystemsaresetsothatthereis
oneandonlyonewordclockmaster.SettheKRONOS
wordclockusingtheSystemClockparameteronthe
GlobalP0:BasicSetuppage.
2. Power Switch 5. Analog
Audio Outputs
4. Analog
Audio Inputs
3. USB
8. Pedals6. MIDI
1. AC Power
connector
7. S/PDIF
In & Out

Rear Panel
En-12
8. Pedals
DAMPER jack
Forthedamper–alsoknownasthesustainpedal–you
canconnecteitherastandardfootswitch,orKorg’s
specialhalf‐damperpedal,theoptionalDS‐1H.
TheDS‐1Hisacontinuouspedaldesignedspecifically
forpiano‐styledampercontrol,withthelookandfeel
ofanacousticpiano’ssustainpedal.Itallowsmore
subtlecontrolofthedamperthanasimpleswitch;the
furtherdownyoupressthepedal,themorethatthe
soundsustains.
Youcanalsoconnectasimplefootswitch,whichwill
workasastandardon/offdamperpedal.
Inordertoensurethatthepedalfunctionscorrectly,
pleaseadjusttheswitchpolarityontheControllertab
oftheGlobalP2:Controllers/Scalespage.
Whenusingahalf‐damperpedal:
1. Setthepolarity.
FortheDS‐1H,use(—)KORGStandard.
2. Aftersettingthepolarity,calibratethepedalusing
theHalfDamperCalibrationmenucommandon
theGlobalP0:Basicpage.
ASSIGNABLE SWITCH jack
Thisletsyouconnectasimpleon/offfootswitch,such
astheoptionalKorgPS‐1.Thefootswitchcanperform
awidevarietyoffunctions,suchasmodulatingsounds
andeffects,taptempo,sequencerstart/stop,etc.
Theswitch’sfunctionissetontheControllertabofthe
GlobalP2:Controllers/Scalespage,sothatitalways
worksthesameregardlessofthecurrentProgram,
Combi,orSong.Formoreinformation,pleasesee
“SettinguptheAssignableSwitchandPedal”inthe
“GlobalSettings,WaveSeq.,DrumKits”chapterofthe
OG.
ASSIGNABLE PEDAL jack
Thisletsyouconnectacontinuouscontrollerpedal,
suchastheKorgEXP‐2footcontrollerorKorgXVP‐10
EXP/VOLpedal,touseasanassignablemodulation
source.
LiketheASSIGNABLESWITCH,thepedal’sfunction
issetontheGlobalP2:Controllers/Scalespage.
Connections and power
Turning on the KRONOS
BeforeyouusetheKRONOS,you’llneedtoplugitin
andturniton!Todoso:
1. Connectthepowercable.
Firstconnecttheincludedpowercabletothe
KRONOS’powerinput,andthentothepoweroutlet.
2. TurntheKRONOS’front‐panelVOLUMEknob
allthewaycounter‐clockwise,totheminimum
position.
3. ConnecttheKRONOStoyourmixerormonitor
system.
ConnecttheKRONOS’sAUDIOOUTPUT(MAIN)
L/MONOandRjackstoyourmixeroramplified
monitorspeakers.Ifyou’remonitoringthrough
headphones,connectthemtotheheadphonejackon
theleftfrontoftheKRONOS.Theheadphonescarry
themainstereooutputs,justlikeanalogoutputs
L/MONOandR,S/P DIF,andUSB.
4. Turnonthepowerswitch.
PresstherearpanelPOWERswitchtoturnonthe
power.Waituntilthestartupscreenhasfinishedbeing
displayed.
5. Turnonyourstereoamporpoweredmonitors.
6. Playthekeyboard,andgraduallyturnthe
VOLUMEknobclockwiseuntilthevolumeisat
anappropriatelevel.
Insomecases,theKRONOSwillnotstartup
properlyifcertainUSBdevicesareconnected.In
thiscase,disconnecttheUSBdevices,wait10
seconds,andthenturnonthepoweragain.
FormattingthedeviceontheKRONOSmaysolve
theproblem(see“Formattingmedia”onpage 184
oftheOG).
Turning off the KRONOS
Whenyou’vefinishedworkingwiththeKRONOS,
presstherearpanelPOWERswitchtoturnoffthe
power.
Whenyouturnoffthepower,thePrograms,
Combinations,Globalsettings,etc.willrevertto
theiruneditedstate.Ifyouwanttokeepyouredits,
you’llneedtoWritethem.Formoreinformation,see
“Savingyouredits”onpage 24.
Similarly,SongsanduserMultisamplesand
Sampleswilldisappearwhenyouturnoffthe
power.Ifyouwanttousethesesongs,user
multisamples,andsamplesthenexttimeyouturn
onthepower,you’llneedtoloadthemagain.
Note:SamplesandMultisamplescanbesettoload
automaticallyatstartup.Formoreinformation,see
“AutomaticallyloadingRAMandEXssampledata”
under“GlobalSettings,WaveSeq.,DrumKits”in
theOG.
Neverturnoffthepowerwhiledataisbeingwritten
intointernalmemory.Thedisplaywillshowthe
message“Nowwritingintointernalmemory”when
thisisinprogress.
Neverturnoffthepowerwhilemediasuchasthe
internaldiskisbeingaccessed,suchaswhile
recordingorplayingaudiotracks,orsamplingto
disk.Turningoffthepowerwhilediskaccessis
occurringmayrenderthemediaunusable.The
DISKLEDshowswhentheinternaldiskisbeing
accessed.
Afterturningthepoweroff,pleasewaitforatleast
tensecondsbeforeyouturnthepoweronagain.

EnglishFrançaisDeutschEspañol
TouchView user interface
En-13
TouchView user interface
TheKRONOSusesKorg’sTouchViewgraphicaluser
interface.BytouchingobjectsdisplayedintheLCD
screen,youcanselectpages,setparametervalues,
entertext,connectvirtualpatchcables,andmore.
Important - calibrate before using!
Makesuretocalibratethetouch‐screenbeforeusing,
orwhenyouchangetheangleofview(forinstance,
whenyoumovebetweensittingandstanding):
1. PresstheGLOBALbuttontogototheGLOBAL
P0:BASICSETUPpage.
2. Pressthepagemenubuttontoopenthemenu,and
selecttheTouchPanelCalibrationcommand.
3. Followtheon‐screeninstructions.
Forbestresults,calibrateusingastylusorfingernail,
andpresstheexactcentersofthecalibrationboxes.
a: Current page
Fromtheleft,thetopofthedisplayshowsthecurrent
mode,thenumberandnameofthepagegroup,and
finallythenameoftheindividualpage.
b: Category popup button
Whenyoupressthisbutton,atabbedpopupmenuwill
appear,allowingyoutoselectPrograms,
Combinations,orGEsorganizedbycategory.
c: Popup button & menu
Whenthisbuttonispressed,apopupmenuwill
appear,showingalistofoptions.Insomecases,these
willbeparametervalues.Inothers,theymaybelistsof
items,suchasMultisamplesorFXPresets.Toentera
parametervalue,touchthedesiredvalue.
Pin
Manypopupmenushavea“Pin”inthe
upperleft.Thiscontrolswhathappens
afteryouselectavalue.Touchthepin
graphictoswitchbetweenopen
(unlocked)andclosed(locked).
Whenlocked(pinclosed),thepopupmenuwillremain
displayedevenafteryouselectaparametervalue.To
closethepopup,eitherunlockthepin,orpressEXIT.
Whenunlocked(pinopen),thepopupmenuwillclose
immediatelywhenyoupressaparametervalue,or
whenyoutouchthescreenoutsidethemenu.
d: Edit cell
WhenyoutouchaparameterintheLCDscreen,the
parameteroritsvaluewillusuallybehighlighted
(displayedininversevideo).Thisiscalledtheeditcell,
andthehighlighteditemisnowselectedforediting.
Theparametervalueoftheeditcellcanbemodified
usingtheVALUEcontrollers.
e & f: On-screen sliders and knobs
Tomodifythevalueofanon‐screensliderorknob,first
touchtheobject,andthenusetheVALUEcontrollers
tomodifythevalue.
g & h: Page group tabs and Page tabs
Pressthelowerrowoftabstoselectthepagegroup,
andthenpresstheupperrowoftabstoselectthepage.
Thetopofthescreenshowsthenameofthecurrent
pageandgroup;see“a:Currentpage”onpage 13.
h: Page group tab
e: Knob
f: Slider
g: Page tab
a: Current page
d: Edit cell
b: Category popup button
c: Popup button
i: Check box j: Page menu buttonMode name Page namePage group number and name
Pin

TouchView user interface
En-14
i: Check-box (and radio buttons)
Check‐boxesturnfunctionsoroptionsonandoff,and
radiobuttonsselectbetweenasmallsetofoptions.
Tip:Youcanselectcheck‐boxesandradiobuttonsby
touchingtheirtextlabels;youdon’tneedtotouch
directlyonthegraphicboxesandbuttons.
j: Page menu button
Whenthisbuttonispressed,alistofmenucommands
willappear.Theavailablecommandswillvary
dependingonthecurrentpage.Toselectacommand,
justtouchit.
ThepagemenuwillclosewhenyoupresstheLCD
screenatalocationotherthanthepagemenu,orwhen
youpresstheEXITbutton.
Althougheachpagemayhaveitsownuniquemenu
commands,themenusarestandardizedasmuchas
possible.Forinstance,WRITEisusuallythefirstmenu
iteminProgram,Combination,andGlobalmodes.
Menu shortcut: ENTER + numeric keypad
Youcanuseashortcuttoaccessanyofthefirstten
menuitems:
1. HolddowntheENTERkey.
2. Pressanumber(0‐9)onthenumerickeypadto
selectthedesiredmenucommand,startingwith0.
Forinstance,press0forthefirstmenucommand,1for
thesecond,andsoon.
Ifthemenucommandjusttogglesanoptiononandoff
(suchasExclusiveSolo),thenyou’redone.Ifthe
commandcallsupadialogbox,thedialogwillappear
ontheLCD,andyoucanproceedjustasifyou’d
selectedthecommandfromthetouch‐screen.
Dialog box
Manymenucommandsusedialogboxestomake
additionalsettings.Thedialogboxthatappearswill
dependonthecurrentlyselectedmenucommand.
Toconfirmsettingsinadialogbox,presstheOK
button.Toexitwithoutmakingchanges,pressthe
Cancelbutton.AfterpressingeitherOKorCancel,the
dialogboxwillclose.
Text edit button
Pressingthisbuttonbringsupanon‐screenkeyboard,
forchangingthenameofPrograms,Combis,Songs,
WaveSequences,DrumKits,etc.Formore
information,see“Editingnames”under“Writingto
internalmemory”intheOG.
Other objects
Patch panels
TheMS‐20EXandMOD‐7useon‐screenpatchpanels
torouteaudioandcontrolsignals.Tomakea
connectionbetweentwopatchpoints:
1. Touchoneofthetwojacks(eitherinputoroutput).
Ayellowsquarewillappeararoundtheselectedjack.
2. Touchthesamejackagain.
Theyellowsquarewillblink,showingthatyou’re
abouttomakeaconnection.Tocancelandreturntothe
normalselectedstate,touchthesamejackathirdtime.
3. Touchtheotherjack.
Thetwojackswillnowbeconnectedbyapatchcable.
Todeleteaconnectionbetweentwopatchpoints:
1. Touchtheinputjack.
Note:youcanalsoselecttheoutputjack.However,if
theoutputisconnectedtomorethanoneinput,allof
theconnectionsfromthatoutputwillbeaffected.
2. PresstheDisconnectbutton.
Theselectedconnectionwillbedeleted.
Program Play page Overview/Jump graphics
ThemainProgramP0:Playpage(see“Selecting
Programsbybankandnumber”onpage 17)features
aninteractiveoverviewofthemostimportant
parameters,suchasoscillators,filters,envelopes,
LFOs,andsoon.Justtouchanyoftheseoverview
areas,andyou’lljumptothecorrespondingeditpage.
Selecting modes
TheKRONOSisorganizedintosevendifferent
“modes,”eachoptimizedforadifferentpurpose.Each
modehasacorrespondingbuttononthefrontpanel,
withanLEDtoshowwhichoneisselected.We’ll
introduceeachofthemodesbelow.
Program mode ProgramsarethebasicsoundsofKRONOS.In
Programmode,youcan:
Cancel button OK button
Text edit button

EnglishFrançaisDeutschEspañol
TouchView user interface
En-15
•SelectandplayPrograms
•EditPrograms
Makedetailedsettingsforoscillators,filters,amps,
EGs,LFOs,effects,KARMA,vectorsynthesis,Drum
Track,etc.Thespecificparameterswillvary
dependingonthesynthesisenginebeingused.
•PlayandcontroloneKARMAmodule
•Sampleexternalaudio,orresamplethesoundof
theProgram
Combination mode
Combinationsaresetsofupto16Programsthatcanbe
playedsimultaneously,lettingyoucreatesoundsmore
complexthanasingleProgram.InCombinationmode,
youcan:
•SelectandplayCombinations
•UseKRONOSasa16‐channelmultitimbraltone
generator
•EditCombinations
AssignProgramstoeachofthe16Timbres,each
withseparatevolume,pan,EQ,andkeyboardand
velocityzones;makesettingsforeffects,vector
synthesis,DrumTrack,andKARMA.
• ControlandplayuptofourKARMAmodules
•Sampleorresample
Sequencer mode
Sequencermodeletsyourecord,playback,andedit16
MIDItracksand16audiotracks.Youcan:
•SelectandplaySongs
•UseKRONOSasa16‐channelmultitimbraltone
generator
•AssignProgramstoeachofthe16MIDITracks,
withseparatevolume,pan,EQ,andkeyboardand
velocityzones;makesettingsforeffects,vector
synthesis,DrumTrack,andKARMA
•EditMIDIdata
•Recordupto16MIDItracksand/or4audiotracks
simultaneously
•Mixusingautomation
• ControlandplayuptofourKARMAmodules
•Sampleorresample
Sampleaudioinputsduringplayback,anduseIn‐
TrackSamplingtoautomaticallycreateanoteevent
thattriggersthesampleintheSong.
Resampleanentiresong,andthenuseDiskmodeto
createanaudioCD.
•Recordpatternsandassignthemtokeys,using
RPPR(Real‐timePatternPlay/Recording)
Set List mode
SetListsmakeitsimpletoplayandorganizeanyofthe
soundsloadedintotheKRONOS,withoutregardfor
whetherthey’rePrograms,Combinations,oreven
Songs.Youcan:
•Uselargeon‐screenbuttonsforfastsoundselection
•Re‐orderthesoundsusingcut,copy,andpaste
• Createsetsofsoundsforliveperformance,
recordingprojects,orkeepingyourfavoritesclose
athand
Sampling mode
SamplingmodeletsyourecordandedituserSamples
andMultisamples.Forexample,youcan:
• Sampleexternalaudiosources,includingsampling
througheffects
•EditRAMSamples,setlooppointsetc.
• CreateandeditMultisamples,whichconsistofone
ormoreSamplesspreadoutacrossthekeyboard
•QuicklyconvertMultisamplesintoPrograms
• Sample(“rip”)directlyfromanaudioCD
Global mode
Globalmodeletsyoumakeoverallsettingsforthe
entireKRONOS,andeditWaveSequencesandDrum
Kits.Forinstance,youcan:
• MakesettingsthataffecttheentireKRONOS,such
asmastertuneandglobalMIDIchannel
•Setupsample(.KSC)auto‐loadingatstartup,and
managesampledatainmemory
• CreateDrumKits,WaveSequences,anduserscales
• RenameProgram,Combination,andKARMAGE
categories
•Setuptheassignablepedalsandswitches
•TransmitMIDISystemExclusivedatadumps
Disk mode
Diskmodeletsyousave,load,andmanagedatausing
theinternalSSDdriveandexternalUSB2.0storage
devices.Youcan:
• SaveandloadPrograms,Combinations,Songs,Set
Lists,DrumKits,WaveSequences,DrumTrack
Patterns,KARMAUserGEs,Samples,andGlobal
setupdata
•Formatdisksandstoragemedia,copyandrename
files,etc.
•Lo
adAKAI,SoundFont2.0,AIFF,andWAVE
samples,andexportRAMsamplesinAIFFor
WAVEformats
•ExportandimportsequencestoandfromSMF
(StandardMIDIFiles)
• SaveandloadMIDISystemExclusivedatafor
otherdevices
• CreateandplaybackaudioCDs

Playing sounds
En-16
Playing sounds
Playing sounds in Set Lists
Overview
SetListsmakeitsimpletoplayandorganizeanyofthe
soundsloadedintotheKRONOS,withoutregardfor
whatbankthey’restoredinorwhetherthey’re
Programs,Combinations,orevenSongs.
Largeon‐screenbuttonsmakesoundselectionfastand
foolproof,andtheProgramUporDownfootswitch
assignmentscanbeusedforhands‐freesound
changes.Cut,copy,paste,andinserttoolsmakere‐
orderingasnap.
SmoothSoundTransitions(SST)lettheprevioussound
anditseffectsringoutnaturally,makingiteasyto
changesoundsduringaliveperformance.SSTisactive
inalloftheKRONOSmodes—notjustinSetLists.
Thereare128SetLists,andeachSetListhas128Slots,
eachofwhichcanbeassignedtoanyProgram,
Combination,orSong.Onewayofthinkingaboutthis
isthataSetListisa“bank”ofSlots.
Selecting Set Lists
ThelargenameintheSetListdisplayisthenameof
thecurrentSlot,sothatyoucaneasilyseethesound
thatyou’replaying.TheSetListnameisinsmallertext
atthetopleft‐handcornerofthescreen.
Withthefactorysettings,SetList000willappearwhen
youturnonthepower.
ToselectSetLists:
1. PresstheSETLISTbuttontoenterSetListmode.
2. PresstheSetListpopupbutton(totheleftofthe
SetListname).
TheSetListselectiondialogappears.
3. PressoneofthenamesinthelisttoselectaSet
List.
TheselectedSetListwillbehighlighted,andthe
keyboardwillimmediatelyswitchtothefirstSlotin
theSetList.
4. Ifyoulike,playafewnotestohearthesoundof
thefirstSlotintheSetList.
5. WhenyouaresatisfiedwiththeselectedSetList,
presstheOKbuttontoclosethepopupmenu.
Alternately,youcanpresstheCancelbuttontoreturn
tothepreviouslyselectedSetList.
Selecting Slots
Selecting within the current group of 16
16Slotsareshownonthescreenatonce,each
representedbyabutton.Toselectoneofthe16Slots
shownonthedisplay:
1. PresstheSlot’sbutton.
Thebuttonbecomeshighlighted,andthelargeSlot
number/nameatthetopofthescreenareupdated
accordingly.
Set List popup
Slot buttons
Current Slot
Previous button
Comment
Next button
Edit

EnglishFrançaisDeutschEspañol
Playing sounds
En-17
Alsonoticethatthecommentsarea,abovetheSlot
buttons,updatestoshowthecontentsfortheselected
Slot.
Selecting outside the current group of 16
ToselectanewSlotoutsideofthecurrentgroupof16:
1. Usethenextandpreviousarrow‐buttonsatthe
bottomofthescreentobrowsethroughthegroups
of16.
Thelabelsfornext/previouswillvarydependingon
thecurrentgroupof16;forinstance,ifthecurrent
groupis0‐15,thebuttonswillshow112‐127and16‐31,
respectively.
Asyoubrowse,thecurrentselectiondoesnotchange
untilyouactuallypressoneofthe16buttons.
NOTE:IfyoubrowseoutsideofthecurrentSetList,
anyeditstotheSetListwillbelost.Besuretowrite
youreditsfirst.
2. WhenyouseethedesiredSlot,presstheSlot’s
button.
Thebuttonbecomeshighlighted,andthecomments
andlargeSlotnumber/nameatthetopofthescreenare
updatedaccordingly.
Other ways to select Set Lists and Slots
YoucanalsoselectSetListsandSlotsusingthefront‐
panelInc/Decbuttons,theVALUEdial,orthenumeric
keypad,orstepthroughSlotsusingtheassignable
footswitch.Formoreinformation,see“Selectingand
playingsounds”inthe“SetLists”chapteroftheOG.
Choosing a sound for a Slot
1. PresstheEdittabtogototheSetListEditpage.
2. SelecttheSlotthatyou’dliketoedit.
Noticetheparameterswhichappearabovethe16Slot
buttons.TheseletyousetupthecurrentSlot.
3. Atthetopleftoftheparameterbox,selectthe
desiredType:Program,Combination,orSong.
EachSlotcanplayeitheraProgram,aCombination,or
aSong.WhenyouchangetheType,theBank&
NumberandCategoryorTrackparameterswill
updateaccordingly.CategoryappearsforPrograms
andCombinations;TrackappearsforSongs.
4. UsingeithertheBank&NumberorCategory
popupmenus,selectthedesiredProgram,
Combination,orSong.
NotethatyoucanusethesamesoundinmultipleSlots
withinthesameSetList.Forinstance,youmighthave
afavoritepianosoundwhichyouuseinanumberof
differentsongs.YoucancreateanynumberofSlots
whichusethissamepianosound,eachwithdifferent
namesandcomments.
Writing your edits
Whenyou’vefinishedaddingsounds,makesureto
saveyoureditsbywritingtheSetList:
1. SelectWriteSetListfromthepagemenu.
TheWriteSetListdialogwillappear.
2. Ifyouwish,editthenamebypressingonthe“T”
texteditbutton.
3. Optionally,usetheSetListpopupmenutowrite
theSetListintoadifferentnumberinmemory.
4. PressOKtowritetheSetList,orCanceltoexit
withoutwriting.
FormoreinformationontheWritecommand,see
“Savingyouredits”onpage 24.
Adding items to the Set List from other
modes
Program,Combination,andSequencermodeseach
haveanAddtoSetListcommandintheirP0page
menus.
WhenyouusetheAddtoSetListcommand,the
currentProgram,Combination,orSongisinsertedat
thecurrentSlotofthecurrentSetList,similartousing
theSetListEditpage’sInsertcommand.
Playing Programs and Combinations
Selecting Programs by bank and number
ProgramsarethebasicsoundsoftheKRONOS.
1. Pressthefront‐panelPROGbutton(theLEDwill
light)toenterProgrammode.
TheupperleftoftheLCDscreenshowsthenameof
thecurrentpage,PROGRAMP0:Play.Thisisagood
homebaseforplayingPrograms.
Noticethelarge,highlightedcharactersintheupper
partoftheLCDdisplay.Thesearethenameand
numberofthecurrentProgram.Whentheseare
highlighted,youcanpressthe/buttonstoselect
thenextorpreviouslynumberedProgram.
YoucanalsoturntheVALUEdialtomovethroughthe
Programsinlargersteps,orenterProgramnumbers
directlyfromthenumerickeypad.
2. UsetheBANKSELECTI‐A…GandU‐A…G
buttonstoselectProgramsfromotherbanks.
ToselectbanksUSER–AA…GG,pressandholdapair
ofIandUBANKbuttonstogether.Forexample,to
selectbankUSER–CC,pressandholdtheI–Cbutton,
andthenpresstheU–Cbutton.
PresstheI‐Gswitchrepeatedlytocyclethroughbanks
GM,g(1)…g(9),andg(d).

Playing sounds
En-18
Selecting Programs by Category
ThereareotherwaystoselectPrograms,butherewe’ll
explainhowtoselectprogramsbytheircategory,such
askeyboard,organ,bass,ordrumsounds.
ForotherwaystoselectPrograms,seethe“Playing
andeditingPrograms”chapteroftheOG.
1. IntheLCDscreen,presstheCategorypopup
button.
See“b:Categorypopupbutton”onpage 13.
TheCategorypopupmenuwillappear.
2. Usethetabsatthelefttoselectacategory.
Thespaceontherightwillthenshowallofthe
Programsinthatcategory,inalloftheinternalbanks.
3. Optionally,pressoneoftheinnertabstoselecta
sub‐category,tonarrowtheselection.
Ifanyofthecategoriesorsub‐categoriescan’tbe
selected,thismeansthatnoProgramshavebeen
assignedtothatcategory.
4. SelectaProgramfromthelist.
YoucaneithertouchthenameofaPrograminthelist,
pressthe/buttons,orusetheValuedial.You
canplaythehighlightedProgramfromthekeyboard
withoutleavingthepopup.
5. Ifnotalltheitemsinthelistcanbeshowninthe
screen,usethescrollbarstoviewtherestofthe
list.
6. Whenyou’vefoundaProgramyoulike,pressthe
OKbuttontoclosethedialogbox.Thengoahead
andplay!
Makesuretotryoutallofthecontrollers,too.Formore
information,see“Usingcontrollerstomodifythe
sound”onpage 18.
Program Bank Contents
KRONOSshipsfromthefactorywithalmost1,800
Programsloadedintomemory.Another1,024Program
slotsareleftopen(“initialized”)foryourown
programming,oradditionalsoundlibraries.Allofthe
factoryProgramscanbeover‐writtenwithyourown
edits,ifdesired–exceptfortheGMbanks.
Programbankcontents
HD-1 and EXiBank Types
EXiProgramsareusedforallsynthenginesexceptfor
theHD‐1,includingtheAL‐1,CX‐3,STR‐1,MS‐20EX,
PolysixEX,MOD‐7,SGX‐1,andEP‐1.
BankscancontaineitherHD‐1ProgramsorEXi
Programs,butnotboth.Thisassignmentisfixedfor
theInternalbanks,butcanbesetseparatelyforeachof
theUserbankswiththeSetProgramUser‐BankType
menucommandontheGlobalP0:Basicpage.
Selecting Combinations
ACombinationconsistsofuptosixteenProgramsthat
aresplitand/orlayeredtogether.Italsousesuptofour
KARMAmodulessimultaneously(aProgramcanuse
onlyoneKARMAmodule),lettingyouproducefar
morecomplexsoundsthanaProgram.Toselect
Combinations:
1. PresstheCOMBIbuttontoenterCombination
mode.
TheCOMBILEDwilllightup.
Onceyou’reinCombimode,youcanselectandplay
Combinationsbyeitherbank/numberorcategory,in
thesamewayasyoudidPrograms.
Using controllers to modify the sound
Joysticks, ribbon, and switches
Noticethemanycontrollerslocatedontheleftsideof
theKRONOS’frontpanel.Youcanuseallofthese
controllers–includingthejoystick,vectorjoystick,
ribboncontroller,andSW1/SW2switches–tovarythe
soundasyouplay.Formoreinformationonthese
controllers,seetheirsectionsunder“FrontPanel”on
page 6.
TheresultwilldifferforeachProgramor
Combination,sotrythemallouttoseewhateach
controllerdoesfortheselectedsound.
Control Surface overview
Noticethemixer‐likearrangementofsliders,knobs,
andswitchesontheleftsideofthefrontpanel.Thisis
calledtheControlSurface.Youcanuseitinavarietyof
ways,suchaseditingsounds,controllingKARMA,
mixing,orsendingMIDImessagestoexternaldevices.
Forinstance,tosetuptheControlSurfaceforquick
soundeditingandcontrollingKARMA:
1. IntheCONTROLASSIGNsection,presstheRT
KNOBS/KARMAbutton.
Bank Contents Bank Type
I-A SGX-1, EP-1, “best of” all EXiEXi
I-B…F HD-1 Programs HD-1
GM (I-G) GM2 main Programs
GM
g(1)…g(9) GM2 variation Programs*1
g(d) GM2 drum Programs*1
U-A HD-1, including ambient drums
Bank type
can be set
to either
HD-1 or EXi.
U-B AL-1
U-C AL-1 and CX-3
U-D STR-1
U-E MS-20EX & PolysixEX
U-F MOD-7
U-G Initialized HD-1 Programs
USER–AA…DD Initialized EXiPrograms
USER–EE…GG Initialized HD-1 Programs

EnglishFrançaisDeutschEspañol
Playing sounds
En-19
Thebutton’sLEDwilllight.Nowyoucanusethe
knobstomodifythesoundsandeffects,andusethe
slidersandswitchestocontrolKARMA.
Youcanusethesecontrolsregardlessofthepage
shownontheLCDdisplay.However,thereisapage
whichprovidesmoreinformationabouttheControl
Surfaceassignmentsandvalues.
2. GototheP0:ControlSurfacepagebypressingthe
ControlSurfacetab,locatedinthelowerrightof
theLCDscreen.
ThispageshowsalloftheControlSurfacesliders,
knobs,andswitches,alongwiththeircurrent
assignmentsandvalues.Whenyoumoveacontroller,
thecorrespondingobjectintheLCDscreenwillalso
move.
Using knobs to vary the timbre
WhentheRTKNOBS/KARMAbuttonislit,theeight
knobsatthetopoftheControlSurfacemodulate
variousaspectsofthesoundsandeffects.
Knobs1‐4havededicatedfunctions,asprintedonthe
frontpanel:FilterCutoff,FilterResonance,FilterEG
Intensity,andReleaseTime.
Knobs5‐8canbeassignedtoawidevarietyof
functions.Often(thoughnotalways),knobs5and6
modulatesynthesisparameters,knob7controlsthe
depthofachorusorothermodulationeffect,andknob
8controlsreverbdepth.
Foradetailedtutorial,see“Editingsounds&effects
withtheRealtimeKnobs”intheOG,under“Quick
editsusingtheknobs,sliders, and switches.”
Using Tone Adjust
ToneAdjustletsyouuseallofthesliders,knobs,and
switchesontheControlSurfacetoeditProgram
parameters,liketheknobsandslidersonananalog
synth.Eachphysicalcontrolcanbeassignedtoanyone
ofanumberofProgramparameters.
ThespecificparametersavailablethroughToneAdjust
willvarydependingonthetypeofProgram.HD‐1
Programssupportacertainsetofparameters;eachEXi
alsohasitsownsetofparameters.ThePolysixEX
worksparticularlywellwithToneAdjust,solet’stakea
lookatitnow.
1. InProgrammode,pressthebuttonforBankI‐A.
2. SelectProgramI‐A074PhunkyPowerBass.
ThisusesthePolysixEX.
3. UnderCONTROLASSIGN,presstheTONE
ADJ/EQbutton.
4. Playthekeyboardwhilemovingsliders1‐4and
knobs1‐2.
Noticeastheknobgraphicsonthedisplaymoveas
well.Sliders1‐4controltheenvelopeshape;knobs1‐2
controlthefiltercutoffandresonance.
5. Onthedisplay,presstheControlSurfacetab.
Thispageshowstheassignmentsandvaluesforallof
thesliders,knobs,andswitches.
6. PresstheMaintabtoreturntothemainPlaypage.
7. TouchthePolysixEXgraphicaroundtheCutoff
andResonanceknobs.
ThedisplayjumpstothemainPolysixEXpage.
8. ExperimentwithplayingwhileusingtheControl
Surfacesliders,knobs,andswitches.
Noticehowthegraphicsrespond,aswell.Youcanalso
selectagraphiccontrolonthescreenandedititsvalue
usinganyofthedataentrycontrols.
Restoring the sound to its original state
Whenyou’reeditingaProgram,youcancompareback
andforthbetweentheeditedandsavedversions.
1. Pressthefront‐panelCOMPAREswitch.
TheCOMPARELEDwilllight,andtheProgram’s
savedsettingswillberecalled.
2. PresstheCOMPAREswitchagain,toreturntothe
editedsettings.
TheCOMPARELEDwillgodark,andthesoundwill
returntotheeditedversion.Youcanswitchbackand
forthasmanytimesasyoulike.
Resetting individual controllers
Youcanalsoresetindividualcontrollerstotheirsaved
values,suchasthevectorjoystickoranycontrol
surfaceslider,knob,orswitch.Todoso:
1. Holddownthefront‐panelRESETCONTROLS
switch.
2. Whileholdingdowntheswitch,moveorpressthe
controlthatyou’dliketoreset.
3. ReleasetheRESETCONTROLSswitch.
Thecontrollerwillbereset.

Playing sounds
En-20
Using KARMA
Turning KARMA on and off
ToturnKARMAonandoff:
1. PresstheKARMAON/OFFswitch,sothatthe
LEDislit.
WhentheLEDislit,KARMAison.
2. Pressakey,andKARMAwillbegintoplay.
(Notethatinsomesounds,KARMAmaybesetto
respondonlytonotesplayedinaspecifickeyboard
range.)
Notethefront‐panelLATCHswitch.Thisswitch
controlswhetherornotKARMAcontinuestoplay
afteryouremoveyourhandfromthekeyboard.
IftheLEDislit,Latchison.KARMAwillcontinueto
playevenafteryouremoveyourhandfromthe
keyboard.IftheLEDisdark,Latchisoff;KARMAwill
stopwhenyouremoveyourhandfromthekeyboard.
Link to Drum Track
IfthefrontpanelLINKEDLEDandKARMAON/OFF
switchesarelit,KARMAwillstartandstoptogether
withtheDrumTrack.Importantly,KARMAwillnot
startiftheDrumTrackisnotturnedon.Formore
information,see“LinkingKARMAandtheDrum
Track”onpage 21.
Using the KARMA controllers
AllfactorysoundsaresetupforusewithKARMA.
SomearestoredwithKARMAonbydefault,and
othersarestoredwithKARMAoff,asshownbythe
LEDontheKARMAON/OFFswitch.
1. PressthePROGbuttontoenterProgrammode.
2. Selectasoundthatyoulike,andpressthe
KARMAON/OFFbuttontoturnonKARMA.
Thebuttonwilllightup.
3. PresstheRTKNOBS/KARMAbuttonunder
CONTROLASSIGN.
Whenthisbuttonislit,theControlSurfaceslidersand
switcheswillcontrolKARMA.
4. GototheControlSurfacepage.
Thisshowsalloftheassignmentsandcurrentvalues
forthesliders,knobs,andbuttons.
Theslidersandthelowerrowofbuttonsarethe
KARMASlidersandSwitches.Thesecontrol
parameterswithinKARMA,whichwillvary
dependingontheProgram.
TheupperrowofbuttonsselectKARMAScenes,
whichstorevaluesfortheKARMASlidersand
Switches.
5. Presstheupperrowofbuttons,onebyone,to
selectdifferentKARMAScenes.
NoticehowthisalsochangestheKARMASWITCH
andKARMASLIDERvalues,asshowninthedisplay.
Youcanmovebetweenentirelydifferentsettingsofall
thesecontrolssimplybypressingaKARMASCENE
switch.
Eachsceneindependentlyremembersanyeditsthat
youmakeviatheslidersandswitches.Editstoall8
scenesarestoredwhenyouwritetheProgram.
6. Movetheslidersandpressthebottomrowof
switches,andlistentotheeffectthattheyhaveon
thesound.
Theslidersandswitcheswillcontroldifferentthings
dependingonthecurrentProgramanditsKARMA
settings.
Using KARMA in Combination mode
KARMAuses“modules”togeneratephrasesor
patterns.ProgramscanuseasingleKARMAmodule,
butCombinationscanuseuptofoursimultaneously.
Eachmodulecanplayaseparatesound(orgroupof
sounds)ifdesired.
Modulesareroutedtodifferentsoundsviathe
module’sMIDIinputandoutputchannels.
1. UsethefrontpanelMODULECONTROLswitch
toselectthemodulethatyouwanttocontrol.
SelectMASTERtocontrolallfourKARMAmodules
simultaneously.
SelectA–DtocontroltheindividualKARMAmodules.
2. MoveandpresstheKARMAslidersandswitches.
Theslidersandswitcheswillcontrolthepatternor
phrasegeneratedbytheselectedmodule.
Playing chords with the Pads
TheKRONOSincludes8virtual“pads,”whichcanbe
playedbytouchingthescreen,fromMIDIinput,or
fromcompatibleUSBMIDIpaddevices.Youcanuse
thesePadstotriggerchordsforKARMA.
Toplaythepadsfromthescreen:
1. PresstheEQ/Vector/Controltab,andthenselect
thePadstab.
ThistakesyoutothePadspage.
2. Makesurethattheon‐screenEnablePadPlay
buttonislit.
3. Touchthepadstoplaytheirchords.
Dynamicsarecontrolledbywhereyoutouchthepad;
touchhigherforlouder,andlowerforsofter.
YoucanalsoplaythepadsusingKorgUSBMIDI
controllersequippedwithdrumpads,includingthe
nanoPADandnanoPAD2,padKONTROL,
microKONTROL,andKONTROL49.
TouseanyoftheseKorgcontrollers,simplyconnect
themtooneoftheKRONOS’stwoUSBAports.The
KRONOSwillautomaticallydeterminetheMIDI
assignmentsofthecontroller’spads1‐8,andmapthem
directlytotheKRONOSpads.
Formoredetails,see“USBMIDIcontrollers”inthe
AppendixoftheParameterGuide.
Other manuals for Kronos X
3
Table of contents
Other Korg Musical Instrument manuals