The Korg Krome 88 is a powerful and versatile MIDI keyboard controller well-suited for various musical applications. It is easy to use, has a great sound engine, and has many features that make it an excellent choice for live performance and studio use.
If you are looking for a high-end MIDI keyboard controller designed for professional use, the Korg Krome 88 is a great option. The Krome is the new entry-level workstation to beat and will please musicians of all levels.
The Korg Krome 88 Review: An Affordable Workstation Synth
Contents
Overview
The Korg Krome 88 features an 88-key weighted keyboard with a natural feel (Natural Weighted Hammer Action) and several other features that make it an excellent choice for both beginner and serious pianists and musicians.
There are of course a plethora of alternate options on the market, but the Korg Krome is entirely worth the investment for serious musicians, or any pianist who wants a keyboard that is user-friendly and has great sounds across the board.
Key Features & Specifications
The Krome 88 has several features that make it a powerful MIDI keyboard controller.
| Feature | Description |
| Type | Music Workstation/MIDI controller |
| Sound Engine | PCM samples (no analog) |
| Number of Keys | 88 Full-size |
| Type of Keys | Weighted, NH (Natural Weighted Hammer Action) keyboard |
| Other Controllers | Joystick (assignable), Color Touchscreen |
| Polyphony | 120 voices (120 Oscillators) / Single Mode60 voices (120 Oscillators) / Double Mode |
| MIDI | In / Out |
| Interface | USB-MIDI Interface (TYPE B) |
| SD Card Slot | Max: 2 GB / SD Memory Card is supportedMax: 32 GB/ SDHC Memory Card is supported(SDXC Memory Card is not supported) |
| Control Input | Damper Pedal (Half pedal supported) |
| Outputs | Left/Mono/Right ¼ inch / 6.3mm(Mono) Phone jack, Unbalanced⅛ inch / 3.5mm Stereo phone jack |
| Dimensions | 57.01 x 15.08 x 5.16 inches / 1,448 x 383 x 131 mm |
| Weight | 32.41 lbs. / 14.7 kg |
| Software | Downloadable from Korg’s website, free of charge |
Effects
The Krome has a lot of effects options. You can use five insert effects, two send-based master effects, and a final total effect.
Multiple parts in a Combi can use the same insert effect, so you have a lot of flexibility. Korg’s graphical depiction of effects routing makes it easy to understand and you can organize your parts and ideas seamlessly.
Sounds
For those heading to the stage, you’ll be happy to know you can play the Korg Krome 88 like your acoustic piano at home.
The weighted keyboard emulates an acoustic piano for a natural piano feel. But let’s look at what it can offer you in terms of sound.
Acoustic Piano
The Krome keyboard is an excellent option for musicians looking for a keyboard with a great piano sound. The Krome uses the same “German D Grand” piano sound as the KRONOS flagship, known for its rich, realistic, and authentic sound.
The Krome piano sound also has 88 full-length, unlooped stereo samples and damper resonance, which adds to its realism. Korg put a lot of care into creating this piano sound, so you can be sure it’s the best.
Electric Piano
The Krome keyboard is an excellent option for musicians looking for a keyboard with great electric piano sounds. The Krome has a wide range of electric piano sounds, from bright and sparkly to dark and barky.
The “E. Piano Mark I R&B” sound is one of the most versatile, with a phaser effect that can be dialed in to sound like Steely Dan. The Rhodes sounds cover the Mark I, II, and V models.
In contrast, the Wurly 200A sound has various effects, including tremolo, phaser, and touch wah. The Clav sounds are carefully programmed and will get you through cover tunes sounding great.
Organ Sounds
The Krome keyboard has great organ sounds. They are perfect for various genres, including jazz, blues, and rock. The organs have a lot of body and grit, and some programs have a knob that can be used to add higher harmonics for a pseudo-drawbar effect.
The only drawback on the organ side is that there aren’t any drawbars. The rotary eff is also very good, perfect for creating a realistic organ sound.
Drum Sounds
The Krome keyboard is an excellent option for musicians looking for a keyboard with great drum sounds. The Krome has a wide variety of drum sounds, from acoustic kits to electronic kits to genre-specific kits.
The “Jazz Ambience Kit” is a great all-around kit, and there’s also a dry version for a tighter kick sound. The drum sounds are great for creating tracks quickly, and you can even save drum tracks with accompaniment grooves per program or Combi.
The Krome keyboard has a powerful Drum Track feature that can add realistic grooves to your music. The Drum Track feature includes over 600 preset patterns; you can also create your own patterns.
You can use the Drum Track feature with the sequencer or play live.
Synths
The Krome keyboard is an excellent option for musicians looking for a keyboard with great synth sounds. The Krome has a wide variety of synth sounds, from big brass sounds to creamy leads to squelchy sync sounds to evolving pads.
The synth sounds are based on the Triton and M-series keyboards, which are known for their quality. However, there are two minor issues with the synth sounds.
First, there is some stair-stepping on filter sweeps on some sounds. This little issue is only noticeable when the resonance is cranked up.
Second, grabbing a knob can audibly jump the assigned parameter to the knob’s physical position. This is an annoying issue, but it is not a deal-breaker.
Orchestral Instruments
The Krome workstation has great strings and brass sounds. The strings have a good selection of articulations, including pizzicato, legato, and tremolo.
The brass sounds are shiny and hi-fi, perfect for various genres, including orchestral, jazz, and pop. The Combi presets “Dyno Orchestra” and “Rhythm and Bows” are great examples of Krome’s string and brass sounds.
Sequencer and Arpeggiators
The Krome sequencer is powerful and versatile, perfect for musicians who want to create complex arrangements.
The sequencer is more visual and easier to use than the Kronos, and it has a “tools”-based approach that makes working with one or several measures at a time even more DAW-like.
This makes the Krome sequencer an excellent choice for musicians who want to create complex arrangements without a computer.
The Krome keyboard has two powerful and versatile arpeggiators that can be used to create a wide variety of sounds.
You can use the arpeggiators to generate standard arpeggio patterns, guitar or bass riffs, drum patterns, or sound design elements. You can also edit any of the patterns to create custom originals.
The arpeggiators are a great way to add interest and complexity to your music and can be used in various genres.
Piano Roll Editor
The Krome keyboard has a powerful new piano roll editor perfect for editing sequences. The piano roll editor allows you to zoom in and out, use different tools, and edit controller values for each note.
This makes it an excellent tool for various tasks, such as editing individual notes, making global changes, and adding modulation.
Software Editor
The Krome software editor is a powerful tool for editing Krome’s sounds. It can be used to automate the Krome like a soft synth. Users report the software editor works very well with the workstation keyboard, with no latency or other issues.
Pros and Cons
As with everything in life, this Krome has pros and cons.
| Pros | Cons |
| Natural-feeling 88-key weighted keyboard | Fairly expensive, though Krome represents good value considering all of its features |
| High-resolution color screen | Some of the controls are small/fiddly |
| Mac and Windows Compatible | No faders |
| Physical controls for hands-on control | Lacks dedicated octave shift buttons |
| Built-in arpeggiator and sequencer | Booting up takes around one minute |
Comparisons
Korg Krome vs. Krome EX
while both the Korg Krome and Krome EX are powerful workstation keyboards, the Krome EX is an updated version with a refreshed design and expanded sound features.
The Krome EX offers new program banks, non-Western instruments, cinematic presets, and more, indicating an expanded and updated sound library compared to the original Krome.
The Krome EX also features a refreshed color scheme, transitioning from solid black to a split silver and black look, giving it a more modern appearance.
Korg Krome vs. Yamaha Motif
The Yamaha MOXF8 and the Korg Krome are both notable options in the world of digital workstation keyboards, each with its own set of strengths.
The Yamaha MOXF8 is part of Yamaha’s workstation series and is celebrated for its portability and performance capabilities.
It is lightweight, attributed to its use of plastic materials, and is equipped with modulation and pitch wheels, EQ controls, and transport buttons.
The MOXF8 is versatile for live performances and boasts a variety of sounds, supported by a 128-note polyphony.
In contrast, the Korg Krome is characterized by its sturdy yet lightweight aluminum frame, which contributes to its durability.
A standout feature of the Krome is its 800×480 pixel TouchView Color display, which offers touch-sensitive controls for managing sounds, making it user-friendly and visually engaging for performers.
Korg Krome vs. Korg SV1
The Korg Krome is a workstation keyboard that is designed to offer extensive sound editing and song arrangement capabilities. It features a large touchscreen interface surrounded by buttons and knobs, and it comes in various keyboard variants.
The Korg SV1 is a digital stage piano tailored for live performances. It is designed to excel in on-the-spot tasks that are essential during live gigs, such as level control and rapid instrument combination changes.
The SV1 has a unique and futuristic appearance, resembling a spaceship dashboard, with a control panel featuring an array of knobs and buttons.
It boasts 36 sounds organized into six banks and features German, Japanese, and Vintage pianos, along with electric pianos, synth variations, organs, strings, and brass sounds.
The SV1 implements a Real Weighted Hammer Action (RH3) system and Enhanced Definition Synthesis (EDS) tone generation system to contribute to its realistic piano feel and sound quality.
Weighing 45 pounds, it is designed for portability, making it a suitable choice for serious players in need of a robust gig-ready instrument.
In summary, while the Krome EX is geared towards extensive sound editing and arrangement, the SV1 is crafted for live performance with a focus on portability and immediate control.
Korg Krome vs. Roland Fantom 8
The Roland Fantom 8 is a high-end piano/synth workstation similar to the offerings from Korg (Kronos, Nautilus). The Fantom 8 has an 88-key weighted keyboard, a built-in sequencer, and an arpeggiator as well.
Accessories
The AC adapter comes standard in the box. You’ll also find an Accessory Disc containing the Krome Operation Guide in PDF, the Parameter Guide PDF, and a Video Manual. There’s also a Quick Start Guide included.
Conclusion
The Korg Krome is a fantastic choice for musicians who need a powerful and versatile keyboard for live gigs.
It is lightweight and portable and serves as a workstation and composers’ or producers’ master keyboard as well as a digital piano.
The pianos and EPs are comparable to the highest-end dedicated stage pianos, and the variety of expressive sounds in all other categories is endless.
The sequencer is also powerful and easy to use, making it an excellent tool for composing and arranging music.
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