Korg KROME EX | Good Beginner Music Production Workstation? 

My *apologies* for the poor audio at the last few minutes of this video where I was discussing the features I wished Korg had added into the new KROME EX.

2019: Chinese smartphones cost less then 50 usd, but Yamaha and Casio still making 500-700 usd boards with monocrome screens like it's 1990...

That said, I picked one up for $700 B-stock, like new, and it works great for my limited home studio use. I'm primarily a guitarist and singer, and this adds a huge amount of super high quality sounds to the mix, and the sequencer doesn't need to be exported, only played into my recorder. Same with pad-samples. I already have the ability to play guitar, etc and record it on my main station. I don't use this as a performer, but if I did, it's not a problem to launch the numerous sequenced songs. I don't need MORE buttons for it. USB to plug in? I have audio and midi outs, and that always was sufficient. I can run it all into my A to D converter with midi cables too, and then to my main board, yes, via USB. So you see, the 'limitations' are not really limitations. You just have preferences that are few, and rather superficial. IMHO.

Krome EX is a Workstation, PSR’s are Arrangers, comparing them is like comparing oranges with apples, neither one can do what the other one does

Thank you for this excellent presentation Jeremy!! You did a great job of explaining, your demos are absolutely amazing! I am very impressed with this synthesizer.

Hello Jeremy, just wanted to ad you can make any 16 midi track keyboard/sound module behave like an arranger with the Varranger2 software. I tried it with a Roland fa 06 and it works like a charm. Best of both worlds !

Great review, @Jeremy See. Would like to know what the advantages of the Krome EX are over the original Krome?

Your video production is getting much better. Keep up the good work. Love your vids.

Great demonstration and playing. I'm looking into a budget friendly keyboard like this. I also looked at the Roland JUNO-DS61 Synthesizer. Reviews seem to be split on each model. I'm confused. Any advice would be appreciated.

Love this one. Thank you for making this video. It helped me decide that this is what I really wanted.

Thank you for your valuable comments . I follow you very carefully. Your honest comments are very important to us. Thanks dude. :)

Hi Jeremy. Again, thanks for your expert advise. Soon to be upgrading from my PSR-E463. Cheers!

For me the piano on this wipes the floor with Roland FAs and Yamha moxf. No contest. I have had all 3 keyboards (still have a mofx). The Krome is Better as a studio than live keyboard where I find it a huge disapointment due to poor interface. Your criticisms at the end are spot on and really are unacceptable from Korg. I also think their keybeds are trash except the 88 model which is very decent if not a little stiff and heavy but I like this personally. Great review JS. Nobody does it better.....you are the James Bond of review men !!

Yet again you impress us with another great demo Jeremy! What a shame that Korg has chosen to remove the cue list and piano roll editor from the sequencers in the much more expensive Kronos and Nautilus! This IMHO is an absurd decision! Does the Krome EX also take an eternity to boot up like the Kronos and Nautilus?

Also worth looking at the non -EX version as its almost exactly the same. EX has a bit more memory and a few extra combi's.

This was an ambiente recorded? Because conectting The krome into a áudio interface and Record in The computer sounds much better.

For music production, I would prefer to use a DAW and soft synths because it is easier to edit on a DAW. I'll stick with arranger keyboards with automatic accompaniment for quick playing for enjoyment. So for me, most ideal would still be an arranger keyboard with music workstation editing functions but these are costly. CT-X5000 comes very close to being one.

Hi Jeremy very nice review as usual, I think you’re having a lot of fun with this Korg EX. Will you also review the Yamaha MODX? Personally I don’t think the Korg EX would be a sensible upgrade for the PSR E363/463 or CT-X3000/5000 because they are arranger keyboards and the EX is more a synth/workstation. I just bought the CT-X800, not sure whether I’ll keep it but for the time being I like it very much. I find it easier to operate than the CT-X3000 and it has very nice sounds. I think it is very light and portable and nicer than the PSR E363, the keybed feels better and I was surprised at the quality of the speakers on such a small instrument. When I’ll upgrade, I think I would rather go for the Korg PA700 or PA1000. Do you think you could do a review of one of those? I think they are among the most flexible professional arrangers so far. Of course you’ve got the Yamaha PSR S775/995, but you cannot tweak the sounds, whereas in the Korg PA700/1000, you can fully edit your sounds like on a synth (actually there is a real synth hidden in the PA arrangers). Also, you can convert a MIDI file to a style on the keyboard itself, which is really great. Have a nice weekend. 😎

Please, review Roland FA 07!

A dream I have si to get one of this keyboars for cheap, with some bad keys or external marks and convert it to a small module to be controlled from my Studiologic keyboard

Good review. Will you do a review of the Yamaha MODX keyboard? I'm thinking of buying one of those.

I just got the korg krome ex61 its awsome synth i just wish I could download sounds like my yamaha modx6 and roland fa06 I would love to have the korg n364 and korg m1 patches on it.

Nice review The Korg Krome EX is a great workstation,I owned a Triton and a Korg M50 Both were excellent workstations ,but then again the price difference between The EX and Casio Ctx5000 is a big difference.

Quick question... my krome ex wont let me save my sequences. I press the "write" button and all it says is " path/file not found " please help....

thank's a lot for this superb vidéo i love all that amazing sounds and all that you played congratulation

All of your complains are solved in the even cheaper Kross2. USB Audio, Trigger Pads for Samples, Triggers and Favorites,... but unfornately the same Keybed w/o Aftertouch :D

Some the omissions that you mention at the end are available on the slightly cheaper Kross 2, bizarrely.

I looking to create music, and was going to get the Krome, but I need the features you mentioned at the end, but I need a keyboard with usb, export waveform files, and is DAW’s like Cubasis3. User friendly like the Krome, but with those features. Any suggestions?

Hi Jeremy, greetings from Wash DC...new to the channel and love it. Great demonstration and playing. May I ask if the tunes you played are all covers or some originals too? I do recognize snippets of some songs. Thanks again.

This keyboard has everything I was expecting the Korg Krome to have when I bought it 2 years ago. All these new sounds and patches should have been an upgrade or added software like the M 1 and Triton I was able to add before my Krome shut down on me. Corrupted SD card or something like that.

Pls adv me. .korg kronos 2 and krome ex which is better to buy. .also like yamaha modx. But modx voice same as psr voice right. ...

Hey Jeremy i gotta ask :) I'm in the market for buying my first Korg Keyboard. do u think the Korg Krome EX will do?😁

How to change tone use key pad with single touch ? Without press enter key. Krome ex..

I wonder how does this keybed compared to Kross 2? Do they feel the same ?

Hello I have a doubt what amp should I use for a workstation

Hi Jeremy, Merry Christmas. Hope youre doing wonderful. I was wondering do you know if the Krome EX has a mic input to record vocals on tracks in the sequence mode? Thank you

I really like your video thanks for sharing, the one interesting thing that I will point out that I always noticed when keyboard players play guitar patches is that they play voicings that are completely impossible on guitar. You need to spread things out and stack fourths if you want the guitar to sound more realistic. Really great tone though, I actually ordered one of these recently and it should be here soon. I'm hoping the newer hardware from older stuff like the M3 will suit my workflow better and be more responsive. All the other gadgets I could really care less about, the only reason I'm buying this is for the sequencer and for the cue list

Hi Jeremy, how is the basic synth engine for creating your own sounds? Can you edit the programs while they are in combi mode and hear the adjustments? Thanks.

estoy mirando una workstation y realmente me encanta, tiene un toque al triton, que era realmente un gran sintetizador

There are no speakers? Ive never seen this.. so you need external speakers in order to hear what your playing?

Yes I have this best krome ex & really I enjoy my music it's best for track sequencing. I make my indian sounds the best. thanks korg. For indian sounds contact me.

Sir which is better krome ex or pa 700

Great video! Plz do more such videos on workstation keyboards

Which one is better, this one or the Roland XPS30?

After weeks of comparing keyboards as my first purchase in decades, I decided on getting the Korg PA700. As much as I nearly went with the Korg workstations, the disadvantages you mentioned made me go with the Korg arranger keyboards instead. My major regret with the Korg PA700 was its lack of a weighted or semi-weighted keyboard. Can you give your thoughts on the Korg PA series? Obviously I’m not getting rid of my PA700 for extreme financial reasons, and at the risk of escalating a bit of buyer’s remorse (or at the opposite, making me feel good for my decision), it would be nice to hear your opinion on this Korg series. Maybe I’ll end up with two keyboards in the future with a workstation as the second one. (But my wife would probably kill me by then.)

Hi Jeremy... I follow you very often and subscribed your channel. 🙂 You arrive me as a gentle person. I have a question for you: Now I have already a Korg m50, and I really like it, but I'm thinking about this krome. I'm basically a composer of instrumental music and, have to tell you, don't appreciate very much the midi and the vst... I like to use my capabilities for create and edit sound from an analogue font. Do you think this model could be right for me? Are there in sound of quality? Thanks by now. 🙋

Hi Jeremy, if I m choosing between korg krome ex & roland fa 06, which one would u recommend?

Pity it doesn't have USB storage. Is it possible to save your recordings directly to the SD card? Can the instrument transfer also audio via USB or just MIDI( to the computer)? thanks :)

Korg Krome EX vs Yamaha YC ?

Do these keyboards have built in speakers? If not, what do I do?

roland xps 30 vs krome ex which is better for beginner?

24.44 reminds me of a preset from my old X5DR module :-))

Nice as always jeremy...😁 compare to roland juno ds please....

Any chance the Akai Mini Play is in Singapore. Not sure if you do really small keyboards.

To me, even with updated sounds Krome Ex " anyway is outdated. Would give a credit to EX if it has more actual and wide range of patterns and arrpediators... but it doesn't... Is it too hard for Korg to put a few new? On this price range Yamaha MOFX has all features that Korg EX lack. Despite MOXF is a "yesterday keyboard" too. Anyone can tell us how far is Krome EX from Korg X-50 ? (Exept sequenser of cource)

Hi Jeremy,I just ordered the korg krome ex88,I think I’ll be happy with it,hoping anyway,was gonna order the nautilus but got tired of waiting.

A lot of Keyboards don't have Aftertouch in this area. So it's not a shame! What is your point here ? Roland FA , Juno Ds, Korg Pa, Non of them has Aftertouch!

Like super top -top-top grts Marc

Thank Jeremy, the sound at end of the video has some problem.

Hi Jeremy I'm from Uganda, I really like your reviews of keyboards so much that everyday I keep checking whether you posted a new video or not, I would like to know if the korg krome EX has arranger functions like styles and variations because am confused between korg pa 1000 and krome EX..I want one which I can use as a one man band in our church,

Is this keyboard great for one man band applications? Can I load different rhythms from the computer to the keyboard? thank you in advance 🙂

Excuse me Jeremy but can you upgrate from a grand piano to a church organ and the opposite? If I want to play a keyboard with rhythms and styles,the best synthesizer in the world cannot offer me that. If I want to combine,create,experiment with sounds etc I need a synthesizer. If I want to make music producion I need the cheapiest midi keyboard I can find (and that is just optional just for saving time) a pc's keyboard, a mouse, a DAW and several hundrends gigabytes of free space on my pc's discs.

love the video info .....please no background music hard to understand what your saying...

I really wanted to like this keyboard(despite the fact that I had previously owned 2 of the original Krome's,but returned them both,due to both of the OS's crashing on me.)However...after hearing these programs(particularly the synths)...I don't see much reason to take another chance on a Krome again.....I mean,other than an extra 200MB of sample content,what has really changed for the better?? Hopefully, Korg has upgraded the SD memory card on the motherboard on this EX and of course,the lower price is great...but as you have mentioned,no WAV export...which is very personally distressing and very puzzling to me(given that most musicians have a PC DAW set up in their homes.) Though I realize the Krome is just entry level...well...I see no reason why Korg can't have a synth chipboard option for purchase(like Korg had with the M3 keyboard and the Triton Extreme.)Having an addtional synth engine add-on for purchase would be a win-win for everyone(i.e. very profitable for Korg's behalf,as well as making their consumers happy & creating an extremely competitive workstation keyboard in the process!) I really do like the new design of the chassis though and of course,the extra sample content is intriguing.....but I am going to wait and see what the upcoming Winter Namm show will bring.Thank you for your overview of the new Krome EX,as it was helpful.

PSR 975 costs 1800 EUR, Krome EX - 1000 EUR in my country, not an upgrade at all:). Of course they are different keyboards, PSR 975 is more for a live situations, while Krome Ex more like studio/producers keyboard much like Roland FA-61.

My conclusion is : Krome EX has the best instruments , quality sound and sequencer , and a big touchscreen in a workstation for its price , but.... no wav export , no USB audio interface , no favorite quick access buttons or pads ,no line in input , no aftertouch. Thanks for this video!!

Should I go for Yamaha PSR-EW300 or Casio Inc WK6600 my budget 300 USD.

Any suggestions for a beginner like me that started playing music back in the beginning of the 90`s on something back then called Ensonique EPS 16+. I guess times have changed drastically since back when I was a kid, and im not want to go into DAW, I like the analoge machines still, till now in my home setup I have gotten me 2 rorkit KRK active speakers 6.5 inch, plugged into a yamaha 12 channel mixer, I also have a Korg kaossilator 2 but im in need of a workstation, been looking at roland jupiter 80, korg m50, korg krome/EX what is the difference of these two? Further more I`ve been looking at the Roland Phantom X8 and the different yamahas from Tyros to Genos to montage, but I feel they will cost more and be kinda harder to master...From what i could hear on this workstation the Krome EX it sounds ok, but well I don`t know...I am in need for some guidance. PS These sthings will only be in a home studio though never go out on tour or anything like that...I have also thought about getting me a Korg Microkorg, but there i do not know if I should go for the microkorg or the XL they seems different in some ways...PLS help 44 year old from Norway thank you in advance...

Can you record actual human voices into the workstation and then play them at different notes?

I thought the i3 is Korgs beginner Workstation, thus Krome EX for (at least slightly) advanced users?

I feel a bit of KRMA..-- (speaking from experience) good play.

Is Singapore a country ? Jeremy ,and why it's necessary for almost all males to join national government service like army Navy or air Force ,and at a very young age ,also whats the age of joining ,and the army Navy or air Force service is necessary for males only or for females also ?

But ctx psr are for the basic musician but this kbd is the pro kbd I'll be buying this soon

So does the EX have pretty much the same presets & tones as the original Krome?

Super demo Jeremy see

Hell Jeremy, As I wrote before, the psr e423 has arrived, It looks good, black and more possibilities, which I probably never will use! So now I am in doubt, the E 323 I bought mostly for the build in lessons of which are more and moreaccessible then on the e423. You mentionedthat there is no real neccessity for those lessons because there is enough on RU-vid. Someone is interrested to buy the e423, so this is my doubt, which keyboard shouldI keep. Hopefullyyou can give me some supportinthis. Excuse my english, I learned it, I’m a sort of autodidact. We have a nice sunny day here, hope you have the same, greetings, Gerard

ggreat content

Is this a good keyboard Yamaha PSR-EW300

Sir Jeremy I just want to ask how to save/transfer a midi file from laptop to Yamaha psr363? I watched your video about recording from the keyboard to pc using Audacity, but what about how saving or transferring a file from pc to keyboard? Thanks and look forward to your reply.

Video on modx PL.

What software you used for recording??? Thank you. :)

nice

Any keybed improvements over previous krome in 61 ver?

Price???

In my suggestion korg krome korg krome ex is the update of tritone and tritone extreme

Ex has Mp3 track playing support please letme know

Artificial limitations like NO USB AUDIO and no aftertouch.. just mentioning. Its a pain to get the music sounds as-is to your computer.

i like your sound plz. give me sound plz

Yes!!! New toys too play with! Lul:)

How much does this retail?

Price plss??

Thanks mster Jeremy ayneed moor formetion batwaen korg crome ex & jinos Yamaha which Betar than anather from still&sawnd T

What do you mean beginners workstation, this is an advance workstation.