USED VINTAGE CLASSIC or CHEAP NEW SYNTH - Which Is Best? 

Korg Triton Definitely one of the best I've ever owned.

I feel that the Triton is holding up pretty well, given that there is a 20 year gap between the two... In the end, it depends on the musician itself what he/she feels comfortable with. I did a complete reset in the past 2 years and exchanged all old, outdated gear for new. It boiled down to the fact that I got much better (yet less) gear for the money I reeled in by selling the old. I am in synth heaven now 😁👍

I allways buy used, mostly top end instruments, about a year after their release in mint condition for a great price.. i play them for about a year and in general sell them for about the same price i bought them..

As a musician, I still use my Roland XP-80 to this day. I use this on all of my recordings. Its sequencing functions are top notch that most workstation keyboards lack. In addition, a lot of patches are still used in a lot of recordings. Even though it had a floppy disk drive, I recently upgraded it to a USB port. I have two XP80s; one for my studio and one for my live performances. Both are fully expanded with SR-JV80 Expansion cards. This flagship keyboard came out in 1996 and (in my opinion) Roland developed one of the best workstation keyboards, ever.

I picked up a damaged triton pro on eBay for $400, couple of keys repaired, added a MOSS board for $500, SCSI2SD $160, vintage keys SIMM and max memory. Love it!

The build construction and the keybed of a flagship is second to none!

Purely because of the availability of spare parts I would go for the newer models every time. I got rid of my triton le as the screen went and I couldn't get a replacement.

I bought the that Triton and the next Triton studio, both in full 88 keys. The best keyboards I've ever used.

I used to play korg workstation. Very cumbersome to use for me. I switched to a Nordstage 2ex 7 years ago. It was the best decision of my life for live gigs. But use a Korg Wavestation VST via Midi. Sound incredible! 👍 For me important is a very good keybed.

wish you make review of Ensoniq TS and Kurzweil.

Hi Woody, the "TO HOST" port on the Triton is a computer connector to hook the Triton up to an Apple Mac. The cable used to connect a Triton to an Apple is the Apple Desktop Bus standard that was before USB. The ADB allowed you to hook up an Apple Keyboard, Apple Mouse, Apple Printer and of course a synth. If you are stuck finding an Apple ADB cable, I've heard you can use an SPDIF cable.

good day , thanks for the nice video. what do you think about the Korg KROME EX ? i think korg wanted to represent the old triton in a new technology with KROME EX (in my opinion). it has almost the same shape but alot of good new tech . but again the build quality is a mater to think about. im a yamaha and roland user and im thinking of gitting korg but im not shure which one i should consider there is the krome ex and there is the kross(the newer) and the old trinity and triton would you please give an advice thanks

thx for sharing the video. what was the song name u played 25.10?

Only 3 minutes in and I can already see it comin´: these days they don´t make them anymore as in the good old days.

When storage was mentioned, I thought we were going to be shown cupboards. :)

I am someone who has repaired a lot of vintage gear and one needs to be careful when investing in an older instrument. There can be some pitfalls. Once these get to around 30 years old and over there are some aspects to the electronics that can fail eg displays and inverters that power backlights and the backlights themselves. Also electrolytic capacitors are drying out and may need replacing in audio and power supply circuitry. Many other faults can arise too due to flash chips loosing their ability to hold code etc...Some synths may not even boot up after a long time. It pays to check into the spare parts situation for your desired purchase as well. Some people do stock parts but only some parts. eBay sellers will often have hard to get parts but at very high prices. When the vintage synths are working great they can provide years of amazing sounds and service. Many legacy instruments still sound excellent and pretty amazing today too. Especially with some of these recent new banks of sounds that are now being created for older instruments.

Can you tell us about sampels, are they tinned in the same way (ATRAC) on both instrument, before Korg put them to memory ? By the way, which instrument have samples richer in harmonics, ? I know the don't have Aural Aphex exciter inside like An1x.. My choice is Triton and Motif against....plastic bath.

Nice comparison. I recently got a Triton in best conditions for under 400 Euros.I love the sound and the way it plays as you described it. Also those devices are repairable. I also got a Korg M1 in Good shape with minor issues that I will be fixing. I am also considering something like a MODX just for fun.

Very interesting comparison video. My general rule of thumb is that "workstation" type synths tend to date quicker than niche synths, as the former typically try to do everything and each updated generation benefits from larger patch memory, storage capacity, sample resolution and general processing power. Synths based around a more niche but focused set of sounds can last a long time if they have a unique character to the sound. For these boards the increases in processing power are less important as they're not trying to be mini production studios. A performance synth can happily exist as one in a collection, whereas most people don't keep multiple workstations unless they have the money and time to invest in more than one and get to know all the intricacies of how to operate it. That said, there are some workstations that were so well put together that they are still relevant and usable today.

There is also a good side to getting a vintage synth. And that is the way it is built. Build quality is pretty high compared to a lot of cheaper off the press type synths we have now. They are nice to look at, touch and play for sure. You get the feeling you are playing a nice instrument. That never ages. They can last for years and give totally reliable service. And most often the old synths still sound stellar and draw dropping to this day. I have just repaired a Roland Fantom X6 for someone. Its 20 years old now but it looks great, feels amazing and solid and sounds spectacular. What more could you want.

Woody, I love your videos. You are terrific as you explain your points. I have a question? I have the Yamaha PSR SX 900. Would you call this keyboards keys cheap, where they might be problematic on the backend of the keyboard? I await your response eagerly!

In China, musicians still use Vintage synth on today’s stage and studio. Like the Korg Triton and Yamaha Motif.

Hey Woody, all considered, would you suggest getting a Triton classic (nomoss) 61, which I found on sale at a good price, to cure nostalgy I still have for the Trinity (i had one in the 90s)? do you like the sounds of your Triton?

Thanks Woody, its a valid comparison- having (mostly) old synth you’re always paranoid about something not working and part not being available anymore ( especially screens!), this can quickly eat up any savings from buying old equipment. I’ve played both these and for me (& I think you were very, very polite) the cross keyboard feels like total rubbish, but that’s fair enough for its price and light weight. Other aspects on cross are good. Much ,much better option if you need to something you’ll take out the studio. Let’s face it a lot of these old digitals we just want now, because we can actually afford them😊...BTW it was its (often forgotten) older sibling, the Trinity, that really dazzled us all with its early touchscreen...

What song starts at 16:29?! I remember the chord changes but can’t recall the song! Driving me nuts!

Hello Woody .I'm happy to see that you got a triton in such good condition.i told you many times that triton is the best choice from Korg if you like all in one kb. The first Korg with touch screen was Trinity another type animal with it's specific sound. Do you have the moss or expansion s in your Triton?

Glad it is you making this video not me (not that I make videos). Nearly every vintage synth I've bought with clicky tact switches has needed them replaced. Dirt gets in them or they oxidise. I do these replacements myself but that makes them less of a bargain if you need someone else to do it.

Quality digital vintage and new analog for me, thanks. Nice comparison!

Found this regarding the To Host port :) "The original Triton was pre-USB, the "To Host" connection is meant for a PC parallel port or Mac serial port...both obsolete ways of connecting."

thanks , Korg M3 Vs. Yamaha Motif would be great , or Korg Pa1x Vs. Tyros 2

I took my Triton to church one time and no one wanted to use it because they were afraid to touch anything they thought it was too complicated which i couldn't understand lol.

had a Kross 2, sounded great but got sick of the deep menu diving ... think there is an APP now you can use instead of the dreadful menus.

Great video! I think you cover most of the differences ! I know I come back always to the Triton Extreme, but it’s probably more fair against more modern synth as 4 year added to it lots of modern thing that the classic do not have : USB and Flash media (even TOSLINK in and out but I think that’s useless in most cases) The extreme come with both USB B to connect to a PC (mood only sadly , no audio :( ), USB A to connect a CD Burner or any type of mass media storage (HD or even thumb drive) and use Compact Flash for main storage, a bit outdated but easier to find and use than floppy or SCSI hard drive. I’m pretty sure I forget something, but can’t remember what. As far as I understand the Triton sequencer have a step,sequencer mode but not as easy as modern synth using the an approach like Roland TR Rec. as for,arpeggio and drum sequence the Triton have tons upon tons of them without counting user made one. I’m not sure I would call the HI Synth a subtractive synth, but if you are talking about the oscillator → filter layout as in most (virtual) analog synth ok I agree The RAM in the Triton is only used for sampling, it is not used by the sequencer, there is another volatile storage in the synth to,store your parameters, patches and sequences. Hmm. I fully agree the touch on the Triton is a nice feature but can be quick clunky, there are time,I turn around for a couple of minutes to find the option I’m looking for and still haven’t fully understood some pages, there are some really cryptic things. I’m not sure the hinge on the keys is that high it’s more the way the keys are attached which make the difference. Not keen to open mine at the moment, but will try to do a comparison between my Triton and my Roland A800 pro (as both have Aftertouch) And I also agree that it is a hard choice between both. If I didn’t had a thing for the extreme before hand, I,probably would go for the Kross as it being brand new, but it’s hard to say. I really like the look of the Extreme (especially the fancy valve with the blue LED to make it glow 😂) About the screen, have you tried to use the contrast knob? The screen is supposed to have a blueish tint, that’s the technology Kong used on that model. And sorry it was a long comment in the end 😆 Edit: oh I remember, it was about he keybed, the Triton seems to be more noisy than the Kross. Not a big deal in reality but yet makes a bit more noise. If I compare it to my A800 or my System8 which have “cheaper” keybed it is more noisy

Or you can invest in the Korg Triton VST for Windows and Mac OS. I purchased the VST so that I didn’t have to carry my Triton to my gigs because even the 61 keyboard is pretty heavy. I downloaded the VST onto my MacBook Pro which is much lighter to carry along with one of my MIDI controller. Plus there isn’t enough PCM slots inside to fit all of the EXB PCM sounds cards, but with the VST you get all of the extra PCM sounds for one full price.

Where can I buy these vintage synths besides ebay?

The Roland DS88 seems to hit a good middle ground of features / price if looking for a decent keybed workstation. I don’t think quality these days has really gone down if you spend the inflation adjusted price of the Triton on something new (top end workstations). What’s happened is that the DSP / memory had come down in price so much that similar sound quality to top end keyboards can be had in cheap plastic form factors.

Thanks Woody for this honest comparison between the Triton Classic and the Korg Kross 2. And if you're wondering what the PC-host connection is on the Triton, it's to connect to a computer with an old old serial connector. I tried to connect my old Korg X5 with a connector I found second hand online, but without succes. So this type of connection is the pre-pre-pre-decessor of the USB connection. ;-)

Very nice video. I was also on the same dilemma... Should I buy korg kross or PA600, or to go on some used older model (korg triton). And I decided for newer model kross. Everything you said is absolutely true, bad keybed, bad finish, but very light, very portable, full with features (more than triton), fully functional USB connection (also audio), playing wav files, memory expendable... So, much more features than triton. And, I don't complain. If I had to, I will do the same choice. But I do hope from korg to give us more expandable sounds, specially woodwinds, and accordions. You cannot imagine how light is this keyboard, how easy is to carry on on the stage. It is inreplaceable.

Triton hands up. They built fun into it

I got me a Kross2 just for fun and the result is: I just sold my Triton LE because, I´m happy with the Kross. Sure, the keybed hinging is terrible (as you mentioned) but the all in all package of a small, light, modern featured and USB-interfaced workstation just suits me fine. Some of the stock sounds are nice and you can tweak them as you like to get an even better result. Great for sofa or garden practicing on batteries. A pure joy. I really like it but I´m not sure, if it would be a good choice for professional road-use.

A very entertaining video....but one thing about your assessment of the Kross 2 which I did not think was all that fair, is the complaint about the power supply(for 2 reasons.) One of which, is the Kross has a plastic tab to the right of the power input, whereby you can fasten the power cord around it, to protect that barrel input and secondly...if a gigging musician is really that concerned about damaging that power input....one can simply do away with the power cord while gigging, by simply using the battery option(which buy the way, lasts about 7 hours.) As for the Triton...I think it's quite silly to buy a used Triton(as who know how long it will last, or how long replacement parts will be available)... especially when you consider that you can have all of the Triton's wonderful sounds & features via the software package($250 for the Triton AND the Triton Extreme....who in their right mind, would pass that up??) While I agree that the Kross's modest screen is a bit tedious for song writing...well...I think that any serious song writing is best left for desktop PC's anyway( as even spending a few hours on the Triton keyboards 4 X 5" display, can be tiresome.) The way I see it, the Kross 2 is a scratch pad for laying down ideas and doing a bit of fine tuning on those ideas and every so often....just sitting down with the Kross while one is taking a break from the computer....is a nice little departure from the studio and one can just experience the joy of hardware( and do it very inexpensively.) I personally cannot deal with the financial hardship of making huge monthly payments on expensive hardware gear anymore and the Kross 2 fits this demographic so beautifully. 😃

Very good video Woody. As a keyboard player in a band, registration (storing and quickly retrieving patches during a gig, and within a song) is VERY important to me. My unexpanded Triton classic is pretty bad at this, though I've found work arounds. My MOXF, OTOH, is fantastic for this in MASTER mode. I still use the Triton as my top tier MIDI'd to the MOXF though to play organ and synth. The keybed on the Triton 61 is simply awesome, the best I have found. But it weighs more than my MOXF8. And overall, the sounds of the Yamaha are superior, especially pianos and other acoustic instruments.

Good observation about keybed hinge point affecting key response. I agree that for a new keyboard shopper, the Kross 2 would be a better choice versus a 15-20 year old flagship workstation for the same price. I have owned just one keyboard since 2008, a Triton Extreme 88 (with a well-hinged keybed). The Kross 2 does offer features the Triton Extreme doesn't have (like Drum Track and pads). The Kross 2 also has a much better sound layout for preset banks and categories. I have considered trading in my Triton for a Kross 2 61, but ultimately find myself uncompelled to do so since they do sound much the same. It would be essentially an exchange for newer technology and support at the expense of a better keybed and 88 keys. I have learned most of the Triton's features, quirks, and workarounds over the years to customize it to make it function how I want and in some ways like the Kross 2 can out-of-the-box. So I'm staying on the sidelines, content with what I've got for now.

Nice comparison, How do I know triton extreme has MOSS or not?

Thank you

I have owned a Korg Karma (Triton engine) for many years and recently bought a Korg Kross 2 as it was very cheap. The result is that the Karma was with me for many years doing its job very well and instead I returned the Kross 2 after a week because it is one of the worst workstation synthesizers I have ever tried. It has a very low build quality and most importantly: sounds really poor for what is usual in Korg. For me, at the same price, it is much better to buy a used workstation with a few years of use, like the Triton, than a brand new entry workstation like the Kross. The only advantage of the Kross is that some presets (the drum patterns, especially) are more contemporary, but in the end, all presets end up out of fashion.

Triton, Fantom is desktop studio? The latters are for regular usage?

A couple years ago, I saw David Byrne’s American Utopia on Broadway. All the musicians carried their instruments and played them wirelessly, including the keyboard player. What did the keyboard player play? A Korg Kross. It was kind of impressive covering all that ground with an entry level keyboard.

The Kross 2 was released on late 2017 btw. Other than that, awesome video!

I'll take the Triton over the Kross any day of the week. I find that the build quality does influence your playing style; nothing worse than playing a cheap keybed. BTW, I believe the Korg Trinity (pre-Triton) was the first of the Korg workstations to feature a touch screen.

You can use the retaining tab on the Kross to keep from yanking out the power cable inadvertently.

My homie is still programming fresh sounds into his 1983 DX7

I've recently gotten a Kross 2 at a great price. It's sounds are awesome and I really reminisc about my old Korg synths when playing it and enjoying its fabulous programs and combinations. The build quality and keyboard action certainly aren't the best but for the price, they're both more than adequate. The Kross has numerous newer sounds not available on the original Triton including improved acoustic drum kits and improved acoustic pianos and guitars. I'll sooner take the Kross out for a gig than a Triton simply because of the weight and portability. I did plenty of gigs with my Triton back in the day but it wasn't the lightest instrument back then and would be even more painful to cart around 20 years later now that I'm 2 decades older! The Triton Classic that I had could have a maximum of 64mb of sample RAM. The Triton Studio and Triton Extreme could have up to 96mb of sample RAM. The Kross 2 has 128mb of flash RAM as standard which is frankly pretty minuscule compared to the likes of the Yamaha K8FX+ that has 1.75gb of flash ram as standard!

I think the triton + moss is a different league to the kross, even after all this time. Even more so if you replace floppy with usb/get scsi card reader

Eh the Kross is still a metal chassis underneath? Black carbon plastic is the ideal since it is light and electricity shock could be a problem w sensitive circuits?

I like my vintage Triton 61, and Roland G-1000 setup. I currently only have $500 invested in the whole setup.

My fantom x eats my bandmates’ vr09 alive at live playing

Can you not connect the Kross to the Triton by MIDI giving the voices of the Kross to the key Ed of the Triton.

Can you do a comparison between Korg N5 vs the Korg Kross 2

19:49 that is an exact sound used in SimCity 3000 soundtrack!

Why Woody still doesn't have a couple of the hundred thousand subs!! Thanks for the nice video explaining, Woody!

Did you know that you can load sounds (pcg-files) into the triton, e.g. on www.korgformus.com there are a few for free download.

I still have my Korg Microx! which was the cheap way of getting the current Triton sounds at the time :)

I think the important think between Old and new is the possibility to use USB-Ports to connect to PC/DAW, or load new Samples, edit Patches and store Songs. Modern Keyboards most have more or better Sounds, because there is more Built-In-Storage vor Samples. And you even don't know if some of the Parts (like Battery, Harddisk or Screen) is empty or broken, or just in time to go there. Sometimes it is better to take more money and buy you an modern Flagship to be happy :D (For me, I was trying to buy a Keyboard at 1995 and begin at 800$, then look to the next Level at 1500.. And after some time I was up to 8000 to get my "Dreammachine", but dont have enough money.. The next keyboard I bought was 20 Years Later for 700$ and has more features than the old by 8000$... The old one costs actually about 100$ :D )

And what about Nautilus? I love my 2000 Triton: stunning patches! Should I buy a new Nautilus?

As an owner of quite a lot of old and new synths, I think building quality has gone down greatly but capabilities have gone upwards quite a lot... So, well, it depends on what you value more. Did you know that the keybed on the Triton is a Yamaha FS-61?. BTW, I guess in 20 years the Triton will be a proud member of CGES (Cherised Gold-Era Synth) but the Kross will be as a cheap old CASIO is to us nowadays

I bought a triton classic 61 with 100€ in the middle of the night... I couldn't pass the opportunity.. with lots of contact spray and cleaning the bloody thing works like a charm :P.... Full factory reset everything works...

Great video, once again! I'd go for the classic synth. New gear will loose much of it's market value in the first years, while the prices of old gear are pretty stable, so you don't loose money when reselling.

Woody your videos are amazing, greetings from Argentina (the ass of the world)

Hi, I'd love to see you try some Kurzweil keyboard on the channel

As a studio MIDI controller - The Triton, although you'll need to add some VSTs or IPad apps for better pianos and some other sounds. As a self-contained instrument or for gigging - Kross, as the basic samples are much better and it's more portable and reliable. My choice - spend th extra money for a MODX, which has a better keyboard and screen. But, if $500 is your budget, than the Kross is a usable choice. Of course, you could split the difference, and get something like a Yamaha MOXF, which is a gigging keyboard with decent sounds and keybed, if not totally modern.

I love old music gear, any instrument made before 2002 is built better, sounds better, lasts longer and has better resale value, and when you really think about it, when we listen to all the classic hits that we love and grew up listening to, we're listening to vintage music gear

Woody where do you live in Sweden? Looks almost like my neighbourhoods were I grew up as a kid... I am from Danderyd but currently, since 25 years, live in Milan. Gillar dina videoklipp... spela gàrna mer early eighties....

Some of the retailers are offering zero interest payment plans, which has undoubtedly changed musician purchase decisions in favor of brand new models. Even a used high-end unit will still involve a large transaction.

Love my korg kross2 88 and 61 never played a triton so I don't know what I'm missing

My analogy in other similar comparation is....a Ford Focus 2019 Vs Mclaren F1 1994.

Hey woody, think the Triton "studio" version would be the flagship model. Your one is the "standard" ;)

It really depends on your situation and what you're buying it for: - An instrument to carry to gigs and play internal sounds. Kross, no question. It's much easier to transport. May have a warranty. And the internal piano, electric piano and other sounds are vastly better and more realistic. - A master controller for your VSTs and Racks.. The Triton, probably. It has a much better keybed and performance controls to map, as well as more outputs and inputs. You do lose the USB connection, though. - A source of vintage sounds. Triton, but it's really not a big advantage. The VST version has all of the original Trition sounds, and being digital, you don't lose much by emulating it in software (unlike, say a CS-80 or Jupiter 8). The only exception is if you have a MOSS board, but these are rare and expensive (more than both instruments combined). A piano/EP substitute - Neither is ideal. You'd be better off with a new digital piano in the same price range. But the Kross is way ahead on acoustic piano sound, so it wins. For me? I have lots of flagship modern instruments, so I wouldn't buy a Kross. I also have a Triton rack, so I wouldn't buy a Triton. But if I were buying a cheap new instrument to gig with, than I might get a Kross (or more likely, a MODX). If I saw a different inexpensive vintage keyboard that I wanted (like my SY99), I'd definitely consider getting it as an addition to my studio.

What about triton Le? Anyone can tell me?

I would look the keys first especially for aftertouch capability

Awesome

I'm not a workstation guy at all, I even never had an M1!, but for the same "services", no question for me, I would chose the vintage one: Build quality, aesthetic, you get a REAL synth, good keyboard, something sturdy, made with real metal, not a black plastic thing. It's a real object. Period. But: I never carry my synths unless I move my studio, which is quite rare hopefully, and I work mainly in the box, plug a vintage synth, tweek the sounds and record directly the audio in the current project.

Saw a triton on sale for €150 a few months ago with only one broken key. I was abroad so I couldn't get it though :(

KROSS OWNER BIAS WARNING: "...be prepared to do a lot of menu diving..." Oh yes, tell me about it. I like to be able to take a preset and alter it to taste and it's a pain on the Kross sometimes. And the tiny headphone port is a bit annoying but I keep my adaptors handy so it's bearable. As for sound quality, I think it sounds pretty sweet through my speakers but to be honest, I mostly use it to input audio into a DAW which I then adapt to my project with plug ins etc. For the card, I advise sticking to 32 GB cards. There are issues with the bigger ones and they're overkill anyway. (I can't remember what they issues are, I just remember when I got it, it really didn't like my bigger cards but has been fine with the 32s.) And yes, there is a Vocoder. But for all that- and I do love it- I'm already looking at upgrading to something better. In an age of Montage and Kronos, it's a poo relation. Worth it? Sure. But it while I am still looking at Triton's and thinking they're a classic, I already think the Kross is just another budget workstation. I struggled to choose between it and the similar Juno and tbh, I don't think there's much difference other than some minor feature differences. The Triton will be loved for a long time, the Kross will be on an episode of Bad Gear in 2030.

Sorry woody,i was falling asleep after five minutes 🙈🙉🙊

Korg Triton always ❤️

USB is very practical. Less cables and a new user don't have to get a separate midi-interface. So as a newcomer I would definitely get a new synth with usb midi and audio.

You've hit on the main points very well. Old vs. New isn't really the argument - it's all the "other" stuff that might matter. The sample set in the Kross isn't too much different, and being able to sample in the Triton evens it all out with some work. If you're a player, the Triton is the winner. If you're a programmer, doesn't matter. Space and portability may matter to someone too. For me, I'll skip the hardware entirely, get a good MIDI controller, and go with the VST. Problem solved. :-) (For a gig these day's I'm laptop based anyway)

19:49 Ah, the mystery of playing in tongues!

The saying goes "Everything we need is already there"....

Kross is much handy and mobile, and way lighter than TRITON(3.8kg for 61 keys). And it has some modern features that TRITON doesn't have, vocoder or pad controllers, for example. Kross can be good option for beginners, or people who won't buy the used ones. You know, for most people, TRITON is not so irreplaceable option.

With the vintage gear a concern is finding replacement parts for things like displays when, not if, they go bad. New stuff, even semi pro, is built cheaply and in my estimation won’t be working long enough to become vintage.

I try always buy used because much like a car value drops a lot once it leaves the store. I have owned a music shop so I know used prices very well. Now the Triton I am not as familiar with as the Kross, but Korg in general rehashes sounds over and over again so it really is pointless to own more than one Korg. I made the mistake of buying a Kross myself and I can’t tell you enough about how big of a waste of money that was. Again Korg rehashes sounds found in their instruments 10 years ago. Buy a Korg every 10-15 years when they come out with a new “flagship” synths only then will you find updated sounds like Triton or the new Nautilus. Every synth that comes out in between years will be rehashed sounds from previous years. Yes, buying newer gear does provide technology updates such as color screens, multiple USB ports or a promised better connectivity with your pc. Bottom line, don’t buy new unless you enjoy spending money. Otherwise wait a month after the release. Someone will always be selling because the can’t make rent.

Korg Poly 800!, best of both worlds: vintage and cheap!

New that will become classic :)

Little Black knob on back left Middle controls display contrast.

I still use my Korg 01/W fd and Korg M1

Buy a used triton, the kross looks and feels like a toy, i had a triton taktile (not the original triton) its a midi controller with triton sounds and it had those cheap keys and it wasnt nice. Also korg was still under yamaha ownership and so used yamaha keys for a while which are lovely ! The only benefits of the kross is modern connectivity.

I think these 90's, 00's monster worktations are probably preferrable to the newer synths that have same features and a more up-to-date soundset. I have a Triton and used to own an XP-60 around 20 years ago. The old workstations will reward you when spending time with them and going really deep into the features. the build-quality is definitely better and you will be more likely to learn from standard "old-school implementations" of features than newer and often more obscure features. Old DAWs were built to cover all bases and give the owner plenty of options which was a requirement at the time to justify thier prices. Yes, storage is an issue with older machines but the lack of storage forces you to make good decisions and to think exactly how you want to approach any given project. #mytwocents

Where I live, the Krome EX is only 30% more than a Kross 2 and a much better keyboard. I bought my MODX6 gently used for $100 less than a new Krome EX. Best option yet I think.