KORG KROSS 2-61

The Korg KROSS 2 offers class-leading functionality and will kick your creativity into high gear. In addition to great sound, you can expect, for example, an advanced sampler and recorder with corresponding pads, a sequencer, a polyphony of 120 voices, or expanded memory for sound bank expansion.

There are over 1000 sounds for pianos, strings, synths, percussion, special effects and more. The EDS-i sound engine has its roots in Korg professional synthesizers and, among others. For example, it allows the use of seven effects at once. In total, you can choose from 134 high-quality effects. If the built-in sounds aren't enough, you can add more thanks to the 128 MB PCM memory.

The built-in sampler also offers a significant expansion of your sonic arsenal. You can record directly using the line input and edit the sample length directly in KROSS. Assign your sound to one of sixteen pads. Of course, you can also use samples from an SD card and use the pads to trigger backing tracks or record and dub.

Controls are now tailored to live performance and the most important parameters can be controlled in real time directly from the front panel, without having to delve deep into the various menus. You can also quickly recall favourite programmes and combinations or set Layer/Split functions.

Producers will appreciate the built-in recorder, step sequencer and 16-track MIDI sequencer, arpeggiator or drum accompaniments. You can also connect a microphone to the synthesizer and edit the voice with a vocoder or other audio source using the line input.

Of course, there are MIDI connectors on the rear panel as well as a USB port for connecting to external peripherals, your computer or apps. The compact size, pleasant weight and the ability to run on six AA batteries are pleasing.