Korg NAUTILUS

[Mighty Motif Max]

Korg has just released their new Nautilus workstation. We've speculated about this for months since seeing some chrome shells at the last NAMM show. It basically has the Kronos specs with a lot less controllers and some new sounds.

https://www.korg.com/us/products/synthesizers/nautilus/

 

[Mighty Motif Max]

 

[Mighty Motif Max]

 

[Mighty Motif Max]

Video from loopop - Demo, comparison with Kronos, pros/cons, some tutorial content, etc. He called it a "little brother" to the Kronos, which is a good sign.

 

[3dc]

Since there is not much going on in 2000 bucks area except for maybe Kurzweill PC4 I can see why Korg released Nautilus but after watching the loopop demo I can't see why would anybody pick this keyboard over 700 bucks cheaper and comparable Yamaha MODX6. Even die hard Korg customers are not that impressed with Nautilus from what I can see in the YT comments.

 

[Biggles]

Since there is not much going on in 2000 bucks area except for maybe Kurzweill PC4 I can see why Korg released Nautilus but after watching the loopop demo I can't see why would anybody pick this keyboard over 700 bucks cheaper and comparable Yamaha MODX6. Even die hard Korg customers are not that impressed with Nautilus from what I can see in the YT comments.

There is not much in the price range, yes the Kursweil PC4 is the imo prime competition but here in the UK Kursweil are also rans, very few are stocked anywhere. In fact in the last three years I have seen one Kursweil Controller in a Music Store with the nearest PC4 to me being 300 miles away on the wrong side of London, now 300 miles may not be far in the USA but it is 250 miles to far here in England.

I would spend the extra cash and buy the Korg because there is no way I would buy a MODX, I tried one and hated it, the piano sounds were good, the rest not so good but the real downside was the aweful Menu system.

Watching some of the Tutorial vids MMM posted the Korg Menu system looks very familiar and as a Korgie myself I would soon be up and running with it and I have no doubt that I could get the Nautilus sounding better in a minute as all Korg's I have played in showrooms were dynamically a little muted for my tastes.

Coupled with what other Korg products have also been released (except for the Krome EX which is not much of an update more a new wrapper) in the recent, past things are looking good for them.

With Roland releasing updated models times look good for the industry.

If all the manufacturers can survive Covid workforce problems the future should be rosie.

 

[anotherscott]

I can't see why would anybody pick this keyboard over 700 bucks cheaper and comparable Yamaha MODX6.

MODX has two engines, which are roughly equivalent to Korg's HD-1 and MOD-7 engines, it has no equivalent to the other 7 engines (no VA synthesis, no clonewheel organ engine, no other modeling, no multi-gigabyte streaming pianos).

MODX has seamless sound switching for sound sets of up to 4 parts at a time; Korg has seamless switching for sound sets of up to 16 parts at a time.

MODX supports up to 8 internal parts with fixed MIDI assignment; Korg supports up to 16 internal parts with flexible MIDI assignment.

MODX has limited functionality sequencer, Korg has full functionality sequencer.

MODX supports up to 8 external MIDI zones, Korg supports up to 16.

MODX permits 1 GB of additional third-party or user sample data, Korg supports much more (streaming samples from SSD).

MODX supports a max of two insert effects per part. Korg lets you reassign effects from parts that don't need them to put more effects on the parts where you want them.

Korg has balanced outs and internal power supply, both missing from MODX.

So those are some possible reasons. ;-)

 

[Kaneda]

The Kronos 88 has already had a price drop on Sweetwater.
$2699 for a Nautilus 88, and now $3399 for a Kronos 88, down from $3899.

The Nautilus seems attractive, but the price difference with the Kronos is too small at this moment...

 

[Biggles]

UK
Nautilus 61 £1950
Kronos 61 £2350

No contest, Kronos all the way at current ptice levels.

I would expect the cost of the Nautilus to drop to about £1750 in a year or so.

 

[Kaneda]

UK
Nautilus 61 £1950
Kronos 61 £2350

No contest, Kronos all the way at current ptice levels.

I would expect the cost of the Nautilus to drop to about £1750 in a year or so.

It's also possible (and quite likely) that Korg has a new Kronos in the pipeline, which would widen the gap between the Nautilus and the new Kronos again. Pure speculation, of course, but the Kronos has been out for a very long time...

 

[3dc]

MODX has two engines, which are roughly equivalent to Korg's HD-1 and MOD-7 engines, it has no equivalent to the other 7 engines (no VA synthesis, no clonewheel organ engine, no other modeling, no multi-gigabyte streaming pianos).

MODX has seamless sound switching for sound sets of up to 4 parts at a time; Korg has seamless switching for sound sets of up to 16 parts at a time.

MODX supports up to 8 internal parts with fixed MIDI assignment; Korg supports up to 16 internal parts with flexible MIDI assignment.

MODX has limited functionality sequencer, Korg has full functionality sequencer.

MODX supports up to 8 external MIDI zones, Korg supports up to 16.

MODX permits 1 GB of additional third-party or user sample data, Korg supports much more (streaming samples from SSD).

MODX supports a max of two insert effects per part. Korg lets you reassign effects from parts that don't need them to put more effects on the parts where you want them.

Korg has balanced outs and internal power supply, both missing from MODX.

So those are some possible reasons. ;-)

You had to kill me?
Pardon my total ignorance but why would one invest in Nautilus when you can buy for the same price Yamaha MODX6 + Cubase Pro + Absolute 4 with 6,800 presets and more than 100 GB library. As I understand MODX6 is intended as handy budget friendly synth-workstation. I can see the benefit in proper "DAW-less" workstation like Korg Kronos, Yamaha Montage and Roland Phantom but not so much in Nautilus. Besides Korg Kronos 61 is €2,599 on Thomann. What is then Korg Nautilus target customer?

 

[Biggles]

You had to kill me?
Pardon my total ignorance but why would one invest in Nautilus when you can buy for the same price Yamaha MODX6 + Cubase Pro + Absolute 4 with 6,800 presets and more than 100 GB library. As I understand MODX6 is intended as handy budget friendly synth-workstation. I can see the benefit in proper "DAW-less" workstation like Korg Kronos, Yamaha Montage and Roland Phantom but not so much in Nautilus. Besides Korg Kronos 61 is €2,599 on Thomann. What is then Korg Nautilus target customer?

For exactly the same reason people buy a Yamaha Genos

For the same cash you can buy a Korg PA4X and a Korg Kross 2 or a Roland Juno DS or a Numa Compact 2x

Yamaha buyers buy yamaha to start off with and get hooked in brand and for reasons I have never been able to understand they stay with the brand.

Have you played a MODX?

If you have next time you are in a Music Store have a play of a Roland FA, if you do not find the Roland vastly superior then you are alost cause.

 

[3dc]

Yamaha buyers buy yamaha to start off with and get hooked in brand and for reasons I have never been able to understand they stay with the brand.

Actually I only care about quality, what you get for your money and how practical a product is in music production pipeline. So aside from brand loyalty I don't understand the need for Nautilus unless new far more expensive Kronos is under ways as @Kaneda pointed out. Then it would make perfect sense I guess.

BTW: A good friend of mine, notable musician in my country, jokingly educated me that in music keyboards business Moog is RR, Roland is MB, Korg is BMW and Yamaha is Audi equivalent. According to him the rest is more or less like Fiat.

 

[Kaneda]

Yamaha is Audi equivalent.

Ouch...

 

[Biggles]

... Yamaha is Audi equivalent.

Yep, and Audi emissions are not up to standard and they are the blandest of cars to own and drive (voice of experience there, my Audi was comfortable but fuel economy was 25% less that it was reported to be), so your mate was sort of correct with his analogy.

 

[anotherscott]

Pardon my total ignorance but why would one invest in Nautilus when you can buy for the same price Yamaha MODX6 + Cubase Pro + Absolute 4 with 6,800 presets and more than 100 GB library.

Not everyone wants to work with a computer. It can be inconvenient for gigging, or if your computer and keyboard aren't typically located near each other, or you don't want to deal with some of the initial complications or don't like the general workflow... Also, does that necessarily give you everything the hardware does? Can you seamlessly switch from any combination of up to 16 sounds to any other combination of up to 16 sounds? (And I don't think Absolute includes all the modeling and other synth engines of the Nautilus, though one could buy additional VSTs that should be comparable.) Also unknown, is the action comparable? (OTOH, if you are happy with the computer approach, you can arguably get by with a lesser board than the MODX6!)

What is then Korg Nautilus target customer?

At the moment, I think people who find the Kronos appealing but wished for a lightweight non-hammer 73, or are intimidated by the busy front panel of the Kronos, or who feel they don't need the extra Kronos advantages and would rather save a few bucks. Or maybe even people who are scared off by KARMA and wish it has a simpler arpeggiator based system instead. In the long run, I don't think this relatively small price difference between Nautilus and something higher end will be maintained, so... ask me again a few months from now. ;-)

As for the car analogies above, this is something I posted elsewhere in 2017, which still largely holds, I think...

Casio = Hyundai/Kia. High value, with a quality reputation that has grown beyond its budget beginnings.

Hammond = Jeep. Anything else is just an SUV.

Kawai = Volkswagen. Fahrvergnügen.

Korg = Ford. Models for every niche, with occasional adventurous designs.

Kurzweil = Mini Cooper. Repackages the same basic thing a dozen different ways, but its fans love it anyway.

Moog = Tesla. What everyone wants, but few have.

Nord = Volvo. No-nonsense, premium designs without unnecessary frills.

Numa/Studiologic/Fatar = Fiat. On paper, they look great. When they hit the streets, sometimes they work, sometimes they don't.

Roland = Nissan. A mix of super cool with "what were they thinking?"

Yamaha = BMW. Solid top of the line products with interfaces that can drive you crazy.

 

[Kaneda]

Yamaha = BMW. Solid top of the line products with interfaces that can drive you crazy.

Phew, Biggles scared me there for a minute. In my mind, I was already banning Yamaha for life. Luckily, you set the record straight !

 

[3dc]

Woody Piano Shack Nautilus review.

 

[HighlandStudio91]

Since there is not much going on in 2000 bucks area except for maybe Kurzweill PC4 I can see why Korg released Nautilus but after watching the loopop demo I can't see why would anybody pick this keyboard over 700 bucks cheaper and comparable Yamaha MODX6. Even die hard Korg customers are not that impressed with Nautilus from what I can see in the YT comments.

The Kurzweil PC4 does have a stellar synth engine,effects & some decent acoustic sounds,but it does not have a workstation-grade display screen(in fact,their display screen technology is 25 years out of date.) Navigating through the on-screen menus are a nightmare and the workflow is terrible(hence the reasonable price tag.)
Essentially,the Nautilus is everything that the Kronos is,but with a budget-friendly price and if you cannot see the value in that,than there really isn't much point in having this discussion at all.
A $700 price difference made not be a big deal to you,but it can mean a great deal to those that cannot afford the monthly payments on a Kronos(regarding Zzounds.com & AmericanMuscialSupply's payment plans.)
I am so damn annoyed & tired of Yamaha fan-boys comparing Korg to Yamaha(as Yamaha has ceased making workstations,since the Motif series ended.)
Yamaha's marketing tactics are deceptive,as all of their arranger & performance synths have very basic & very limited recording options,as they are not SONG sequencers(such as what you would find in Korg keyboards.
Please do some research before you make any claims about the MODX keyboards(as the MODX is not a song creating tool,it has no custom insert effects in song mode,is does not have an internal HD,it does not have multi-track audio recording & the list goes on...)

The reason that so many Korg fans complain about the Nautilus,is due to the fact that these jackasses want the Nautilus to be EVERYTHING that the Kronos is,but don't want to pay a Kronos price.
Their primary complaint,is the fewer physical controls & lack of aftertouch,because they are too retarded to understand the manufacturing costs that are involved.

 

[HighlandStudio91]

You had to kill me?
Pardon my total ignorance but why would one invest in Nautilus when you can buy for the same price Yamaha MODX6 + Cubase Pro + Absolute 4 with 6,800 presets and more than 100 GB library. As I understand MODX6 is intended as handy budget friendly synth-workstation. I can see the benefit in proper "DAW-less" workstation like Korg Kronos, Yamaha Montage and Roland Phantom but not so much in Nautilus. Besides Korg Kronos 61 is €2,599 on Thomann. What is then Korg Nautilus target customer?

Wow.....yet another comparison between hardware & PC software...really? I have two PC workstations in my home,with thousands of dollars worth of software on them and I hate them...why? Most software companies that make PC workstation programs,require that you be connected to the internet,so there is the constant threat of viruses(not to mention the constant temptation to buy additional software and thereby bloating your computer & slowing it down to a crawl(in which case you then need to spend thousands more to upgrade to a PC that can handle the overload.)
I also dislike the fact that most midi controller keyboards for PC are garbage in terms of key-bed feel and that they don't make 76 or 73 note keyboards.
What I love about a hardware workstation(the Nautilus in particular)...is that it is the closest facsimile to that of a PC workstation,but without all of the hassle of configuring your keyboard to the software programs.
Everything is hardwired and ready to go and all the user has to worry about,is becoming familiar with navigating through the menus(which won't be difficult for me,as I've mainly dealt with Korg workstations for the last 32 years.)