For its flagship Kronos Music Workstation, Korg has announced a slew of new custom Sound Libraries that take advantage of the nine sound engines that power the Kronos. Korg will be offering two types of Kronos Sound Libraries: the EXs Expansion Sample Series and the KRS Professional Sound Series.

The EXs Expansion Sample Series takes advantage of Kronos' built-in SSD, providing large amounts of PCM data. Meanwhile, the KRS Professional Sound Series was created by professional musicians and programmers who are familiar with each of the Kronos sound engines. These new sound libraries are said to contain skillfully crafted programs, combinations, and drum patterns with infectious grooves, all designed to maximize the nine sound engines found in the Kronos.

Along with the new libraries, Korg has also announced the upcoming availability of Kronos Music Workstation System version 1.5, which is required to load the EXs libraries. This free, downloadable system update adds 7 new Program Banks with 896 new locations for storing sounds. Version 1.5 also allows you to install additional memory, doubling your RAM to roughly 2.2 GB, with new index locations to allow larger sample loads. The convenient connection of USB MIDI controllers is also possible with version 1.5, as well as support for the Kronos Editor and Plug-In Editor, which allows editing and organizing of sounds from a Mac OS X or Windows computer.

The EXs Expansion Sample Series includes the following libraries:

• EXs10 Ricky Lawson's "West Coast" Drums: Approximately 300 MB of PCM samples, 16 Programs, and 4 Drumkits. Drummer Ricky Lawson is a founding member of The Yellowjackets, and is known for his playing with internationally-famous artists and groups. In addition to Ricky's drum kits, this collection includes numerous variations of snare drum, providing the exact sounds of his playing. Also included are ambient sounds that add realism and depth, delivering a studio-quality sample set that covers a wide range of genres from pop to many other styles.


• EXs11 Legendary Strings


• EXs12 SGX-1 Austrian Piano


• EXs13 Jazz Drums Expansion Kit

The KRS Professional Sound Series includes the following libraries:

• KRS-01 "Pro Grooves" by David "Fingers" Haynes: 200 Patterns and 10 Songs. David "Fingers" Haynes is best-known as the master of finger drumming. His grooves are famous from his appearance with top-rated musicians, and are now available as performance-ready backing for your own songs using the Kronos' RPPR function or Drum Track function.


• KRS-02 STR-1 / MOD-7 Phase II: 128 Programs. Created by legendary sound programmer Yoshinori Ujiie, this collection of sounds is for the STR-1 and MOD-7 engines. Classic electric pianos and basses from the MOD-7 and new synth sounds from the STR-1 reflect his deep sound design talents and skill.


• KRS-03 Nu Electro: 128 Programs, 60 Patterns, and 3 Songs. This is a collection of the "electro sounds" that in recent years have been appearing in a wide range of styles including pop, R&B, and hip-hop. The simple synth sounds valued in electro house and dubstep are also included. In addition, a deep collection of phrase patterns is included to stimulate songwriting ideas.


• KRS-04 Pro Splits and Layers: 128 Combinations. Created by some of the best sound designers available, this collection focuses on real-time live performance, providing a great set of split and layer combinations that concentrate on in-demand keyboard sounds such as pianos, electric pianos, clavinets, and organs. The splits are ideal for solo performances or for backing a vocalist; the layers are a rich accompaniment for ballads.


• KRS-05 Ensemble Combinations

Kronos Music Workstation System version 1.5 and the new sound libraries will be available in mid-October, 2011. The Kronos Editor and Plug-In Editor will be available for free download in late November, 2011.

For more information, visit korg.com.