Yamaha MX61 vs Korg Kross 2
Piano is one of the most popular instruments or probably the most popular among other types of musical instruments out there. The options between acoustic and digital piano are abundant out there but digital or electric models like Yamaha MX61 Vs Korg Kross 2 are better for certain players. For those who perform on stage, you may love these pianos for their versatility and capabilities but, do check what they can offer below before making any decision so then we can know which the better option is.
In this article, we are going to give you information about:
- How to Choose for a Digital Piano
- What are Yamaha MX61 and Korg Kross 2
- What Yamaha MX61 and Korg Kross 2 Look Like
- How are the Keyboard of Yamaha MX61 and Korg Kross 2
- How are the Sound of Yamaha MX61 and Korg Kross 2
- What else Yamaha MX61 and Korg Kross 2 can offer
- Yamaha MX61 Vs Korg Kross 2
Digital Piano
Most of us have a preferred music genre and probably a certain favorite singer or musician and this is very much related to our personal taste so there is nothing better than the other. We may often argue which is best for certain genres such as R&B or Rock but the fact is all musicians have their own unique character that is loved by their fans. The same to musical instruments, each one of them are unique depending on which sounds best on your ears. Read also: Kawai MP11SE Vs Nord Grand.
Personally, we love piano sound as it is beautiful and sounds amazing for almost any genre. This originally acoustic instrument now is available in the electric or digital form with the samples coming of the actual unit. Just like the original instrument, each piano may have different technologies and each one of them may sound different as well across the listener. In most cases we have our own taste but you can shop based on their characters or several important factors that decide the quality of this instrument.
- Sample
The most important part of an instrument is the sound and for digital or electric piano they are sampled which is why it is very necessary to determine whether it fits you or not. Sample itself is an audio recording of a musical instrument’s sound or any other sound like winds and sirens. For pianos, samples are usually recorded at different velocity levels or multi-sampled to let the sound naturally respond to the way we play the keys from the range of pianissimo to the fortissimo.
- Modelling
Besides sampling, there is another technology that gains popularity called physical modelling. This is a very different method from the regular sampling because it basically recreates the piano sound from scratch instead of from sound recording. This is thanks to various modeling techniques with advanced software to help recreate the physical behavior of the acoustic instrument that connects the hundreds of elements with each other to make up the ultimate sound.
| Yamaha MX61 | Korg Kross 2 | |
|---|---|---|
  |   |
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| Product Dimensions | 44.72 x 15.39 x 8.22 inches | 10.59 x 3.46 x 36.81 inches |
| Shipping Weight | 11.29 pounds | 8.36 pounds |
| Shop now at Amazon | Check price | Check price |
In general you will find sampling in most digital pianos out there but, you hardly find a digital piano that doesn’t use some kind of modelling on top of the sample such as those for string resonance and damper resonance in order to improve the sound or make it more natural. On the other hand, sometimes we also find certain digital pianos that only use modelling without sample at all. The example is SuperNATURAL Piano Modeling that we can find on Roland high-end digital piano.
About Yamaha MX61 and Korg Kross 2
If you are here then it means a digital piano is what you look for as well. Just like any digital instrument, there are lots of options out there that you can find various different models, from different companies that fit with your application. For those who already have a favorite brand, we can stick to their options but, if you want to save time then we can choose from popular names instead as they are widely available and mostly very reliable.
Among those many options, it is easy to pick one or two names but, Yamaha and Korg are going to be two amazing brands to choose from. These are well-known names in the market and they are popular for good reasons. These are the safest bet to choose from as they do make amazing pianos for different players depending on what you need from the unit and budget range. What we love the most is they gave freedom for players to choose their best piano.
For those who are looking for a workstation but want to keep the budget low, Yamaha MX61 and Korg Kross 2 will be your ideal choice. These pianos are probably the best-selling among other similar options in this price range and the reason is they are offering much in a pretty low price point. They are the choice for sound design and people who need a workstation or finding an instrument for their live performance. They are however, not perfect and some of the drawbacks may turn you off.
Starting with MX61, this is the little brother of the highly popular MX88 with some differences under the hood and also more affordable for more to purchase. The Kross 2 on the other hand carries a lot in such a simple keyboard which makes it a better choice specifically for sound design. But, for overall sound design and as workstation options, we do think any of these pianos will be a great option with few differences that may affect your buying decision.
Yamaha MX61 and Korg Kross 2 Design
Before moving further, we want to mention that the variant compared in this article is the 61-key as Korg has another 88-key variant with the same model name. From the outside there is nothing new for the workstation in both Yamaha MX61 and Korg Kross 2. Side by side Yamaha is measured at about 38.7-inch wide, 11.7-inch deep, 4.4-inch tall weighing at around 10.5 lbs. while Korg on the other hand is 36.8-inch wide, 10.6-inch deep, and 3.5-inch tall with a weight of 8.4 lbs.
As you can see from the sample picture above, both of them come in a portable synth-style group. They are very light in general because all chassis are made from plastic and with the same matte, black finish. If you fancy a pretty finish, Kross 2 has few extra colors but they are limited edition including the pure-white model and even some colorful choice like Orange-Gray and Blue-Gray. On durability they are not the best however, so we are not very confident whether they can last for a pretty long time or not.
Yamaha MX61 and Korg Kross 2 Keyboard
The first thing we will talk about here is their keyboard and in this side they are quite different. As the name suggests, the MX61 has a total of 61 keys and we want to mention that it doesn’t have weighted keys as well. What they have is a slight bit of pressure resistance to make it ideal for synth parts for added finesse. Overall, it is not the best for everyone but great if you have been playing synthesizers in the past.
Similarly, the Kross 2 especially this with 61 keys is not weighted and calleas synth-action unlike the 88 keys which uses the Natural Weighted Hammer Action but, all of them are lacking after touch. For the synth-style keys, what we want to mention is the actual feeling as they don’t come back to their previous position once you pressed the keys.
Yamaha MX61 and Korg Kross 2 Sound
The next part we want to talk about is their sound and starting with MX61, this model comes with MOTIF XS workstation including sampled instruments and sounds synthesized via Yamaha’s Virtual Circuitry Modeling technology. Here there are more than a thousand sounds and for the navigation, it all works through the top-panel controls. As for the Kross 2, this piano has Enhances Definition Synthesis with EDS-i sound engine. This technology is very popular and has very little to no modelling involved.
The samples used here are PCM- based and Korg seems to pack a lot in this engine. For the navigation, similarly you can work it through the large knobs located at the top control panel including the screen. The sample sounds are piano and keyboard but you can find tons of other sounds such as strings, brass, and guitars.
Yamaha MX61 and Korg Kross 2 Feature
The last part we want to talk about here is their additional features. Yamaha has Split and Layer mode which lets you set up 2 sounds easily for example playing a grand piano with a second sound such as string. Korg also has a similar function and you can layer 2-3 sounds easily with this piano as well. For the common controls they are very much the same to each other and what mostly use as workstation. If this is your first keyboard however, we may need more time to get used to the control.
Yamaha MX61 vs Korg Kross 2
These workstations are amazing for the price point and they are equally packed with functions. In comparison they sound good for a general keyboard with tons of sound collection but Yamaha does come with more sounds and probably better-sounding. What makes Kross 2 a better option, in our opinion, is because it is coming with more user-friendly controls unlike the more complicated MX61. In addition, it also has sample pads to trigger samples on the fly.
Conclusion
There are lots of other workstations you can choose out there based on what you need. Personally we prefer the Kross 2 because it is easier to use and moreover it is better in convenience.
