Korg KRONOS 3: Touring the World with Jordan Rudess and a Powerhouse Workstation

Jordan Rudess opens the video from Syracuse, New York, introducing the Korg KRONOS 3 as his steadfast partner on tour. He underscores his long history with Korg workstations, tracing a lineage from the Oasis to the KRONOS, and makes it clear that this instrument is central to his nightly performances. The emphasis here is on reliability and the breadth of features that make the KRONOS indispensable for a professional touring musician.

Rudess highlights the pride he feels walking on stage with the KRONOS, noting that it delivers everything he needs for the demanding Dream Theater repertoire. The workstation’s versatility is immediately apparent, with Rudess referencing its ability to cover everything from aggressive synth leads to classic organ sounds. This sets the stage for a deeper dive into how the KRONOS supports a wide range of musical requirements in a live context.

The video quickly pivots to the sonic diversity required for Dream Theater’s music, where orchestral textures, rock timbres, and sound effects must all coexist seamlessly. Rudess demonstrates a layered patch that combines piano and strings, showing how the KRONOS can blend acoustic and electronic elements for rich, evolving soundscapes. The importance of piano sounds is emphasized, but it’s the ability to merge them with other textures that stands out.

He also touches on the practical side of performance, explaining how he uses the KRONOS’s sliders to fade different layers in and out. This hands-on control is vital for dynamic live arrangements, allowing Rudess to sculpt his sound in real time. The workstation’s interface supports this flexibility, making it easier to adapt patches on the fly and maintain musical nuance across genres.

One of the KRONOS 3’s headline features is its ability to layer up to 16 sounds simultaneously, a capability Rudess leverages extensively. He demonstrates how different sounds can be mapped across the keyboard, from electric pianos to mellotron-like flutes, and even assigns specific effects or samples to individual keys. This level of customization is crucial for complex live sets where rapid access to diverse timbres is required.

Rudess points out how convenient it is to map unique sounds to specific keys, enabling him to trigger signature effects or passages at will. The workflow here is clearly designed for performers who need both depth and speed, with the KRONOS’s architecture supporting intricate setups without sacrificing immediacy. The demonstration makes it clear that the workstation’s layering and key mapping are not just theoretical—they’re central to Rudess’s nightly routine.

For Rudess, expressive control is as important as raw sound quality. He details how he uses the KRONOS’s ribbon controller and joystick to shape his iconic lead sounds, assigning pitch bends, harmonics, and sub-octave effects to different axes and surfaces. This setup allows for nuanced, dynamic performances that go beyond simple note triggering.

He shares some of his personal techniques, such as using the side of his finger on the ribbon to access deep sub-octaves or configuring the joystick for octave and whole-step shifts. These performance macros are part of what gives Rudess’s playing its distinctive character. The video closes with Rudess expressing his satisfaction with the instrument, crediting Korg for providing a tool that meets the rigorous demands of global touring.