It's been a while since we've heard from KRK Systems and there's a good reason. The brand is part of the Gibson Brands, which since 2018 has been struggling with an intricate bankruptcy process, now in the hands of creditors and a new management trying to salvage what they can. And we wouldn't be surprised to see KRK Systems succeeding gaining a new life from the process, given the brand's popularity and its solid catalog of products.
Under development for the past years and now finally shipping is the ROKIT G4 – the fourth generation of the company's best-selling studio monitors, which could very well create a turning point for the KRK brand.
The ROKIT G4 product range, which includes 5-, 7-, 8- and 10-inch models, are competitively priced and have been completely reengineered and re-designed from the ground up. As the company explains, the G4 monitors incorporate many of the advanced features of KRK’s professional-grade V Series 4 monitors, improving and enhancing the ROKIT line. With a new design and features, the new G4s are a perfect solution for turning home and project studios into professional music-creation environments.
The ROKIT G4s feature an on-board DSP-driven Graphic EQ with 25 settings to help condition any acoustic environment while offering new levels of versatility in a studio monitor. They are also the only monitors in their class with an LCD screen to display DSP-driven EQ settings. Additionally, all system elements of the ROKIT G4 monitors are cohesively designed and engineered to work perfectly with its advanced drivers made with Kevlar, efficient Class D power amplifiers and front-firing port, which collectively extend accurate and tight bass reproduction, and improve audio integrity while minimizing listening fatigue.
“Our team put a great deal of time, energy and research into developing this product that has the power to transform any environment into a professional project studio,” says Jimmy R. Landry, Global Director of Marketing, Pro Audio Division, Gibson Brands, Inc. “If you compare the KRK G4 monitors with the G3s, you will instantly hear the difference between the two, especially on the low-end accuracy — it’s dimensional with a lot of detail. The high-end is more open and detailed as well. With selectable DSP-driven EQ presets and an on-board LCD, the user experience has significantly improved – and we believe there isn’t a more complete studio monitor available at this price point that delivers such high-end performance.”
The KRK ROKIT G4 Studio Monitors feature a systematically designed low resonance enclosure for minimal distortion and colorization, and a high-density ISO foam pad that decouples the speaker from the surface, which minimizes vibration transmission for improved clarity.
The bi-amp G4 range includes RP5 (5-inch), RP7 (7-inch) and RP8 (8-inch) models, all designed for near-field monitoring. An additional tri-amp RP10-3 (10-inch) version incorporates a 4.5-inch mid-range woofer and one-inch tweeter, making it suitable for mid-field monitoring and recording applications. The RP10-3 can also be arranged in horizontal mode by allowing the user to rotate the mid-range woofer and tweeter by 90 degrees for more precise listening accuracy and versatility. All G4 models feature a built-in brick-wall limiter, which automatically engages at maximum amp-level to maintain a balanced sound, protect the system and offer better and wider dynamics. In addition, KRK is working on a standalone “KRK Audio Tools App,” which will soon be available for download in Google Play and iOS app stores. The app will assist with monitor placement; level matching; subwoofer level and crossover setting assistance; polarity; and EQ for all KRK monitor lines.
Originally founded by Keith R Klawitter (KRK) in California, KRK Systems became part of the Stanton Group (Stanton, KRK, Cerwin Vega), which in turn was acquired by Gibson in 2011, becoming part of Gibson's Pro Audio division. The Gibson Brands portfolio now includes a restructured Gibson guitar business, which also includes Epiphone, and the Gibson Pro Audio division, including Cerwin Vega, KRK Systems and Stanton.
www.krksys.com
