Nautilus Sound cuts off

tepa59 · Post by **tepa59** » Tue Dec 20, 2022 7:32 am

I've had a problem with my Nautilus for a few weeks, it's pretty clear in the video. https://youtu.be/F0q6BYHZIcs
It's not a specific sound issue, nor is it a specific key issue. It also occurs when I'm not using the damper pedal. Nevertheless, I have already tried several pedals. I controlled the Nautilus via an external keyboard via Midi, the problem persists. Oddly enough, it always occurs when I haven't played anything for a few minutes, everything is usually back to normal after a few seconds, and if I then play without interruption, nothing happens anymore. Maybe someone has experienced something similar, at Korg they couldn't explain the problem themselves. I currently need the Nautilus every day and won't be able to give it to a workshop for two months...

Dan Stesco · Post by **Dan Stesco** » Tue Dec 20, 2022 11:24 am

Unfortunately could be a SSD problem. Please confirm if the cut off sound is obvious on Piano. Other engine work well ? Personally I would like to compare the big sounds from SSD and any other big Samples loaded in RAM. You have a possibility to load some samples in RAM and play them ? If you want to investigate together please contact me on mail contact@danstesco.ro

tepa59 · Post by **tepa59** » Tue Dec 20, 2022 12:48 pm

The problems exists also with other sounds. Sometimes I can play the Italian Grand for hours without problems, sometimes the problem appears immediately. I am now in contact with Music Store in Cologne, where I bought the Nautilus. They have to check it at the end of January. Thanks for answering so fast!

ecofox · Post by **ecofox** » Wed Dec 21, 2022 5:26 am

For Your Information
I had the same issues of sound cut off only with sounds that use samples (HD-1, Piano SGX-2...)
I change the original 64Gb SSD with a 128Gb SSD four month ago (clone SSD + extend partition) and since the hard disk change I have no more sound cut off problems.
Perhaps like Dan said could be a SSD issue.

icecoldrocker · Post by **icecoldrocker** » Wed Feb 08, 2023 3:07 am

ecofox wrote:For Your Information
I had the same issues of sound cut off only with sounds that use samples (HD-1, Piano SGX-2...)
I change the original 64Gb SSD with a 128Gb SSD four month ago (clone SSD + extend partition) and since the hard disk change I have no more sound cut off problems.
Perhaps like Dan said could be a SSD issue.

Hmm this is interesting knowing that I installed a sound library some while ago and particular sounds in Program Mode will not have release but the same particular sounds in SEQ mode these same sounds will have massive release. Now being that I am a musician that tends to hone in on certain measures by looping to hone in on the rhythm section, a sound that behaves in a different manner in SEQ just takes all the creativity out of the equation. so if I change the SSD this might or could address that issue where some sounds are misbehaving.

Dan Stesco · Post by **Dan Stesco** » Wed Feb 08, 2023 4:40 pm

It is not certain that a difference between program and seq is a problem related to the ssd. In Control Surface - Tone Adjust the release parameter could be adjust. In seq maybe not.

tekhedd · Post by **tekhedd** » Thu Feb 09, 2023 4:49 pm

A significant number of people are having this problem. I would suggest that a large percentage of owners don't even know this forum exists.

After a few months of usage (and gigging with the problem ouch) it is pretty clear that there is some sort of intermittent freeze in the OS that holds off certain background operations. This breaks two things obviously and probably some others non-obviously:

* sample-based instruments (esp piano) simply cut off when it runs out of cached in-memory sample because the disk is unavailable
* menu interaction freezes until the background operation is finished

Considering that it breaks sample streaming it's almost certainly an I/O related thing (ie a controller on the PCIe bus), and it's safe to guess that navigating the menus also reads from the SSD.

Further evidence: an SSD swap seems to fix it for most people (I have all the parts but haven't had time yet.) My theory is that, for production, they bought a box of SSDs that have different onboard firwmare (or maybe are completely different models) from the ones they used in testing, and didn't notice the problem until they were delivered. Possibly some wear leveling feature of the SSD firmware is interacting in unexpected ways? I don't know and it's def not my job to know. Why are we the ones debugging this?

The problem is understandable. That Korg has failed to even acknowledge that the problem exists is, however, not OK, and if I didn't absolutely love the keyboard I'd be forced to consider whether I am investing time creating a mess of patches in a platform that I will soon have to abandon.

drama1 · Post by **drama1** » Thu Feb 09, 2023 7:29 pm

Don't ask me where, I thought I read that reloading the OS would help with the cutoff problem. Has anyone tried that? I know if I had a new Nautilus and this was the case, I'd try reloading the OS to see if that resolves the issue.

tekhedd · Post by **tekhedd** » Fri Feb 10, 2023 12:12 am

drama1 wrote:Don't ask me where, I thought I read that reloading the OS would help with the cutoff problem. Has anyone tried that? I know if I had a new Nautilus and this was the case, I'd try reloading the OS to see if that resolves the issue.

I seem to recall that someone was *told* that reloading the OS would help with the problem, and the did it, and it did not. But memory is a fickle thing. :}

drama1 · Post by **drama1** » Fri Feb 10, 2023 2:25 pm

GrampaD wrote:The latest answer I got was to download the three cd files from the website, burn them to cd's and then load them into the nautilus per instructions from a cd drive, it cannot be loaded to a USB and loaded that way. I don't have the availability/equipment to try that so it was suggested I take it to a service center to have it done. I am hopeful they will have an OS update soon with a fix for this problem.

This is what I was talking about from another thread. My Kronos is ten years old, looking at the Nautilus, but if this board has cutoff issues, I may be looking at another platform. Sad, because I love Kronos/Nautilus sounds.

icecoldrocker · Post by **icecoldrocker** » Wed Feb 15, 2023 4:13 am

let's see when I bought the Korg X-3 in about 1994 for a cool 1500 I was somewhat of a johnny-come-lately the M-1 had took the scene by surprise and back in those days many folks wanted to be your friend if they knew you had one of the X Series.

By 1997 I had to upgrade and oh ya couldn't catch me on that Trinity Pro. Which I used to about 2005. That Trinity with that MOSS-TRI had me with a signature sound which was sort of snatched from me.

the Triton Extreme sort of alienated me & before I could press down hard on the T.Ex I bought the M3 where the drum sounds were not in such a wide variety but I was after that OASYS tech. the sounds were / are thick & there has been multiple times where I bump a key - instant inspiration. Then the M-3 started to misbehave...

I walk in a music store in New Braunfels, TX and there is this Nautilus there so I thought let me just see what Korg is doing now since I passed on the Kronos. Instant sale for me.
If it were not for Korg I do not think I would be where I am now since Roland was too expensive in the 80s and Yamaha was too dry.
However there is some funny business with the Nautilus such as sounds having plans of their own.

KApro : EXs44 Dynosaur 2 has two or three sounds that DO NOT or WILL NOT sound the same as in Program Mode. very annoying.

emilio2907 · Post by **emilio2907** » Sat Feb 18, 2023 11:59 am

I find the same problem on Nautilus 76 keys and on Korg M3 with 88 note weighted keyboard (purchased 15 years ago). Usually on piano sounds I think it's a problem that Korg knows about but that he doesn't intend to solve because it always comes back

tepa59 · Post by **tepa59** » Mon Mar 20, 2023 2:25 pm

tepa59 wrote:I've had a problem with my Nautilus for a few weeks, it's pretty clear in the video. https://youtu.be/F0q6BYHZIcs
It's not a specific sound issue, nor is it a specific key issue. It also occurs when I'm not using the damper pedal. Nevertheless, I have already tried several pedals. I controlled the Nautilus via an external keyboard via Midi, the problem persists. Oddly enough, it always occurs when I haven't played anything for a few minutes, everything is usually back to normal after a few seconds, and if I then play without interruption, nothing happens anymore. Maybe someone has experienced something similar, at Korg they couldn't explain the problem themselves. I currently need the Nautilus every day and won't be able to give it to a workshop for two months...

After the problem with my Nautilus could not be solved by Korg, I contacted Korg support again today and received the following answer: "Currently it can be assumed that compared to the Nautilus models sold worldwide these are isolated cases in which the temporary phenomenon you describe occurs. According to new findings that we have, the cause of the affected instruments is probably due to a tolerance in the built-in SSD module. Since this complaint is a repeat case, we advocate an exchange of the device so that you can have access to a technically error-free instrument as quickly as possible." So I will get a new Nautilus and hopefully have no more problems...

drama1 · Post by **drama1** » Fri Mar 31, 2023 3:26 pm

If someone could do the latest OS update to see if it fixes the cutoff issues, that'd be great. Thanks.

Knottylus · Post by **Knottylus** » Thu Apr 27, 2023 2:51 am

Good news. After updating to the latest OS didn't fix the same problem I had with my Nautilus-73, Korg Support acknowledged that it had to be serviced. They sent the parts to a technician in my area who services all brands of keyboards and he replaced the Solid State Drive. That fixed both problems I had; the sound cutting off and the 15 second delay when saving a combination.
While I was there he had another Nautilus with the same sound cutting off problem.

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