kronos crashed and burned on stage last night

clicheuk · Post by **clicheuk** » Sat Jan 25, 2014 5:27 pm

I did a search to see if anything similar came up and couldnt find a thing, so sorry if im in the wrongplace.

Half way through my gig last night my kronos gave out an kind of stuck saw tooth sound and had an error on top of the screen. Before I had a chance to read the error the keyboard shut down.
I powered off and back on again, waiting what seemed an eternity to re boot and found I could smell burning and before I could switch off, the screen went down along with mosy of the led's.
not been able to contact support yet but im not holding my breath for an easy fix.

phil55 · Post by **phil55** » Sat Jan 25, 2014 5:33 pm

This is the kind of s**t, sorry for the swear, that causes me to be very concerned about long time ownership with a Kronos.

Let us know what happened when it gets looked at, please. Thanks.

When the computer tech and I took the back off my K-73 to replace the fan, he mentioned that he found it odd that there was no containment around the power supply and suggested it might not be a bad idea to clean out the dust from inside once in a while, every three years maybe, depending, but maybe once a year would be best.

I wonder your Kronos got really dusty, inhibited the fan function and then upon reboot, caused some overheating which may have caused the burning smell...

clicheuk · Post by **clicheuk** » Sat Jan 25, 2014 5:45 pm

Its scary stuff, even when I get it back ill always have that worry in the back of my mind. Using a fully functional triton this weekend now. Even my Sy77 still works the same as the day I got it

phil55 · Post by **phil55** » Sat Jan 25, 2014 5:51 pm

Some things I'm grateful for with regarding the Kronos:

1. I bought it cheap with no discernable issues
2. Replacing the fan with a quieter one made a world of difference
3. I kept my M3

Bachus · Post by **Bachus** » Sat Jan 25, 2014 6:53 pm

On stage?

Where you using a surge protection?

You description surely sounds like a shortcircuit somewhere... Things like that happen a lot on stage, and equipment connected to the same group can damage others if they create some kind of spike on the net..

So allways use surge protection, or even better, a small aPC ups and a surge protection and an external netfilter.... Because your equipment is not safe on stage..

shaneblyth · Post by **shaneblyth** » Sat Jan 25, 2014 8:22 pm

sorry to hear your issues I'd have to agree it sounds bad, most likely power issues and frankly i know as a computer tech the madness that goes on in ht empower sometimes that can do some major issues. I won't use my kronos out on a gig with a decent quality power conditioner, surge protector sine wave based UPS. I run all my gear through one mine has enough grunt to protect and keep my gear running for 50 minutes and that includes my Yamaha powered monitor . Alls it takes is someone to switch something out the back like a heat on or off and it can send a surge and a spike through the line and the Kronos is a computer and they tend to be way more sensitive than a guitar amp or the like. If you can get someone to look at it and write up something for insurance and hopefully they will cover it for a surge. Ive written up quite a few for my computer clients over the years where stuff has got fried.

clicheuk · Post by **clicheuk** » Sat Jan 25, 2014 8:41 pm

shaneblyth wrote:sorry to hear your issues I'd have to agree it sounds bad, most likely power issues and frankly i know as aer tech the madness that goes on in ht empower sometimes that can do some major issues. I won't use my kronos out on a gig with a decent quality power conditioner, surge protector sine wave based UPS. I run all my gear through one mine has enough grunt to protect and keep my gear running for 50 minutes and that includes my Yamaha powered monitor . Alls it takes is someone to switch something out the back like a heat on or off and it can send a surge and a spike through the line and the Kronos is a computer and they tend to be way more sensitive than a guitar amp or the like. If you can get someone to look at it and write up something for insurance and hopefully they will cover it for a surge. Ive written up quite a few for my computer clients over the years where stuff has got fried.

cheers for the advice, my kronos did have surge protection and the venue was one weve played for about 8 years without power issues.

shaneblyth · Post by **shaneblyth** » Sat Jan 25, 2014 8:49 pm

clicheuk wrote:
shaneblyth wrote:sorry to hear your issues I'd have to agree it sounds bad, most likely power issues and frankly i know as aer tech the madness that goes on in ht empower sometimes that can do some major issues. I won't use my kronos out on a gig with a decent quality power conditioner, surge protector sine wave based UPS. I run all my gear through one mine has enough grunt to protect and keep my gear running for 50 minutes and that includes my Yamaha powered monitor . Alls it takes is someone to switch something out the back like a heat on or off and it can send a surge and a spike through the line and the Kronos is a computer and they tend to be way more sensitive than a guitar amp or the like. If you can get someone to look at it and write up something for insurance and hopefully they will cover it for a surge. Ive written up quite a few for my computer clients over the years where stuff has got fried.
cheers for the advice, my kronos did have surge protection and the venue was one weve played for about 8 years without power issues.

depends on your surge protection, I prefer something that has good voltage regulations as well. Certainly sounds like you should of been fine though. One of the people I know had issues with there video projector bulbs blowing all the time. Found that they had installed a neon sign and it kept doing weird stuff to the power. Installing a proper power conditioner regulator lengthened the life of their bulbs to double that the manufacturer said they should get. Without it they where lasted about 20% the time the manufacturer said they should get. So power may look fine but it can get slowly damaging your equipment, weakening it and making it more vulnerable. I got rid of my cheap UPS and my random reboots at a certain location disappeared. I feel a lot more relaxed now. A few guys here really helped me out getting a handle on the whole importance of regulated power.

geoelectro · Post by **geoelectro** » Sun Jan 26, 2014 1:08 am

Back in 1987 our local Yamaha dealer put on a show in a hotel for their best customers and potential buyers for the new HX-1 organ. They set it up with eight self powered speakers. On the next to last song, the power went out. No one was available at that late hour from the hotel except the kitchen workers. There was a drop box for this concert that was attached directly to the breaker panel. Anyway they messed around with it and somehow got the organ powered back up. The artist started the finale when smoke started coming from the upper manual. He was trying to fan it away with one of his hands while still playing. The audience thought it was part of the show and cheered. Suddenly, flames started coming out of the upper keyboard and they cleared the room. Someone got a fire extinguisher and smothered it.

I was the lucky one who got to repair it. It appeared when they got power back it was the wrong voltage. The switching power supply I the organ tried to deal with it but when the tolerances of the parts were exceeded, it caught on fire. All eight speakers with conventional power supplies only had blown fuses. That repair ran about $3000.00.

Geo

shaneblyth · Post by **shaneblyth** » Sun Jan 26, 2014 1:40 am

geoelectro wrote:Back in 1987 our local Yamaha dealer put on a show in a hotel for their best customers and potential buyers for the new HX-1 organ. They set it up with eight self powered speakers. On the next to last song, the power went out. No one was available at that late hour from the hotel except the kitchen workers. There was a drop box for this concert that was attached directly to the breaker panel. Anyway they messed around with it and somehow got the organ powered back up. The artist started the finale when smoke started coming from the upper manual. He was trying to fan it away with one of his hands while still playing. The audience thought it was part of the show and cheered. Suddenly, flames started coming out of the upper keyboard and they cleared the room. Someone got a fire extinguisher and smothered it.

I was the lucky one who got to repair it. It appeared when they got power back it was the wrong voltage. The switching power supply I the organ tried to deal with it but when the tolerances of the parts were exceeded, it caught on fire. All eight speakers with conventional power supplies only had blown fuses. That repair ran about $3000.00.

Geo

Smoke on the water. .... Was it john Lord playing? What an awesome story.

clicheuk · Post by **clicheuk** » Sun Jan 26, 2014 3:42 pm

Im surprised where this has gone with clean power and ups as ive never been advised by my supplier that it was needed, especially as ive never had anything like this happen to me in the past 25 years. Ive just looked at some combined ups and surge protection but they range from £80 to £2000, any suggestions or recommendations

hammondcuni · Post by **hammondcuni** » Sun Jan 26, 2014 3:50 pm

Thats some nightmarish stuff clicheuk. Imagine this with no backup keyboard!

clicheuk · Post by **clicheuk** » Sun Jan 26, 2014 3:59 pm

hammondcuni wrote:Thats some nightmarish stuff clicheuk. Imagine this with no backup keyboard!

Your not wrong, soon as I get the cause and what the repair entails ill report back.

neomad · Post by **neomad** » Sun Jan 26, 2014 4:27 pm

I know that a lot of talented and famous musiciens are using Kronos on stage. Most of the time, they can afford to have backup keyboards on there... but for 'normal' musiciens that needs to perform live, I am not sure that Kronos will be my choice.

Kronos is greatest synth ever but only for studio use. For gig, Kurz, Motif, etc.

Cheers
Matt

phattbuzz · Post by **phattbuzz** » Sun Jan 26, 2014 4:34 pm

neomad wrote:I know that a lot of talented and famous musiciens are using Kronos on stage. Most of the time, they can afford to have backup keyboards on there... but for 'normal' musiciens that needs to perform live, I am not sure that Kronos will be my choice.

Kronos is greatest synth ever but only for studio use. For gig, Kurz, Motif, etc.

Cheers
Matt

I (and I'm sure a bunch of others on this forum) wholeheartedly disagree with you!

I am able to set up setlists for the various bands I perform with right on the Kronos. Even for bands I work with that don't use setlists, I have certain patches I can easily jump right to. In one group I use the Kronos as a brain along with other midi controllers live on stage. I love it and can't figure out how I ever gigged without it before!