kronos crashed and burned on stage last night

Discussion relating to the Korg Kronos Workstation.

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clicheuk
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Post by clicheuk »

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
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Post by neomad »

I (and I'm sure a bunch of others on this forum) wholeheartedly disagree with you!
Happy that works for you. You know, and seems I am always obliged to say that, for me Kronos is a dream come true, the best I've ever seen (and listen) and I am in this business since more than 20 years.

In the meantime, I still gigging with my beloved Alesis Fusion (never, never let me down) + controller + Roland sonic cell. I use to have a Motif ES during many years and even if can not be compared to Kronos, was rock solid built and great sounding gear.

Let you know on my first gig with our baby ;) (but I must admit I'm afraid)
Cheers !
LZ
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Post by LZ »

neomad wrote:
I (and I'm sure a bunch of others on this forum) wholeheartedly disagree with you!
Happy that works for you. You know, and seems I am always obliged to say that, for me Kronos is a dream come true, the best I've ever seen (and listen) and I am in this business since more than 20 years.

In the meantime, I still gigging with my beloved Alesis Fusion (never, never let me down) + controller + Roland sonic cell. I use to have a Motif ES during many years and even if can not be compared to Kronos, was rock solid built and great sounding gear.

Let you know on my first gig with our baby ;) (but I must admit I'm afraid)
Cheers !
For what it's worth, my old rig was based on an Alesis Fusion. I actually owned 2 so that I had a backup, which I needed on many occasions. I went through several I/O boards, a backlight inverter/controller, one started repeatedly rebooting during a gig and a buddy rushed me my backup. I suspect power supply, but eventually gutted parts from that one to keep the other one going. So far no Kronos issues in 2 years of gigging.
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splinters
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Post by splinters »

Alesis fusion...I had 88 and 61 versions...wish i had never sold them.
LZ
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Post by LZ »

splinters wrote:Alesis fusion...I had 88 and 61 versions...wish i had never sold them.
If I can put together a working one out of the two non-working ones I have now, do you want it? LOL.

I actually really liked it - Mostly the way it handled samples...no preload necessary, FIFO off the hard drive into the memory on demand. 8 analog ins was cool, the sequencer was decent except for no track names, the VA was very capable to say the least. Most lacking was the FX, in particular, contol routing to FX parameters, which was disappointing considering how awesome the modulation matrix was otherwise. But realistic Hammond was near impossible with no drawbar control, and worse yet, no fast/slow/stop leslie control. Add to that how quirky it was with bugs and other just odd design choices. Using it with another keyboard was tough since it had no Internal/External selection for tracks and didn't like bank messages that didn't point to a valid internal bank. It could be a real PITA sometimes.
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danmusician
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Post by danmusician »

phattbuzz wrote: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!
+1

Agree completely.

It is odd how some people have issues with A/C power and others do not. I have three Kronoses that I use on a regular basis: 1 88 and 2 73s. The 73s are mine, the 88 is at the school where I teach. I had one spontaneous reboot on my first 73 a couple of months after I bought it, nothing since. I use cheap UPSs from Walmart at church and school and nothing at home. Just not seeing the problems that many others are seeing.
Kronos 2 88, Kronos Classic 73, PX-5S, Kronos 2 61, Roli Seaboard Rise 49
GregC
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Post by GregC »

danmusician wrote:
phattbuzz wrote: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!
+1

Agree completely.

It is odd how some people have issues with A/C power and others do not. I have three Kronoses that I use on a regular basis: 1 88 and 2 73s. The 73s are mine, the 88 is at the school where I teach. I had one spontaneous reboot on my first 73 a couple of months after I bought it, nothing since. I use cheap UPSs from Walmart at church and school and nothing at home. Just not seeing the problems that many others are seeing.
its possible we have more stable electrical/voltage sources here in the US . There is always some shoddy electrical work here and there but overall, we might have it more stable .
Kronos 88. MODX8
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LZ
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Post by LZ »

I've played more than a few festival gigs on generator power, and some school picnic gigs on extension cords from hell to the stage. I DO use a UPS, however, but it's a cheap small power strip version, not one with actual voltaage correction. I actually powered my Kronos and aa K10 on it NOT plugged in for a wedding rehearsal because the park hadn't turned on the pavilion power for the rehearsal. Couldn't believe it held up. Played 2 songs plus vocal through it.
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shaneblyth
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Post by shaneblyth »

danmusician wrote:
phattbuzz wrote:
It is odd how some people have issues with A/C power and others do not. I have three Kronoses that I use on a regular basis: 1 88 and 2 73s. The 73s are mine, the 88 is at the school where I teach. I had one spontaneous reboot on my first 73 a couple of months after I bought it, nothing since. I use cheap UPSs from Walmart at church and school and nothing at home. Just not seeing the problems that many others are seeing.
you only need one building with a bad plug or something. The power in the area maybe fine. We play at a school alot and the power at my home is perfect never use my UPS/ In the last few months we have had 2 store bought multi-boxes go funny. One smelt burned the other my Kronos did a few reboots on and changing it fixed it. When alot of gear is plugged into an older building it only needs one piece of equipment thats a bit unstable to and it can effect your other gear. Please remember that your Kronos or other gear may seem OK but if the power is all over the place it can be weakening the electronics. I told the story of the projector bulbs that blew early they put a power conditioner in the building for them and they actually last tens times long which was way better than the manufacturers estimates. It all happened after the installation of neon signs. flicking on and off they effected things. Getting pulses of power can be fine but eventually something gives way. By the way the reason you use a sinewave UPS and its better is because its smoother power deliver as opposed to a square wave which is basically an on off switch. One of my friends works at a bowling alley. a kid got something stuck so the guy turned the power off and the PC now has issues. Its all the unknowns that go on that can eventually come and bite you on the butt. but hey you'll probably be ok. I want my Kronos to last a long time. My cheap UPS didn't stop my issues my sinewave one did in this particular hall.
Korg Kross 61
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neomad
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Post by neomad »

For what it's worth, my old rig was based on an Alesis Fusion. I actually owned 2 so that I had a backup, which I needed on many occasions. I went through several I/O boards, a backlight inverter/controller, one started repeatedly rebooting during a gig and a buddy rushed me my backup. I suspect power supply, but eventually gutted parts from that one to keep the other one going. So far no Kronos issues in 2 years of gigging.
I know what you say is true. A lot of known problems, and a lot of people with, mainly power supply and screen. My first keyboard had problems with screen, then replaced by a new one. Never had a problem again.

This being said, Kronos costs me more than 3000 euros... against Fusion 900.

Anyway, I would like to gig with my Kronos as well soon.
Cheers
Last edited by neomad on Wed Jan 29, 2014 6:04 pm, edited 1 time in total.
neomad
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Post by neomad »

splinters wrote:Alesis fusion...I had 88 and 61 versions...wish i had never sold them.
Rare to find nowadays, but good price if you are lucky ! 4 synth engines, good sound, onboard HD recorder with 8 inputs, a beast !

Cheers
clicheuk
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Post by clicheuk »

Thought I'd update you guys on the progress korg have made since having it on their "bench" for the past week.
there are no signs of a surge realated problem but instead, poor instalation of a "ribbon".
The said ribbon was rubbing on a board and eventually exposed, shorted and burnt .
Although korg have replaced the cable im left in a panic, wondering when the next problem is going to smash me in the face at a gig. Im not a doom monger buy any stretch of the imagination, but ive got synths older than me that I can rely on without hesitation.

im considering getting an engineer I know to open her up when she arrives home and go through the whole assembly to make sure everything is secure inside. It wouldnt be so bad if I hadnt treated my kronos like a new born baby for its short time on stage.
phil55
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Post by phil55 »

clicheuk wrote:….

im considering getting an engineer I know to open her up when she arrives home and go through the whole assembly to make sure everything is secure inside. ...
That sounds like a really good idea!

Thanks for the update.
Give us our daily synths.
GregC
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Post by GregC »

clicheuk wrote:Thought I'd update you guys on the progress korg have made since having it on their "bench" for the past week.
there are no signs of a surge realated problem but instead, poor instalation of a "ribbon".
The said ribbon was rubbing on a board and eventually exposed, shorted and burnt .
Although korg have replaced the cable im left in a panic, wondering when the next problem is going to smash me in the face at a gig. Im not a doom monger buy any stretch of the imagination, but ive got synths older than me that I can rely on without hesitation.

im considering getting an engineer I know to open her up when she arrives home and go through the whole assembly to make sure everything is secure inside. It wouldnt be so bad if I hadnt treated my kronos like a new born baby for its short time on stage.
this potential dilemma has been discussed many times. A keyboardist needs to have a backup keyboard if the main one fails on a gig.

I see this as standard business stuff if you are serious. I have access to a 2nd car, 2 or 3 computers, etc. Sh## happens and you need to have a plan .
Kronos 88. MODX8
Achieve your musical dreams :)
https://soundcloud.com/user-898236994
clicheuk
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Joined: Wed Mar 28, 2012 5:24 pm

Post by clicheuk »

GregC wrote:
clicheuk wrote:Thought I'd update you guys on the progress korg have made since having it on their "bench" for the past week.
there are no signs of a surge realated problem but instead, poor instalation of a "ribbon".
The said ribbon was rubbing on a board and eventually exposed, shorted and burnt .
Although korg have replaced the cable im left in a panic, wondering when the next problem is going to smash me in the face at a gig. Im not a doom monger buy any stretch of the imagination, but ive got synths older than me that I can rely on without hesitation.

im considering getting an engineer I know to open her up when she arrives home and go through the whole assembly to make sure everything is secure inside. It wouldnt be so bad if I hadnt treated my kronos like a new born baby for its short time on stage.
this potential dilemma has been discussed many times. A keyboardist needs to have a backup keyboard if the main one fails on a gig.

I see this as standard business stuff if you are serious. I have access to a 2nd car, 2 or 3 computers, etc. Sh## happens and you need to have a plan .
While I find myself agreeing with you for the most part, how far do you take it?. If you look in any industry, how many professionals have duplicates of everything.
a back up plan is definitely something everyone should have, thats how I got out of trouble, but you dont spend good money twice on a flagship model just in case something goes wrong (unless your in queen) its neither financially or logistically viable.
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