Korg Forums

Hi guys

I am exactly shock after 2 years Korg did not came with a valid solution , unfortunately i bought this mixer this week without consulting this forum first , so if my korg will come with any problems i will send it back and ask my refund , and move to another mixer , what you guys recomended ?


regards

sorry my bad english

sent it back...

Send it back quikly....

i was told that the hiss problem had been fixed in the latest mixers?

sure as hell hope that it is, cause the guy who sold me mine, new from the box, said that there would´nt be a hiss problem since it was new and had 1.6 installed..

Hi guys. I'm looking to buy a Zero 8. Is there any update on this hiss problem?

Thanks for any replies!

Tausen wrote:i was told that the hiss problem had been fixed in the latest mixers?

sure as hell hope that it is, cause the guy who sold me mine, new from the box, said that there would´nt be a hiss problem since it was new and had 1.6 installed..

that doesnt make sense because from the spdif out people are getting hiss free audio, this seems to put the problem in the DA converter

i dont think you can fix that with an os update

Annoying Hiss.
Why should such a proffesional piece of kit have such an inherent noise floor.
Totaly unideal for digital recording.

Plus it also crashes.

I wish it would not have this problem also. I would have bought one. Because of is amazing features. Now the only grat for money mixer I was able to find was the Yamaha N12. The only thing that bugs me is that 8 of the 12 channels are mono, instead of stereo rca. Anyone knows of a better one?

Zero 8 owners, I found a way to bypass the so called hiss, without taking apart the ZERO8 and modifying it. My solution, is that I use the Presonus's HP6 headphone distributor amp, it has 2 mono L/R connections for A/B mixing. Also has six TRS cable balanced stereo in's, six TRS balanced cable stereo out's.

Use a Monster Studio TRS Link Y cable (red & black colored cable) run it from the ZERO 8 Master OUT, to the HP6, then out to your powered monitors with another Monster Studio TRS Link Y cable plugging it in the balanced L/R connectors.

For laptop setup, firewire in, my Master volume on the ZERO8 is at 10. My stereo external in, and Level on Channel 1, on the HP6 are at 10 to 12 o' clock. My gain on the Zero8 is in the middle, didn't mess much with that, just use appropriate volume levels so nothing peaks. If your using two CJD2000s, no difference, connect the same way into the HP6.

Some how works perfectly, lots of head room, just enough, transparent, and super dead quiet as it should be for playback or to send to a DI/House Mixer. If you are going for loud, loud, loud, get bigger speakers, more wattage, or passive speakers with mondo wattage.

Should sound just as dead quiet as the Zero 8 monitor output.

Also with most monitors, which this is common from what i've read online, expect very little electronic noise coming from the speaker. it's inevitable. you can only hear it when your ear is centimeters from the speaker. KRK's, ect. Idk maybe 1000$ monitor speakers don't do that? passive/active.

Anyways, as far as using the ZERO 8 as a I/O to record, thats fine too, tested clean! I found no issues with noise if you are linked via firewire, or an Apogee Ensemble. If you don't want to go through firewire to record, and see the ZERO8 more as an instrument like I do, use the Presonus HP6, your going to need one anyway...sounds very quality!

My band use's 6 of them for total control monitoring and outputing, (in-ears for three people with separate stereo mix's of their own instruments, and the other three to dish out the zero8's hub music A/B mix to the other three hp6's in stereo as well to provide for whatever the house mixer, and to the Apogee's analog inputs to record the performance. Sounds extensive and expensive, it was, but you do what you can to achieve your goal when it comes to your own unique live setups according to what you do musically.

Record the entire performance with an Apogee Ensemble while playing live simultaneously (Laptop#1). Just have a decent 4GB RAM going on at the least. I use the Zero 8 more as an instrument or a HUB for everything, Vocals/Guitars/Soft Synth (viaMbox2, another laptop #2) and Live Drums (kick/snare/total mix from drummers mixer)

The issue with the Zero 8's hiss is no more! Just don't go connecting it without using a headphone amp, i've only tested this scenario with my trusty HP6 so..pretty weird Korg let the hi shelf noise slide, Performing with it live and loud at a concert, your not going to hear it really, but for at home, broadcast, or recording use, no way in hell you can use it without getting the noise factor out.

I've done this concept before on other types of gear, true bypass noise gates, pedals, rack units, test out what output connections sound better and somehow find a way to legitimately use those to your advantage. All in all, i'll forever be using the ZERO 8, amazing control, and ways to make unique effects. I use Zero 8 also with Native Instruments - The Finger using a midi synth controller just to quadruple up on what the Zero8 already has.

I am not sure if someone explained something like this already, I figure you need to keep everything line balanced by TRS to be using the Zero 8. Someone should explain the actual science behind what I did audio terminology wise and why doing it this way works, and reply to me, i'd like to hear.

(Aside from hiss, there is one thing though, my A/B blue led's on the Zero 8's channel 3/4 are not lighting up when in only MIDI mode, not sure if this is common, but the actual crossfade function works so no biggie) i'm waiting for a tech to tell me whats up with that, regardless. Anything with LED's seem to be an easy fix.

@bitcrusher213
Fine you found a way that works for you.
However -and since your usage of Zero8 is central for the group- DO add an external Fan (pluggable to 120V or 220V) to the right side of Zero.
You'll improve its stability and long term operation.

Believe me, I have experience with poor thermally-designed music gear, (or don't believe me and read other related posts in this forum) but...
Most thermal improvement efforts DO make a difference in complex music gear. In Zero8 seems to be critical.

Thanks for responding someone, aside from hacking the machine taking 5v out of the powersupply, is there a crafty silent mini fan I could use to cool any gear I have that may heat up?

such as the Zero 8, Tube heads, heatsink on a stage subwoofer, i've seen some really weird industrial type fans, that are long flat, and small that really pump out some cool air.

Uhmm that 5v power supply might be overtaxed already...
Whatever you choose, make sure the fan is the brushless type (to avoid adding electronic noise) and the bigger/slower the quieter it'll move the air.

Also you may know headphone amps/wire share the negative pole...
I wouldn't amplify stereo signal from there... why not use the digital out and add a really good DAC later on?

Could you please further explain about the negative pole with headphone amps? I mean so far, everything works perfectly.. sounds perfectly.

And about the 5v, I read the thread about the Zero 8 mods and some guy did that, and put a fan inside his Zero 8. I wouldn't know how to go about actually doing that though. Would be nice to get though-rough instructions for that procedure.

Good questions... I am -in a few hours- leaving for a remote location with difficult internet access for around a week or +.
http://nirvanafestival.com/?page_id=191.
Hope someone chimes in or you find good answers elsewhere in the web, otherwise I'll catch up later on.
Best

Could you please or someone further explain about the negative pole with headphone amps? I mean so far, everything works perfectly.. sounds perfectly.

This is the headphone distributor i'm using that works perfectly with the Zero 8.

http://www.presonus.com/products/Detail ... roductId=6

The ZERO 8's master level is all the way up at 10, as instructed by KORG in their manual, and the master out is connected to the stereo in HP60 via monster Y TRS cable, then stereo out to my monitor system as instructed by HP60's manual, it even says its also doable to connect straight into a recording device like an Apogee Ensemble.