Kronos randomly rebooted itself 6 times during live gig

[phil55]

...I have the X61 and can keep it cooler, just like suggested, with an external fan I direct at the bottom. The X61 has a metal bottom. The 88 does not and I do not know what the 73 has for a bottom...as to an earlier question will a UPS fix your problem, unknown, we don't know what caused the reboots...if it is related to heat no the UPS will not make a lot of difference.

The 73 has a thick wood bottom like the 88, but directing the external fan at the back / across the front panel will probably help just as much (and will help the player too)...and a UPS probably has its own temperature restrictions (they're meant for indoor use, next to the computer) although the cheap CyberPower units that I use are good to a little over 100 degrees F...

df

When I opened it up to replace the fan, i noticed a template on the wood product bottom, as though at one point the designers were going to put a vent there. Anyone else notice this?

i only use my KRONOS at home and other gear live myself...

[jeremykeys]

I've never opened my k73 up but it would be interesting to hear from some of the Korg people to see what they know about the possible vent hole.

[AntonySharmman]

An old generation synth like karma with Dos based OS and simple chip processors has 100 times less power consumption in main board
which means that any common power supply module can feed it for more than 2 seconds in case of momentary total power loss only
using it's capacitors energy , but this can't be happened with an Intel dual core 2 x 1.8 GHz media center motherboard that requires 120 Watts.
A cheap offline UPS is required to cover less than 80 volts net supply for more than 0.2 seconds , that was the actual issue of drb32856.

The particular Intel motherboard doesn't need any extra ventilation , it can work in any affordable temperature , also new age SSDs of 0.7 Watt
power consumption do not need either any ventilation at all , and the only module that can fail in hardware level UMO , is Kronos switching mode
power supply Chinese module Enhance ENO-1612 120W , that I've already replaced it in my Kronos , not because of overheating but because of it's
components failure (as in my case).

[Zeroesque]

The worst "reboot" problem I've ever personally witnessed was with a Mesa Boogie Triaxis guitar preamp. It was a club gig, but the voltage was all over the place. This thing reset itself several times in the first set before the guitarist switched to a backup rig. It was a voltage issue -- as confirmed by the sound guys -- which would have benefited from a stable source such as a UPS. This preamp was normally rock-solid.

Just FYI to help this not become another "Kronos sucks...yet is still the greatest keyboard ever made even after 3 years" argument thread with little to no alternative info.

[Derek Cook]

I think you have to be careful when looking at forums as people usually don't post positive experiences, so it's easy to get a skewed view on things when you see the issues that are posted.

I have asked here about Kronos reliability, as part of a buying decision, and I'm not discouraged by the responses I have seen. Having a UPS appears to be a must.

[jeremykeys]

I swear by my Kronos! Although I also sometimes swear at it, but that's because of me, not the machine. Complex workstations allow you to do amazing things but they also show you how little you really know. Lord, it's hard to be humble!

[drb32856]

Thanks everyone for the help. I'm still in love with my Kronos 61 and even after the issues I had with the reboots, I am not about to knock it. I'm going to go with the UPS and maybe a Furman M8x2 as well and see if that covers the bases. Got some casino gigs upcoming, so we shall see what happens.

[NuSkoolTone]

I haven't seen it mentioned here, but this SCREAMS the memory isn't properly seated to me. I would try reseating the memory as well as the UPS. As UPS systems go, I've been gigging with the CyberPower EC850LCD and it has been rock solid.

[Bertotti]

Check all the specs before you combine multiple or different types of UPS and or power conditioner surge protectors.

[jeremykeys]

A very wise man once said, "If it doesn't work, hit it with a hammer. If it still doesn't work, use a bigger hammer!"

[drb32856]

Check all the specs before you combine multiple or different types of UPS and or power conditioner surge protectors.

Great advice. The UPS I bought (cyberpower) has surge protection and power conditioner all in one. First gig Friday night with this unit.

[Bertotti]

I hope you had the guts of your Kronos checked for solid connections, no loose ram wires or cables etc.

[drb32856]

I hope you had the guts of your Kronos checked for solid connections, no loose ram wires or cables etc.

Yes. The local Korg authorized dealer and service tech did an exam and found everything to be in order. They all felt it was the perfect storm of high heat and humidity plus dirty and fluctuating power being that I received no error messages and that the reboots were smooth with no hangs, or freezing. Plus we were unable to duplicate the issues at home or on the bench in the shop.