Korg Forums

[Lou]

When I received Kronos the first thing I did was connect it S/PDIF in and out.
I can say that it sounds quite good.

The only thing that is bothersome is that you loose control of the Main volume knob.
All volume (Overall) adjustment is confined to the Master slider. While this okay, it's also is a little inconvenient.

For instance, in a DAW, when selecting another combi or program the volume always defaults to the saved Master volume.
So I find myself constantly adjusting the fader in the DAW or the Kronos Master slider.

I was wondering two things:
Is this the case when using analog outs? (And having the addition of the Main volume knob)
And an any opinions of the sound quality difference between the 2?

Like I said, I haven't tried analog yet and was hoping for some feedback before I rip everything apart.. thanks.
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Lou

[popmann]

No, the volume is the volume in analog. The reason you "lose" it is that it's a full resolution analog circuit.

[Lou]

[kingtj]

Yeah, I think you'll find that this is the typical way S/PDIF operates with computers and musical instruments of all types.

When you output the audio digitally via S/PDIF, you bypass most volume control knobs the devices might have on them, because those knobs control amplification of analog signals only.

Every Apple Mac computer I've ever owned, for example, will "grey out" the master volume control in the top right-hand corner of the screen when the default audio output is set to S/PDIF.

When the data is output in a pure digital format (a stream of 1's and 0's), as S/PDIF does, the only relevant thing about "volume" coming out of the source should be relative differences in volume between various sounds playing. "Master" volume would be controlled by the amplifier/receiver on the other end, taking the digital S/PDIF stream and converting it back into analog so you can hear it.

[popmann]

What part? The Kronos volume knob, if not active when using digital connections is likely an analog attentuator circuit.

So, the digital engine of the Kronos ends up with a stereo 24/48 stream, right? The "master fader" is like the digital master fader in any digital system, like your DAW you refer to. By pulling it down, you're reducing the digital resolution of that stream. Granted, with 24bit, you've got to pull it down a lot to get below cd resolution, but...

...if you leave it up, and turn the volume knob down, you retain full digital resolution at the conversion to analog...and the signal is attenuated in the analog relmn.

Which sounds better depends on a few factors. How far down you have to turn the digital master fader...and what converters you are listening to. If you're outputting it to a Larvy or Burl or such to feed your monitors, sure, I would assume that would sound better. If its a set of Roland "digital monitors", I would assume the analog will sound better. The quotes are because there's no such thing as a digital monitor-it's just a powered monitor with a built in d/a converter. and then with analog particularly, how good your cables are.

This is why people spend $300-2000 on monitor controllers for computer studios-to have the traditional monitor switching/volume/mono section of a console in analog, where it doesn't also reduce bit depth.

I have never considered connecting my Korg digitally to anything. In an ideal world, that's the purest signal path, but...I don't know-I think people get a little hung up on the principle of "once it's digital, keep it digital". The answer to which sounds better is a quick experiment away, no?

[chilly7]

Maby it is a little off topic, but on my Kurzweil pc3, on the master page (don't know how it is called in Kronos) u can select if a Master Volume slider affect the volume of a digital output (s/pdif) or not.

p.s. with my kurzweil pc3 i work 100 % of time with digital fotmat and never use analog outs so it is pretty useful and convinient for me that my master volume slider can control digital output of my keybord and i don't have to reach my audio interface mixer to control it because very often when i creat my own programs i need to control the master volume in real time because different setings or effects can greatly affect the volume.....
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[popmann]

What are you connected to? When you say you're in your daw adjusting the fader...are you monitoring it though the software mixer via your sound card spdif connection?

[popmann]

I just connected it to my Echo Gina's optical spdif leaving the kronos as master...just to geek out. Having both the analog outs of the Gina and the kronos simultaneously plugged into the line mixer, so I could go back and forth and balance actual volume in the analog relmn.

It's different. I suppose it depends on what you value and what draws your ear. Using the analog outs of the Kronos, the sound gels together more. Comparatively, I'd say the echo's conversion brings a tad more low end and sparkly detail...making the analogs a bit more midrangey by comparison. But, really pretty interchangeable.

Again, Echo Gina 3G converting to analog in this case.

[BasariStudios]

I use both, Analog and TOS/SPDIF...i cant notice any difference and i use
few pairs of high quality Studio Monitors all running thru Rosetta 800 and
TC Impakt Twin. Lou, its the same on M3 except there when in Digital world
you have no control over Master Volume at all cuz it doesnt have a Master
Fader as on the Kronos.
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[Lou]