Help. Outputs of EMX1 aren't equal... how about yours?

Yornav · Post by **Yornav** » Tue Dec 15, 2009 3:09 am

I could not believe what I saw when I plugged in my EMX into ableton...

One of the main outputs is lacking some 3db compared to the other. Already changed the output jacks, opposite... Same problem... other channel shows 3db drop. Doesn't have it on 3/4 indiv. out.

I hope someone wants to do some testing with their machine.

I don't know if it was already when I bought MX.
Any ideas or sugestions are welcome. tnx

Dietrich · Post by **Dietrich** » Tue Dec 15, 2009 11:38 am

When the unit has just fired up I also have this on an ESX. The left channel is a bit down compared to the right one. It disappears after a few minutes.

This is very likely due to the tubes. I hope to replace them one time.

Yornav · Post by **Yornav** » Tue Dec 15, 2009 10:33 pm

I just checked out my ESX. And yhe levels are equal.

It does not matter (on my emx) if I have tube gain open or in 0 position.

It is the main output...

Dj Pound · Post by **Dj Pound** » Wed Dec 16, 2009 1:31 am

Are you sure that you have your RCA's connected to the right outputs??! One time I accidentally plugged my right channel into the headphone jack next to the Main outs (because their so close to each other), and I thought atleast for a good 3 hours that my ESX's main outputs were uneven, until I re-checked my connections and saw what I did wrong!

Just curious....this may not be the case for you

Yornav · Post by **Yornav** » Wed Dec 16, 2009 2:07 am

Hej, tnx for the tip. But thats not the case...

I experimented a little further... Took out the tubes of both EMX and ESX
Putted the tubes of the ESX in the EMX...

I hope the next thing I did is right: I read online that the 2 little podknobs insite where the tubes are. Were for balancing the tubes... Is that correct???

I do not know much of vacuum tubes... Is it a sort of gain for each tube?

Afther turning them a bit I could perfectly mach them. It was not the case with the original tubes of the EMX. And when I looked insite the tube... of all 4... 1 of the EMX was strange... a sort of shell above in the tube was mounted different (looked up side down). If that isn't weird...

I realy hope if the podknobs are for matching gain difference... because I read something about BIAS.

Dietrich · Post by **Dietrich** » Wed Dec 16, 2009 9:29 am

The knobs next to the tubes are for calibrating them. There should also be a very detailed procedure in the Electribe itself (hidden under some key combination) that measures (and calibrates?) the levels itself if you make some cable connections (presumably from main out to audio in). But I can't remember where I saw it.

chad9477 · Post by **chad9477** » Thu Dec 17, 2009 5:28 pm

Dietrich wrote:The knobs next to the tubes are for calibrating them. There should also be a very detailed procedure in the Electribe itself (hidden under some key combination) that measures (and calibrates?) the levels itself if you make some cable connections (presumably from main out to audio in). But I can't remember where I saw it.

If you do find this again, please post it under a new heading...I think this would be super valuable for anyone in the process of switching out their tubes.

Ruso · Post by **Ruso** » Thu Dec 17, 2009 5:47 pm

Dietrich wrote:The knobs next to the tubes are for calibrating them. There should also be a very detailed procedure in the Electribe itself (hidden under some key combination) that measures (and calibrates?) the levels itself if you make some cable connections (presumably from main out to audio in). But I can't remember where I saw it.

Although the knobs next to the tubes are for adjusting the tubes, it has nothing to do with volume of the channels. It has more to do with the way the tubes process sound.

There is indeed a tube calibration procedure but it requires a special cable to be made and requires korg to send you a special smart media card which will boot the machine into that mode (You would have to pose as a repair shop for that to happen!)

Ruso · Post by **Ruso** » Thu Dec 17, 2009 5:49 pm

http://audio-ruso.com/EMX1_Svc_man.pdf

Look on page 14.

Dietrich · Post by **Dietrich** » Fri Dec 18, 2009 3:32 pm

Thanks for clearing it up.

I don't find the audio level issue on mine a big problem but I can imagine it does for some people. So is there any fix?

Ruso · Post by **Ruso** » Fri Dec 18, 2009 6:40 pm

pan everything to the weak channel a bit

Yornav · Post by **Yornav** » Mon Dec 21, 2009 2:17 am

Hej tnx for the PDF Ruso... that clears out much... Indeed the calibration on the tubes is not the way to go for channal level balancing.

The procedure is in the pdf file, But you do not need a special card. You can do it with a normal card to... You just need to have at least 16mb of freespace and pusch the special button combination and then start up the machine.