mathieumaes wrote:Can there be a random factor here ?
I can hardly notice there is a fan in my Kronos... Or maybe I should get my ears checked ?
I heard it for the first time when my computer was switched off (barely happens). But my PC makes a lot of noise, compared to that the Kronos is audible for fan noise, but for me not a problem at all. And when you play live or at home I can't imagine it's a problem. Maybe (maybe) in a studio.
However, that is for my Kronos. I once had another Kronos next to mine and we did a 'test' and it seems like his fan noise was a bit different, not really louder, but just another frequency which was a slightly bit more annoying but afaik he did not (let) change the fan.
I'm certain there is a random factor here. The floor model at my dealer is as quiet as a mouse, no sound at all. However, the first Kronos 61 I received had the fan noise, the replacement Kronos 61 also and in the final Kronos X that I recently received it is noticeable. But as I said, realistically, it has no impact on what I'm playing, how I record, etc., so ultimately it is a non-factor unless it fails prematurely. If it does, a have a 2 year warranty. If it fails after that, I have all the great advice on here as how to put in a quieter fan.
All that said, it is a PLEASURE to play, it is quite addictive and my fellow band musicians LOVE it! As do I. I'm VERY happy I have it.
Maybe I just got a good Kronos, or maybe it's just the years I've worked in IT inside noisy data centers, noisy labs, driving with the windows down, or the years of playing drums, but for the life of me, I just can't hear my fan at all. I can hear the fans in my computers, but I've never heard the noise in the Kronos when I play - I can hear it when I turn it on, and if I shut everything else off in the room I can hear it, but as soon as I hit a note, I don't notice it anymore.
I don't know about anyone else, but all my musical life I've heard noisy amps, noisy leslie speakers, noisy sympathetic snare vibration. I've definitely heard noisy fans in my life (bad bearings or brushes making a really loud buzzing sound). If that's the case, it's definitely a warranty issue, but not buying this instrument just because the noise of a fan? That sounds like nitpicking to me.
This topic has been discussed at some length in other threads. I agree with JIMKNOPF's views but here's my comments on the issue.....
1. I don't think this is just an issue that bothers a minority (1%??). Judging by the amount of concern expressed on forums. However I think it affects the studio/home user more than the live user.
2. In the shop I could not hear any fan noise although I was not aware of the potential issue at this point. I originally decided to buy a K61, When I got home I set it up in a quiet room with headphones and was quite shocked at the mount of fan noise which I found VERY irritating. I could hear the fan through closed back headphones especially with quieter sounds like piano. I could even hear the fan whirring away when in the next room. I thought it could be a problem if trying to record vocals or guitar in the same room.
3. I later decided to exchange the K61 for a K88 (Partially due to the fan noise and recommendations on this forum) and I do feel that the fan was less noticeable maybe because of the differences in construction such as extra weight, wood and density?
4. Once I moved the K88 into my studio room next to my PC the fan became inaudible as the computer produces a lot more noise that masks the noise from the fan.
5. I decided that I can live quite happily with this situation and enjoy the power of Kronos which is fantastic. No other workstation at present can touch it for flexibility, versatility and power!
6. In future I may consider a replacement fan as mentioned in other threads but it is not a high priority at present.
ADVICE - Buy the Kronos! If the keybed is suitable maybe try a K88? Consider a replacement fan if you want to risk warranty implications. Enjoy your Kronos!
Korg Kronos 88, Korg M1, Novation SL61 MKII, Roland JV1080 with Techno expansion, Roland D110, Yamaha MU80, KRK Rokit 5 monitors, Akai ME30PII midi patch bay, Behringer RX1602 mixer, ESI ESP1010e audio interface, Quad Core PC, Cubase Pro 9.0, SE X1 condenser mic.
DavyP wrote:This topic has been discussed at some length in other threads. I agree with JIMKNOPF's views but here's my comments on the issue.....
1. I don't think this is just an issue that bothers a minority (1%??). Judging by the amount of concern expressed on forums. However I think it affects the studio/home user more than the live user.
2. In the shop I could not hear any fan noise although I was not aware of the potential issue at this point. I originally decided to buy a K61, When I got home I set it up in a quiet room with headphones and was quite shocked at the mount of fan noise which I found VERY irritating. I could hear the fan through closed back headphones especially with quieter sounds like piano. I could even hear the fan whirring away when in the next room. I thought it could be a problem if trying to record vocals or guitar in the same room.
3. I later decided to exchange the K61 for a K88 (Partially due to the fan noise and recommendations on this forum) and I do feel that the fan was less noticeable maybe because of the differences in construction such as extra weight, wood and density?
4. Once I moved the K88 into my studio room next to my PC the fan became inaudible as the computer produces a lot more noise that masks the noise from the fan.
5. I decided that I can live quite happily with this situation and enjoy the power of Kronos which is fantastic. No other workstation at present can touch it for flexibility, versatility and power!
6. In future I may consider a replacement fan as mentioned in other threads but it is not a high priority at present.
ADVICE - Buy the Kronos! If the keybed is suitable maybe try a K88? Consider a replacement fan if you want to risk warranty implications. Enjoy your Kronos!
I agree, the 88 is much quieter than the 61. I originally bought a K88, and after reading some of the posts regarding the fan noise, I was thinking, this thing is quiet as a mouse, not bad at all? (when I had my K88).
Then, I recently traded in my 88 for a 61 because of keybed issues. Now I have the 61x and using a Yam CP5 as my keybed.
And the first thing I noticed when I fired up the 61x was the fan noise. It is 'much' louder than the previous K-88 I had. Like DavyP mentions, likely due to the size and the materials used on the 88 vs the 61. I can hear it from another room in my house. I have not tried any studio recdording yet, but it is loud enough to concern me. I too can here it through my over-the-ear earphones when playing soft piano.
But, it is a great and very powerful workstation. I do plan on swapping out the fan....
My question for Korg: Do you know if the stock Kronos fan cools better than the quieter Noiseblocker fan?
Dan suggested that answering this question is tantamount to offering me support for a 3rd party fan. I’m not asking for support. Nor am I asking Korg to perform an internal modification if Korg doesn’t want to. I understand Korg's reluctance. I’m just asking for a straight answer. For example, even if Korg answered, “We don’t know,” at least that would be an actual answer. I would accept whatever answer they provide. Instead, Korg offers no answer—just reasons why Korg should not be expected to answer, along with a declaratory statement that the question has been answered.
I'm not trying to put Dan on the spot. He's earned my respect and I understand why he personally can't answer. I’m just disappointed that no one else from Korg has offered an answer (so far).
davidnaggar wrote:Thanks everyone for your comments.
Still no answer from Korg. My question for Korg: Do you know if the stock Kronos fan cools better than the quieter Noiseblocker fan?
Dan suggested that answering this question is tantamount to offering me support for a 3rd party fan. I’m not asking for support. Nor am I asking Korg to perform an internal modification if Korg doesn’t want to. I understand Korg's reluctance. I’m just asking for a straight answer. For example, even if Korg answered, “We don’t know,” at least that would be an actual answer. I would accept whatever answer they provide. Instead, Korg offers no answer—just reasons why Korg should not be expected to answer, along with a declaratory statement that the question has been answered.
I'm not trying to put Dan on the spot. He's earned my respect and I understand why he personally can't answer. I’m just disappointed that no one else from Korg has offered an answer (so far).
The fan is a tire that as been thoroughly kicked for 1 year.
With due respect, my choice isn't clear. An answer to my question would make how to proceed clear. I don't really care that much about the warranty. I would however like to have a sense of whether replacing the fan is likely to more quickly fry the machine. Does that make sense?
Thank you. I'm very familiar with that thread. My plan was to do exactly as Francois had done. My question was asked to get a general confirmation from someone at Korg (not support from Korg, nor any indication from Korg that they recommend swapping the fan) that the data contained in the fan fix topic is accurate -- that the Noiseblocker cools as well as the stock fan, more or less. Of course, I would have been happier to avoid the hassle and pay more for Korg to deliver me a Kronos with the quieter Noiseblocker fan, but that seems not to be in the cards.
Well, I've been considering buying a KRONOS X 73 key.
I must say, that I'm not so sure, with the whole fan issue. Makes me wonder about overall quality. Intent was to use it in home studio and live gigging situations. I LOVE my KORG Triton Rack. And was considering the M3, but would like to jump to the KRONOS for all the new features...
Guess I'll take the "Wait and see approach"..I am not the guy to tear open a 3000 dollar keyboard when it's new, to fix something that should not be an issue on such an instrument..
Not ruling it out, just gonna really read into it before buying
StillTommy G wrote:Well, I've been considering buying a KRONOS X 73 key.
I must say, that I'm not so sure, with the whole fan issue. Makes me wonder about overall quality. Intent was to use it in home studio and live gigging situations. I LOVE my KORG Triton Rack. And was considering the M3, but would like to jump to the KRONOS for all the new features...
Guess I'll take the "Wait and see approach"..I am not the guy to tear open a 3000 dollar keyboard when it's new, to fix something that should not be an issue on such an instrument..
Not ruling it out, just gonna really read into it before buying
As you can read on this forum, Korg Kronos has presented an underwhelming number of serious quality issues. I don't remember many previous models (since M1) with so many complaints.
However, Korg has done what they should from the beginning: fix everything.
IMHO now is a great time to buy a Kronos (not X) at a "bargain" price. The latest batches have not presented the issues, you can save good money and you can easily turn the Kronos into a X or why not, even a XXX with a bigger SSD
Current gear: Access Virus TI2 Whiteout Keyboard (111/150), Access Virus TI2 Polar DarkStar Special Edition, Gibson Custom Lite 2013, Roland MV-8800
StillTommy G wrote:Well, I've been considering buying a KRONOS X 73 key.
I must say, that I'm not so sure, with the whole fan issue. Makes me wonder about overall quality. Intent was to use it in home studio and live gigging situations. I LOVE my KORG Triton Rack. And was considering the M3, but would like to jump to the KRONOS for all the new features...
Guess I'll take the "Wait and see approach"..I am not the guy to tear open a 3000 dollar keyboard when it's new, to fix something that should not be an issue on such an instrument..
Not ruling it out, just gonna really read into it before buying
there are thousands of happy Kronos owners and its been over a year since Kronos 1st gen shipped in volume. For example, there are no quality issues on my 88.
What you should do is check out a few Kronos live . See if the fan bothers you, for example.
Access Virus TI2 Whiteout Keyboard (111/150), Access Virus TI2 Polar DarkStar Special Edition, Gibson Custom Lite 2013, Roland MV-8800 