Topic: Korg MR-1000

[e.heman]

So I'm out at my first real show last night with the MR-1000 and get an error message about 5 minutes into the first song. "Disk too busy". I restart recording at the beginning of the second song and no problem for the rest of the 2 hour set. It could have been vibrations as I was taping side stage mixing a stage pair and soundboard. I'm hoping it was some fluke which will never happen again but I am very concerned that it happened at all. I never got the HDD Slow message on my R4 taping in this same spot or anywhere else for that matter.

Try again tonight.

Dang, my first issue with the mr-1000. I too got 'Disk too busy'. I restarted the recording and seemed to run ok.
After a song or two I placed a folded up jacket underneath the unit assuming vibrations was the cause.

Listening back, I've got skipping until I placed the jacket underneath. Mostly ok the rest of the show until
near the end when I got more skipping in the recording...

The unit was positioned on stage fairly close to the drummer and a stage monitor, although we
are not that loud a band at all and I've done multi-tracking in a similar position with no such HDD issues...

So I believe the mr-1000 HDD is overly sensitive to vibrations. Dang-nabbit!

So we need better shock absorbing for the HDD... Jerry, are you listening? Someone else reported this
issue as well.

Anyone else have this issue with a solution? Seems like a shock absorbing case is going to be needed here
and/or better gromits inside.

Thanks,
Mandoman

I had the same issue. I went back to the shop we put on the new fimware 1.5.0 and formatted afterwards the HDD. I have been testing now 2 times for 7 hours (radio over line in) Found no problems until now.

[guysonic]

Wonder if the MR-1 has similar over sensitivity to vibration issues.  If not, then wonder what's right about the MR-1, and not so right about the MR-1000?

[carlbeck]

I think anything with a HDD will have this problem. My thoughts are to keep the deck in a suspension bag & away from stage monitors. 

[carlbeck]

I honestly feel the 722 does an exceptional job as a hard drive recorder but that is not the norm. Most any drive should be isolated to prevent errors IMO. I just bought a MR-1000 but honestly I wouldn't be super surprised if I get a disc error. I had them in the past & they suck. The only way to fix it was to switch to CF cards. Unfortunately witg the file size of DSD that is out of the question at the moment. Hopefully Korg will take a page out of sound devices page & address the short comings of this box.

[TNJazz]

I wonder if maybe the 1.8" HDDs are more susceptible to vibration problems?

Doesn't Sound Devices use standard 2.5" HDDs?

[carlbeck]

Maybe but my i-pod seems to do a great job against shock.

[carlbeck]

Exactly! Reading vs writing.

[guysonic]

I think anything with a HDD will have this problem. My thoughts are to keep the deck in a suspension bag & away from stage monitors. 

Sure there's a liability for HD being susceptible at least while writing, but seems the MR-1000 is showing to be way too susceptible. 

I'd guess either there is a hard drive being used inside that is not the best for this application, and/or the drive is mounted in the center of a flexible board with too little support (the trampoline effect) that amplifies vibrations of all kinds. 

If the board IS found to be not suspended, suspect there's a support connection to the outer case cover, and it's this cover not having stiffeners molded in that's way too flexible acting like a sounding board that again amplifies vibrations. 

In short, there's maybe the wrong HD make of HD inside, AND likely poor mechanical support for the board and/or the outer case. 

Putting a jacket under the deck IS NOT normally needed for hard drive decks having good HD and adequate mechanical design.

Making up excuses for Korg is not going to help sort out this shortcoming with a fix in future models..

[carlbeck]

Nope, I am not making up excuses for Korg. I think this needs to be addressed & I will be disapointed if Jerry does not chime in on this one. With all that being said, it is the nature of the beast with hard drives in that environment. I of course want the Korg to be bulletproof, especially since I own one but I have a wait & see attitude. Trust me as soon as I have one failure I am going to be bullshit & probably sell the thing but right now I am trying to be reasonable 

[Nick's Picks]

Carl...remember the time spent w/the R4, in all the various environments....not one drive error at any resolution.
the PCMCIA HDDs used in the FR2 don't count.  they are total POS's.  My MR1 seems to be holding up fine..and i've run that right at the foot of the PA at the church at least twice that I can think of. 

I bet your deck will be fine in the settings we normally find ourselves in.  Plus...the suspended gear bag will help.

[TNJazz]

I'm about to pick one of these up and found them at a VERY nice price.  Anyone here on the fence who might be looking for one?

PM me if so.

[flintstone]

At the recent NAB show, staff at the Korg booth said
the MR-1000 is selling for less than $1000, even close
to $900, from Korg's retailers.  I haven't found any
that low, but don't accept the advertised price of
$1200 as the final word.  Ask for a discount!

Flintstone

[carlbeck]

So glad to hear I paid full retail for mine 

[Colin Liston]

At the recent NAB show, staff at the Korg booth said
the MR-1000 is selling for less than $1000, even close
to $900, from Korg's retailers.  I haven't found any
that low, but don't accept the advertised price of
$1200 as the final word.  Ask for a discount!

Flintstone

Could this possibly mean a new model is coming out soon?  Maybe one with a hold button?

[Nick's Picks]

i know what you mean.  my mr1 has depreciated well over 100 due to price drops.