IK MUltimedia UNO Synth

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UNO Synth

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BONES wrote: Wed Oct 20, 2021 11:37 pm
dellboy wrote: Wed Oct 20, 2021 8:31 amSo its not a design fault, but IK know that the synth will be practically unusable without the special cable or noise isolator.
It's hardly a "special cable", every microphone needs one and, as I said, you can buy 'em from the supermarket or a petrol station, which is about the least "special" thing I can think of. It took me all of two minutes to sort it out with my Uno (because who doesn't have a spare mini stereo cable and headphones adapter lying around?). Since then I have made a more formal arrangement - mini-TRS at one end into a proper XLR at the other but the mini stereo cable worked fine.

Or, and this is by far the easiest fix, put some batteries in it and don't rely on USB. If you've used hardware for any length of time, you get used to having to fix these kinds of problems. They happen all the time.
A "supermarket" stereo mini cable might magically work for your Uno but I can assure you it did nothing for mine. I have tons of those cables kicking around and tried various ones, but the very loud buzz persisted until I connected the USB isolator which totally silenced it. This device was £5 from ebay and works very well, and I would recommend this to anyone who has a Uno.

As to why people suggest using midi cables, wall wart chargers, or even running it on batteries is a mystery to me. I bought the thing to run it on USB, it says it does that on the tin, and thats how I want it to work. What is wrong with expecting something to work the way the maufacturer says it does ?

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It's pretty simple in my eyes: Companies can't expect users to fix such problems themselves, so, everyone buying the UNO will run into those noise issues, and most will ultimately not see a way of fixing it, or don't have the knowledge, or means to fix it, which will result in quite a few returned units. Or people just accept that it's part of the product.

I would consider and calculate if that is worth it for me. In IK's place, I would do everything I can to fix such issues. If it makes the product 10 or 20 € more expensive, but saves me from a lot of returned units, is up to consideration. For me, the case would be pretty clear. I don't think that anyone really likes unnecessary noise in the signal.

I just can talk for myself, but, I had my eye on the original UNO a few times. Read about software issues, and also that the volume knob messes up, and also about the noise issues, and decided that that just isn't worth it for me.

And, for the point about powering it with batteries: 2 hours isn't really much... if it would be running 10 hours, then that would be interesting, but, not for a mere 2 hours or less. And, no, I can't be arsed to power out my power bank the whole time either. Especially with the USB port being blocked then, and having to find another way (which introduces more cables) to transmit MIDI then.

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Seems to be a common theme with IK Multimedia: great products ruined by negligent implementation details.

Seems those negligent details mostly have to do with powering the devices, for some reason.

I recently ordered a pair of IK MTM monitors and cancelled my order after reading on various forums (including this one) about continuous power issues -- coil noises, humming -- with those. Got a pair of Genelecs instead. A brand that does great products and built a reputation of reliability. IKM seems interested only in the first.
I'm also not ordering an UNO Synth Pro because of this issue, even if I think it looks to be a great synth.

I have a Yamaha AG06 mixer/audio interface at home, USB powered, which doesn't exhibit any noise. It's connected to my Genelec monitors and my MODX goes into it. Cables in and out from various sources, no noise.

Speaking of Yamaha, why the hell are they able to put a proper, solid USB-B connector and a real power connector on their low-cost, compact, battery powered synths (the Reface series) and IK can't?

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To be fair to IK, and not to be churlish, they have more than offset the noise problems the unit has by including it in the group buy. I now have a huge assortment of IK software for free, just for buying a hardware synth, no other money paid,so I am a very happy customer. The software which currently comes with it includes everything 199 (euro dollars Gb etc) down,which in practise is worth more than 199 because the Uno acts as a crossgrade purchase,and means I have some software worth 299. And you can buy the Uno from the cheapest IK authorized dealer you can find and IK will honor it.

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USB noise transmission is highly variable in my experience and it is not at all confined to IK devices. Before I found the audio isolator solution I was brought there by others who had similar problems with audio interfaces and other audio gear.

It is entirely possible that not everyone would experience the USB noise issues that I have encountered. Some people can plug the same device into a different computer with the same cables and have the problem appear or disappear.

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That is 100% correct - it can happen to anyone at any time and even doing 20 rehearsals before a gig won't protect you if the way you have to set up on stage is even slightly different to the way you set up for rehearsal. I can have everything completely silent at home and when I go and set up for rehearsal, it can take me 15 minutes to chase down all the noisy things and shut them up.
dellboy wrote: Thu Oct 21, 2021 9:12 amWhat is wrong with expecting something to work the way the maufacturer says it does ?
Nothing at all and Uno Synth does this. As I said, I didn't have any problems until I re-jigged my set-up. It worked fine for 6 months and then it didn't because I changed something, not because of anything IK did or didn't do. My bandmate also had the same problem with his Moog Subsequent 37 but the isolator he bought for that cost a LOT more than $5 (around US$75, I think). And, as I said yesterday, my Analog Keys also puts out masses of mains hum if I don't use balanced cables. It's a very common problem when you use analogue hardware.
chk071 wrote: Thu Oct 21, 2021 9:38 amIt's pretty simple in my eyes: Companies can't expect users to fix such problems themselves, so, everyone buying the UNO will run into those noise issues.
They may or they may not, just as with any hardware instrument. It's one of the biggest advantages of working ITB and something I have always mentioned in those kinds of threads. It's why I love using a laptop on stage, because I can run it on battery power, and why I run anything that comes with batteries on batteries when we perform. Fresh sets of batteries at soundcheck is a normal part of our routine.
I just can talk for myself, but, I had my eye on the original UNO a few times. Read about software issues, and also that the volume knob messes up, and also about the noise issues, and decided that that just isn't worth it for me.
I've never had any of those other issues and I take my Uno with me whenever I go away for a weekend or a holiday so it doesn't get treated gently (although I do have a Decksaver for it). Solving the noise problem was cheaper and easier for Uno than it was for Subsequent 37 or Analog Keys, both of which cost 10 times more to purchase. This NOT an IK problem, it's a hardware problem.
digitallysane wrote: Thu Oct 21, 2021 10:32 amI'm also not ordering an UNO Synth Pro because of this issue, even if I think it looks to be a great synth.
Right, because buying a pair of balanced cables is such a massive headache. Seriously, you'd have to be an idiot to let such a common problem put you off.
I have a Yamaha AG06 mixer/audio interface at home, USB powered, which doesn't exhibit any noise.
Of course it doesn't, it's all digital, there is nothing to interfere with.
It's connected to my Genelec monitors and my MODX goes into it. Cables in and out from various sources, no noise.
Obviously you don't use the effects built into your AG06 because they can be noisy as hell.
Speaking of Yamaha, why the hell are they able to put a proper, solid USB-B connector and a real power connector on their low-cost, compact, battery powered synths (the Reface series) and IK can't?
I don't know but I'm bloody glad of it. I'd much rather the microUSB, thanks. I get a much broader choice of cables, which keeps my set-up looking much neater and tidier.
NOVAkILL : Asus RoG Flow Z13, Core i9, 16GB RAM, Win11 | EVO 16 | Studio One | bx_oberhausen, GR-8, JP6K, Union, Hexeract, Olga, TRK-01, SEM, BA-1, Thorn, Prestige, Spire, Legend-HZ, ANA-2, VG Iron 2 | Uno Pro, Rocket.

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Ive had zero issues with IK hardware…have the drum, synth, synth pro keys, ilouds, pad controller, midi keyboard, irig hd….everything works and has worked as expected. Love their software, its effectily replaced most of my NI software.

Usb noise? Had it on nearly every item that requires power while providing audio through it, easy fixed…balanced cables help with noise? since the dawn of time.

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BONES wrote: Fri Oct 22, 2021 12:09 amRight, because buying a pair of balanced cables is such a massive headache. Seriously, you'd have to be an idiot to let such a common problem put you off.
This argument might make sense to an imbecile.

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Is this really solved by using balanced cables? I'm somewhat doubtful...

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digitallysane wrote: Fri Oct 22, 2021 9:41 am
BONES wrote: Fri Oct 22, 2021 12:09 amRight, because buying a pair of balanced cables is such a massive headache. Seriously, you'd have to be an idiot to let such a common problem put you off.
This argument might make sense to an imbecile.
Obviously, if that were true, you'd understand by now but it looks like someone needs to take you through it step by step. OK, here goes -

1. Every studio around the world uses balanced cables for everything they can, to minimise noise.

2. Every microphone uses a balanced cable and every modern hardware instrument supports the use of balanced cables.

3. Even a semi-professional musician or producer understands the benefits of using balanced cables.

4. Balanced cables are cheap(ish) and readily available because everyone uses them all the time. I got some of mine from a music shop and some from eBay. It's easy.

5. IK Multimedia is probably used to working with professionals, so they probably assumed that their customers would understand the benefits of using balanced cables, which is why their instruments support their use.

5. None of my other hardware synths came with balanced cables. In fact, these days they mostly don't come with any audio cables at all, so why should IK do anything different?

6. If you use a balanced cable on a Uno Synth, the noise goes away, just as it does on the other analogue synths we use - Analog Keys, Subsequent 37.

So, given all that, can you explain why you wouldn't just buy a balanced cable and be done with it? Or why this is IK's problem, but not Moog's or Elektron's or probably every other manufacturer of analogue hardware? Why are we picking on IK? Is it because their stuff is cheap enough to attract rank amateurs who need to be spoon-fed? Seems the likely explanation to me so take it as an opportunity to join the ranks of professionals who understand this stuff.
NOVAkILL : Asus RoG Flow Z13, Core i9, 16GB RAM, Win11 | EVO 16 | Studio One | bx_oberhausen, GR-8, JP6K, Union, Hexeract, Olga, TRK-01, SEM, BA-1, Thorn, Prestige, Spire, Legend-HZ, ANA-2, VG Iron 2 | Uno Pro, Rocket.

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I'm not here to engage the officially tolerated psychopath of this forum, so go back to your sad hole and bark there about balanced cables as much as you want.

Every product from IK that I'm (was) interested in has issues related to power, and that includes their praised MTM monitors.
IKM comes across to a potential buyer like me as a company with great ideas but flaky/immature manufacturing and seemingly willing to skimp on implementation details.
To some people, it matters.
@Peter - IK Multimedia , give your fanboi dog a bone and calm him down before he turns this thread into the typical pile of dirt in which he revels to sit.

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I'll take psychopath. (You should look up what it means, as opposed to what you think it means.)

Thing is, I don't give a shit about your experience with IK speakers. And it's not the whole "psychopath" thing, it's that it is simply not relevant. They are obscenely overpriced in the first place, so you'd quite rightly have very high expectations. I sure as hell wouldn't expect speakers from a company like IK to be worth what they are asking for them.

OTOH, Uno Synth is just about the cheapest way to a proper analogue synth there is, so expectations should be very, very different. Therefore, if you haven't got anything to contribute about Uno, then you have nothing of value to contribute at all. I'd also point out that I'm pretty sure the Unos are made by Sound Machines for IK, or at least all the design comes from them, so any references to other IK products is probably even less relevant.
NOVAkILL : Asus RoG Flow Z13, Core i9, 16GB RAM, Win11 | EVO 16 | Studio One | bx_oberhausen, GR-8, JP6K, Union, Hexeract, Olga, TRK-01, SEM, BA-1, Thorn, Prestige, Spire, Legend-HZ, ANA-2, VG Iron 2 | Uno Pro, Rocket.

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@BONES, like all psychopaths, you're not stupid.
But you're dumb.

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The guys that made Syntronik are actually super capable smart dudes. Idk why so many of IK's virtual instruments are so bad, they obviously have at least some talent employed there.

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