Everything about the Nord Wave Synthesizer

Wave - recurrent pitch-mod problems?

Postby Spider » 18 May 2015, 10:31

I guys, while I was going through ads for a used Lead, I found what looks like a killer deal on a Nord Wave!

Now I'm really tempted to invest a few bucks more and make the jump... my only concern is realiability: I read a LOT of reports on faulty mod wheels and pitch sticks for the Wave, much more than Lead and Stage models.
It seems strange as they should use the same components, so why such a difference?
Were there some intrinsic design problems with the Wave?

I'd LOVE to get it, but when I buy used reliability is my main concern, as I don't know how the instrument has been treated, it's a discontinued product, warranty is not available and I'd gladly avoid the drama of shipping back/forth to the Italian tech assistance on the other side of the country...
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Wave - recurrent pitch-mod problems?


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Re: Wave - recurrent pitch-mod problems?

Postby pablomastodon » 18 May 2015, 17:07

Where on earth have you read "a LOT" of such reports? This is contrary to my 5+ years experience handling these things in Canada and the USA. Firstly, Nord mod wheel failure (it will be the pot when it fails) is extremely rare. I've only seen 3-4 cases of this across all Nord models in this period of time. Pitch sticks can and will fail over time, but the Wave has no increased incidence of this behavior over any other Nord model. I would guesstimate that frequency of pitch stick failure reports relates more to number of instruments on the street, and there are many more Stages and Leads than Waves,...

Electros are unaffected by these problems, of course...

Bless,

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Re: Wave - recurrent pitch-mod problems?

Postby Spider » 18 May 2015, 17:43

Thanks Pablo!
My guesstimate (love the word! ;) ) came from a quick look at this section of the forum - there are a few "pitch stick fail" and "mod wheel malfunction" topics, whereas in the Lead-Stage sections such accidents are almost never reported.

And considering, as you say, that there are WAY more Stages and Leads around than Waves, the opposite should be true.
So I just wondered if there was something different and possibly fault-prone in the Wave's pitch-wheel architecture.
If you tell me that's not the case, and there's nothing inherently wrong with the Wave, I more than trust your experience!

Of course, s**t happens and in years of use something will fail sooner or later, but one always hopes it will be somebody else's problem!
8-)
Thanks again!
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Re: Wave - recurrent pitch-mod problems?

Postby pablomastodon » 18 May 2015, 22:50

They are interchangeable parts in both cases. Mod wheel pots are mod wheel pots. Stages use pitch sticks with longer leads on them; synths use same pitch sticks with shorter leads. Parts otherwise the same.

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