Nord User Forum

[gakkeroni]

Hello, I am checking if anyone else is having this problem with an electro 5 hp. I find that when I repeat notes, the repeated notes do not always trigger, and when they do trigger the velocity of the triggered notes is inconsistent. It seems my keybed is either mechanically too slow, or possibly defective. Has anyone else had this issue and if so have they found a solution? This problem very much effects the playability of the instrument and is very frustrating.

thx, David

[FZiegler]

I'm not sure that I will interpret this in the right way. But there is an issue for most digital piano keybeds with fast repetition. Each note has two sensors - let's say an upper and a lower sensor. If you hit a key, the velocity is calculated through the time delay between passing the two sensors: the shorter the delay the more you should have accelerated the key which will be interpreted as a louder tone. That's how piano playing is controlled: The lower sensor then is the note-on sensor, too, while the upper sensor will control note-off while releasing the key. Which means that you have to nearly fully release the key before being able to activate the note a second time - it needs a note-off between two not-ons. This is different from an acoustic piano which has a double escapement that allows a new strike after releasing only halfway.

There are reports that some keybeds happen to signal full velocity from time to time if they aren't fully released between two tones on a single key. I often read that about Kawai keybeds in the past. Is it this what you mean by inconsistent velocity?

Two extra notes: 1. The problem doesn't exist for organ playing, because an organ only needs one sensor to play a note - there is no velocity measuring, and on the better keyboards you can set organ playing to consider the upper sensor for on and off. That's how it should be on an Electro, too. 2. To give a more realistic feeling, newer piano boards have three sensors, allowing for a new tone only after half releasing the key. As much as I know, it's only the Nord Piano line (with the Grand included) that has this feature - neither the Electros nor the Stages have that.

Does your problem fit with that explanation or is it different?

[alexmarinojR]

I'm not sure that I will interpret this in the right way. But there is an issue for most digital piano keybeds with fast repetition. Each note has two sensors - let's say an upper and a lower sensor. If you hit a key, the velocity is calculated through the time delay between passing the two sensors: the shorter the delay the more you should have accelerated the key which will be interpreted as a louder tone. That's how piano playing is controlled: The lower sensor then is the note-on sensor, too, while the upper sensor will control note-off while releasing the key. Which means that you have to nearly fully release the key before being able to activate the note a second time - it needs a note-off between two not-ons. This is different from an acoustic piano which has a double escapement that allows a new strike after releasing only halfway.

There are reports that some keybeds happen to signal full velocity from time to time if they aren't fully released between two tones on a single key. I often read that about Kawai keybeds in the past. Is it this what you mean by inconsistent velocity?

Two extra notes: 1. The problem doesn't exist for organ playing, because an organ only needs one sensor to play a note - there is no velocity measuring, and on the better keyboards you can set organ playing to consider the upper sensor for on and off. That's how it should be on an Electro, too. 2. To give a more realistic feeling, newer piano boards have three sensors, allowing for a new tone only after half releasing the key. As much as I know, it's only the Nord Piano line (with the Grand included) that has this feature - neither the Electros nor the Stages have that.

Does your problem fit with that explanation or is it different?

Hi, I'm going to join in and answer on behalf of the guy posting it. I've been having the same problem for a long time and I thought I had a defective unit, but he's like the 5th guy I hear from who has a similar problem.

To answer your question - No, I don't think the explanation fits the problem.

I'm going to start from the top. Let's say you want to play repeated notes, and that is not even very fast, let's like the come together solo or something, pretty basic, right? So you strike staccato notes and most of them either don't register at all, or are with weakened volume. For me the problem extends though. If I play the note very staccato and fast like a brass stab or something I very often hear repeated notes - meaning that the keybed goes back to default placement, and bounces back in so much that it activates a stutter second note. I can literally see it . The only way to address that so far is to play with a different technique, but it's very hard especially playing percussion type of stuff like Clavinets, stabs, staccatos and so on.

I think the problem should be addressed in the general nord forum since maybe people with HP stage version also have it. The only maybe is to go to a professional keybed techician and maybe he can do something, but since it's my main board I don't have the option to take it to the doctor. Thanks!

[Tasten-Bert]

Same question again. Not helpful.

[JayDee]

True, but the OP was Gak posting about his Electro problem in the Electro forum. Just so happens, he perhaps has the same problem as Alex, who was posting in the Nord General forum, perhaps unbeknown to one another. Either way, wish I could help, but my Electro doesn't have the HP action that i assume both are referring to.