Noisy Keys

[SingerNick]

Keyboard noise is a great topic. Let's start here...

Why did we choose Nord? Because they offer the best range of acoustic and electro-mechanical instrument samples around. In a package that is more portable AND more durable than the competition. These things are made for the performer.

Pick any hero. Any legendary pianist from the 60's-80's who toured with a Rhodes/Wurlitzer/CP80. They chose these instruments because they offered ONE great sound with portability and reliability. These were the first alternatives to traveling with an acoustic piano, and wow did they open the door to great music and great players.

You know what has loud keys? A Rhodes. A Wurlitzer. A Yamaha CP80. A Steinway.

Yet we have all these sounds and feel the need to complain? Really?

I'm thankful for my Nord. I want to slam those keys and make incredible sounds. Want quiet? Buy a Casio.

[NinHaoMa]

Some weeks ago I was facing the question which keyboard to buy: A Nord Stage 2 88, a Kurzweil PC3K8 or a Korg Kronos X88.

The Kawai VPC-1 was also an option, but not available in China right now, and the import from Japan would be 700 Euro additional cost, so I canceled this option. Maybe this was a mistake, because I gave away my Kawai CA-15, because the number of available sounds and programming opportunities was too less, and also the internal speakers were good for keyboards but with the rhodes sounds they had problems. BUT the keybed of the CA-15 is very good and the same like in the VPC-1. The VPC-1 is very interesting. Though is has no internal sounds, the keybed is superb. Wooden hammes, swinging on a real base plate. You can lift the keys a little bit up, like you can do with a real piano. The noise of the keys is very low, like a real piano. If you play soft and pianissimo/piano, then you really hear only the sound of the tone, no disturbing noises of the keys can be heared.

Why I tell all this?

Today I was disturbed by the unnatural noise of the keybed of my Korg Kronos. I have it since Friday noon. Since three days. First everything was allright, I was playing a lot og the combinations, which have the drum tracks behind, and I had visitors, so there was always a noise around. But today when I am lonely, I was playing and I noticed this very strong noise of the keys... I hope I can live with this in the future, but I have to. Because I think the Kronos is a good Synth with great features.

Then, Now, I was surfing the net, about known issues with a loud keybed on Kronos and found that the Nord Stage 2 and the Nord keyboards all have this issue, too. Good to know, that I am not the only one.

The thing is, that although I used to play Keyboards in a band, I purchased this Keyboard for home use. I play very often alone at home, to relax and to calm down after work, and I play a low audio levels. SO I think the noise of the keybed is disturbing me, because I hear if always as a mix of the nice piano sound and the noisy key sound. It simply doesn't belong to the sound. Its not good at all.

So the VPC-1 and a software piano maybe would be the better idea. The future of sound is the software virtual instrument world, I think. And the best controller for piano sounds is the Kawai VPC-1.

Let me think about that...

[Florian]

Hey,
I opened my np88 and filled it with foam material and now it is quieter.
my keybed was so loud that my neighbour complained about the noise even if i played with headphones.

[Florian]

If you knock on the metal housing you can hear the resonance which is so annoying when you play the keys.

[Carabunga]

Hi Nord Peeps - The Keybed noise bugs me too when i'm practicing at home at low volume (so the neighbours don't complain) - Just wondering: Has anyone tried removing the top cover to see if it's possible to put a strip of Felt or foam at the back end of the keybed to dampen the sound of the key returning after being hit ? I've thought about doing this but i'm too chicken cheers - Carabunga

[Carabunga]

Hey,
I opened my np88 and filled it with foam material and now it is quieter.
my keybed was so loud that my neighbour complained about the noise even if i played with headphones.

Do you think i could do the same with my Nord electro 5HP ?
I posted something at the end of this thread about maybe trying this before seeing your post.
I'm a bit worried about taking the keyboard apart incase i damage something - so i was wondering if it's an easy job or not ?
cheers - Carabunga

[HyraxeC]

I recognise the complaint on the mechanical rumble and knocking sound the keys make. When playing on stage there is no problem at all, but in my room I get complaints from the room below as the noise is transferred by the wooden floor. Playing with headphones is ok, but softly playing on my monitors I experience this lack of quality feel as well.
As a root cause the lightweight design of the steel and aluminum hollow shell should be mentioned. Moreover there is no red felt strip on top of the keys as on most other epiano's. The knocking hammer action causes sound and vibrations but is needed for producing the weighted key feel of the HP. The waterfall NE2 I had before did not cause this problem. The heavyweight Yamaha P250 had a softer keyboard sound and had much better sound damping by its weight alone...
As a remedy for the noise in the room below I now use a heavy keyboard stand with big feet in my room and a thick woolen carpet to dampen the floor noise completely. On stage I still use my lightweight KwikLock.
For my own use I will accept the noise for the time being, but if Nord shows up with real improvements or someone has a good idea I would be very interested!

[Lady B]

I am grateful to have a keyboard that sounds really good and weighs 25 pounds. However, I don't like the key noise on my Electro 4 HP. It is really distracting even with headphones, and I would think that this could be diminished somewhat.

[Pianolin]

I don't find it to be so distracting. Other people seem to get more annoyed . If I play with speakers it's usually loud enough that I don't hear the clicking, or with Shure se215 noise isolating earphones where I definitely don't hear a thing.

[roobarb69]

I have a similar issue with the Nord Grand, it's got one of the best piano samples out there but the Kawai keybed is so noisy and I find it really distracting.

The only thing I can think is that the Kawai Mp7 and Mp11's include a wooden base under the keybed which absorbs more of the sound, unlike the thin metal of the Nords. My own conclusion is that Nord are primarily marketed for stage and gig use so the noise is largely irrelevant but in quite homes and studios it becomes more or an issue. The downside is I guess is that the Kawai keyboards are very heavy by comparison.

Most of the Nord YouTube clips are not recorded directly in the room so you never hear the noise as the output is sent direct to a mixer or interface.
I did however, think the Nord Grand would be different but I'm pretty disappointed with the 'key thump' and Im not getting used to it in fact I hear it more now!

If I put the keyboard on the carpet it sounds fine, but obviously this isn't too practical!

I wish the Kawai MP11SE or even the MP7SE had the Nord sounds then I it would be perfect, as I really do love the sound of the NORD pianos and the control.

PLEASE can Nord make a midi sound module.....not likely any day soon