General Discussion of the Nord Stage (EX), Nord Stage 2 (EX), Nord Stage 3, and Nord Stage 4 Synths, FAQ, Troubleshooting etc.

Power supply is starting to fail

Postby jdrew619 » 06 Dec 2018, 22:20

Hi everyone,

One of the things that I have always hated about my Nord Stage is how flimsy the power cable is when plugged into the Nord Stage. It has a very loose fit where it plugs into the keyboard and it has disconnected on me during gigs.

Now it has started to randomly power off and the connection is less and less reliable. I have a gig coming up and I am afraid that my Nord Stage is now too unreliable.

I think I need to replace the power pack inside the Nord Stage. Does anyone have any experience with this? Is it possible to change to a standard power cable like on a computer?
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Power supply is starting to fail


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Re: Power supply is starting to fail

Postby pterm » 06 Dec 2018, 22:51

It's difficult to know if the problem is with the power supply or just the cable.
First I recommend getting a replacement cable. I couldn't find a clear picture of the rear connector on the Stage EX, but my guess is it's a standard connector. Look at Digi-Key or Mouser websites or Nord part supplier Syntaur for replacements.

If it continues to malfunction with a new cable, then look at replacing or repairing the supply.
If you're in the U.S. or Canada contact Pablomastodon for official Nord support.

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Re: Power supply is starting to fail

Postby pterm » 06 Dec 2018, 23:14

I looked at the schematics for the NE2. It uses a "C8" power connector:
https://www.schurter.com/datasheet/2573#
Image
Presumably the Stage EX uses same. This could help you find a replacement.

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Re: Power supply is starting to fail

Postby jdrew619 » 06 Dec 2018, 23:31

Thank you so much for the responses! I tested the cable with a cable tester and it was fine so I'm assuming the issue is on the keyboard itself. Hopefully I can get it fixed without too much hassle. It's kind of freaking me out.
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Re: Power supply is starting to fail

Postby 23skidoo » 06 Dec 2018, 23:45

Usually if wiggling the cable or the assembly is what's clearly linked to your power faulting, then it's going to be the socket or the cable, as @pterm said. Power supplies rarely fail in the way you've described (but of course it's possible - a bad capacitor or something). They'll flicker, sure, but most often they just die. Either way, that won't usually be related to wiggling the cable around, so again, if you can *cause* it to happen reliably by wiggling the cable, then that's a giveaway where the problem is.

Most often the cable itself measures "fine" but the connection is still iffy due to wear and tear on those metal fittings at the end. Try another cable first, to see if it's that. If so, easily solved. You can almost always find these sorts of cables on other pieces of equipment in a studio (many power bricks that have a separate cable to the wall use them, for instance). If you happen to have another one laying around in your studio that fits the connector, try it.

If not, start looking at the instrument-side socket itself as the next step for troubleshooting.

Easiest thing to do is to crack open the top case and look at the wiring from that socket to the power supply itself. Could be as simple as the solder joints failing with many years of service. Could also be corrosion on the pins - clean them well with deoxit. Last but not least, the entire connector might need replacing if it's really shot (the friction strips that cause it to 'grip' the incoming cable (or the cable side) may not make good contact.

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Re: Power supply is starting to fail

Postby jdrew619 » 07 Dec 2018, 00:03

23skidoo wrote:Usually if wiggling the cable or the assembly is what's clearly linked to your power faulting, then it's going to be the socket or the cable, as @pterm said. Power supplies rarely fail in the way you've described (but of course it's possible - a bad capacitor or something). They'll flicker, sure, but most often they just die. Either way, that won't usually be related to wiggling the cable around, so again, if you can *cause* it to happen reliably by wiggling the cable, then that's a giveaway where the problem is.

Most often the cable itself measures "fine" but the connection is still iffy due to wear and tear on those metal fittings at the end. Try another cable first, to see if it's that. If so, easily solved. You can almost always find these sorts of cables on other pieces of equipment in a studio (many power bricks that have a separate cable to the wall use them, for instance). If you happen to have another one laying around in your studio that fits the connector, try it.

If not, start looking at the instrument-side socket itself as the next step for troubleshooting.

Easiest thing to do is to crack open the top case and look at the wiring from that socket to the power supply itself. Could be as simple as the solder joints failing with many years of service. Could also be corrosion on the pins - clean them well with deoxit. Last but not least, the entire connector might need replacing if it's really shot (the friction strips that cause it to 'grip' the incoming cable (or the cable side) may not make good contact.


Wiggling the cable does cause my issue. So it is most likely the cable? THanks!
Last edited by jdrew619 on 07 Dec 2018, 00:04, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Power supply is starting to fail

Postby jdrew619 » 07 Dec 2018, 00:04

.
Last edited by jdrew619 on 07 Dec 2018, 00:04, edited 1 time in total.
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