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Re: NP4 knocking and slow response key bed

Postby SteveNordP3 » 21 Mar 2019, 00:14

Very sorry for your experience. I absolutely love the Nord Piano Library but the Fatar keybed is such a disappointment. I deal with it. I wish Nord made a rack mount version - I’d pair it with a Kawai VP1 controller - it has a stellar reputation for true concert grand feel. You may ind it works perfectly for your Ivory app. A friend of mine has Ivory and the sounds are pretty good. Overall that combo may work better for you. Certainly wish you luck.
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Re: NP4 knocking and slow response key bed


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Re: NP4 knocking and slow response key bed

Postby baekgaard » 21 Mar 2019, 09:26

Sorry to hear that you have had two keyboards with apparent problems!

If you're happy with the board and sounds otherwise, you could consider going into the shop (if possible -- or try another shop) and test out a 3rd keyboard; I think the chances of having an issue 3 times in a row is really small. And if there would be an issue with a specific batch that develops problems, then trying another shop might be a better option.

It's not easy -- in my view -- to find a replacement that delivers a similar type of package as the Nord does, if you're looking for a very portable and lightweight high-quality sound monolithic keyboard "all inclusive" with a large range of grand, upright and epiano sounds.
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Re: NP4 knocking and slow response key bed

Postby 23skidoo » 21 Mar 2019, 16:19

Mechanical hammer-action keyboards all suffer from defects, you seem to have been particularly unlucky but not outside the bellcurve for nearly any brand. I, too, suggest buying from another vendor who perhaps stores their gear in a cleaner warehouse or more carefully handles them.

As for the overall feel of the Fatar actions, I personally agree with @baekgaard and @cphollis, I like them just fine. I also believe that with a little practice you'll stop noticing the differences and just get on with playing. But some people can't get over the feel of a keyboard and have to keep looking for the perfect one for them. I wish you luck with that as every digital action is going to have some compromises associated with it. When I'm on stage the last thing I'm even noticing is the feel of the keys unless they're excessively sluggish or heavy, but everybody's experience is different. Regarding QC, I've said this before here, but if the Fatar action shows up at the Nord factory and works fine, then they've done the best they can. They don't control overall QC for Fatar - and keyboards go through a LOT in shipping and storage before they get to your hands. If another key has developed a problem in your hands, it's pretty clear that even if Nord gives them the best QC they can they still won't catch stuff that shows up later. And they don't control the manufacturing tolerances for Fatar - Nord makes no modifications in their construction process to the action of the keybeds they install from Fatar. And Nord is a VERY small consumer of Fatars total output. They can complain all they want but they're stuck with whatever Fatar decides to do for QC. Nobody else even comes close in quality and performance for third-party keybed suppliers. Wishing Nord to use another manufacturer or to somehow affect the overall QC of Fatar is p***ing into the wind, sadly.

It sounds like you're looking for two different solutions, though. You want an "as close to perfect as possible" home studio setup and you want a portable gigging board too. These won't (ever) be the same, if you're going to be ultra-picky about the home setup. Maybe take a step back and consider how essential it is for your touring/gigging rig to be 100% perfect, in a venue or setup where nobody (including you) will be able to hear the nuances over the venue ambience noise and sound system and where you'll be focused as much on your connection to the audience as your performance? If you get a non-faulty NP4, as @baekgaard said, you're getting about the perfect compromise for a gigging package that you're ever going to find if sound quality, portability, ease of use all matter to you as much as action does for the gig. Everybody else makes some pretty serious compromises in these key areas, and it's really a personal decision as to whether the difference in action is 'better'. They'll also have no better quality record than Fatar (you hear about problems with Fatar actions more than anybody else because Fatar makes orders of magnitude more keybeds than anybody else, so the total number of complaints will be higher, but the percentage of complaints are about the same, depending on which repair shop you talk to).

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Re: NP4 knocking and slow response key bed

Postby SteveNordP3 » 21 Mar 2019, 17:45

23skidoo - as one who p***** in to the wind on this, I have to agree with your ultimate assessment. It’s the best of the breed for sure. I’ll try to contain the whining - overall it’s still the best I’ve had. The sounds and portability for gigging are unsurpassed. Your assessment is very good.
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Re: NP4 knocking and slow response key bed

Postby cphollis » 01 May 2019, 02:43

Well, for what it's worth, I'm definitely going to give the new Nord Grand a whirl. Ticks all the boxes for me, let's see what it does in the real world.
I think I have gear issues ....
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Re: NP4 knocking and slow response key bed

Postby cliffjpiano » 03 May 2019, 19:14

What do you think the Nord Grand will cost? $4,000 (US)? About there I'm guessing. I might consider it too. I love the Nord piano library but can't stand the keybed. I hope the Nord Grand will be the answer.
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Re: NP4 knocking and slow response key bed

Postby rio197 » 17 May 2019, 22:31

jb1979 wrote:
cliffjpiano wrote:After reading problems from this forum regarding the key bed for the NP3, sad to say that Nord did not solve this problem for the NP4.... Anyone else with the NP4 notice knocking key bed problems and slow response keys (as if the felt is caught between two hammers)?

I bought a new Nord Piano 4 recently and while there is no knocking noise at all I find the action surprisingly slow and heavy (especially when playing close to the fulcrum point, as if these were short-throw keys). Moreover there seems to be some foam or another kind of shock absorber on the stopping rail, so you don't feel the keys hitting this rail like on acoustic piano and Rhodes.
The connection between action feeling and sound is quite loose (I mean, the opposite of tight), I have the feeling that I am playing with too much latency or overly hard velocity curve.

I had tried the NP3 before, and the action was very different, quite similar to the Nord Stage or Nord Piano 1 actually (I had the latter for some years), which means : fast, accurate. Perhaps slightly harder, but very slightly.

As the NP4 is new maybe I have to play it for a while before it becomes better ?

It is also possible mine has a problem, so I will check other NP4s in the shop this week.

All the best


What a great coincidence (EDIT: I didn't see your post was made in March), I was just in the store today to look at an NP4. I agree about the slow and heavy action. Although I could still see why certain people might like it.
I could also see classical pianists might not enjoy the action. That said, I *really* enjoyed the NP4 sound.
Last edited by rio197 on 17 May 2019, 22:32, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: NP4 knocking and slow response key bed

Postby rio197 » 17 May 2019, 22:57

cliffjpiano wrote:[...]

I'm doing some research now for a new stage piano with top notch keybed action in mind. I love the Yamaha CP4 wooden keybed, but dislike the thin piano sounds. So, I'm looking at the Korg Grandstage or Korg D1 which both have the critically acclaimed RH3 (real hammer) action with okay sounds. At home playing, I can patch it through Ivory Synthogy. I don't mean to derail this thread, but if anyone has any suggestions on a stage piano with most importantly good action and secondarily piano sounds, please let me know.

Thanks,
Cliff.


I had just tried the RD-2000, the action is very responsive. Among the things I tried, the intro to the Avengers theme as arranged by Patrick Pietschmann (Google it). On an unrelated note, this piano in my short list, as is the NP4. Choices, choices. :shock:
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