Nord User Forum

I love my keybaord and have started using it again recently after a break of a few years to learn the piano properly.

I've just refound an old issue I had forgotten about. The 3rd E above middle c is twice as loud as any other key black or white.

It only affects the sound when in piano mode, not in organ, but that sort of makes sense as organ is either on or off.

Has anyone found a similar issue - or can suggest how to fix... It must be hardware related as its the same physical key even when I shift the octaves etc.



Sadness is me.

Hi and welcome to the forum.
The likeliest cause is dirt or debris in your keybed switch contacts.
post141677.html?hilit=dirty%20key#p141677
Each key has two sensor switches that close sequentially as you press the key. The Nord detects key velocity by measuring the time between the switches closing. The switches are constructed from rubber membrane domes containing a puck of carbon (see below).

Normally, when the key gets pressed, the rubber deforms, the puck contacts the carbon pads on the circuit board and this closes the switch. These rubber domes have a vent to the outside world to allow air to escape when the key is pressed. When the key is released, the dome re-inflates and sucks air back into the dome. Unfortunately, it sometimes sucks dust or debris into the key switch contact area. When this happens the one or both of the switch contacts cannot close and the Nord measures incorrect velocity.
For example, if the "first" switch gets blocked, and the second switch closes, the Nord interprets this as maximum velocity (it assumes zero time between the two contacts closing). This causes a loud key for velocity-sensitive instruments (e.g., piano).

If you feel up to it, there are guides on how to disassemble the keybed to clean this on the forum.
Some people report success blowing compressed air along the sides of the malfunctioning key. I think this requires a bit of luck - to blow the debris out and not blow more debris into the neighbouring keys.

If you want to attempt the (disassembly) repair yourself search the forum for guides. If you can't find what you're looking for, post a reply and usually someone will help locate relevant threads.

Also, if you don't have one already, I recommend a dust cover for your keyboard to help avoid future recurrence of this problem.

Hi pterm.

Wow - thank you for that amazing in depth response! Right

I'll certainly try that in the first instance - looks fairly straight-forward, the images are very much appreciated too!!

Funny that such a great piece of technology can be thwarted by a tiny piece of dirt, guess the same goes for any technology (wasn't there a fly in the space shuttle once that caused a mission to abort or something, reminds me of that!)

Perfect - sorted - thank you so much!!!!!

I have a much better understanding of the guts of the machine too now!

Here's another question...when I disconnected the two little orange cables that look like serial cables...there is also a third one which has a tiny PCB of it's own...but it's not connected to anything other than a screw holding it in place...what on earth is that for???

johnbanshee wrote:Here's another question...when I disconnected the two little orange cables that look like serial cables...there is also a third one which has a tiny PCB of it's own...but it's not connected to anything other than a screw holding it in place...what on earth is that for???

Well done you to get it fixed so quickly! Thanks for the update. It helps me and others know the value of the advice given.
I recall that that small board contains an EEPROM memory to store calibration data for the keybed.