Nord User Forum

My previous gigging keyboard was a Casio that I hauled to gigs on a bicycle trailer.

I want to use the Nord Piano 4 on gigs, but I'm hesitant to put it on the trailer. Any recommendations for or against transporting it in this manner?

The Casio was inexpensive, so I didn't much care if it got damaged during transport (it never did). The heftier price tag of the Nord gives me pause, even though there's no reason for me to suspect it will fare worse than the Casio.

Thanks for any input.

Yes! Livin' the bike trailer life...much respect! I've hauled a lot of stuff around in bike trailer (no music gear yet though) and as I'm sure you have experienced, the cargo can definitely get jostled and bumped around a bit. It seems to me that the best way to do this would be to set up a trailer to carry one of those ATA cases. They have a structure that supports itself and plenty of cushioning foam. The downside is the weight of course. With the 88 keys that you'll be pulling I think you'll find that the tow arm of the trailer will limit the placement of the keyboard such that more of it will hang out the back. This is not good because it reduces the weight on the hitch where it connects to the bike. It is possible that the tow arm will exert a lifting force on the bike...this is not safe. Research tow arm weight...you'll find a lot of stuff on cars and how it affects stability. Same ideas apply to bikes. One way around this is to use a trailer that is made with long loads in mind. I think there are some that carry surfboards and stuff like that that might work. Happy trails!

I do have a long trailer that easily accommodates the length of the piano. It handles loads up to 300 lbs. My concern is primarily centered around the possibility of the excessive vibration affecting the piano’s action.

I know a pianist who brings his piano on flights in a hard case, and he seems to replace his keyboard frequently because of abusive handling by airport staff, causing damage to the action mechanism.

What kind of force or duration of forces would significantly affect the mechanical action? I’ve owned many keyboards, and they’ve all endured bumps and drops. I just want to help prolong the life of my newest keyboard, which I hope will be my last.

If you use the Nord soft case (or better), I wouldn't see much reason to be concerned. Yes, it will be a bumpy ride for the NP4, but it should take it nicely in stride. Compared to your Casio, Nords are built like battle tanks.

I think of my Nords as near-indestructible, even in the face of direct assault (spilled beer, stand knocked over, etc.) I've dropped them hard enough to bend the case metal and break multiple keys and they're still fine.

Glad to hear you have a trailer that is already long enough! I can't really answer your question about how much and how long of a force it takes to mess things up. I'm mostly coming from the place of having secured loads on trailers a lot. I think the foam on an ATA case is thicker than with the soft bags which will give you a little more cushioning. If the full length of the bag is fully supported by a fairly rigid bed in the trailer that will help. The other thing I like about the hard case is that you could strap it to the bed more securely. With a soft bag I'd be concerned about the straps or bungees pushing on the buttons or keys through the foam. Of course a lot of people haul stuff without tying it down...guess I'm a little more fussy than some in that way.

I used to carry some expensive and delicate stuff (not musical gear but still electronics) on a bicycle trailer for 3-4 years when I couldn't afford a car, and if the roads you are riding aren't particularly bumpy themselves, I don't see reasons for why it should be bumpier than a car. Granted cars have shocks, but they also travel at much faster speeds, and a small dent on the street concrete can result in much stronger bumps and vibration transferred to whatever sits inside.

I have never damaged anything this way, but again that depends on the kind of roads you'll be riding. Will you carry the instrument always from and to the same place(s)? If so, check the street's surface in advance, and if no major hole/crack/stones and the like are on the track, then I'd say you need not worry at all...

I agree that the Nord chassis are quite robust, but I've found the knobs quite vulnerable to direct impacts. I'd recommend a hardcase, I like my Gator TSA cases - light and sturdy. I guess it's kind of intuitively obvious, but just in case (get it?) it's not, knobs up!

Many thanks for all the suggestions. It has helped to put my mind at ease. Tonight will be the maiden voyage. While I only have a soft case, I plan to buffer the top of the keyboard with extra towels as a little extra protection from the tie downs. Other than that, I'll focus on deliberately slow riding. Should be fun.