Nord User Forum

Hey guys, I noticed when watching the Nord manufacturing video, that the nord stage key beds are individually tested and a map of the velocity differences between each key uploaded to the unit so the velocity response is perfectly even across the keyboard.

My question is, if the key bed were to be replaced by a repairer, would this information be lost/incorrect, or is this profile stored somewhere on a chip in the key bed mechanism?

I know the video you're referring to and I think I know which bit of it you mean. However, I really wonder if this is the case. Technically it is possible of course, but I really doubt this is the case. I'd like to be proven wrong though.

There are no chips in the keybed. If this is done, then it'd probably be stored in a bit of flash memory, where the micro controller in the Stage can access it (just like the firmware).

Anyway, calibrating this would probably best be done by a machine, since only a machine can press a key with perfectly reproducible velocity and in a way that makes (business) sense. I can see multiple ways in which this could (technically) be implemented in something like the Stage.

Sorry MJ, but you are mistaken on this one. Nord has been doing this for years.

The calibration is done by a machine; the vid does at one point show the mechanical arm playing all notes at once. Individual Velocity responses are bar graphed onto the computer monitor. Nord has predetermined tolerance limits. If any single note's velocity response strays outside this zone, the entire keybed is rejected and replaced with another. If everything is within tolerance, plus or minus corrections are calculated for each individual note.

These data are then written onto a chip which is attached to the underside of the keybed, held in place by one of the screws which affix the contact PCBs to the underside of the keybed frame. During boot this lookup table of data is uploaded into the waking Nord's consciousness. Booting with that cable disconnected will generate KEY CAL ERR message. This will be located near the middle of the keybed and is approx. 2.5cm square. The chip and the keybed effectively become one part. Replacement keybeds come with chips attached. Because of the nature of this arrangement, if a chip is lost or damaged it would be a really bad idea to "borrow" one from another keybed..

The new procedure was first phased in on the Nord Stage Classic models. There are specific serial number cut-off points (SA11522 for NS-HA88 and SB10182 for NS-HA76; all Compacts are calibrated) after which this is true of ALL Stages ever produced. This also applies to all Electro 3s and subsequent.

Just another part of the Nord difference!

Bless,

Pablo

My first understanding was in line mj's, but thanks Pablo for the detailed explanation!!

This makes me wonder though how other manufacturers deal with it? Or how Fatar ships its keybeds?

The variations we're talking about here are quite small in the grand scheme of things, but Nord found them to be unacceptable and figured out a way to do something about it. AFAIK, others don't deal with it at all -- I strongly suspect that Nord is the only one.

I had no idea Nord did this. I'm quite awestruck.

Interesting! Makes me wonder how widely these settings can vary, and what kind of hardware is needed to adjust them. (Not going to try this myself, though.)

There is no hardware adjustment. Micro-variations in the hardware give rise to the micro-variations in velocity response from note to note. The adjustment is made by the Nord software based on the measurements made during production.

Quite remarkable that each individual instrument goes through this procedure one at a time.

pablomastodon wrote:Sorry MJ, but you are mistaken on this one. Nord has been doing this for years.

\o/

The Nord site mentions the following:

At Nord we also do something that nobody else does: during the assembly of each instrument in our Stockholm factory, every keybed is individually and specifically tuned for a consistent response and balance.

I've underlined it, just for emphasis.

When I buy a drill press, I want a solid and well designed product that will last me many years. I.e. I want a quality product.

When I buy an instrument I of course want it to be solid, well-built and reliable (just like that drill press), but I'm also looking for some additional qualities. The instrument needs to work with me (not against me), it needs to give me confidence (i.e. no wobbling knobs) and I need to be able to understand it; what I'm getting at is that it needs to disappear in a sense, it needs to become an extension of my hands.

I think lots of companies can provide solid, well-built and reliable products (for a price of course); call it quality if you will. Companies than can provide that bit extra, that thing that makes their products a joy to use and own, are much scarcer. I definitely think Clavia (Nord) is one of those companies.

I think the sentence I quoted doesn't really do them justice. You can see some of their attention to detail in some of the videos that go around the net (especially the ones from last year), but I really think it wouldn't hurt if this got some more explicit attention (i.e. a specific section on their site?).

It might be a Swedish (Scandinavian) thing to not boast too much, but I wouldn't mind seeing the word quality written with a big, fat Q on their site. This is all figuratively speaking of course.

But I digress. Let me just say I'm pleasantly surprised.

pablomastodon wrote:There is no hardware adjustment.

Sorry, I was being unclear. I was wondering whether it is possible to reprogram the chip to do our own velocity curve adjustments (for the entire keybed, then, instead of individual keys).