NS3 HA88 vs NS3C keybed reliability

[Mrniceguy76]

I am just wondering which one of these 2 keybeds are the more reliable on the long run. Both actions are okay for me but I just wanna go for reliability when investing such money. On this forum i can read more keybed problems related to the HA88 version. Can anyone confirm it?

[Hlaalu]

I think the majority of posts dealing with keybed issues (of various sorts) concern rather the 76HP version. This isn't to say that the HP is "bad", but that surely it is an opinion divider slightly more than the 73waterfall or the 88HA are. I can't recall much posts regarding issues with either the HA or the waterfall actually...

I also think it's worth distinguishing between reliability over time on one hand and functionality on the other. Perhaps what you were referring to when you mentioned the HA is the much talked loud key issue. This is (or was, since it's been solved recently with the 2.60 OS) a functional issue, but not a reliability issue, since it didn't get worse over time or anything.

[maxpiano]

I don't think the choice between a SW (semiweighted waterfall) and HA (Hammer Action) keybed should be based on "durability", they are radically different and so the instrument that mounts either of the two so choice should be made on other parameters (i.e. if you need a piano-like action or not); having said that, as a former owner for some years of both a NS2 Compact (Sw73) and HA88, I have had no issues with either of the two, they both played the same from the first to the last day I owned them.

Of course, in general, Hammer Action keybeds are more complex from a mechanical standpoint so, mainly if played quite heavily (or we may say " not with a proper piano technique"), they may tend to develop small gaps or become noisier in the medium/long term.

[Will_Gould]

The hammer action increasingly gets ‘clacking’ keys around the middle area in my experience... so yes, does have a bit of a durability issue

[LeftyBass68]

Both play great.One of each here.Dust got under a Compact low C key sensor.Cleaned it.One issue in ten years of pounding away.Had a middle C stay down and not return on a Stage 2 ten years ago with a 'rental'.Store refunded the fee.
Kept playing the EX until the 3 came out,and got a 2EX! After the 3 was around for a year,got one of each.They play great.Still have the 2EX,midi menu is actually preferred to the 3 here.

[mr funky]

biggest problem i have had and one which ALL stage 2s will have in the future is the LCD.
once you get a dodgy pot through even slight ware where its a bit skittish, it show up on the lcd as movement like when you trim any of the pots its measure shows up on the lcd as soon as you touch it, so if you get a pot that fickers between even the smallest amounts this will than take over the function of the lcd and you will not be able to see your sound changes/ patches though it will change the patches you just cant see it on the lcd because it flickering constantly in my case the reverb pot amount, , now this can happen with any of the pots. so to my question is there any way of turning the pot amounts off on the lcd to only show the programs ? i know what im turning on the pots i dont need to see it on a lcd. end result was change the pot.

[ericL]

I think they will weather the storm similarly. I have my NS2 HA88 which I've had for over 10 years and it was the first one in the US (review unit). I gigged very heavily with it for about 7-8 years and never once had a problem with the action. I also have multiple compact versions of NS3 that I've been gigging frequently with and they are all holding strong.

My original NE2 from around 2002 (compact action) works perfectly after nearly 20 years.

If you take good care of things and use good cases, these things will last a very long time.

[maxpiano]

biggest problem i have had and one which ALL stage 2s will have in the future is the LCD.
once you get a dodgy pot through even slight ware where its a bit skittish, it show up on the lcd as movement like when you trim any of the pots its measure shows up on the lcd as soon as you touch it, so if you get a pot that fickers between even the smallest amounts this will than take over the function of the lcd and you will not be able to see your sound changes/ patches though it will change the patches you just cant see it on the lcd because it flickering constantly in my case the reverb pot amount, , now this can happen with any of the pots. so to my question is there any way of turning the pot amounts off on the lcd to only show the programs ? i know what im turning on the pots i dont need to see it on a lcd. end result was change the pot.

But that's a problem of the pot, not the LCD... the display is doing its proper job (to show you what's happening on your keyboard) and it is good to know that a pot is defective and needs to be changed, because otherwise you could get unpredictable parameter changes while playing (much more annoying imo)

[mr funky]

yes i know its the pot thats my point, if any pot goes down at a gig it sticks on the lcd so you cant see what program changes you make as the dodgy pot takes over the lcd completely. thats what happened to me, .. like i said... end result is change the pot, i have a spare one now all the time, takes 20 mins to get a new one in again, thanks to the good design of taking it apart quick, some screws, 2 ribbons unclip, a few knobs off on that board, a few more screws, its out, easy, as these get older i think that will be the main problem as the pots start to ware out.
its only a matter of time, but an easy fix.
1 Phillips screw driver
1 solder iron/solder sucker.
1 pot
done.