Stage 4 Issue: corrupted sound engine/digital distorted artifacts

[mr_tangerine]

Hi everyone,

I recently purchased a brand-new Nord Stage 4 and encountered some unusual issues with its sound engine. I wanted to share the details and my findings here, just in case anyone else has experienced something similar or might run into this issue in the future (hopefully not!).

A few others seem to report a similar issue with different boards, but since their sound clip is not available atm, I cannot confirm whether the issue is the same. See here:
viewtopic.php?t=20546
viewtopic.php?t=19058

Issue Description:
When using certain sounds within the Piano section—specifically Upright Piano and Vibraphone—I consistently hear very loud, unpleasant digital distortion or artifacts. Interestingly, not all sounds are affected equally; for example, the Organ section and Grand Piano sounds are completely unaffected and function perfectly.

The distortion seems directly tied to the fundamental sound samples themselves. Any effects applied through the effects section also influence the distortion, and even changing octaves affects the pitch of the distortion. It feels as if this distortion is inherently connected to or embedded within the core waveform of the problematic presets.

Sound clip: WARNING: turn down your volume because the distortion is kind of disturbing.


As you can hear at the end the digital noise is getting crazy.

Testing and observations:
I've verified that the distortion is audible through all available outputs, including the headphone jack and the main audio outputs. Additionally, I've attempted rebooting, performing a factory reset, and reinstalling the latest firmware, but none of these steps have resolved the issue.

Based on these observations, I suspect there might be a faulty internal component or circuit. However, it's puzzling why only specific engine categories (like Upright Piano and Vibraphone) are affected, while others (such as Grand Piano and Organ) remain unaffected. This makes me wonder if Nord employs isolated or separate circuits or digital processing paths for different instrument categories.

Fortunately, I've contacted my retailer, and they've agreed to exchange my unit for a new one. This is the first time I've experienced such significant issues with a new Nord product. While it's frustrating, I'm somewhat relieved that Nord apparently did something to avoid a single faulty point in their keyboard's circuit.

If anyone has encountered similar problems or has any insights, I'd greatly appreciate hearing your thoughts!

Cheers!
G.T.

[cphollis]

Confirming you can get the sound through headphones only?

It wouldn't hurt to do a fresh install of the affected samples.

[mr_tangerine]

Confirming you can get the sound through headphones only?

It wouldn't hurt to do a fresh install of the affected samples.

Yes, the noise persists through the headphones’ jacks. In fact, the very first time I noticed the noise was through the headphones (a big mistake for my eardrums).

[Mr_-G-]

Not that this would resolve the issue, but do you have any effects engaged? What happens if you switch all effects off?