"Dead" Notes

[zawinulisgod]

Hi All,

I am a brand new owner of a Nord Stage 4 88. I am new to Nord, but have owned other fairly high end boards in the past - a Motif XF8 for example.

I have had the Nord for less than two weeks. I have noticed in my playing that two of the keys on the board are not sounding as full nor as in tune as others. In particular the Bb below middle C is not sounding fully, nor is the tone in tune. In tune or not doesn't scare me, I realize boards need to be tuned from time to time, but the timber of the note doesn't sound anywhere near as full as surrounding notes. It sounds dead, for want of a better term.

How are the tones in a digital keyboard produced? Is there any mechanical element that is not fully sounding? Is it possible that similar to a Rhodes that a tine, or something similar to a tine, is not working correctly; or is the keyboard completely digital and when I press a key it is simply a button being pressed, and what I am hearing is simply a result of imbalanced tuning?

I am wondering if I should call Nord, or if this is something you all deal with from time to time?

Thanks

Joe

[Schorsch]

I would contact the dealer and ask for a replacement if something like this happens with a brand new, only two weeks old Stage 4.

[FZiegler]

Well, digital keyboards are creating the sound solely digital - except for the last step: the amplifier. So there is no chance that a note will go out of tune. There are Nord sounds that aren't exactly in tune - but that's soft-coded in the samples. And they are for sure not all the same.

So if you feel a tone being a) different in volume and at the same time b) out of tune, chances are bigger that there is something with your amplification in the room than coming from the instrument. What could be is that there is an issue with the keys' velocity sensors - but that would only affect the volume, not the tuning of the tone.

If moving the monitor boxes, moving your own position with the keyboard in the room (because of acoustic nodes) or switching to another amplification (headphones) won't help, there may be a reason to have the keyboard checked.

[maxpiano]

Well, digital keyboards are creating the sound solely digital - except for the last step: the amplifier. So there is no chance that a note will go out of tune. There are Nord sounds that aren't exactly in tune - but that's soft-coded in the samples. And they are for sure not all the same.

So if you feel a tone being a) different in volume and at the same time b) out of tune, chances are bigger that there is something with your amplification in the room than coming from the instrument. What could be is that there is an issue with the keys' velocity sensors - but that would only affect the volume, not the tuning of the tone.

If moving the monitor boxes, moving your own position with the keyboard in the room (because of acoustic nodes) or switching to another amplification (headphones) won't help, there may be a reason to have the keyboard checked.

Good point and testing the same sound using just headphones is the easiest way to confirm/exclude it has to do with amplification/room, so it is the first thing I'd suggest the OP to do.

[zawinulisgod]

Thanks folks. I will try the headphones shortly and let you know. Your help is very much appreciated.

Joe

[keyboardcat]

What ever happened with this, Joe? I have a single note that doesn't play at max velocity too. thanks.