Emergency repair

[Jim Roseberry]

Hi Folks,

Today, I started a "do it yourself" project to clean the key contact of a my Stage 4 88's G3 key. The key was hitting highest velocity much too soon.
We played a lot of outdoor shows this year... and bugs were getting down into the keybed.
Painstakingly disassembled everything (ribbon cables, etc)... including the super thin cables on both sides of the keybed (which are threaded thru the bottom (black) metal chassis. I lifted the keybed out of the chassis... and much to my chagrin... I saw this resting in the chassis.



The damn cable got itself back down into one of the slots on the chassis... and ripped when I pulled out the keybed.

Just talked to Syntaur... and it is indeed an aftertouch cable.
Syntaur doesn't sell this cable... so I'm assuming I'm looking at replacing the whole keybed (about $1000 US).
Worst part, I have to play NYE... and they don't have the keybed in-stock. Said it would be 3-4 weeks to get it.

This obviously turned into a "Don't it yourself" project... and now I'm borked.

[Jim Roseberry]

Oh no! Thanks for the warning though.

I would opt to live without aftertouch, I never really use it anyway...

Good luck.

[Jim Roseberry]

I depend on aftertouch throughout the night. Can't live without it.
New key-bed will have to be ordered from Syntaur.
Painful learning experience...

[Jim Roseberry]

I depend on aftertouch throughout the night. Can't live without it.
New key-bed will have to be ordered from Syntaur.
Painful learning experience...

Have you tried to contact the official distributor/service and ask them if they can get just that part?
Or find a second hand Studiologic SL88 just to "borrow" the AT strip, from it?

PS. you may also try to resolder/repair that strip, making a joint between the 2 pieces.

[Jim Roseberry]

Have you tried to contact the official distributor/service and ask them if they can get just that part?
Or find a second hand Studiologic SL88 just to "borrow" the AT strip, from it?

PS. you may also try to resolder/repair that strip, making a joint between the 2 pieces.

Kenneth from Syntaur mentioned that I could submit a request to just get the aftertouch strip.
No guarantee that it would be approved.
I'm guessing it would be many hours to full disassemble the keybed to install it.

I was wondering about soldering the strip back together.
I'd have to pull the strip to do it (disassemble the entire keybed)... as it tore leaving no part of the strip exposed/accessible.

Is the Studio Logic SL88 using the same keybed (identical)?
Sweetwater has the Studiologic SL88GT MK2 for $1000 (and I could get that immediately).
The specs mention the keybed being TP400.
I believe the Stage 4 88 uses a TP40.

The TP400 keybed on the Studiologic Numa X Piano GT (IMO) feels great.

[Jim Roseberry]

Have you tried to contact the official distributor/service and ask them if they can get just that part?
Or find a second hand Studiologic SL88 just to "borrow" the AT strip, from it?

PS. you may also try to resolder/repair that strip, making a joint between the 2 pieces.

Kenneth from Syntaur mentioned that I could submit a request to just get the aftertouch strip.
No guarantee that it would be approved.
I'm guessing it would be many hours to full disassemble the keybed to install it.

I was wondering about soldering the strip back together.
I'd have to pull the strip to do it (disassemble the entire keybed)... as it tore leaving no part of the strip exposed/accessible.

Is the Studio Logic SL88 using the same keybed (identical)?
Sweetwater has the Studiologic SL88GT MK2 for $1000 (and I could get that immediately).
The specs mention the keybed being TP400.
I believe the Stage 4 88 uses a TP40.

The TP400 keybed on the Studiologic Numa X Piano GT (IMO) feels great.

No they are not the same, just the AT strip is (should be) and (yes) you need to completely disassemble your NS4 TP40 to remove the existing AT strip and repair/replace it. See this video (one of a few you can find on YT) on how to perform a complete disassembly


Btw did you break the white or black keys AT strip?

[Mr. Marko]

have you tried to clean it, tape it back together and test it?

this might be the lowest tech item in the entire keyboard...I would try to get it to return to a condition of continuity and give it a try.

[Mr. Marko]

check this out:

https://forum.vintagesynth.com/viewtopic.php?t=54692

[Jim Roseberry]

Ordered a replacement keybed.
Got everything installed.
Powered up... and all appeared to be fine.
But... when playing the keyboard, keys every other octave are dead. The functional keys work fine... and Aftertouch works fine.
I've reseated the two ribbon cables multiple times.
I've even put the original keybed back... and experience the same behavior (notes every other octave are dead).

[maxpiano]

Ordered a replacement keybed.
Got everything installed.
Powered up... and all appeared to be fine.
But... when playing the keyboard, keys every other octave are dead. The functional keys work fine... and Aftertouch works fine.
I've reseated the two ribbon cables multiple times.
I've even put the original keybed back... and experience the same behavior (notes every other octave are dead).

Did you clean the contacts on the mainboard and keyboard side sockets before reseating the cables? If problem persists even with that, it could be one of the flex cable having one or more broken wires.