Dust Causing Malfunctioning Keys?

[pterm]

Good idea. Unfortunately Nord doesn't produce the keybeds themselves (Fatar does) and I'm pretty sure they're single-sided boards. Plated through-holes might be a bit big; maybe unfilled vias might be big enough.

It wouldn't completely cure the issue, but might indeed work quite a lot better. I wouldn't be surprised if this has already been done, perhaps many years ago.

You're right about the boards being single sided - the post at Fixing dead key on Nord Electro2 72 shows this.

I agree the smallest hole possible makes most sense. --The smaller the better actually to filter out larger particles. This means using the smallest via allowed for the board's thickness: The standard used to be via diameter = 1/10 PCB thickness (say 0.3mm diameter for a 3mm thick PCB).

I realize Fatar makes these PCBs, but Nord buys them in the keybed assemblies. I hope Nord considers the problems associated with their choices and tries to influence Fatar to make improvements.

To do this requires Fatar's mechanical designers to co-operate with their electronics designers... That's like keyboardists getting along with lead guitarists... or cats and dogs living together!

I didn't really think my idea was novel (as I knowingly gave up any patent rights as soon as I pressed "submit"), it just seems like a sensible and obvious detail the designers at Fatar overlooked. To me, a well-designed product considers details like this and it pains me to see weakness of design in an instrument of this calibre.

[mjbrands]

To do this requires Fatar's mechanical designers to co-operate with their electronics designers... That's like keyboardists getting along with lead guitarists... or cats and dogs living together!

Yeaay, gratuitous cat shot.

I didn't really think my idea was novel (as I knowingly gave up any patent rights as soon as I pressed "submit"), it just seems like a sensible and obvious detail the designers at Fatar overlooked. To me, a well-designed product considers details like this and it pains me to see weakness of design in an instrument of this calibre.

Price rules in our throw-away society. You might be willing to pay more for a product that has these issues solved, but lots of people will just get the cheapest knock-off product that meets their functional needs, knowing full-well they'll need to replace it within 6-12 months because it will either break or simply doesn't work properly.

Cheap purchases often turn into frustrating ones for me (and I like the feel of quality), so I try to take that into account. I love the sturdy feel of all the Nord products (but also Access and Dave Smith) I've had, but probably my Novation Remote SL mk2 controller (which feels pretty cheap) is just as sturdy.

[bluesbaba]

personally, I've often wondered whether a ~10cm wide strip of ordinary kitchen plastic wrap laid across the top of the contacts from end to end wouldn't help to act as a "crumb catcher" and minimize the intrusion of such particulate matter without really affecting playability in an adverse way....

Pablo

[Mr_-G-]

personally, I've often wondered whether a ~10cm wide strip of ordinary kitchen plastic wrap laid across the top of the contacts from end to end wouldn't help to act as a "crumb catcher" and minimize the intrusion of such particulate matter without really affecting playability in an adverse way....

Yes that would prevent it. but wouldn't the film eventually break where the key presses the rubber contact? Then it could end up with loads of tiny pieces of plastic debris.
I am not so sure that holes on the board would be so effective either... Instruments are carried around in all positions and a hole directly to the contact chamber is perhaps not a good idea. Free dust would probably find its way when the instrument is not on "play" postion (for example when carried in the soft bag).

[mjbrands]

personally, I've often wondered whether a ~10cm wide strip of ordinary kitchen plastic wrap laid across the top of the contacts from end to end wouldn't help to act as a "crumb catcher" and minimize the intrusion of such particulate matter without really affecting playability in an adverse way....

Not a bad idea; it shouldn't interfere with the keys at all but I fear you'd wear holes in it very quickly (maybe even after tens of presses).

[AlQuinn]

personally, I've often wondered whether a ~10cm wide strip of ordinary kitchen plastic wrap laid across the top of the contacts from end to end wouldn't help to act as a "crumb catcher" and minimize the intrusion of such particulate matter without really affecting playability in an adverse way....

Pablo

Pablo, I think your on the right track with this idea. The Nord engineers should try working with the concept to improve their products.

[Marlowes]

Hej!

The woman and the cat both agree:
"When @home - keep the dust covers on, at all times!"



(I've had several Rolands with dirty keybeds, which I cleaned up ... quite common, I guess. That's life.)

/Amicalement
Michael in Scania

[Leo Castro]

I cleaned up Rolands and Yamahas....

[Frantz]

+1 : The "crumb catcher" idea look great, light and not too expensive.

If using rubber technology makes keyboards lighter, then I'm OK to pay a maintenance price, as long as the replacing parts are easily available, the price is reasonable and the process easy, I mean ~ 30 minutes and no risk to cause damage.

That said, if my keybed was malfunctioning during the first 2 year of intense playing and careful handling, I would feel bad about it and would consider trying something else.

That said, if there were no Nord keyboard, I'd probably be drumming or surfing instead of keyboarding