Nord Grand, neighbour complaint about keybed noise

[agcohn]

Would a rug under the piano help?

The Grand must have way louder keys than my Piano 4 if the sound is an issue for neighbors, unless it’s not that loud but more of just an annoyance thing.

Edit: though I guess technically I use my NP4 on top of a Schwinn exercise equipment mat, but that was to avoid scratches on my floor from the pedals. I also don’t have downstairs neighbors…

[M1tsos]

If they are good neighboors and they dont disturb you at all then you do right trying to find a solution on that.. else i would buy them some ear plugs (shields) for free.. so by law you can have i think 60 db in your house (at least for greece i live) the keybed is less than 60 db for sure.. so they cant do anything about it.. its just up to your kindness.. and as i already told you in case they are any jurk people not polite and not kind people to you then i wouldnt even care

[roobarb69]

I have the same issue that when the keyboard is used in a home environment the 'key thump' is quite noticeable. I even considered opening up the keyboard to see if there was a way to make it quieter using key felt, rubber, sound deadening material etc? I wonder if anyone else has modified their Nord Grand?

It's perfectly playable and sounds wonderful just wish it was a bit quieter like the Kawai MP7SE. why is The Nord so much noisier when it's the same keyed?

[ziozeus]

It's a void big box. Putting some anti acoustic reflection material inside could possibly reduce the noise.
Also key stopper felt is stiffer than mp7se, which I prefer as a feeling, (I'm a previous owner of an mp7se) but yes it can make for an higher noise maybe. Of course adding felt would heavily impact the way the keyboard feels and the key travel.
One thing could be putting some spacers, I would say not thicker than 1mm to prevent adverse geometries, between the metal bottom structure and the screws where the action frame is fixed. I remember having seen some antivibration adesive foam attached to that same metal base. Probably an effort to reduce noise by clavia engineers.

[roobarb69]

Unfortunately the Nord Grand (Kawai) keybed is noisy Iv'e tried to add sound deadening material and foam inside but made no discernible difference. The irony is the same keyed in the Kawai is as quiet as a church mouse so must be the 'tinny, Nord casing. Kawais are much better made than Nords and seem to absorb the key 'bottoming' sound much better than Nord. The noise is so bad when playing in a quiet environment, I am considering going back to the Kawai MP11SE even thought the Nord White Grand samples are way better.

I wish I had a solution but there doesn't seem to be one.

All the recordings of the Nord Grand on YouTube are direct thought mixers and interfaces so you never hear the keybed!!!

Lets face it there are very few if any 'honest' reviews on YouTube!

[Nordine]

Another idea, how about standing your Nord Grand over a foam carpet like this? At least it will isolate all the noise traveled through the stand to the ground.

[Nordine]

A drummer friend once encountered the same problem with his neighbours, he was practicing using his Roland V-Drums, he was obliged to use few pieces of foam floor tiles then everything went ok. The noise was isolated.

[docbop]

I find this really hard to believe that the action of a digital keyboard would make enough noise to upset a normal neighbor. I currently have my Stage 3 and a StudioLogic SL88 Grand Stage woodkey controller, before that a RD-2000 with woodkey action and never had a complaint from a neighbor and I practice at all hours of the day. I do have carpeted floors and all gear and that includes my desk, tables with speakers on them, they all are pulled away from the walls so no coupling. I do wear headphone after 10 or 11 pm.

Only thing I can think of is this a neighbor next door to you, is your Nord Grand sitting next to a wall you share with the complainer. Again make sure your Grand isn't touching the wall and better yet move it to another wall that isn't shared with your neighbor.

[FZiegler]

As much as I've learned about keyboard noise is that the impulse of the fingers/keys being stopped by the keybed may be forwarded to the instrument, the table and/or the floor. Depending on the material of the floor/ceiling, it may sound louder downstairs than what you hear when hitting the keys on place.

So some sort of isolation under the keyboard stand may be the way to go. Just check about the nature of the sound before.

[docbop]

As much as I've learned about keyboard noise is that the impulse of the fingers/keys being stopped by the keybed may be forwarded to the instrument, the table and/or the floor. Depending on the material of the floor/ceiling, it may sound louder downstairs than what you hear when hitting the keys on place.

So some sort of isolation under the keyboard stand may be the way to go. Just check about the nature of the sound before.

Some keyboard players who tap time with their foot when playing are really loud to point recording of them it is booming away. So maybe the OP is one of the lead footed timekeepers and it's foot she's hearing not the keyboard.