Nord Lead 3 uneven keys

[kotatsu]

Hey there, I recently picked up a used nord lead 3 for a good price. The machine is in pristine condition but I noticed two keys (the top B and the biddle B) are slightly higher than the others.

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Is this a common thing about NL3 or was I given an unlucky model? Also I don't think it is worth replacing since operation is not affected, but do you know whether there is a quick fix to this? Thank you all in advance!

[23skidoo]

Mine has some slight variation too, but after playing it they even out generally. You might want to give that keybed a full cleaning after purchase, but it's not something I'd be terribly worried about.

That's not an incredibly precise keyboard to begin with, it seems to be me its designed for speed-shredding rather than nuanced playing. Not that a good musician can't do whatever you want with it, but don't expect Bösendorfer precision from the low-end and rather flimsy Fatar TP/9 series in general.

[kotatsu]

Thank you very much for your answer! This model has been sitting around unplayed by the previous owner for large part of the time so I think that it makes sense that it didn't have the opportunity to smooth out. Do you suggest removing the keybed for cleaning?

[ghoulian]

Thank you very much for your answer! This model has been sitting around unplayed by the previous owner for large part of the time so I think that it makes sense that it didn't have the opportunity to smooth out. Do you suggest removing the keybed for cleaning?

The keys look fine to me to be honest. The Fatar keybeds use return springs and rubber contact strips which will definitely wear out over the years as they're played. The Nord Leads are used a lot for gigging so you'll find a ton will be in similar shape.
You can go as far as replacing the contact strips and the return springs to potentially get something that feels more like new, but the juice may not be worth the squeeze. Its super easy to take apart the Nord Lead 3, but I'd say removing every key and return spring would be the toughest part.

[23skidoo]

Thank you very much for your answer! This model has been sitting around unplayed by the previous owner for large part of the time so I think that it makes sense that it didn't have the opportunity to smooth out. Do you suggest removing the keybed for cleaning?

Up to you. The top cover is easy enough to get off and if you're careful you can disassemble it entirely without taking it out. On the other hand, it's a lot easier to get to if you remove it. It's just another half-dozen or so screws further.

To be honest, though I suggested that you might want to clean it, what I meant was a bit more nuanced: if it plays "fine", don't clean it. Only clean it if there's an actual issue - e.g. sluggish keys, keys not reliably triggering or triggering only at 100% velocity(*), etc. The reason is that there's a nonzero risk of the older plastic keys breaking when you try to remove or re-insert them, and while it's one of the easier keybeds to service, it's not something I'd like to risk without an actual problem to fix. At the age of these boards, I don't do it just for giggles.

I agree with ghoulian that these keybeds are indeed a wear item, and I also agree it's not worth it to try to get it back to new-ish condition without cause - it was never amazing even new. Frankly, play the heck out of it until it actually has an issue, then service it. That's what I do on my gear, and my NL3 is third- or fourth- or gods-know-how-many-hand used. There were a zillion TP/9s out there, they're not terribly hard to find parts for - EXCEPT the aftertouch strip, which is a piece of junk and usually has to be scavenged from another keyboard if you want to replace it. And boy that's a pain because it's basically glued on with a thick and annoying adhesive.

But all that's no big deal, because once you start jamming with the synth the keybed becomes the last thing you really care about. It's just a fun synth overall.

(*) The velocity curve on this keyboard isn't terribly nuanced, either. Don't expect a tremendous degree of repeatability on the velocity, it's sort of a macro-scale thing with a lot of variance. Which is actually useful because you can use the velocity morph param to put a little "vintage" randomness into the sound.

[kotatsu]

To be honest, though I suggested that you might want to clean it, what I meant was a bit more nuanced: if it plays "fine", don't clean it. Only clean it if there's an actual issue - e.g. sluggish keys, keys not reliably triggering or triggering only at 100% velocity(*), etc.

Yeah, this makes sense. I wouldn't risk it either, especially since up to now there are no operational problems. Thank you all for your precious insights guys!