The two "D's" don't sound the same?

[sus4]

I just noticed that the D above middle C, and the D above that D don't have the same fullness as the rest of the notes.

When I hit those two D's they sound thin.  They don't sound as full as the surrounding notes.

 

Does anyone have the same issue?

 

I'm wondering if it's a sampling issue or a mechanical one with the piano.

[Jokeyman123]

Which PX specifically? I assume you mean the octave D above and not D#. Having disassembled the PX350, I can tell you that the assembly is fairly uniform as far as mechanical components, there could be inconsistencies with the way the keys are contacting the sensors underneath. This will be apparent if the PX is brand new and may need adjusting, like regulating a real piano. If you have played it much with typical piano technique, flaws in the sensors underneath may be showing defects, even a small speck of dirt in the sensor can change the key's response. I've worked on many digital keybeds, cleaning, restoring to discover this. After checking my PX350, I've noticed the D above middle C seems identical as far as timbre compared to adjacent notes in that octave. The octave D above seems to be slightly brighter with equal keystrokes than adjacent notes in that octave but only with certain acoustic pianos so this is a probably a sampling issue although it disappears with the more filtered acoustic pianos (dolce, etc)  You might want to PM Mike Martin if you think this is an inherent defect, a good digital should be uniform throughout the key range, it is very difficult to play anything with even one note being louder or softer although most digitals have problems with inconsistent sample mapping, tough to deal with if you do much serious classical or jazz work.

[Jokeyman123]

Hello sus4, how did this work out? Any luck solving the problem?

[sus4]

Hello Jokeyman123,

 

Sorry I didn't reply sooner.  I haven't played the piano much, which by the way is a PX350, and I bought it off eBay.  It's in excellent shape, well taken care of.

I definitely hear a difference in sound.  I'm talking specifically about the D above middle C, nine notes above.  The sound of that D is not as rich and wholesome as the surrounding notes.

I checked all the piano sounds and the electric piano sounds and that D does not sound the same to me.  

I'll get in touch with Mike and see what he thinks.  I thought it was a sampling issue, but maybe it isn't.  Maybe there is some dirt in the sensor.

If I do decide to take it apart, is it relatively easy to clean the sensor?  I'm pretty handy so I wouldn't have a problem tackling this.

[Jokeyman123]

No its not easy getting to the sensors-you have to take the entire PX-350 apart-speaker assemblies, keyboard screws, even if you are experienced with this kind of thing,it will take a few hours, and the keyboard is pretty delicate. Since you just got it, I would let Casio do the work. If the sensor is even slightly defective you may not even be able to see it, I went through this with 3 keyboards already and a defect or damaged sensor is really brutal to detect. I've always ended up replacing the rubber parts. I have a post somewhere here about my PX adventure modding the keys if you think you can handle it. Be very careful taking the keybed out, unlike some I've worked on, this flexes and might break. And yes, the D in question should not sound like this. if it is happening with several different sounds, it is the key/sensor.  There may be a defect or tiny break in the key where it presses the sensor (these are pretty delicate) so you may need a new key or sensor. I'll see if i can locate my post about taking mine apart. The is a link to someone else who disassembled their PX-350 to create a custom paint job, I'll find that link and post it here if you are interested.

[Jokeyman123]

Here is my older post about the insides of the PX-350-I did not post directions because I didn't want to take responsibility if someone did this and broke their PX.

 

http://www.casiomusicforums.com/index.php?/topic/7-px-350-user-reviews-dp-questions-hands-on-experiences/page-4?hl=%2Bpx350+%2Bspeakers#entry11487

 

And here is the link to the forum post showing pics of someone else who took it apart to modify it:

 

http://forums.musicplayer.com/ubbthreads.php/topics/2546470/Re_And_so_it_begins_Paint_proj

 

You do not have to completely rip it apart the way he did to get to the keyboard-but studying these pics helped me figure it out. It's much simpler than his posts would indicate, but notice alot of plastic, easy to strip the screw mounting points.

[sus4]

Well, I see what you're saying, it does look a little delicate and I don't think I want to go through with this project.  Maybe I'll send it to Casio and let them fix it or just let it stay like it is.

Do you have any idea what they charge to fix something like this?

Thanks for your posts.

[Jokeyman123]

Not really-I think this is something I would PM Mike Martin about-can do that right here at this forum, just look up his profile you'll find an option somewhere to send him a personal message.

[sus4]

I emailed Mike Martin, but I haven't heard from him.  Would he respond directly to this thread?

[Jokeyman123]

Not always-look up his profile here on this forum-you will see an option to send him a personal mail (PM). I think he monitors his mailbox and will respond directly to you under your profile for messages. If you contact Casio factory tech support, he may or may not be made aware of this issue and might not respond right away. He may also be on the road for demos, has to travel alot so can't always respond right away. I'm sure if you send a PM at this forum, he'll pick up on it. Meanwhile you might try getting a little compressed air and blow around the keys in that area-it might dislodge anything that could cause this. I have found something as small as a hair lodged in the rubber sensors can mess with the sensitivity of a key.