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PX5S Piano Buzz


Jeffrey Camp

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I have had my PX5S for about 45 days and am noticing a buzzing in the GrPnoCOncert sound between Bb2-E2. This is noticeable in any Stage setting it is used. Is this part of the sample or is keyboard defective?

 

Jeremy -

 

I'm not suggesting this happens to be your problem, but at least consider it:

 

As a new PX-5S owner I heard a weird buzzing early on. It seemed kind of soon for any mechanical keyboard issues to have surfaced. It was really puzzling and kind of depressing to have a problem right out of the box. But then I realized what it was ... it was the rattling of my USB flash drive when I played even gently on the keyboard! (duh)

 

Apparently it's a loose mechanism within the construction of this (cheap) Sandisk USB memory stick I had handy. Although the flash drive works perfectly, it's not made for staying silent when vibrated. Removing it out stopped the buzzing immediately.

 

While this may not be your problem, it's worth giving it a quick check.

 

In any event, this tip may solve some rattling/buzzing issues for another user down the road, so perhaps worth posting.

 

- OneWatt

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I haven't noticed anything of the sort.  Is it ALL stage settings or just piano ones? Can you record it and upload it somewhere so we can hear? I am guessing you have tried different headphones / speakers to eliminate the possibility of sympathetic resonance and the like....

Notice it using good headphones - AKG 240 MKII - just play E2 then play F2 with a good solid stoke and you can hear the buzz on the E almost a metallic scrape sound in the upper frequencies - also does in my K271's but more noticeable on the k240's even when pugging directly into the keyboards headphone jacks, almost sound like a faint upper frequency tambourine sound.

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If you have extremely good ears, I agree you might be hearing the simulated harp/string resonance characteristic of a good acoustic grand after the strings are struck and on sustain in the lower registers. With good headphones, you will be able to hear every detail that might not be apparent when played through a sound system or other speaker system. The AKGs are very transparent (I have K240's and K66's) and flat frequency response. You are hearing a pretty clear representation of what the piano samples sound like IMO.  Could be "aliasing"-digital distortion inherent if a sample is overdriven when recorded although in the lower registers you are discussing this is "usually" not the case (could be) but I hear nothing like that in my PX either.

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Another suggestion to help track the source of your buzzing:

 

Turn off the various damper-related resonance effects (you'll find them on 2nd page of SYSTEM menu: string resonance, damper resonance, and damper noise). Try setting them all to 0 and seeing if (i.e., hearing if ) this has any effect on the issue you're experiencing.

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  • 2 weeks later...

It is just the piano Stage settings worse on the brighter tones such as Rock Piano.

That's an interesting tidbit ... i.e., that it's different on brighter Stage Settings. I know others have asked before but it really would be helpful to get some insights into what's going on if you could (1) record the sound as a WAV and upload it and (2) let us know which Stage Setting is producing the result (most especially if it's a custom setting, upload that too to see if we can replicate it elsewhere and help you track it down).

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This is a longshot but I've examined the key assembly of the PX350 inside and out and I'm assuming it's identical to the PX5s. I'd like to hear it too, but it is possible there is some kind of electrical contact problem between the multiple sensors under each key causing some sort of interference-this "might" create an interaction between the different sample layers that are no longer being triggered quite the way these are supposed to be, and you are hearing this. Even a hair or speck of something in one of these sensors could do this.

 

The other (again reaching on this one without being able to examine yours or hear it) that particular key is causing some kind of resonant vibration mechanically that is rattling a connection inside creating just enough of a disconnect (like a loose wire can cause) to create this distorted sound. All the connections inside are ribbon cables so I would doubt this, but there are wires soldered directly to boards and if one is not quite right and it is close to this key, it's possible. Hope you can fix it.

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As I suspected, that sounds just like it is supposed to. It's the sound of a bright Steinway piano.  It's the normal and intended sound of the unfiltered piano samples.  I hear no unintended buzzing.  

 

On the other hand, if this is the sound coming from factory stage setting 0-0 concert grand, then something migh have changed with the EQ and possibly the filter. Stage setting 0-0 Concert Grand's piano is filtered and is not EQ'ed that bright. It also sounds like maximum velocity is being used.

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As I suspected, that sounds just like it is supposed to. It's the sound of a bright Steinway piano.  It's the normal and intended sound of the unfiltered piano samples.  I hear no unintended buzzing.  

 

On the other hand, if this is the sound coming from factory stage setting 0-0 concert grand, then something is wrong with the EQ and filter.  Stage setting 0-0 Concert Grand's piano is filtered and is not EQ'ed that bright. It also sounds like maximum velocity is being used.

 

Jeffrey -

 

Well, while I can't say this sounds bad to my ears, I don't want to tell you that it shouldn't bother you... because obviously it does.

 

I've listened through two sets of speakers and, at least to my ears, it sounds like that authentic grumbling roar from the bottom of a real piano. Our acoustic grand piano fills the room with that same grumbling quality if one gives it just enough forte at the bottom end.

 

So I wonder: do you get the same bothersome sound quality when you strike the key less heavily (with less velocity)? If so, that could be out of whack with "normal" PX-5S performance. But otherwise, like BradMZ's reaction above, it sounds like what I would expect to hear if I were playing at full velocity.

 

- OneWatt

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